I Love New York(?)

Even great cities have some flaws

I love New York, but sometimes I’d like to wear flip-flops outside without having to disinfect my feet afterward.

I love New York, but a few summers ago I saw a giant cockroach climbing up the outside of our bedroom window like a ninja. We live on the fifth floor.

I love New York, but once, as I was riding my bike underneath the elevated tracks of the 7 train, two drops of liquid landed on my face (splat-splat). It wasn’t raining. What could this unidentified substance be? Best-case scenario, it was water — water that had settled on the tracks the last time it rained. Water that had probably nestled itself against garbage, intermingled with saliva and urine (of the human and/or rat variety), and then slowly snaked its way through crack and crevice before falling through the air at just the right time and at just the right pace to make contact with my unprotected face. And as I see it, that’s the best-case scenario. The worst-case scenario is that it wasn’t water at all. Either way, my next shower was extra thorough.

I love New York, but sometimes it takes me so long to find a parking spot that I am tempted to just abandon my car.

I love New York, but I also love to take deep breaths of fresh air.