City Now, Country Later
Tuesday, March 4th, 2008I think everyone should live in New York City at least once in their lives. I grew up in Massachusetts and I would consider myself an outdoor person. I like to ride horses, ski, hike, sail and most of all just be outside in the dirt. Many people have asked me what I was thinking when I decided to come to the city. I can’t hike here or ski or go to the beach. Sometimes, admist all the hustle and bustle, I even ask myself, “What AM I doing here?” But, a reassuring answer usually comes to me pretty quickly. And, it’s almost always when I’m out of Manhattan and in my neighborhood in Brooklyn.
All within a few blocks of my apartment, I have the subway station, a 24-hour organic grocery store, New York’s best espresso cafe - and I’m sure a lot of people claim they live next to New York’s best something, but this really is the best espresso - and one of the restaurants in my area has the most delicious burgers I have ever tasted in my life. And it doesn’t even end there! What I like most about the city, especially at a young age, is that coming out of college I can still fulfill that urge to learn. New artists play at innovative bars and restaurants almost every night. Movie showings are held with debates and popcorn. Even if you are an outdoor person, some of your needs can be catered to here in the city. Just recently, my roommate found an urban drive-in where you can enjoy a movie on a 102-inch screen in a blue 1965 Ford Falcon convertible underneath a fabricated starry sky indoors. There is a slight chance that this experience could even be better than an outdoor drive-in.
The conclusion I have come to is “City now, country later.” Everyone should have a chance to take advantage of the art, music and literature that are made accessible to them. Luckily, if you live near the city, it’s all right there just waiting to be absorbed.
-Courtney Centeno, account executive
