Thinking about New York
I’m back in Boston. I’m been to upstate NY numerous times before but this trip was the longest. Spending so much time in upstate New York was a real experience. It was the closest I’ve come to spending a considerable amount of time in what most people would think of as the Heartland, generally the midwest or “red-states” (I don’t like red state - blue state labels).
Once you get outside of NYC, New York is a amazingly beautiful state with rolling hills and farms as far as the eye can see. Small towns and kind people. I felt a real appreciation for New York and a draw to return. Some people might find it suprising that if you removed NYC from NY State it would be considered a “red state.” Complete with Christian radio stations on FM, gun lovers, hunters, and conservative church going people. And while I am sure upstate NY has its racial tensions it wasn’t apparent to me during my brief trip. One thing I have always disliked about NYC and Boston is that despite its diversity they are racially charged cities. Only when I am in Boston or NYC do people worry about me walking behind them or follow me in stores. These are tough cities for minorities that spend time outside of minority communities.
Eventually I would like to get a vacation home in upstate NY while living in NYC to remind myself that it is a state with trees and land that’s sold by the acre, much like the majority of America. Us city kids can easily become disconnected with the rest of the country. I’d like to try and connect back up.
April 22nd, 2005 at 12:06 pm
Poetically and nostalgically, something always draws me back to NYC. My experiences there have been of endless possibilities and open doors. How long will it take for those doors to be as open, without suspision, to everyone? Independently, on the same day, you and I each posted views of the same city, worlds apart.
April 22nd, 2005 at 12:45 pm
“Like the streets of New York City, miles from here, miles from there, they pulse with excitment and vibration. Anything seems possible there.”
Maybe this is part of what draws me back to NYC. The fact that being in NYC you have a feeling that anything is possible. I would have that feeling any where I lived, personally, but NYC makes me want to “make it happen.”