Dear New York, You’re At Your Best Right Now

28 Oct Dear New York, You’re At Your Best Right Now

I love this city, I hate it sometimes, too. In an effort to keep track of my feelings about the Big Apple during my time here I try my best to chronicle them in a letter to this crazy place. Welcome to Dear New York–a series posted monthly on the anniversary of the date I moved here. 

Hey.

Mind if we just sit and talk for a minute? I’m not angry or anything (I know that’s like, so scary to hear, your heart just did flips, right?). I just want to catch up, talk through some things.

You’re really at your best right now. And I want you to know all the ways. My personified relationship with you, New York, is not unlike the ones I have with actual people in my life or myself, for that matter. It ebbs and flows.

Sometimes I hate NYC. Like when my Whole Foods bags broke in the middle of the tsunami we had a couple weeks ago, or that the FDR was shut down last Tuesday night after I finally caved and got into a cab from Chinatown. What should have cost me $15, ended up doubled that because traffic crawled once we finally got off. It’s not unlike the way I hate the way a person chews or that they talk too much in the mornings.

But then, I love the sh*t out of this place, too. I said as much to Alexandria when we met for a quick bite. She wants to move to New York. But all she has is a dream and a blog — right now, anyway. Sounds familiar, right? When she got into the city, she took an Uber after her bus dropped her off at Port Authority. The sun was just starting to come up, bouncing off the skyline. “This is how I was meant to arrive in this city,” she told me.

I told her I do the same thing. When I see the Chrysler building gleaming in the distance, it’s like when someone reminds to me to eat or knows to get my coffee because I’ll get bad headaches if I don’t do either. A slow smile always creeps onto my face.

New York feels easier to love in the fall.

That quote about life being again in the fall feels especially fitting right now. Three weeks ago, I cleaned out my closet and I handed in my notice. I started posting the revamped ‘5 Style Lessons’ series on the blog and I’m so excited about it.

I was leaving the Moleskin sample sale, about to swipe my metro card in New York’s newest train station (it’s 469th!). I saw this man, he was standing under the sign to the 7 train, proudly holding up his metro card, beaming for his wife behind the camera.

I grinned but lowered my eyes. I didn’t want to embarrass him but inside I was yelling, “I know! I can’t believe I’m here either!”

I really don’t want to be annoying about it but I really love my new job. I had been unhappy for what felt like would be fo-eva, fo-eva, and so quickly, I feel like my quality of life has improved.

The day I started my job at Racked (psst! Page Six picked up my Hermés piece!), I felt like it was the first day of school. Everyone sent me off with good luck texts in the morning, let me know they prayed for me—Yas legit left a good luck prayer on my voicemail and I listened to it three times before walking into the building.

My new office is located behind Bryant Park, so the closest 6 is in Grand Central. When I walk to the train after work, I see the Chrysler building peeking through, all lit up. I always smile.

Last Friday, I was walking toward the 6 and I could hear jazz in Grand Central station. It sounded so good. I wasn’t the only one impressed, there had a huge crowd, standing around and clapping, dancing.

I smiled then too.

New York, right now, this is your season. You’re truly at your best,