A lot of people from my hometown in Illadelphia ask me how and why I cope with living in the "Big Apple."
Admittedly, some days, MOST days, I HATE it. It's overcrowded, you feel like a rodent going through a maze on the subway on your way to work and it can be redundant as all get out. To make matters worse, you have a bunch of pretentious, superficial people running around being impressed by the latest and greatest restaurants, clubs, films, celebs.
But these are the things that save me:
5. BARNES AND NOBLE, UNION SQUARE: Barnes and Noble Union Square is my secret best friend here in NYC. I run away to the literature stacks when everything fucking sucks. When I was at UPenn, my favorite place in the world as the W section of the Van Peldt Library. This doesn't come close but all the trendy bookworms are over at the Strand leaving the goodies behind at B&N all for me. It's quieter annnnnd I ran into the band HOLE there. So it's pretty great.
4. MY FAVORITE BARTENDER: Remember the theme song from Cheers?
Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.
Wouldn't you like to get away?
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
and they're always glad you came!
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.
Wouldn't you like to get away?
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
and they're always glad you came!
Damn. I never knew how much that song meant to me until right this second but yes, your favorite bartender is a NECESSITY in this city. You can say your hairdresser, but you can't take your friends from your hometown or your dad to your favorite salon and have them be wowed and dazzled and impressed that someone in the Big Apple actually knows your name. My favorite bartender(s), Erik and Jess, always make me feel loved and appreciated somewhere other than home, make me look cool when my friends are visiting and cheer me up when I am feeling lonely...Oh wait...that just makes me an alcoholic.
3. PERSPECTIVE: Well, that's pretty f'ing broad, right? Well, babe, it's all about perspective. When I am covered in mud from a puddle that a cab driver just intentionally drove through to splash me and it's freezing cold and the L train is delayed and there is no way back to Brooklyn and a rat is dragging another rat's dead body through the street and I just lost my Metro Card and people keep shoving into me and acting like I am invisible and I just spent my last $900 on rent, I have to remember all of the nights I accidentally bumped into my favorite band from high school in a bookstore or walked with my best girl friend through Union Square on a Wednesday evening free from all responsibility or had the privilege of walking to see my favorite bartender and walking right back home to fall asleep or got to go to a Depeche Mode party or Jurassic Park Night. Where else can you be so overstimulated by so many awesome things? You could tell me somewhere but I'll argue you. (Unless it's like somewhere in Europe - I can't argue you there...)
2. NERVE AND SINEW AND THERAPY: You can't get to #3 without these things. NYC is not for the faint of heart. Don't come here if you are insecure - it will chew you up and eat you alive. ESPECIALLY if you are insecure about how you look! And if you do have doubts, which all of us surely do, you go to a therapist who helps you gain that much needed perspective.
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