Why I love New York (and Brooklyn, in particular)

I've always thought that the best line iu a song EVER was when Frank Sinatra sang in his classic hit "New York, New York" "if I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere".  As a born and bred New Yorker (shout out to Brooklyn!), I subscribe to that belief wholeheartedly.  You see, New York has prepared me to handle and face life's various challenges and the curveballs that come along the way.  While the city (Manhattan) helped to refine me, the grittiness of Brooklyn developed me.  It is where I learned how to survive and the value of innovation and appreciating what you have (where else could you learn how to tap into the electricity from a street light to play music for the neighborhood, which we affectionately referred to as "jams").  I also learned how to embrace, understand and co-exist with people from various backgrounds and cultures, which has served me well in my professional life.  What I think I love most about New York, outside of the city's energy, is that everyone is plain spoken and direct and we don't suffer fools (you never have to wonder what a New Yorker is thinking because, more often than not, they will let you know).  We are some of the most honest people you will ever meet!

What is also unmatched in New York, is the overwhelming sense of community.  As sad a day (and the ensuing ones that followed) as September 11, 2001 was, through all of the heartbreak you saw the best of what the city had to offer - the love and compassion of its residents.  There was a sense that we needed to take care of each other and that this wasn't just an attack on our country, but on our beloved city (I still find it hard to believe that the twin towers of the World Trade Center, which so defined one of the most recognizable skylines in the world, are no longer standing).  I wish that everyone who thinks that New Yorkers are rude could have seen how everyone rose to the occassion during this difficult time.  I had never been more proud to be a New Yorker!

While I no longer live in the city, it will always be my home (I tell people all the time "I live in Charlotte, but I'm from New York").  You see there is a certain pride that you have and you poke your chest out just a litle bit when people ask you were you're from because in our minds what we are saying is, "hit me with your best shot because the New Yorker in me has seen it all, done it all, and has survived it all, so bring it on!"

So, that's Taraztake for today, what are your thoughts?