Ahhhh, my most asked question. Why NYC? Here goes nothing….
For starters, it is truly the city that never sleeps. The last time I was there, I fell asleep every night listening to a saxophone player on the sidewalk below. You only find that culture of spontaneity in New York City. Where I come from, good ole’ Reidsville, NC, no one walks around playing the saxophone during the day, much less midnight. NYC truly has it all! From breath taking sites and music to drugs and being robbed on the subway- you can really take your pick of experiences, haha! In all seriousness, it is one of the most amazing places on earth- but certainly not for the faint of heart.
My soul longs for that city constantly. I can taste the chicken parmesan from Carmine’s Italian Restaurant right now. Hand breaded chicken breast atop any fresh pasta of your choice all smothered in homemade tomato meat sauce and fresh mozzarella cheese. Anyone else up for lunch?! Your mouth is probably watering, right? I didn’t even scratch the surface of all the food NYC has to offer. You have an endless amount of choices at your fingertips.
How about dessert? It’s the sweetest part of the meal! When I say the words delicious banana pudding I bet you think of your granny’s traditional banana pudding cooked over the stove and topped with meringue, right? Wrong! You haven’t had banana pudding until you’ve tried Magnolia Bakery’s (FYI….they ship this stuff, it is that good). Alright, alright, alright, maybe banana pudding isn’t your thing…. how about ice cream? Little Italy has a heavenly assortment of gelato, better than anything you will find within 100 miles of North Carolina. This stuff is the real deal.
So why is their food so amazing? Many of the restaurants and deli’s you enter in to have been in families since the 19th century when they immigrated from countries all over the world. Many still use the same recipes that their family was using 6 generations ago- and they would rather die than compromise the quality of one single plate that leaves their kitchen. The varying cultures and pride in their work is the DNA of New York City. In 7th grade social studies we learn that the United States is a melting pot of various cultures, but I never understood it fully until walking down a street with people from every ethnicity and language I can imagine within reach. (side note: melting pot made me think of mac and cheese. The Herald has the most expensive and the best mac I’ve ever tasted- it will honestly change your life for the better).
Reason #458 I have fallen in love with NYC: You don’t drive anywhere! You hop on the subway or if you’re feeling fancy, take an Uber to anywhere you want to go. There is truly no limit to what is available. From Broadway shows to live music I believe I could live the rest of my life there and not even scratch the surface of what all is available in a 10 mile radius.
So, why is New York on the list? Simply put, it’s the city that never sleeps, never stops growing, never stops entertaining, and never turns away someone who is chasing a dream.