When asked about my favorite city, I typically don’t mention New York right away. That answer feels kind of boring. It’s like saying Stairway to Heaven is your favorite song or Michael Jordan is your favorite basketball player. I’ll usually answer something like this: “Either Amsterdam or Chicago. I actually love London and Florence too. Of course, there’s New York.” The fact is that New York blows them all away. Not San Francisco, Paris, Dubai, or Rio … New York is my favorite city. Why? There is one reason that stands out above the rest…
The number 1 reason New York is my favorite city is because the people take care of each other and their guests. Quick story: In 1999 I was on business in the upper west side of Manhattan. I was leaving my hotel at about 7:30 am and noticed a woman who couldn’t start her car. As I approached, two other men approached her. Within 10 seconds, they started yelling at each other and arguing whether the problem with her car was the battery or alternator. After a minute or so of them ranting, the woman admitted that she left her lights on throughout the night. Both of them turned their frustration toward her: “You did what? How could you do such a dumb thing?” Remember, these three people didn’t know each other four minutes ago. Regardless of how loud or obnoxious these two guys were, they stuck around and tried to help her. One of them walked to his car about a quarter mile away and helped her jump her battery while the other one stayed with her to make sure she was ok.
This story is perfectly representative of the people in New York. They might appear rude or loud, but they’ll never leave you or anyone in need. I’ve been to every major or mid-major city in North America, and most of the major cities in the world – it’s not the same anywhere else. People in many other cities will smile and greet you politely, but when your car won’t start, they’ll figure out a way to ignore you. Give me the loud guy who delivers any day!
Oh yeah, the food, sports, shows, arts, shopping, etc. aren’t bad either.
