New York State of Mind

London is satisfied, Paris is resigned, but New York is always hopeful. Always it believes that something good is about to come off, and it must hurry to meet it.

– Dorothy Parker

For the last nine weeks, I embarked on the experience of a lifetime! Throughout this, I had the opportunity to intern in New York City and complete my core capstone, a class which related directly to embracing everything the city has to offer. Moreover, the core capstone used New York City and my internship to understand the diversity and complexity of global humanity, and what my role is in this global community.

My internship for the summer, Catholic Charities, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to helping Catholics and non-Catholics alike, was incredibly eye-opening. They provide help across a variety of sectors, such as “children and youth”, “hungry and homeless”, “families in crisis”, “physically and emotionally challenged”, and “immigrants and refugees”. Upon arrival, I had yet to acquire an internship, but I could not think of a better internship to obtain. I was fortunate enough to have an internship that directly tied into the material learned during my core capstone in addition to my time in New York.

One of Catholic Charities sectors, homelessness, is so critical, as it is no secret that New York City has a significantly large homeless population. Learning about how Catholic Charities helps those who are homeless, or facing that possibility, allowed me to become more educated about the underlying factors as to why people face homeless-related issues, that extend far beyond the preconceived societal connotations. Another sector that Catholic Charities works with is helping immigrants and refugees; they help them reunite legally with their families and successfully integrate into society by learning English and obtaining proper work authorization. Moreover, the organization helps immigrants in avoiding exploitation by unscrupulous practitioners by providing correct information and realistic counsel about immigration status. While working with their immigration sector, I was able to better understand the current immigration crisis and border crisis that is going on in America in addition to the very real life-altering difficulties these people face daily. 

Having the opportunity to be able to experience the immigration crisis first-hand has easily been one of the best experiences I could have asked for, because I have been able to become more globally aware of a very real issue that is going on in my own country. Before working at Catholic Charities, I did not fully understand the complexity of this issue. However, now, I can confidently say that I have a greater understanding and a better grasp of the factors that play a crucial role as to why so many people are emigrating from Central America. These factors, including gang violence, corruption, and poverty, that are prevalent throughout Central America are not going to disappear overnight, and people are always going to continue to immigrate to escape these harsh living conditions. Which is why, as society moves ever forward, something needs to be done, so that we can continue to create a more globally diverse and aware community.

One belongs to New York instantly, one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years.

– Tom Wolfe

Just like everything is bigger in Texas, everything is more expensive in New York City. The New York City sales tax can add an extra 8.875% to the end price of any given good or service. This is because of the New York City (4.5%) and State (4%) sales tax, as well as the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation surcharge (0.375%). Not only does this extra cost make a vacation getaway very expensive, but it also makes Manhattan a very expensive place to live. With a cost of living 148.5% above the U.S. average and average rent prices starting around $4,888 a month, Manhattan is the most expensive U.S. city to live in according to Kiplinger. Futhermore, for someone to live comfortably as a renter in Manhattan, they would need to earn at least $128,552 a year according to a GoBanking Rates study. Between housing, food, transportation, healthcare, taxes, and other necessities, one can expect to spend $51,323 a year (this is more than what the average United States worker earns in one year). 

I became very familiar with the factors that influence the annual cost of living in New York City over the summer. Instantly, I was exposed to how expensive grocery shopping is. A quick trip to the grocery store for a few things easily costs about $25, if not more. Aside from this, figuring out the best way to grocery shop is a challenge in itself because the more someone buys, the more they have to carry back. Dealing with a significant amount of groceries can be VERY difficult because of the amount of people, taking a taxi or uber can be another $10 (transportation costs are 27% above average), and depending on how much someone buys and where they live, walking can be a nightmare. 

    Considering these facts, it is no surprise that New York City is known for its high prices and wealthy residents. As a matter of fact, a CNBC article by Kathleen Elkins reports, “[New York] is home to nearly 1 million wealthy people, more than any other city in the world.” New York City consistently ranks on top 10 lists as one of the world’s most expensive cities to live in. With the cost of rent surpassing historic rates and 1.5 million New Yorkers living below the poverty level, I cannot help but wonder what this means for the future of New York City. Just by being in the city for the summer, I was able to experience exactly how expensive life in the city is. From walking the streets of all the high-end designer stores to taking notes on fancy apartment buildings with doormen and glass corporate buildings with very tight security, it is without a doubt that New York City is a hot spot for the rich.

