Saturday, August 04, 2007

I ♥ NY

Before Sex and the City, before September 11, before I even knew much about the place, before countless films and before even visiting for the first time, New York City was the one place I always wanted to live and work. There’s a certain stigma about the city that truly never sleeps and I always wanted to be part of it.

The thought of moving to New York has been something that has come and gone in waves, and the latest tsunami-like wave is about to hit. Lately, I have been thinking about New York a lot and the thoughts are coming thick and fast. The imagery is permanently burned into my mind and I want to be part of it again.

For anyone who has been to New York, you will have an understanding of what I am harping on about. And for those who live there, damn you to hell for being one of lucky ones. There is no need to go explaining what it is that entices me to this metropolis. But for those who haven’t had the good fortune to experience it themselves, it’s simply the pulsating heartbeat of the place. There’s no real way to describe it, you just have to experience it to know what I mean.

The sights and images are tried and true. But these sights, coupled with the sounds, the people, the smells and the aura of this city is enough to get this Melburnian on a direct flight. Hell, let’s be honest, it doesn’t take me much to convince me to go… just give me the ticket. And I’m pretty sure that I am not the only one who thinks this way.

A few years ago I was so serious about the move to New York that I had checked ticket prices, researched apartment rentals, share houses, joined several forums for expatriates living in New York and managed to get several contacts who could potentially help me secure a job once there. And there is a strong feeling that that seriousness is about to return with a vengeance.

The last time I was in New York, I ran into a former high school buddy who had made the move to the Big Apple to study theatre at NYU. He worked part time at a popular Nolita restaurant on Mulberry St and rented a tiny apartment he shared with three others above another Nolita restaurant nearby. As we were catching up, I grew devilishly envious of his courage and his New Yorker lifestyle. Lucky bastard! It was then that I knew that it was possible for someone like me to take the punt and make the move.

The thoughts and dreams at night are increasing in frequency. Maybe I will make the move sooner rather than never. One thing scares me so – the loneliness of setting up in a new city on a new continent where my closest friends are in another country, an hour flight away. So I’m putting out the call to any New Yorkers reading this… a riotous ball of Aussie fun is potentially on his way. Or maybe all I will have to do is flash them my smile, throw about a few choice Aussie words and they’ll be like putty in my hands…

10 comments:

RRP said...

does this mean i'll have to change your blog link to "the melburnian in ny"?

you so wanna be carrie, but i think you're actually more like samantha... minus the numerous "you know whats". ;P

Evol Kween said...

I've got the hots for The Big Apple bad, but haven't been there yet. Art, Graffiti, Hip Hop, Sonic Youth, Talking Heads, The Ramones..........

glam-o-holic said...

I wanna go to New York tooooooooo

Miss Zoe said...

go go go !!!! then when I go we can be ex-pat friends over there and you can show me the sights!

Anonymous said...

New York has an unexplainable electricity to it...I understand exactly what you are trying to express. :)

underneath said...

New York is totally the best. I could move there any time.

Michael... said...

I hate how much of a cliche it is to love New York but I went, I loved it, and I haev the t-shirt to prove it.

If you move there you know you can count on a visit from me!

Unknown said...

On the danger of getting flamed by NY lovers --> NY is jsut not my cup of tea, dirty, high strung peeps, too much crime and prime terrorist hotspot.

SanFran is still my fave US city... you've got the bay, idyllic trams like melbourne's, freindly ppl, golden gate bridge and of course Castro street... what more can you ask for? :P

Cheers
R.

maudrey said...

i reckon i wanna live in new york sometime before i get too old to appreciate it! i lived in dc for a while but its not the same!

twistedbrick said...

I totally, completely understand how you feel about NYC. I've been wanting to live there since I was a little girl. I haven't even visited the place before. I've also read expat forums, looked at accomodation options and browsed job sites, and from my research have developed a bit of a strategy of how I'm going to live there. I went through a stage of only reading novels and watching movies that were set in NYC. Hell, I even have photos of NYC on my computer and phone wallpapers and on my room walls. I often have very visual dreams of living there. I aim to go to NYC next year and will step off the plane in my I heart NYC t-shirt and cap (kidding about the clothes).