There Is Always Someone Crazier Than You.

I have mentioned in the past that sometimes, living in New York can really wear on me. It's so noisy, it's so crowded, it's so expensive, etc., etc. There are some days where I just can't deal with the people and the noise, and I wish I could just go sit in a quiet house on a quiet street (one where I don't have to pause the TV every time an ambulance passes because I can't hear over the siren).

But more often, I do love this city. I have always wanted to live here and there is just no place like it. I'm so thankful that Eric's job has given us this great opportunity, and I certainly don't take it for granted. What an incredible two years we've had! And no matter where we end up in the future, I will always be glad to have spent this time in this great city.

The holiday season especially brings out my back-and-forth love for New York. This city is just unbelievable at Christmas, and I have certainly shared that with you the past two years. I just love it, and when I walk around among all the festive holiday decor, I wonder how I will ever spend the holidays in any other place. It's just so magical here. Yet, the crowds also descend upon this city with a vengeance this time of year, so it can certainly try your patience.

Just last week this article appeared in the Village Voice, entitled "50 Reasons to Be Pretty Damn Euphoric You Live in New York City." While I may not agree with everything in that article, I loved so much of it and thought it was a great reminder of why I am pretty darn euphoric to live here. I thought I would share it, and hope that some of these things (along with the incredible Christmas atmosphere) will help me maintain my patience on the crowded streets this holiday season. Because really, the bottom line is that New York is freaking awesome.

I would love to repost all 50 things in that article here, but instead I'll just share some of my most favorites, the ones that made me emphatically nod my head and say YES:

[FYI, my comments are in italicized brackets.]

47. There is always someone crazier than you. ALWAYS. [I always tell our guests this if they are worried about how they look, etc - if you are the craziest thing people see today, they have not had a very interesting day in New York.]
46. The view from the Brooklyn Bridge. [One of my most favorite places in NYC.]
45. The view of the Brooklyn Bridge.
44. The epic feeling you get running to catch a train and succeeding...just before the doors close.
43. Bored to Death. 30 Rock. SNL. And a million other things that film here and we love. RIP Law and Order.
40. That horrified look on our parents' friends' faces when we tell them we live in "Hell's Kitchen." [And I love living in Hell's Kitchen, frankly!]
36. Whatever you need, whenever you need it, there is someone who will bring it to you for a price, which may or may not be negotiable. (Or legal.) [You can honestly get anything you want delivered - fresh cookies at 3 a.m., a bag of dog food, McDonald's, liquor. It's glorious.]
35. By the time the rest of the nation has bedbugs, we'll have figured out how to get rid of them. In the meantime, we'll mock them by dressing our dogs up as bedbugs for Halloween. Laugh in the face of fear, New Yorker!

 (Photo from here)

30. The fact that one-bedroom apartments cost an average minimum of a half-million dollars means we think nothing of spending $12 on lunch.
29. Restaurants are as common as single men and women. And equally diverse. And you never have to see either of them again after the initial awkward encounter.
28. The omnipresent opportunity to Gaga-ify yourself. And the chance that it will seem, just, normal.
26. Smart people are the norm, not the exception. (Which doesn't mean they're sane, but at least no one's boring.)
24. When you fly back into the city after a vacation or business trip, no matter how long you've lived here, you get that butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling.  [Absolutely!]
22. How easy it is to find doughnuts, pizza, Chinese food, or any other snack your drunken self desires at 4 a.m. Or to continue to drink. Responsibly!
21. Broadway. Museums. CULTCH-AH. Even if you never actually go to see anything (though you should, at least once).
19. There's no shame in sticking your fingers in your ears like an anal weirdo when an ambulance goes by screeching.
11. Complain about the MTA, but you can get anywhere in the city for just $2.25. Or $2.50 single ride, come 2011. Still pretty damn cheap.
10. Subway rage. Bike-lane rage. Walking rage. Random rage. These are our therapy. Although we all go to therapy, too. No judgments! We bitch, therefore we are. [I totally have walking rage.]
9. Jaywalking is an art form. [Just ask Eric, whose motto is "if you go, they won't hit you."]
7. Subway "prewalking," in which you walk to the exact right spot on the platform to board the train car that will save you the most time upon exit, exists and has a name. Gotta respect.
6. You can be alone, but never feel lonely. And vice versa. But if you die and aren't found until a year later, you won't be the first.
3. Finding your "local" is that much better here.
2. There is absolutely no reason to ever drink and drive. Added bonus: Spontaneous, fascinating conversations with cab drivers.
1. If you can make it here, you really can make it anywhere. But why would you bother to go anywhere else?

(If you want to read the rest of the list, click here.)

Man, I do love this city.