My favorite thing about New York is the people, because I think they’re misunderstood. I don’t think people realize how kind New York people are.

– Bill Murray

    In a city filled with such wealth, almost a fifth of New York City residents live in poverty and nearly half the city’s households are considered near poor according to The Center for New York City Affairs. Aside from this, as of June 2019, 60,849 people in New York City are considered homeless and about 4,000 people turn the streets of the City into their bed each night. Moreover, out of 8.5 million people, nearly 1 in every 121 New Yorkers, or over 170,000 people, is currently homeless; however, only 1 out of 17, or 500,000, are visible. With that being said, it is not surprising that homelessness is one of the toughest challenges that New York City faces.

The first couple weeks in New York, I felt as if it was impossible to walk anywhere without encountering someone homeless; a sad sight for sure, but the very real reality one must accept about New York City. When I would find myself getting lost, an occurrence that was as constant as enduring a long commute due to traffic, I would always be forced to accept this reality head-on. There were two specific times where I interacted (positively) with people who were homeless. The first encounter was in the subway station when my metro card was not working and there was not a help booth. I kept swiping my card hoping it may eventually work when a man noticed I was having trouble. He gave me the location of the corresponding station that would have a help booth so that I could get help in regards to getting my metro card to work. The second encounter I can recall was one afternoon when I was out shopping and exploring the Lower West Side. I was trying to find a specific store using my phone’s GPS, but ended up walking in circles (or at least what felt like) when a man on the street called out to me and while pointing in the direction said, “uptown is that way, downtown is this way. And 6th avenue runs this way, 31st street runs that way.” All I remember thinking at that moment was how grateful I was because I have never been so lost and confused.

    Although these interactions were short and brief, they exhibited genuine random acts of kindness when least expected. Both experiences truly opened my eyes and showed me that random acts of kindness can come from those least expect. These interactions made me more aware of those homeless around me as well as feel obligated to help them in their time of need because they did that for me. This thought process was something I was able to reflect upon more in-depth later on in the summer and tie it back to my classwork when we approached week eight as the theme was governing global poverty. This topic was one of importance as it addressed the crucial issue of ‘what is one’s responsibility to help those who are poorer, both in terms of money and resources?” While it is a very complex issue, it ties into the challenge that New York faces every day in regards to homelessness and poverty.

When I’m in New York, I just want to walk down the street and feel this thing, like I’m in a movie.

– Ryan Adams

The streets, subway stations, and parks are filled with performers and the buildings are covered with extravagant works of art that are breathtaking. With this being said, it is not uncommon to be walking down the stairs of the subway station and hear the faint sound of music or be walking through a park and see large crowds gathered surrounding street performers. It’s also not uncommon to be walking the streets and see beautiful sculptures and murals covering the sides of buildings. Street art, especially murals, are such a prominent part of the city that there are walking tours and numerous blogs/forums dedicated to the areas where the best street art is located and which murals someone HAS to see. These works of art are much more than just murals that someone decided to paint on the side of a building for fun (okay maybe some are..BUT) they still in a way reflect New York City’s values and diversity that runs through the city.

The most ironic piece of street art that I came across was this one by Bansky that depicts a guy riding a bike spray painting “I Heart NY.” The irony behind this is that is a spray painting mural depicting someone doing that same action which is ironic in the sense because art of this form has the potential to be considered a destruction of property, but murals of this nature are all over the city and the artists who create these pieces are actually very well known.

Another mural that I thought captures the true essence of New York City was a mural that I stumbled upon while walking around the area encompasses the United Nations headquarters and buildings alike. The mural on the side of the Uganda House depicts a woman reaching for the stars with the Ugandan flag colors incorporated into the piece.

Growing up, New York was really like my candy store. There’s always this feeling that anything can happen—that’s really what New York is about.

