Wow, it’s already been a whole month since I arrived here. To mark the occasion, I brainstormed a (preliminary) list of things I love about New York.

  • Everybody here seems to have moved to New York. Barely anybody grew up here. Making this overwhelmingly a city of individual choice.
  • Minorities don’t exist because literally everybody is here. You are surrounded by, and interact with, people of all races, ages, faiths. There is a keen understanding that we all came here to live our lives.
  • Delis serve good sandwiches and are just around the corner everywhere.
  • The pizza is amazing. Large slices are sold everywhere. The chili flakes are good.
  • The subway runs around the clock. Sometimes it’s hard to get a seat at 1 AM.
  • Anything you want, from anywhere in the world – you’ll find it here. (Authentic Indonesian Padang food, Julius Echter beer from Würzburg, Brazilian guaraná, Polish candy, you name it.)
  • Everybody here is hustling, moving forward, creating something, trying something new.
  • Failure happens. Deal with it, and move on.
  • There is a bustling culture of indies and freelancers, living today what journalists like to call the “future of work”. Coworking spaces and supportive communities abound.
  • Easy to find good beer and good coffee.
  • Summers are real summers. No anxiety about whether it will be a warm summer. They’re just always really, really hot.
  • Wide sandy beaches reachable by subway. Beach ultimate every weekend.
  • Beautiful mosaic tiles in all subway stations.
  • Among the hundreds of people you see every single day, there are always some beautiful specimens of the human race.
  • So many concerts, events, and activities are free. Plus so many opportunities to get free pizza and beer.
  • Many museums of international renown are pay-what-you-want/can-afford.
  • Nobody cares about what you do – except those who do.
  • Shops are open on Sundays. It’s possible to buy beer on Independence Day – “especially on Independence Day!”
  • The rooftop culture. Chilling, BBQing, sunbathing.