As someone who went to NYC over fall break, I can confidently say that Denisonians would love NYC. There are many things in NYC that feel just like Denison and vice versa.
The first and biggest thing is that there are lots of hills in the city. Not physical hills but a very large incline. So basically a hill. It will remind you of your sweet home on the hill.
Next, there are bands everywhere! In places you wouldn’t expect. In the subway station- on the subway, in restaurants, at the park, in the middle of the sidewalk. This can remind you of all the bands we have here on campus.
Next, bell towers- now, nothing can stop the sweet sounds of Swasey but, I can say that there are many gorgeous bell towers to look at and hear. See all the econ majors walking around campus? Well now you can see them but as men in suits walking all around the city Monday through Friday at approximately 8-9am on Wall Street.
Enjoy the dorm rooms? Those cozy and tight dorm rooms? You can get that for a couple thousand in a nyc apartment that will probably be the same size as your dorm!
Food. Remember the bacon egg and cheese on a bagel/croissant/English muffin that you can find at Slayter every morning? For triple the price, you can get the same exact thing-but better at any street corner you pass in New York. However, when you order, to speak like a true New Yorker you gotta say. “Hi, can I get a baconeggandcheeseonabagel. Like that. Practice maybe before you go so you can say it as fast as you can.
Miss the homestead or the bio reserve? Miss the calming sounds of nature in a busy city? Me too, you don’t get that there no matter where in the city you go but I propose to you, Central Park. This iconic park that is 51 blocks long and filled with boulders, playgrounds, a zoo, a million hot dog and ice cream carts, ice skating, roller skating, a river, and some restaurants, you can get lost in this place all day. You can stare at the gorgeous red and yellow trees all around and reminisce about the pretty trees on the hill.
Need to study but the doane library isn’t nearby? Go to Bryant Park and next door is the gorgeous New York Public Library. Here, there is no atrium for people-watching but you can sit anywhere and watch all the tourists, locals, people walking in just to go to the bathroom, librarians, and more.
Missing common grounds while you’re on your wonderful vacation? There are over 4,000 coffee shops in New York city. Chains, local shops, shops where robots serve you, shops where a coffee costs 10 dollars, and more. There is a coffee shop for everyone here. Personally, I really enjoy the aesthetic of coffee shops. Recently I visited “The Lost Draft” which is a cafe that is based on writers and filmmakers. Think cafe meant to help fix writer’s block. The napkins have lines for you to write in, the seats are director chairs and they play movie soundtracks. I had a very delicious strawberry latte from there.
I hope you’ve enjoyed all these similarities. I know most people don’t love change and enjoy a sense of familiarity. So I hope those points comfort you to be able to tackle the Big Apple.
