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You got a problem with that?

May 5, 2008 | RSS | EMAIL | PRINT | 1 COMMENTS

I usually end up deciding to write about something after noticing I've brought it up in conversation two or three times. As is the case with this article from Smithsonian Magazine on what makes New Yorkers who they are. Amongst other theories for why we are the way we are, it's suggested that "the special difficulties of life in New York—the small apartments, the struggle for a seat on the bus or a table at a restaurant—seem to breed a sense of common cause. When New Yorkers see a stranger, they don't think, "I don't know you." They think, "I know you. I know your problems—they're the same as mine—and furthermore we have the same handbag." So that's how they treat you."

via Anil Dash // Tags: culture, nyc

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1lauren michelle serota

Since relocating from New York, I've spent an unquantifiable amount of time reflecting on how precious the idea of a shared context can be, and how integral it is (in this case) for the existence of the "new york spirit/experience/pain in the ass."

iI had a discussion with a gentleman the other week who said (and this is not, by any means, his statement exclusively) that New York is "a great place to visit, but not somewhere I would ever want to live." I completely disagreed, and assured him that if he ever lived there he would feel quite the opposite; it's the intricacies of the interactions in New York (which I believe exist due to the raised platform of commonality mentioned in the quoted Smithsonian article) that make the city unique and engaging (to me).

Moving from New York's open-source, fast-paced, too-legit-to-quitness to the modest, complacent and prudent (though charming and enjoyable) Central Ohio area has been quite an adjustment.

May 27, 2008