Write Club Prompt #23

Raised in a Place

Why do I live in NYC? The greatest city in the world? It’s because I was fortunate enough to be born here. Fortunate that I found a job near home right out of college. More than anything fortunate that the perfect apartment was on the market when I was ready to move.

I think there are a lot of places I could be happy. There’s the cliche that all that matters is family and friends. To an extent that is true. But there is just something special about being in New York. The feeling that anything you want is available. Available somewhere close and at any time of day. You just need to go find it. Then there is also the sense of scale. The city can feel endless. Even outside of the city proper the metro region keeps going. I once took a road trip to Pittsburgh and was shocked at how soon we went from rural to urban. Then there is the sprawl of other regions. In Phoenix the suburbs keep going. That bland sameness. New York has different neighborhoods with different character.

For all its flaws the city feels like home. It’s a place I don’t want to leave. If I were to leave I’d want to go to Las Vegas and live with the feeling of exile.