The Weather is Great, but...

I read a post today from NY Times' City Room blog, which I thoroughly enjoyed. As a man who lives in the suburbs of South Florida but dreams of living in NYC, it's so hard to find people who truly get the reasons why I love that city so much.

In fact, it's such a rarity to find someone down here that feels the same way, that I can't remember meeting or speaking to even one person who understands my unwavering passion for the place.

It sometimes makes me wonder if there's simply something very wrong with me for loving it like I do!

Until of course, I read my favorite NYC-based blogs. I love to read comments like these, from the City Room blog:

“Ray, who moved to New York in 2007 after living in California for 20 years, suggested people try living elsewhere first: Yes, he said, in some other places ‘government costs less but it also does a lot less. Yes, homes cost less, but you have way less around you. Sure the people are nice, but they’re not really as interesting. Sure the weather is great, but even 250 days of continual sunshine can be a bore.’”

“And listen to Hychkok, who’s moving back to the city this summer from the suburbs: ‘I hate having to drive everywhere … I hate cashiers putting my few purchases in 20 bags at the supermarket … I hate not being able to walk anywhere because oncoming traffic will kill you. I’ve gained 25 pounds. Keep paradise. I’ll pay to live where I can walk and run into a dozen friends and acquaintances on the street instead of having to hole up in my house with the windows closed because the neighbor’s idiotic adolescent son is blasting hip-hop music and screaming obscenities at the top of his voice while playing video games.’”

“Chris couldn’t wait to return from low-tax Florida. New York’s state and city taxes, Chris wrote, ‘are a small price to pay for the culture, amenities, services, public transit, all of which the rest of the country sorely lacks. A bad day in the Village, Chelsea, Williamsburg, Park Slope, the Upper West Side, Gramercy, Carroll Gardens and a zillion other parts of New York City is better than the best day I ever had living in Miami.’”

Bravo! Those comments sum it up perfectly for me.

I generally don't have any real addictions, no obsessions or compulsions...but when it comes to NYC...well, I suppose I have all three.