For a majority of my life living here, I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that I know about New York, yet I don’t “know” New York. As a child I was born in Brooklyn. I lived in a quiet suburban area and once in a while I would go with my family to visit Manhattan. I did not think much about the city then when I was a child. As a child, Manhattan just seemed like a mess of tall buildings to me. I did not think too much of it at the time. At around ten years old my family moved to Staten Island, where visiting the city became less of a simple trip and more of a chore. For the latter part of my teenage years, I rarely had time to go out to the city. It wasn’t until after I graduated High School that I got my chance to revisit my old vision of Manhattan.

The New York of today can only be described as fast and furious, particularly the city of Manhattan. Manhattan is often seen as the main “face” of New York, as most tourists refer to Manhattan whenever anyone discusses the Big Apple. Compared to Manhattan, the other 4 boroughs of New York are much tamer and peaceful. The unique essence of Manhattan is often recognized for its fast paced and chaotic nature. The people of Manhattan have a distinctive sense of spirit, which can often be mistaken for aggression or impatience. Since the construction of higher buildings and successful businesses, Manhattan has become a very busy city.

However, despite me not being up to date with the current mentality of Manhattan, I do enjoy this side of New York compared to the much slower and peaceful boroughs. The energetic nature of Manhattan can be viewed as a learning curve before being able to appreciate it for what it is: A chaotic yet engaging form.