Robin: This question poses something of a problem, as I have never been to New York or San Francisco. I wouldn't consider LA an option - I'm far too brunette, pale and nonsurgical-enhanced to fit in with the culture. As for the two legit options, I am willing to go out on a limb and hypothesize life in both places:
New York, NY:
I want to wake up in that city
That doesn't sleep
And find I'm King
of the Hill
Top of the Heap...
If I can make it there,
I can
make it anywhere.
It's up to you.
New York, New York
Old Blue Eyes said it best.
New York is one of the world's most influential business & cultural centres. Big name artist, big corporations, big billboards, big statue of a lady with Morton's Toe. New York is the kind of city that will absorb any one and any thing. The population of the greater metropolitan area of new York City is estimated at over 22 million people. To put this in perspective, Canada's population is just over 34 million. And by the way, the greater metropolitan area of New York City is less than the area of Vancouver Island.
Alive with diversity, New York would be a stimulating and exciting place to call home. I could wear whatever I want, go out whenever I want, meet (or avoid) whoever I want, and surround myself with arts & culture. I'd never spend another Friday night home alone watching episodes of Friends. But something inside me, a part of me that loves Abbotsford, likes things a little slower, a little simpler.
In the bustle of millions of people, I think I could get lost. The city is so overwhelming and all-encompassing, that I'd feel myself shrinking away. Friends, jobs, apartments...all can be lost and found without much concern or effort. The turn over rate of such things is as fast as you want it to be. People move past each other speedily, not smiling or giving a friendly nod to others. I like that I cannot possibly disappear where I live now. I experience community that keeps me accountable for my decisions and behaviour. The thought of being in a place where you don't even have to move in order to "run away" is a little scary.
People go to New York for a reason. They want to make it big. They want to succeed. People are focused on achieving specific personal goals. I think a culture driven by that underlying principle would be filled with anxiety and pressure. Laid back folks who choose to meander through life would be frowned upon. I like living somewhere with less expansive expectations, where accomplishments like having kids and getting married are still seen as precious goals. In New York, people expect greatness, and I'm not sure I've got that greatness in me.
San Francisco, CA
If you're going to San Francisco,
Be sure to wear some flowers
in your hair.
If you're going to San Francisco,
You're
going to meet some gentle people there.
A few fun facts about San Fran:
1.) San Francisco, is, according to my ultimate source of knowledge, Wikipedia, the "center of liberal activism in the United States."
2.) San Francisco has history, not as much as NYC, but a decent rooting. The first Europeans in the San Francisco area were the Spanish in, who built a Catholic mission there in 1776. The California Gold Rush and WWII also played key roles in shaping the city.
3.) Not a fact, but a food: Rice-a-Roni
4.) Street cars are still in operation for public transit - how Romantic!!
5.) Many great minds and major cultural influencers have called San Fran home, including: Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Clint Eastwood, Danny Glover, Tupac Shakur, Robert Frost, Jack London, The Zodiac Killer, Carol Channing, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Louis Stevenson, Mark Twain, Sharon Stone and Robin Williams, to name a few.
6.) San Fran is a feast for the eyes! Both man made (Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, Mission District, Victorian Houses) and natural (ocean, mountains) features are a photographer's dream.
7.) The city is one of America's largest financial hubs. San Fran is so deeply and successfully entrenched in the financial world, that not a single bank in the city was forced to close during the Great Depression.
San Francisco is the kind of place that you might go to with no agenda, or with the thought that you are "just passing through." Hipsters, hippies, beatniks, business people, artists, poets, all kinds of people have found themselves captivated by the city's beauty and laid back attitude. It is in this mysteriously diverse city that I could see myself living!
And now a little Kerouac..."I wandered out like a haggard ghost, and there she was, Frisco - long, bleak streets with trolley wires all shrouded in fog and whiteness." - On the Road
Cira: To anyone out there who reads this blog on a regular basis, I apologize for my delayed response to this most recent question. I am quite upset with myself for posing this question as I had an extremely difficult time coming up with an answer. I’ve been to New York and L. A., but never to San Fran. I’ll try to be as impartial as possible in delivering my response.
