As some of you may know, I'm still currently in the middle of creating opportunities for my professional career. The majority of my interviews, of course, take place in New York. And of course, near-weekly train rides into NYC become costly and quite frankly, a bit tiring when you later find that you aren't quite what the company is looking for, but the cycle nonetheless continues.
And even though I'm also looking out-of-state for my next career move, it's always good to keep life in perspective, so here are five things I love about New York City:
1. The Personalities
Every person you meet will have a distinct personality that only comes to fruition thanks to constant contact with other people. It's a tired cliche, but NY really is a melting pot when it comes to the different types of people you'll meet, as everyone is trying to get somewhere with their own stories to tell. Unlike a small town office where you can guess somebody's life story, at Al Roker Entertainment I worked alongside an LA transplant, a former college professor turned reality tv show producer, and an art school graduate from Ireland with the hair and accent to prove it.
2. It's Incredibly Walkable
So I was basically born and raised in the suburbs for most of my life. Out of milk? Fifteen-minute hop in the car. It's always been a struggle to come home with piping hot pizza instead of the lukewarm pie from the ten-to-fifteen minute car ride. But in New York? Everything is a quick jaunt away, and walking is so very good for you (although the city air isn't so much). Any quick errand becomes just that: a quick errand thanks to the ability to just zip out, instead of the whole ordeal it takes to get in the car and fight temperamental suburban housewife drivers (or is that just me?).
3. The Diverse Neighborhoods
Being able to walk through different neighborhoods just by staying on one particular street is such an experience. I had lots of time to kill one day, so I ended up walking Broadway from the Financial District all the way up to around Columbus Circle. Buildings, people, and energies literally change before your eyes during strolls like this, and I can't recommend it enough to tourists who have the time, or who plan out their days accordingly. Just on one street alone, you can go from getting in the way of harried-looking i-bankers to checking out uber-stylish Soho-ites to bustling past hopeful-looking Knicks fans to giving a lost family from North Dakota directions in Times Square to elegantly elbowing impeccably-dressed Upper East Siders for Laduree macarons.
Jay-Z/Alicia Keys explain it best:
And even though I'm also looking out-of-state for my next career move, it's always good to keep life in perspective, so here are five things I love about New York City:
1. The Personalities
Every person you meet will have a distinct personality that only comes to fruition thanks to constant contact with other people. It's a tired cliche, but NY really is a melting pot when it comes to the different types of people you'll meet, as everyone is trying to get somewhere with their own stories to tell. Unlike a small town office where you can guess somebody's life story, at Al Roker Entertainment I worked alongside an LA transplant, a former college professor turned reality tv show producer, and an art school graduate from Ireland with the hair and accent to prove it.
2. It's Incredibly Walkable
So I was basically born and raised in the suburbs for most of my life. Out of milk? Fifteen-minute hop in the car. It's always been a struggle to come home with piping hot pizza instead of the lukewarm pie from the ten-to-fifteen minute car ride. But in New York? Everything is a quick jaunt away, and walking is so very good for you (although the city air isn't so much). Any quick errand becomes just that: a quick errand thanks to the ability to just zip out, instead of the whole ordeal it takes to get in the car and fight temperamental suburban housewife drivers (or is that just me?).
3. The Diverse Neighborhoods
Being able to walk through different neighborhoods just by staying on one particular street is such an experience. I had lots of time to kill one day, so I ended up walking Broadway from the Financial District all the way up to around Columbus Circle. Buildings, people, and energies literally change before your eyes during strolls like this, and I can't recommend it enough to tourists who have the time, or who plan out their days accordingly. Just on one street alone, you can go from getting in the way of harried-looking i-bankers to checking out uber-stylish Soho-ites to bustling past hopeful-looking Knicks fans to giving a lost family from North Dakota directions in Times Square to elegantly elbowing impeccably-dressed Upper East Siders for Laduree macarons.
Jay-Z/Alicia Keys explain it best:
4. The Energy
It's palpable the moment you enter the city. Everybody wants something and are just trying to figure out how to get it/there. Industry titans make NYC their home base, or at the very least, have a sizeable branch in an equally impressive building, so the ambitions of executives trickle down to the temps with a dream. It's a state of mind the city embraces, just as it does (albeit slightly begrudgingly) with its fresh undergrads from Iowa to the SVPs looking to unseat their higher-ups.
5. After Hours Activities are Countless
Post 9-5 grind, the opportunities to unwind are countless. It doesn't matter if you faintly enjoy an activity, New York will help you either get sick of it or expose you into a downward spiral Foodies can literally go crazy here thanks to the plethora of eateries and Instagram opportunities. Sports fanatics can take their pick depending on the season. Are you into libations? You can choose from a kale-pineapple-chia seed juice (my homemade ones have never garnered any complaint) to your local hotel bar's newest take on the Penicillin--or just have both, it's your body (and wallet).
It's palpable the moment you enter the city. Everybody wants something and are just trying to figure out how to get it/there. Industry titans make NYC their home base, or at the very least, have a sizeable branch in an equally impressive building, so the ambitions of executives trickle down to the temps with a dream. It's a state of mind the city embraces, just as it does (albeit slightly begrudgingly) with its fresh undergrads from Iowa to the SVPs looking to unseat their higher-ups.
5. After Hours Activities are Countless
Post 9-5 grind, the opportunities to unwind are countless. It doesn't matter if you faintly enjoy an activity, New York will help you either get sick of it or expose you into a downward spiral Foodies can literally go crazy here thanks to the plethora of eateries and Instagram opportunities. Sports fanatics can take their pick depending on the season. Are you into libations? You can choose from a kale-pineapple-chia seed juice (my homemade ones have never garnered any complaint) to your local hotel bar's newest take on the Penicillin--or just have both, it's your body (and wallet).
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