Celebrating 10 years in NYC

I moved to NYC ten years ago.  And to be perfectly honest, the move wasn't my idea.  I had friends and space in the Connecticut suburbs. New York seemed scary and unforgiving by comparison.  But my boyfriend (at the time) got a transfer to the New York office in the spring of 2000, we move we did.  And it didn't start off well.  We moved ourselves, our belongings and our dog into a too-small apartment in a random neighborhood.  It's a mistake many make, having no idea how neighborhoods differ and thinking we wouldn't be home enough to need space.  It wasn't until we moved to Brooklyn a year later that I finally began to relax and fully enjoy living here.  The romantic relationship wasn't meant to last, but was replaced by a deep and continually blossoming love affair with this city.

I have lived in several different neighborhoods in a couple different boroughs.  Each provided a unique perspective on this complex city and the people who live in it.  As my life changed over the years, it reached out to meet each of my needs: the need to go out until 4am every weekend, the need to take classes, the need to meet people, the need for free activities.  And through her (yes, New York though often described as a harsh metropolis is always described as a woman), I have learned about myself. 

Now I know this city, she isn't for everyone.  But the adage is true: if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.  And that's largely true because you can define "making it" yourself. 

A few years ago, my husband and I discussed moving out to the suburbs.  At first, I was on-board with the idea.  Figuring, I enjoyed suburban living so much before I thought I would fit right in again.  But that was before the city got under my skin.  Now I couldn't imaging living anywhere but here.

Here's a summary of the past ten years:

• Number of apartments: 8
• Number of boroughs: 3 (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens)
• Number of neighborhoods: 6
• Number of roommates: 6
• Classes taken: Irish language, pottery, glass fusion, meditation, tai chi, hip hop dance
• Number of full-time jobs: 3
• Number of part-time jobs: 3 (including a stint as a juror for the International Emmys)
• Things I love most about the city: the library system, the subway (but not the MTA), Columbian bakeries, Chinatown, the bridges, Governors Island, my quiet Brooklyn neighborhood
• Things I still need to do: visit the Statue of Liberty, take the Staten Island Ferry, ride the tram to Roosevelt Island

I'm really looking forward to the next ten years.