Darrien Adams

Professor Stephen Burns

Comp II MWF: 9:00-9:50
1 March 2016
New York City: Greatest City in US
New York City is the greatest city in the United States. It was once famously said, if you
stand at Times Square long enough, youll see the entire world walk by. Packed with life, energy
and excitement, the city never sleeps. Though there are many reasons why this city is the best,
there are only a few that make it especially great.
One reason why NYC is the best city in the world is because of its iconic skyline. The
city may not be the birthplace of the skyscraper, but when people talk about skylines, Manhattan
is probably what they are imagining. Home to the breathtaking heights of the Empire State,
Chrysler Buildings, One World Trade Center nothing could come close to such a sight. Also,
just the grid of the whole city is grand. It is easy to navigate, and it amplifies and fuels the
relentless pace of life. The legendary street photographer Joel Meyerowitz, a native New Yorker
whos career spans more than 50 years, said in a 2012 interview that Manhattans streets run for
miles straight ahead, and so the energy on the street is funneled this way. And when you
participate in that, you become part of the energetic dimension of life on the streets.
Music is another reason why no other city in the US can top NYC. In the 70s, an
underground urban movement known as Hip Hop began in the South Bronx, at 1520 Sedgwick
Avenue. Thats where Jamaican-born DJ Clive Kool Herc Campbell and MC Coke La Rock

put together hip, new beats and Jamaican-style rapping at a back-to-school party 40 years ago.
They invented a genre that has been dominating popular music ever since. The evolution of rap
has occurred mostly in the five boroughs (Manhattan, The Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten
Island), because of innovators such as Grandmaster Flash and the Sugarhill Gang; late 80s
artists like the Beastie Boys and Run-D.M.C.; and 90s artists like the Wu-Tang Clan and the
Notorious B.I.G. Even in the present day, New York still tops charts, with artists such as Jay-Z,
A$AP Rocky, and Nicki Minaj. Along with the fact that music is created here, many world
famous artists perform here all year-round. There are shows around the city every night, at
multiple venues. Concerts ranging from artists such as Katy Perry and Fall Out Boy to Elton
John and The Who, all within hours or days of each other. If an individual is into many different
genres of music, they will never have to miss out on watching their favorite band or artist
perform.
New York is home to many different cultures. Since the population is 8.406 million (US
Census Bureau, 2013), that means that tons of people from around the world have moved here to
populate this great city. So when T-shirt and shorts weather rolls around, the city explodes with
free cultural fests. Among the slew of offerings, theres the River to River festival, which offers a
huge variety of art, theater, dance and music along the lower Manhattan waterfront; Lincoln
Center Out of Doors, which transforms the entire campus of the venerable cultural institution
into a performance space; and the SummerStage, which presents amazing free concerts and more
at green areas citywide. The Public Theaters Shakespeare in the Park series shows a pair of
performances in Central Park each summer, attracting big names from Broadway and Hollywood
to perform. One could see free film screenings in Bryant Park and Central Park. There are also

open-air readings from prominent authors at Books Beneath the Bridge at Brooklyn Bridge Park.
(TimeOut New York)
If someone is willing to pay a little for some fun, there are many A-list comics in intimate
places nearly every night of the week for cheap. Comedians such as Chris Rock and Dave
Chappelle perform impromptu, for nearly hour-long sets together at places like the Comedy
Cellar. The best part is that these drop-ins mostly occur during the weekly shows, where the
cover charge is only $12-$14. Between the two Upright Citizens Brigade outposts and the
multitude of well-known and popular indie theaters and bars that host shows in Brooklyn and
Queens, youll never know when you might see one of the stars of The Office, Parks and
Recreation or Saturday Night Live. If someone is willing to pay a little bit more, there is also a
large variety of famous Broadway shows and musicals one could experience. The tickets range
from $90-$250; sometimes more depending on the show and seating, but the shows are well
worth the price. These world-famous Broadway shows offer a wide variety of showings with a
range of famous actors and actresses that might perform in each show. Each show entails a
beautiful experience only a theater in NYC can offer.
The most important reason why NYC is the greatest would have to be because of the
pizza. Being one of the few things uniting hapless tourists, such as myself, and die-hard locals is
an appreciation for the famous New York slice: the seared, thin crust, the heavy amount of
tomato sauce, and the thick layer of creamy mozzarella. The folded, handheld meal became
legendary soon after Gennaro Lombardi obtained the first U.S. pizzeria license in 1905. Since
then, many great pizza joints have serving, such as Johns Pizzaria, Patsys Pizzaria, and
Totonnos. New pizza places like Robertas, have been adding interesting toppings and using

locally sourced ingredients. Bill and Hillary Clinton even gave Robertas their stamp of
approval!
The great F. Scott Fitzgerald once said about NYC, The city seen from the Queensboro
Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and
beauty in the world. That quote is an accurate description of what one would feel like seeing it
for the first time. Once youre able to dive inside, you can unlock many of the great aspects the
city has to offer, that no other place in the US can produce.