I had just landed in New York City and it hit me that we are not in California, Missouri anymore. Everything is different: the way of transportation, the prices for goods are outrageous, the amount of people, and just the way of life. Nothing is comparable from where I have grown up. Growing up in a town where there is only one stoplight, to being in this gigantic city where there is a stoplight on every corner changes your whole perspective of a place. The way people live their lives in New York is very different from how people in California, Missouri live their lives. Transportation in large cities is a must, but with so many people in such a small area, things are easier said than done. Drivers drive fast everywhere, trying to get to their destination and with all the cars honking their horns, it looks and sounds like a huge mess. Everyone only cares for where they need to be. People are running on the sidewalks, taxi’s are being whistled from every direction, and the subway roaring from under the ground packed like sardines in a can. The two most common types of transportation that I noticed was by taxi and the subway. …show more content…
Compared to the small town of California, Missouri, with the population 4,285, there is a big difference in size. New York is the big apple. People that live in New York live in such a much larger scale, everything is bigger; the crowds, buildings, and the lights. New York City never stops going, all the lights continue shining and the crowds keep pouring in. For example, at one o’clock in the morning New York will still be popping, as in California, not a soul would be seen. New York City has nearly 32,000 police officers, working on every street and every corner. They were all over the place. I was constantly hearing sirens blaring, whether it was the police, firefighters, or EMS. Only on rare occasions it seems that the city of California hears sirens. In the end, size makes the
Several works we have read thus far have criticized the prosperity of American suburbia. Jack Kerouac's The Dharma Bums, Philip Roth's Goodbye, Columbus, and an excerpt from Lawrence Ferlinghetti's poem "A Coney Island of the Mind" all pass judgement on the denizens of the middle-class and the materialism in which they surround themselves. However, each work does not make the same analysis, as the stories are told from different viewpoints.
All the drastic changes that the world has been through, and Carr and Kefalas show that in their writing. These changes at some time made the current town, were they live, a thriving and prosperous place. People would move from their towns to these prospering communities to seek out the benefits that were offered. Many of those small towns are slowly fading into the background because of the modern world changes that big and upcoming cities that offering. These changes are creating new jobs and environments for the youth that are looking for change in the small towns that once were big and thriving, are now filled with the older generation that don’t want to make the change. They are looking to keep things consistent with the life they have been living; some changes in their eyes are not good, they are just creating problems. In Carr and Kefalas’s article they write about living in a small town called Ellis in Iowa. Carr and Kefalas talked to an employee working at a new factory in Ellis, “A machine operator living in Ellis complains about the strugglers facing old-fashion workers who find themselves trapped in a newfangled economy” (33). People living in small towns are unlikely to adapt to new changes, but are having to because of companies starting new factories in their community. This new technology is bound to change the life of older generation parents, whether they choose to stay in their small town lifestyle or move to
perception of New York City given by these two passages is a contradictory one. In both
It is interesting that two cities over 7,000 miles apart from one another, and in completely different time periods, could have so many similarities. The city of Chang’an in China during the Tang Dynasty was set up in a grid fashion similar to that of modern day New York City. Flourishing trade was of great importance to the development of both cities, but very different political systems were used to govern each. Modern day New York City and Chang’an during the Tang Dynasty share key similarities as both were important trade centers in strategic locations, but were run on very different political lines.
When comparing Western New York to New York City there are significant cultural differences that come to mind, but also some similarities. New York City is considered the most populous city in the United States. According to the 2014 census the population of the metropolitan region of the city reached to about twenty three million residents. Because of the rapidly growing population it has been named the cultural and financial capital of the world. The city is known for its big impact on finance, art, fashion, education, and entertainment. On the other hand, Western New York is more known for its scenic attractions, agriculture, award winning wineries, and classic style of living. The census bureau in 2014 also stated that if Western New York was counted as one single area the population would be significantly smaller than the cities, just topping over two and a half million. Because of all the farmland and less populated areas in Western New York, it leaves room tons of room for agriculture. A lot of western New Yorkers stick to the basic means of living like operating a family farm, owning your own business, and supplying your family however possible. For example, in the
“It got to be easy to look at New Yorkers as animals, especially looking down from some place like a balcony at Grand Central at the rush hour Friday afternoon.” (Tom Wolfe). “O Rotten Gotham” argues that New Yorkers are in a state of behavioral sink. It would not be long before a “population collapse” or a “massive die off”.