– Ariel Palitz

    It is human nature that whenever there is a large crowd, and free stuff, one MUST go over and check it out. This is especially true in New York, because when does stuff ever get handed out, FOR FREE, in NYC? Surprisingly, yes, that is a very true story for a company called Guayakí Yerba Mate, which I encountered one afternoon while in Central Park. Yerba Mate possesses strength of coffee, the health benefits of tea, and the euphoria of chocolate, all in one beverage. After talking with one of the employees, and learning that the goal of this brand awareness initiative is to raise environmental and social awareness in New York City, in addition to educating people on what Yerba Mate is, I decided to take matters into my own hands. Thus, I carried out some research of my own, and quickly I was able to easily find their website. There I learned more about the history of the company and how it came to be. Long story short, after co-founders, Alex Pryor introduced Yerba Mate to David Karr, they “set out to share Yerba Mate with the world, recognizing that people were in need of a nourishing source of energy and a healthy dose of optimism.”

    This recognition implemented a vision inside of them. A vision that channeled their “activist mentality to pioneer a revolutionary Market Driven Regeneration™ business model that empowers customers to drive tangible change with every purchase of Guayakí Yerba Mate.” This is exactly what they did. Upon further research from their website and Instagram, I gained more insight as to why they were in New York City for the month of July. One of the goals of Yerba Mate was to pass out 50,000 cans of Guayaki in during their month in New York and personally, I could not think of a better place to achieve this goal than in one of the most heavily populated cities in the world. Furthermore, based on their business model that “empowers customers to drive tangible change with every purchase of Guayakí Yerba Mate”, a City that embraces change as part of its culture like New York, truly could not be a better place for this company to build brand awareness. 

I go to Paris, I go to London, I go to Rome, and I always say, “There’s no place like New York. It’s the most exciting city in the world now. That’s the way it is. That’s it.

– Robert De Niro

After nine weeks in New York City, avoiding Times Square like the plague became second nature to me. In fact, the possibility of having to go anywhere from 42nd Street all the way up to 48th Street made me cringe. I would do everything in my power to avoid the area. Why? Because of the tens of thousands of tourists that clog the sidewalks. Do not get me wrong, Times Square is DEFINITELY a worthwhile experience; the skyscrapers, the ever-changing advertisements displayed on huge billboards, and the bright flashing lights is something that you could not imagine in your wildest dreams.

The atmosphere is exhilarating. There is so much going on around, one does not know what to do for a few minutes, besides just stand there in awe and take in this chaotic atmosphere where one cannot help but notice the number of tourists with their phones out taking photos; attempting to capture the essence of what Times Square is. In a way, it is very easy to spot these tourists, because chances are they have either a selfie stick, a bag from either the M&M world, Hershey store, or both, but most definitely taking photos in front of almost everything and anything.

According to a New York Times article written by Patrick McGeehan, “this summer, New York is on pace for its highest annual tally of tourists — nearly 67 million, according to the latest estimate from NYC & Company, the city’s tourism marketing agency.” McGeehan goes on to reference another article he wrote stating “that would be close to two million more visitors than the city claimed in 2018 and would be its 10th consecutive year of rising tourism, said Fred Dixon, the agency’s chief executive.” Though I was technically a tourist for the entire summer, I like to believe I did not give off the “tourist vibe,” making it known I was among the millions who flock to the City in the summertime.

In a City where the visitors keep coming in record numbers, how does one decipher who is a tourist and who is not? What really brings someone to a place like New York City as it relates to why they are here today? These two questions were of great interest to me throughout my time in New York, because while one could infer the reason as to why someone is in New York City today, there is no way of truly knowing.

To decipher the “what” as it relates to bringing someone to a place like New York and the “why” as it relates to someone being in the City today on one of my many outings to Central Park, I decided to do some research.

My research encompassed asking someone two simple questions; “why are you in New York City today?” and “if you could summarize it in one word, what would it be?”. Once I sat down and contemplated each interview, I found that almost half of my interviews related to people who were NOT from New York City, and were here for travel/tourism-related reasons. While I know that I cannot use these interviews to speak for the whole population of New York City, it was certainly interesting to find that most people I talked to where tourists. From this, I was able to use my findings to hone in on what major observations and takeaways I could have by the end of my time in the City.

“I think one of our greatest strengths is our diversity. The story of New York City is the story of peaceful coexistence and us being able to allow everyone to live their lives and do it together.”

