Okay, I love Los Angeles. I’ve missed it a lot during the four weeks I was gone. I couldn’t wait to be back.
But barely a day into my return to Los Angeles, and I’m missing New York City already.
The No. 2 reason why I miss New York City? The bagel-a-day diet.
I don’t even bother eating bagels here in Los Angeles because they all suck. It’s just not the same. Just look at that brick of cream cheese slathered in there.
The No. 3 reason why I miss New York City? The fashion.
Even during a heavy rain season, people slid on fantastic rain boots like these. It made me want to buy a pair, even though it hardly rains in Los Angeles.
I feel like everybody’s just strutting the catwalk here in Manhattan. I love that they don’t dress the same; everyone has his or her own quirky sense of style. It’s kind of inspiring. It gave me the guts to finally hunt down a pair of suspenders.
I had a great time flashing these suspenders around like a hipster, brainstorming ways to incorporate them into World Journalism Institute’s “business casual attire” mandate.
The No. 4 reason why I miss New York City? Central Park.
I miss the colorful one-man acts.
I miss the couples walking hand-in-hand, young and old. The bikers in their full biking suits, zipping past joggers and strollers. The kids scampering across the meadow, enjoying a game in a delightful way that only they can.
The horses and their manure:
Even the guy who takes a thick-skinned afternoon snooze on the benches.
No. 5 reason why I miss New York City: the random strips of greens snuggled in between historic buildings and new skyscrapers.
Above is a shot of Bryant Park in mid-town Manhattan, just a few blocks down from Central Park.
But more than all of the above, the No. 1 reason I freaking just want to move to New York City right now? The convenient public transportation.
You see, although I enjoy driving, I can’t stand cars anymore.
This is why:
I didn’t roll down my window. It’s just gone.
The glass is all in shards now, littered all over the car floor and passenger seat, because some fellow smashed my car window last night and hightailed with my GPS.
This isn’t the first time I’ve suffered monetary loss from my car. Add two traffic tickets, several parking tickets, an accident, high insurance, crazy gas prices and hours of being stuck in heavy traffic, and O.M.G— I don’t care how amazing Los Angeles is right now; I am just so sick of its car culture.
Okay, part of it is my fault. I forgot to hide the GPS. I was the idiot who tried to dash a red light. I was the blind fool who didn’t see the street cleaning sign when I parked my car. I was the impatient driver who crashed into another car while trying to make a left turn.
But darn it, Los Angeles is easier to blame right now.
I’m now off to blow another $200 on window glass repair. That’s like, 100 Super-Size McDonald’s french fries. Sob.
I strangely want donuts right now. Dunkin Donuts.
I remember how Dunkin Donuts dotted every corner of Manhattan’s streets. Unfortunately, I’ll have to wait a while for there to be one in my vicinity. Add that to No. 6 why I miss New York City.
Oh, and how can I forget?! No. 7 why I miss New York City? Fleet Week!!!
Bring out the sailors. Hello.
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I need to get to NY one of these days, I’d love to see it! Maybe you could be our tour guide?
I’m so sorry about your car. The same thing happened to me a few years ago, it’s such a shitty feeling! I hate that L.A. doesn’t have a better public transportation system!
Sucky car thieves! Helllllo sailors! Super cute shoes up top, by the way:)
As a New Yorker I can’t but agree with it all! Hehe
SO…I think I need to take another trip to NYC, stat!
Seriously, this blog post made me want to go there right now. I know I need to get back there one day….but let’s hope it’s sooner than later.
P.S. Sorry about your car. Yuck.
Ugh! That sucks what happened to your car. Thanks for the “I Heart NY” photo essay. Sometimes, it takes an LA resident to remind me of why I’ve made my home here.
Oh the (no)car things sucks!! 200bucks for a window and then you still need new GPS too? Ugh
But no. 7 really made me giggle haha. Uniforms?! Love!
I have never visited NYC yet but your story really excited me and can’t wait to visit one day. I sometimes miss public transportation in Tokyo too – so convenient we can go anywhere and at most you wait 10 minutes at a station till the next train comes… but after having kids, I appreciate more of car life since we have to carry so much stuff and if you have 2 small kids…forget it… carry one big bag, hold hand or carry one kid and push a stroller with one kid.. I nearly died I did in Japan. LOL. But people just get used to it and learn, I guess. I want to try real bagels in NY one day!!
Holy crap, I didn’t know that was cream cheese, I thought it was a scrambled egg on the bagel. XD And you look so cute in suspenders!
