My Trip to New York: Arrival.

Getting into the city, I noticed similarities between New York and other cities I’ve visited. Its skyline reminded me of Miami, and in the heart of the city, buildings surrounded us from all around. The streets were busy with visitors and locals alike. It was exciting to look around at the novelty and yet familiarity of it all. Hundreds of year-old statues floating on-top of poles in the middle of the street, buildings that have seen so much world changing history and of course every major brand store right there within a walk’s space. There was also disorder scattered around from thousands of busy lives and many guarded faces, like I saw in the cities of India.

Walking the streets at first, was not much different from those other cities I felt. There was construction blending into daily life, heavy traffic and an orchestra of street sounds, which was overwhelming at first but then reassuring of the life happening all around me. It was when I interacted with New York’s people, however, that I felt I was in a completely different place.

I’m used to interacting with people from different countries, but there was a certain vibe, a certain metropolitan feel of people who came from all over, for a purpose. The people were focused and savvy. At the same time aware and yet not concerned about all that was happening around them. I soon came to find that New York City life provides a certain kind of anonymity, because you are always passing by hordes of strangers, but those who you will never pass by again.

I did interact with several New Yorkers, and many people were friendly, however, a few people I encountered had stone-cold glares that I haven’t encountered since India. But the Metro and Brooklyn are stories for another time..