77   Saturday, November 15   New York, NY

What is New York? Why is it special; why, when I hear the name, 
are images of grandeur and decadence simultaneously conjured 
into existence in my mind? What is the glamour? Why does New 
York have that special place among all the cities in the world? 
Why have I always longed to be here, to look up at the 
skyscrapers, and say to myself, "I am in New York City"? And why 
am I now so underwhelmed?

   I confess, whatever I was searching for, it is not here. New 
York is a city. It's just another goddamned city. The buildings 
seem no higher than those downtown Vancouver (even though I know 
that in reality they average 3 times higher). The taxis are 
taxis and the subway is a subway. The people are people, just 
like anyone else. The image of the crime ridden, filth-choked 
city that always makes New York seem so dangerous, so sexy, is 
nothing but an image. It holds no basis in reality. I remember 
in Cairo, a city that really is interesting, my father saying 
that it reminded him a lot of New York. Maybe that is what I was 
looking for. Maybe I was expecting another Cairo.

   But after all, why should it be thus? New York can claim few 
titles these days. Certainly not the largest city in the world 
(Mexico City/Tokyo, depending on who you believe). Not, even, 
the largest city in the US (Los Angeles). Not the tallest 
building in the world (Kuala Lumpur) or the US (Chicago). Not 
the largest urban sprawl (LA again), longest bridge (New 
Orleans), worst crime (Washington DC), highest manufacturing 
output (Detroit), most cosmopolitan (San Francisco). The list 
goes on. Although at one time, New York was each and all of 
these. Maybe that's it. A city of ghosts, living on past 
grandeur; somehow, anyhow, keeping the belief alive that New 
York is the place to *be*.

   So what is New York? And why is it special? I'm afraid that 
after spending a day trying to find out, I am no wiser. And I 
don't know if New York really is special, except maybe in the 
mind of a boy filled with visions of grandeur and past glory, 
gleaned from far too many movies and old books.