My New York state of mind

For my retirement last month, I received a jigsaw puzzle of the NYC subway system. Today I finished it. As I worked on it, I ruminated on this place that will become my home in exactly one month, and I gained some newfound respect for the city. Noticing how many of the puzzle pieces were blue, I saw how the city has water everywhere—around and within it. So, of course, there are bridges and ferries and tunnels everywhere, too. I wonder why anybody thought it was a good idea to have this densely populated center of culture and commerce so inaccessible. And yet, people have been able to make it work. I also made note of how many puzzle pieces were green. Large and small parks occupy so much space in the city. In Manhattan, Central Park takes up a significant amount of prime real estate. It’s remarkable to me that a city so strapped for space has devoted a large portion of it to something that generates no revenue and, in fact, costs over a billion dollars a year to maintain. How did that come to be? And then there’s the subway system itself, which is astounding. What’s the story behind that? I just downloaded Subway: The Curiosities, Secrets, and Unofficial History of the New York City Transit System on my Kindle. Suddenly, I’m curious about all things New York. For me, that’s a huge surprise. 

Up until very recently, I’ve never aspired to live in New York City. Mind you, I’ve never been one of those people who says, “It’s a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.” But that's mainly because I haven’t even thought of it as a nice place to visit. 

So, you may be wondering, why am I moving to a place I’ve never wanted to live? Two reasons: Nicholas and Justin. Like most grandparents I know, I’m nuts about my grandchildren. And like so many grandparents I know, I’ve struggled to spend as much time with them as I’d like because of the physical distance between us. So, when it came time for me to think about where I’d like to retire, it was a no-brainer. There is no place I’d rather live than NYC. 

I’ve been getting used to the idea for a couple of years now. And I think I've sorted through what my big aversion to New York City has been. I confess that a lot of my dislike for the city is fear-based. It’s so different from any place I’ve lived that I don’t know what the heck I’m doing when I’m there. And then there’s the fact that I’m always watching TV shows and movies about New York. It’s the setting for many of the books I read and the source of my daily news. In many respects, it’s been the mythic center of my universe. How could I actually live in such a place? Truth be told, New York City intimidates me!

From visiting my daughter over the past 14 years, my level of intimidation has decreased. I’ve learned that there’s so much more to New York City than the ball dropping in Times Square on New Year's Eve. Yes, there are fabulous opportunities to enjoy the arts, museums, and restaurants. And in Queens I’ll be living in the most culturally and racially diverse place in the entire world, which is an adventure I welcome after spending most of my life in a Caucasian cocoon. 

And here's the big thing about New York that most outsiders don’t realize. It's a place where babies are born, kids play soccer at the park, folks cook burgers on the grill, and old people gather with their friends to play cards. For over eight million people, it’s home. And I’m about to become one of them.