Rose, J. K. (1997, November 8). The city beautiful movement. University of Virginia. Retrieved December 28, 2010, from http://xroads.virginia.edu/~cap/citybeautiful/city.html
Gentrification is the keystone for the progression of the basic standards of living in urban environments. A prerequisite for the advancement of urban areas is an improvement of housing, dining, and general social services. One of the most revered and illustrious examples of gentrification in an urban setting is New York City. New York City’s gentrification projects are seen as a model for gentrification for not only America, but also the rest of the world. Gentrification in an urban setting is much more complex and has deeper ramifications than seen at face value. With changes in housing, modifications to the quality of life in the surrounding area must be considered as well. Constant lifestyle changes in a community can push out life-time
This state is full of more cities besides just Los Angeles and San Francisco, for example, my city Richmond, California. I wasn’t born there, but I have lived there most of my life, and there is a certain appeal is there, but its not the stereotypical beauty you see in any infomercial. This city isn’t celebrated nor is it world recognized for its accomplishments, but it is a small city with hidden treasure. The hidden treasure are the success stories that the community does not expect, and that can create a sense of empowerment for everyone around us. That empowerment is something that should be seen nationally, especially since Richmond is not the only impoverished city in
people of the city have less time to worry about how to get from one point to
White in, “Here is New York,” defines New York by types of New Yorkers; by its growth skyward due to limited space and its complex infrastructure; by its districts, units, and neighborhoods; by the collision and intermingling of people of so many races, nationalities, and creeds. He even says, “To a New Yorker the city is both changeless and changing.” Though this essay was written more than 60 years ago, this statement is pretty accurate. For example, White discusses the various different ethnic and religious aspects present in people from all over the world and how they create their own little units of neighborhoods, each virtually self-sufficient. If one were to leave his two-three block radius, he or she would enter a foreign land.
Colson Whitehead explores this grand and complex city in his collection of essays The Colossus of New York. Whitehead writes about essential elements to New York life. His essays depict the city limits and everyday moments such as the morning and the subway, where “it is hard to escape the suspicion that your train just left... and if you had acted differently everything would be better” (“Subway” 49). Other essays are about more once in a while moments such as going to Central Park or the Port Authority. These divisions are subjective to each person. Some people come to New York and “after the long ride and the tiny brutalities... they enter the Port Authority,” but for others the Port Authority is a stop in their daily commute (“The Port Authority” 22).Nonetheless, each moment is a part of everyone’s life at some point. Many people live these moments together, experiencing similar situations. We have all been in the middle of that “where ...
In his essay, “ Brooklyn Bridge,” the author explores the “appetite” of a particular New Yorker. This woman is described as staring,full of awe,at the New York Skyline from another borough. She is ambitious and sees New York as full of endless possibilities. Throughout the collection he portrays New York transplants or prospective residents as being driven by the longing to grab a piece of the city for themselves.This drive is a pattern that is repeated in these works of Whitehead. In his essay “Port Authority instead of focusing on the New York ideal of one individual Whitehead focuses on a body of people about to move to New York. Througout the collection Whitehead switches back and forth between focusing on an individual and focusing on a crowd. In this essay Whitehead also highlights the sameness within the people hustling and bustling in and out of Port Authority. He implies that the same quality of brokenness has led them all here, “They’re all broken somehow… Otherwise they would have come here differently,”(15). Even though they are all from different places and all have different destinations the essence of New York has drawn them all here. Colson’s account of the passengers shows that they are all feeling the same feelings of hope in regards to coming to New York. Although they all hope for different things the theme regarding the passengers is
The first lens compares the fast lifestyle of the New York to the simple lifestyle of the Midwest. The juxtaposition of wealth and capitalism in the big city to
Generally speaking, life in the city is more hectic and clamorous. While a vast majority of Americans pack themselves into our major cities, there are still millions who live outside of the cities. Certainly, there are a lot more activities in the city: shopping malls and restaurants galore, thrift stores, libraries, and concert...