It’s been only a week since spring break when I was sitting at Starbucks, on 1st Ave and 69th Street, eating oatmeal and staring at McDonald’s and Chipotle right in front of me. I was seriously contemplating purposefully missing my plane back to Boston. Then I asked myself, why? Did I not love Boston?
Absolutely not! Every day I am thankful for being able to go to such a studious university as Boston University. Challenging academics and the city – just what I always wanted. Then what was the problem? Why did I want to stay in NYC?
I realized that nothing compares to the beauty of NYC. By beauty, I don’t necessarily mean just its skyline, but literally everything in NYC. Even at 7am on a Sunday on 1st Avenue, life was busy! Let me tell you, as a New Yorker, 1st Avenue isn’t your Madison or 5th Ave; it’s very rare to find a tourist there.
I moved to New York City at age 14, and having gone to high school on the Upper West Side, I realized how much I took for granted. I loved New York back then, but I didn’t quite feel it. Now, coming back home for breaks after being in college in Boston, I truly feel the energy and excitement of New York.
Typically my morning usually starts off with a quick 30-minute run. In Boston, I go to Boston’s Fitness Center (because the membership fee is included in our BU’s tuition), but most importantly because there’s no one outside! I mean, compared to NYC’s Central Park. In Boston, when I run, there’s maybe 1-2 runners outside, but in Central Park you’ll see twenty dogs with identical owners talking among themselves, laughing, and grabbing coffee. Did I mention that all that chatting is happening at 7am!
However, I will give this to Boston; I will fully admit that the food is much better in Boston than in New York. At small cafés, like Tatte or Thinking Cup, a simple lunch is delicious, but in NYC… not really. All the good food is either very expensive or it doesn’t exist.
So, if you’re lucky enough to get the option of going to either NYC or Boston, both beautiful cities, choose NYC first! You will see that after being in New York City, no other city or state will ever look or feel the same.
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