The Stories of New York
There is an allure to New York that draws millions in from all around the globe. So many people, yet so many I will never talk to. I pass hundreds of strangers a day all with goals and minds of their own. We hear stories of success found in the city, but we don’t all experience them. If we took the time, the stories to be told are fascinating.
In the media, New York City is presented as the only place to be. It’s where “nobody” can become “somebody.” No matter what industry you are in, there is a surplus of opportunities to further your goals. Especially in the arts and creative fields. Artists of all sorts use the city as their stage to perform and present their art.
I will strike up a conversation with anyone anywhere, so I was more than ready to set on my journey to meet new people and hear their stories.
It was twelve in the morning, and I was rushing down Canal Street to take the 1 train home from work. Half exhausted, half-awake mind in “work mode,” I overheard these two friends talking about their experiences living in the city. This was the perfect opportunity to ask their stories. Taken off guard, but in a pleasantly surprised manner, the two men Tom and Steve shared their own journeys with me.
It’s about fifteen years ago and twenty-year-old Steve has just moved to New York City from Connecticut. He has accepted a job in tech, although his ultimate goal is to be in the music industry. What better place in the country to make music and make money in tech?
“I moved to take a job in tech but wanted to be in the music scene.”
Steve ended up leaving the tech community as his interests furthered into music. He got hands-on experience in all areas of the industry when he landed a job at a label. He continued to perform his Indie rock with his peers at smaller venues while discovering electronic music at the label.
Now, Steve has extended his creativity into art. “My imagery is very basic but it’s more about the reaction it causes, ” he says. He explains his style as a mixture of graffiti and performance art. His goals are to inflict emotion and create art with purpose. There is always a message in his pieces, despite their simplicity. “Even if it’s the same image repeated over and over again, that is art in my opinion,” Steve concludes.
Steve has lived in the city ever since he moved at twenty years old. His passions for music and art are thriving here, as his friend Tom can second.
Tom and Steve met a few years ago, however, they did not meet in New York. They met in LA where Tom resides. He moved to the city in his thirties but moved back to California during the Pandemic. He just happened to be visiting when I stopped them for this conversation. Tom has been contemplating returning, but the rising costs of rent, food, etc. have him in a mental limbo.
“I probably would move back here— I love it, but everything's expensive now.”
When Tom initially moved here he, “felt like there was an opportunity here to reach out and do more and meet new people...to paint, do art and stuff like that.” As an aspiring artist that specialized in the painting of all mediums, he felt that New York would welcome his visions.
Tom reflected on his time in the city and why he loved it so much. “As an artist, you can always find art,” He argues. I loved this perspective because it represented such a larger meaning. I admire his dedication and positivity in an industry that can be discouraging. His goals aren’t to be famous or make the most money, but rather to create beautiful art that he can do no matter where he is.
The third person I stumbled upon is Nian. I met this twenty-six-year-old Queens native at Washington Square Park. The sun was shining, and everyone was outside soaking in the glorious weather—myself included until I was distracted by a pigeon sitting on the shoulder of my bench neighbor. I turned my head in amazement and started talking to the man and his girlfriend, Nian. This was “Milkshake,” the pigeon they have adopted.
As we were discussing the pigeon, I took my encounter with them as a sign from the universe to interview her. She was excited and enthusiastic to share her story with me and I eagerly listened.
Nian and I bonded over the fact that we never quite had a “dream job” growing up. We had hobbies, but we didn’t feel strongly about a specific career that interested us. Nian considered being a writer like her father, or a lawyer because she was “good at arguing” as a child.
Eventually, she made her way into being a software engineer. However, she claims that “If money wasn’t an object, I’d be doing anything but software engineering.” Nian regrets abandoning her aspirations of being in a creative field and/or writing. She took a dip in the journalism industry but quickly realized that “writing garbage for pennies” was not making her happy. She would rather not be a software engineer for enjoyment purposes, but she is still content with her life.
“All of my early jobs have showed me what I don’t like.”
I found her perspective to be refreshing in our current climate of hustle culture. We dug deeper into how “the hustle” can become toxic and it’s important to know what you want. Nian doesn’t want to be the most financially successful or famously known but instead focuses on her personal goals. She jokes, “I’m literally nobody, but it's kind of nice, it takes the pressure off.”
Growing up in New York, Nian shares that she took the opportunities of her home for granted and now understands why people want to move here. Since being raised in Queens, she has lived in Bushwick, the East Village, and currently the Upper West Side.
I have met three people that I could bond with, understand, and learn from in just one week. With only three conversations, I have furthered my perspectives. I passed hundreds of strangers a day all with goals and minds of their own, imagine if we could all share our stories, just how much more we could know and understand about each other.