Corey Johnson

Fifty years have passed since the Stonewall riots, a series of “spontaneous, violent demonstrations by members of the gay community against a police raid at the Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village”. Despite being born decades later, the feelings of this tragedy do not affect me any less. According to All That’s Interesting, “being gay was as illegal as stealing cars or embezzling money.” This meant that if someone was to dress in drag they could face charges or the potential of being arrested. To make matters worse, the State of New York was so committed to abiding by these laws that it set about entrapping potential lawbreakers (All That’s Interesting). I cannot even begin to fathom a New York City in which controversy is raised over who someone loves, nor can I even begin to imagine New York City being so strict in terms of gay rights.

It is the year 2019, and so much has changed. New York City has its first-ever openly gay City Council Speaker, the Broadway play, ‘The Prom,’ directly confronts LGBTQ issues, there is a large population of openly gay and lesbian couples that I have noticed all over New York City, and last, but not least, the fact that WorldPride was held right here! But, hey, what a wonderful place to hold it, considering it is the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots this year. In fact, the same weekend that pride was held, City Council Speaker, Corey Johnson announced the move to “nearly double funding for the programs marks a sea change in New York’s approach to the gay community” (Goldiner). New York has made great strides over the years and continues to every day.

Part of the wonders of living in New York City for the summer was the fact I got to experience the first time that the U.S. hosted WorldPride. After about a 23-minute subway ride, I was walking up the stairs of the 23rd Street subway station where immediately I heard the music from the parade, coupled with the roar of the crowd. The streets were filled with people identifying at every point on the spectrum; even families with their children, all wearing rainbow items or holding flags to show their support, were OUT and about. Walking through the streets was definitely overwhelming, because of the millions of people, but it was nevertheless comforting. It did not matter your sexual orientation, your race, nor your ethnicity; in short, it did not matter who you were. Everyone was genuinely happy. It was heartwarming to see such a diverse crowd come together, and celebrate, because that is the most important thing for the success of a global community.

It is ridiculous to set a detective story in New York City. New York City is itself a detective story

– Agatha Christie

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there is an estimate of about 8.6 million people living in New York City and of this 8.6 million, almost 40% are foreign-born which is roughly 3.4 million people. This combined with the number of people who continue to immigrate to the city every day makes it no surprise as to why New York’s cultural diversity has long been seen as a symbol of the city’s wider vitality. Historically, New York City has been known as a melting pot of culture, welcoming immigrants from countries all over the world for centuries. This trend has continued to prolong throughout decades towards the current day. Today, there are almost 800 languages spoken in New York City making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world, but also allowing the city to become ornate with distinct cultures. This distinct culture is one that can be felt all throughout the city regardless of where someone is.

Aside from this, one of the many beauties of New York is that each neighborhood, regardless of the ethnic enclave that inhabited the area, is extremely different than the next. It allows for the culture that is so deeply ingrained in New York to be felt all throughout the City. Each neighborhood has its own unique character that it possesses and can only be experience the specific neighborhood itself. Personally, that is one my favorite things about the City. It is almost like New York City is a museum in itself (which by the way, New York has a TON of museums, so to think of the city having another museum in itself is so neat!). Depending on the neighborhood, there is an ornate cultural vibe that goes back to the roots of the ethnic enclave that inhabited the area centuries ago, further exhibiting how culture is so deeply ingrained in New York City.

Walking down the street, riding on the subway, or even enjoying a cup of coffee at your favorite local coffee shop (no, Dunkin’ Donuts does NOT count) provides the opportunity for someone to experience just one or two of these 800 languages being spoken. I know there was not a day in New York that I did not encounter someone speaking a foreign language. I would find myself listening in on conversations trying to guess what language they may be speaking. I would find myself strolling through central park some evenings and I kept noticing that very few people were conversing in English, which was NOT a bad thing. As a matter of fact, it was so interesting hearing all the different languages being spoken and the slight similarities and differences between each one. Allowing myself to take in all the different languages around me definitely showed me the importance for someone to encompass the role of being a global citizen as it relates to being linguistically and culturally aware of one’s surroundings, especially in a community that is becoming more and more diverse every day.

