"Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." — Samuel JohnsonNow that's a strong assertion, but I think many New Yorkers feel the same way. Certainly there are things that one would not find here, but for most city dwellers those things are either of no interest or are compromises they are willing to make. And there are ways to satisfy many exurban or country experiences here. Want a walk through rustling leaves in the autumn? Take a stroll through Central Park's Ramble. Yearning for the beach? There is always Brighton or Rockaway. Aquatic nature? Try the Jamaica Bay wildlife refuge. Of course, Central Park is not Vermont and Rockaway is not Cape Cod. And for those requiring extreme sports and dramatic natural landscapes, perhaps they are best living out west. For we have no real mountains to scale, only buildings.
But for those of us who want to be immersed in culture and a soup of human diversity and intellectual stimulation, living out of the city is untenable.
I was reminded of the Johnson quote while enjoying the vista in the photo and realizing I had seen this same panorama so many times but did not tire of it. For if I tire of this grouping of Manhattan icons, so beautifully lit at dusk on a late summer's eve, perhaps I have tired of life itself ...
5 comments:
That new construction on 23rd St. gives me fits. I've been watching it, and avoiding walking under its crane since the beginning, anxiously awaiting some disaster.
My engineer friend tells me I'm nuts.
Lovely photograph.
I must be awfully tired of life - couldn't wait to get away from London 40 years ago - OK for a visit, but not to reside; I can't compromise that much!
A really great night picture.
That's what is great about NYC: you don't have to go very far to get a vacation or a little country feel. We have exotic neighborhoods and wonderful places where you forget you are even in the city (The Cloisters, the forests of the NY Botanical Garden in the Bronx, City Island, Governor Island, ...). And if we are still hungry for more, there are so many mini-trips we can do by hopping on a train or a bus, which will take us out of the city.
I tired of London long ago and went for the island life. When I tire of island life I jump fly to nearest city. Beautiful nightshot. Sunsets are pretty, but cityscpaes have a special magic.
Magic is right. This is just stunning. THe color and the lights. I'm sold, city living is the place for me.....
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