New Yorkers
But really, what makes New York is its people. I expected a city of 8 million to be hard to connect with on a personal level. But what I found was the opposite. New Yorkers strike up conversation easily, and they're always happy to offer an opinion. I came to love that gruff joviality that New Yorkers are famous for. ("Smile, why don'tcha?") And I kept myself open to social possibility everywhere we went.
Every day, New Yorkers rub elbows with a greater humanity. Literally. Each subway car holds a melting pot of cultures and classes. A well-dressed older woman sits pressed against a young black man with headphones as if they were old friends. Stockbrokers squeeze in with bag ladies. People may navigate sidewalks and subways in an iPod bubble, but that bubble falls away easily.
Sometimes a stranger gets right to your heart. Here are two of my favorite encounters:
Photos of People
