Wait….what do you mean New York’s not perfect?

More songs are sung about New York than any other city in the world. Over 120 movies are shot here every year. Another 100 take place here, but are shot elsewhere. New York is the backdrop of more books, movies, and television shows than any other city. People write poems of New York, they romanticize New York. If you want to be a singer, a dancer, an actor, a model or a mogul….you come here. There is a mysticism that surrounds this city and it’s bigger than the 22 square miles – it’s epic.
But here’s the bad news. In New York, people are still…well….human. I needed to get my bangs cut. I walked into the first boutique, asked for a bang trim and assumed she / he would do an awesome job. Why would I assume such a thing? Because I was in New York. OF COURSE they knew how to cut hair here…this was New York! Guess what? I now have crappy bangs.
I went out for an audition to become an aerobics instructor at one of the largest gyms in the city. I expected to be schooled. I thought everyone would be beautiful, built, tan, and have their own video series. Guess what? I was the best one. They weren’t even that good….I couldn’t believe it.
I met a girl last week for coffee who danced in college She says she takes dance classes with dancers making a living in dance who aren’t as good as she is. What? This is New York. Every dancer is amazing. Haven’t these people seen Fame?
I went to a comedy show this weekend because it was recommended in the New York Times. I thought it would be something different and fun. I thought I would see the next Chris Rock or Sarah Silverman. You know who I saw instead? I saw someone who wasn’t that funny. In New York.
So the sad truth is this. Yes, New York produces the best talent in the world, but that doesn’t mean that every talent is the best in the world. New York, for better or worse, is made up of the good and the bad, just like everywhere else. There are people that will cut the shit out of your bangs, and then there are people that will make you look like your 3-year old niece got a hold of the scissors while you were taking a nap. New York is, in fact, not perfect. And although this is a tough lesson to learn from someone who has romanticized the hell out of NYC since age seven, it almost adds a bit to the city’s charm.