It is late morning when I first enter New York City. The first thing that strikes me is the noise. The roar of engines; the hiss of rain; the cry of protest that escapes my lips as the sun glints off gleaming facades and burns my eyes.
Yet there is a certain emptiness to the city no matter where I look. The streets are devoid of the crowds I pictured. It is unsettling to finally come face-to-face with this impersonal desolation, after imagining the city as a bustling hive of human interaction for so many years. At first my eyes are deceived by the loud signs and tall buildings that hint tantalizingly at a life and excitement I have not yet seen. But time passes, and I begin to notice the hollowness as the city’s skyscrapers cast their long shadows over barren sidewalks. It remains even as the streets begin to fill with tired New Yorkers heading home. I hear it in the tense silence of people pretending not to have seen each other. I see it in the uneasy dance all pedestrians perform when avoiding contact with others. I perceive it in the purposeful way they walk on the streets, always hurrying from one point to another, though none of them is ever quite sure of where he is headed.
Yet there is a certain emptiness to the city no matter where I look. The streets are devoid of the crowds I pictured. It is unsettling to finally come face-to-face with this impersonal desolation, after imagining the city as a bustling hive of human interaction for so many years. At first my eyes are deceived by the loud signs and tall buildings that hint tantalizingly at a life and excitement I have not yet seen. But time passes, and I begin to notice the hollowness as the city’s skyscrapers cast their long shadows over barren sidewalks. It remains even as the streets begin to fill with tired New Yorkers heading home. I hear it in the tense silence of people pretending not to have seen each other. I see it in the uneasy dance all pedestrians perform when avoiding contact with others. I perceive it in the purposeful way they walk on the streets, always hurrying from one point to another, though none of them is ever quite sure of where he is headed.
The day ends. The crowds thin. All that remain are empty corridors and echoing hallways. The silence becomes almost deafening, and I leave before it overwhelms me.Yet there is a certain emptiness to the city no matter where I look. The streets are devoid of the crowds I pictured. It is unsettling to finally come face-to-face with this impersonal desolation, after imagining the city as a bustling hive of human interaction for so many years. At first my eyes are deceived by the loud signs and tall buildings that hint tantalizingly at a life and excitement I have not yet seen. But time passes, and I begin to notice the hollowness as the city’s skyscrapers cast their long shadows over barren sidewalks. It remains even as the streets begin to fill with tired New Yorkers heading home. I hear it in the tense silence of people pretending not to have seen each other. I see it in the uneasy dance all pedestrians perform when avoiding contact with others. I perceive it in the purposeful way they walk on the streets, always hurrying from one point to another, though none of them is ever quite sure of where he is headed.
The day ends. The crowds thin. All that remain are empty corridors and echoing hallways. The silence becomes almost deafening, and I leave before it overwhelms me.
Yet there is a certain emptiness to the city no matter where I look. The streets are devoid of the crowds I pictured. It is unsettling to finally come face-to-face with this impersonal desolation, after imagining the city as a bustling hive of human interaction for so many years. At first my eyes are deceived by the loud signs and tall buildings that hint tantalizingly at a life and excitement I have not yet seen. But time passes, and I begin to notice the hollowness as the city’s skyscrapers cast their long shadows over barren sidewalks. It remains even as the streets begin to fill with tired New Yorkers heading home. I hear it in the tense silence of people pretending not to have seen each other. I see it in the uneasy dance all pedestrians perform when avoiding contact with others. I perceive it in the purposeful way they walk on the streets, always hurrying from one point to another, though none of them is ever quite sure of where he is headed.
The day ends. The crowds thin. All that remain are empty corridors and echoing hallways. The silence becomes almost deafening, and I leave before it overwhelms me.
