Visions of Gotham: Topics in NYC from 1945 to Present

How I Became A New Yorker

A Personal Biography

Born on the Upper West Side of Manhattan on September 7, 1989, I was and have always been a “true New Yorker”.  Yet, like every other New Yorker, there was a defining moment when I realized just how much the NYC culture means to me.

Ironically enough, the moment that I recognized that I was a true New Yorker was not even in New York.  I was a young child on vacation with my family visiting my grandparents in San Diego, California.  I clearly remember walking through the unfamiliar streets with my family, wondering why people were leisurely strolling along, some even stopping to smile and nod as they walked past.  “Mom, do you know these people?” I asked.  My mother laughed and explained to me that they were just being friendly.  I’ll never forget her next five words.  “You’re such a New Yorker!” she said with a smile.  Even at such a young age, I felt a surge of pride in being associated with my city. 

True, New Yorkers may always be in a rush, and may not stop to chat in the streets of Manhattan, but no other city can encompass the excitement or the charisma of New York.  Growing up with the fast paced culture, the bright lights and the constant energy has added much to my childhood.  New York culture has helped to form the person I am today.

Even though my family has long since moved out of the city to Rockland County, a suburb north of Manhattan, I still feel a strong pull to NYC.  Instead of going to a local high school like most of my friends from the area, I chose to commute every day, and attended Manhattan High School For Girls, a Jewish private high school located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

  I’ve graduated high school almost two years ago, yet oftentimes I still find myself in NYC.  It’s as though there is some sort of magnetic pull; I just can’t be kept away.  Every time I catch a glimpse of the New York City skyline while driving over the George Washington Bridge on my way to Brooklyn College, I think about how lucky I am to be a part of what I believe to be the greatest city in the world.