Sorry to hear about the GPS though. :/ People are asses.
And holes. ;-p
I love this because it totally capture everything I love about new York! But especially central park and fleet week. So yummy.
Yummy as in…the sailors? Hee hee hee.
Oh Sophia! I’m sorry to hear about the latest crap in your car history. That’s a real bummer. Here’s hoping some bad karma will happen to that guy, eh? I’m going to read about all your fun New York posts now because well, now I finally have time! I’m so glad you had a good time
I just posted about my trip to the Bay Area. Definitely not as fun but it was fun meeting people from the blogosphere.
Yes, it’s fun meeting people from the blogosphere, but it’s even more fun meeting a-hem, a certain Korean girl living in Los Angeles’ Koreatown. Dude, I’m leaving again in a week. I would love you meet up with you soon!!
I miss New York bagels SO very much.
Hey friend! So sorry to hear about your car
I hope thins get worked out.
And, I’m finally catching up on all your blog posts. I love, love, love them
Thanks for writing.
Abby!!! I miss you!!! Sob, sob!! T___T
I’m so sorry to read that you had some jerkoff creepo turdnut smash your car window Sophia. That sucks!!!
Welcome back home. I miss the Chinese Food at Wa Jeal on the upper east side in New York!
Yep – I love public transportation! When I lived in a suburb of Chicago, I used to ride my bike two miles to the train, take the train to Chicago, then walk a mile to my office – guaranteed six miles of moving a day!
Now that we live in the “sticks” I am 55 miles from Chicago, and our town doesn’t even have a bus, so you have to drive everywhere. So sorry about your car Sophia! Hugs!
Hi dear, not sure if you receive my email I sent awhile back? Its ok, no worries =) just hope it didn’t get delivered to the wrong person haha! i’ve finally started a blog, you have no idea how much your postings have inspired me! I hope to do the same for others as I continue my journey with recovery. those donuts look so good! what kind is your favourite? crazy i know but i’ve never had the creme fill kind. like bavarian or boston creme, they are always the first ones to get sold out!! =(
Yes Sheela, I’ve received your email! Sorry, that was a while back. But things got hectic and I still have a pile of emails to respond to. >__< My favorite donut is the plain cruller. Not glazed, not coated, not filled, but just the plain cake cruller. I LOVe the crispy exterior and the cakey interior. Good thing that it’s not everybody’s favorite though, so it’s usually always available for me!
Dear Sophie,
About Reason #2- Cute shoes with corduroy floral toe and navy blue vamp (photograph)! I forgot to mention while you were writing your series, but I think it was really helpful that with two (not extremely picky) friends with you in New York, you could all order different things and try a bit of each. Surely, all on your own, it would have been a huge endeavor to try so many combinations of bagels and cream cheese (and other things).
About Reason #3- Wellingtons – I live in a city that gets plenty of rain, and the Target here has really cute rain-boots. I have yet to buy a pair, but your suspenders purchase may just have given me the push I need to add the little “something different” that *I’ve* wanted to my wardrobe. I rocked suspenders when I was in middle school, and then again during my first year of college. That outfit is so cute on you (photograph).
About Reason #5- The composition of your Bryant Park Great Lawn photograph reminds me of Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon…. – the man standing in the hat in your photograph corresponding for the woman standing with the umbrella in the painting. But the background is a mirror image of the artwork, as the large area of trees is on the right in the painting, but the densest area of trees are on the left in your photograph. And the man-made structure in the painting – the bridge – is on the left, while in your photograph the clear view of the back of the New York Public Library is to the right. (This sounds so tedious, but if you look at the painting and your photograph you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. I promise. Actually, I’m going to e-mail it to you so you’ll see what I mean.)
About Reason #1- Ugh… that’s horrible. I’m sorry that your property was victimized that way. The way you detail the car-related expenses you’ve had really makes car ownership sound like a money pit.
About Reason #7- I remember seeing a great many sailors when I visited downtown D.C. one day. I was 12 or 13, so I had no idea about Fleet Week, and I hadn’t thought of it since. Reading your post just made it click. Hello, indeed.
Take care.
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(Urg -”Sophia“)
Sorry about that.
I am constantly missing NY. I am convinced it is the greatest place on Earth.
Ohh, I love New York too, and your post totally reminded me of that! That’s why I go there so often, heh. Sorry to hear about your car. That’s awful.
I don’t even like driving, which is why I’ve actually never owned a car (although to be fair, my husband has one, and I drive it occasionally if necessary).
Hee hee, would love it if you moved to the East Coast!
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