Okay, thoughts on New York:
In her 2005 album, Confessions on a Dance Floor, the eloquent and ever-wise Madonna sang:
I don't like cities, but I like New York
Other places make me feel like a dork
Los Angeles is for people who sleep
Paris and London, baby you can keep
Well Madonna, I’m not sure that by relocating myself to a new city I would be able to rid myself of my inherently dorkish disposition. In fact, I’m sure that New York would only make me feel dorkier than I already do. I doubt I’d ever be able to get used to the fast-paced lifestyle that the average New Yorker endures. I’d probably never fit in. Plus, I really like to sleep.
According to Jay-Z, New York’s “streets will make you feel brand new” and “her big lights will inspire you.” I have a hard time associating New York with renewal and inspiration. Just thinking about New York is enough to make me feel tired. I don’t think New York is a place where one travels to unwind or gain a fresh perspective on life. In fact, when thinking about adjective to describe New York, “fresh” is probably the last word that comes to mind. One thing I distinctly remember about New York is the city’s unpleasant smells (which I will not describe out of respect for our more squeamish readers). As someone who appreciates clean air and…well…cleanliness in general, I’m not sure New York is a city I could settle down in for the long-term.
Moreover, I think that through their respective songs about New York, both Madonna and Jay-Z (and Alicia Keys) demonstrate the attitude many New Yorkers possess: that New York is the center of the universe and that to live elsewhere is to live a less fulfilling life. You hear stories about people who never leave Manhattan, not because they can’t, but because they feel no need to travel elsewhere. I wouldn’t want to live in a place where I’d be at risk of losing sight of reality.
It seems that cities do not foster self-reflection. All the lights, the action, the hustle and the bustle make it nearly impossible to slow down and ponder the more important aspects of life. And New York is the epitome of all cities. I’m sure that in addition to losing sight of reality, by living in New York, I’d also be at risk for losing my sense of self.
Now onto thoughts on L. A. :
I’m not actually sure why I included L. A. in this question. I just wanted to compare a major eastern city to a major western one, but I couldn’t decide which to choose. I probably would not want to live in L. A. Besides, I can always revisit episodes of The Hills in order live vicariously through Lauren Conrad to get my L. A. fix, if the need should arise.
Finally, thoughts on San Fran:
Google images of San Francisco. Aside from the Golden Gate bridge (of which there are copious images taken from various angles and at various times of day), it seems the only things and people unique to the city are Alcatraz, trolleys, Harvey Milk, hippies, and rows of tightly packed bungalow houses that will forever remind me of Full House. Although San Fran is one America’s most well known cities, it seemingly pales in comparison to the bright lights and endless attractions that pepper New York. Regardless, I think it is a city in which I could definitely live for an extended period of time. From what I can gather, San Fran has always attracted a certain demographic. It has long been recognized as a hub for artists, poets, and hippies—a crowd with which I would love to mingle.
San Francisco dwellers are also a recreational, health-conscious bunch. Last night while at the gym, I happened to flip through a woman's health magazine during my turn on the stairmaster. In addition to learning Kim Kashardian’s latest and greatest work-out secrets, I happened upon an article that discussed America’s top ten healthiest cities. I haven’t a clue how the results of the article were calculated or on what exactly they were based, (I’m sure Shape magazine is wholeheartedly committed to honest journalism and employs only the most reliable statisticians when conducting its surveys), but San Fran made the cut! (Needless to say New York did not.) I’d prefer to live in a city, like San Fran, whose denizens concern themselves with exercise and proper diet as opposed to one in which people opt for convenience at the expense of their health and well-being.
On that note, I’m going to wrap up this response. While New York is bigger and brighter than San Fran, I don’t think I could ever extend my stay past 2 weeks. Therefore, I would choose to live in San Francisco rather than New York. I guess it’s true what they say: you can take the girl out of the west, but you can’t take the west out of the girl.
