I've been to New York city twice... I can't claim to know it to any extent at all, and yet, through media and through stories, I have come to develop an idea of what I think NYC should be like.
My fantasy NYC is neither goon squadded and heavily policed, nor is it the post apocalyptic madhouse of drugs, sex, and punk of the seventies...
It's mixture of details from stories taking place in New York combined with details about their past that the New Yorkers I've met have shared with me.
As a result I'm only likely to ever see my fantasy NYC in fiction, but every now and then I hear things that make me wonder if it isn't actually out there, somewhere, under the grime and hustle-bustle of the Big Apple.
At any rate, this made me grin...
I love New York City. I miss it. It was grittier when I was a teenager. You expect the unexpected when you visit. And if you're a true New Yorker, you hardly notice it.
ReplyDeleteThere's a really awesome neighborhood-of-strangers vibe going on in the clip! So can you see this going down in your home city?
ReplyDeleteI'm not a city girl. I suppose I am not one to comment without this reference. I have been there, and found myself gravitating towards the only green thing I saw...Central Park. The city itself smells horrible. The store fronts all put their trash on the front sidewalks because there seem to be no alleys. That said, it is ripe for photos and raw urban images, which I love. Sometimes I wonder who the hell I am, and how I live in this juxtaposition of things that draw me.
ReplyDeleteLove the free beats. So cool.
Something is going on with my Internet so I pray this posts! Firstly, I love the layout! I haven't been on for awhile now and I just read part 14 of your story - LOVE it! I couldn't post that on the other site, so I did it here. :)
ReplyDeleteAs for New York, I bet I'm much like you. I have never been there yet and so it exists in my fantasies as a mixture of so many things. Chicago is my friend. I visit her often. I picture New York as a more romantic version...with a lot of rats.
Heya Theresa! Wouldn't expecting the unexpected make it the expected? : j
ReplyDeleteYou're not the first person I've heard say that about NYC... that's history in the works, the history that often fails to get into the books, the history that lives in the memory of people.
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Kuairi Khnoum. Nope, I really don't... Though I'm sure that people would willing take part in a free argument equivalent. : p
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Aloha Annie! Huh, I've lived in cities of varying sizes most of my life, but never really felt at home there.
You know, at least your juxtaposition of facets isn't a contradictory one.
Few are those who have but one facet with which to face the world, and those who don't learn to balance them.
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Howdy Heidi! Yeah, I disabled comments on the other blog... Part 14 was posted almost a year ago. : j Glad you like the layout and the latest installment of of Okurokami, this story has been a wrench in my story blog.
I know Chicago even less than NYC, basically just from "Early edition" and "ER". : p Is it different from any other major city?
I've only been to NYC twice myself, once when I was 7 and once when I was 21. It's much different than Chicago, which I know much better. They're both typical of the romantic big city, but NYC has more of the bustle and grit, whereas Chicago seems to have some of that midwestern friendliness. Plus, Chicago's cleaner. Not sure why. Just an observation. Not to say NYC's unclean, though. Anyway, I like them both, but if I had to choose a favorite, I would pick Chicago first every time.
ReplyDeleteJust checking for a new post. I like the new look of your blog, by the way.
ReplyDeleteHeya Rosie! I'll count that as two votes for Chicago! Maybe someday it'll be on route on one of my trips to the US. : j
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Aloha Theresa! New post! There's an idea! I'll get right on it!