“There is something in the New York air that makes sleep useless.”

-Simone de Beauvoir

New York City has a reputation of being “the City that never sleeps” because there is ALWAYS something to do regardless of the time of day. The hustle and bustle of the city seemingly appears to be non-stop. Seriously though, the subway runs 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. So, even on Christmas Day at dawn, you can get somewhere. Moreover, there seems to ALWAYS be a restaurant or convenience store open regardless of the time, as I have definitely found myself having my fair share of dinners past midnight or running out to the store in the wee hours of the night being in dire need of something. And lets not forget the city’s nightlife. There are numerous clubs and bars that are easily open until 4:00 AM, if not later, and aside from this, most people do not find themselves hitting the town until at least midnight. 

    While New York City certainly lives up to its reputation of being a city that never sleeps, thinking about the fact that just a few years ago beloved music venues had to close their doors seems unreal. What is even more unreal is that just a few years ago, many have declared New York’s vibrant nightlife culture “fizzling out.” Thankfully, the City Council saw this as a huge issue, because what is New York without its vibrant nightlife? The City Council decided to put an end to this and the Office of Nightlife was created, a department within the Mayor’s Office of Entertainment and Media. New York’s hospitality industry is a $29 billion industry that employs over 250,000 people; making this addition essential to their economy, culture, and identity. 

The concept of this new office, an office of nightlife, exists in cities all around the world, such as London, Berlin, Amsterdam. These cities have a vibrant nightlife culture just like New York. The fact that New York adapted this trend is a sign that New York recognizes the significance it has on contributing to the creation of a global community, since nightlife is truly a part of New York’s culture. The City cannot afford to lose, especially as the City continues to evolve and grow.  

Now you’re in New York, these streets will make you feel brand new, big lights will inspire you

– Jay-Z

Before there was Nik and Lijana Wallenda, there was Harry Houdini who escaped from a weighted crate in the East River; and evil Evel Knievel, who jumped his motorcycle over nine cars and a van in Madison Square Garden. Then there was Philippe Petit, who walked a wire between the twin towers. Something about New York City where there is a love affair with death-defying stunts. Maybe it is in the hustle and bustle culture of New York City, or perhaps it is merely in New York. Throughout my time in New York City, I was able to experience first hand how extremely accurate that is. Something about just merely being in the City and walking through the streets makes you feel unstoppable and like you can take on the world. And, I’m sure that is part of what Nik and Lijana Wallenda, members of the Flying Wallendas circus family, felt earlier this summer with their death-defying feat of walking a quarter-mile on a wire strung 25 stories above Times Square.

While walking through Central Park one day, a group of friends probably about in their late 30s, early 40s, asked me to take a photo of them. After taking their photo, they noticed that I was wearing an Elon University shirt and started asking questions about where it was, my major, my year, etc. After learning that Elon was, in fact NOT in New York, and actually about 10 hours by car, they immediately speculated that I had to be here for vacation, because everyone vacations in New York, right? After chatting for a little while longer, I returned questions on them, and I asked why they were in New York. Every one of them replied with a similar answer about how New York was “fabulous,” “awesome,” and offered so many opportunities. One even commented on the fact New York is “adventures.” This is something I never really thought of, but, hey, if you are going to keep up and maintain a lifestyle in the City that never sleeps, you have to be willing to be adventurous to fill your time!

Just on the outskirts of Central Park, is a bike rental place called “Rental Bike NYC” where people can rent bikes and bike around Central Park for a certain amount of time. As I was leaving, in typical New York fashion, one of the workers tried to approach me so that I would consider renting a bike. Instead, I decided to ask him a few questions as it relates to this project and living in New York City. The first thing I instantly picked up on, because of his accent was he most likely was not from here. He then mentioned to me that he was here from Ireland to get experience, and he was drawn to New York because of the opportunity for adventure. It’s clear that no matter who you talk to in New York City, whether they are from the City, from across the country, across the pond, or even from the furthest corners of our world, this sense of adventure and amazement is a common theme. It’s what draws people here. By being immersed in the NYC lifestyle and culture the past two months, I truly understand the pervasive sense of inspiration and adventure one feels from this wondrous place.