Intelligent Urbanism

I have begun to question whether Manhattan is the center of the universe. In honor of my 20th year here in NYC, I wanted to explore the phenomenon of modern urban flight. Gotham City has always been a revolving door. Especially for young artistically inclined folks on a budget. The realities of making it big in this town can have a soul-crushing effect on the strongest of spirits. NYC is like a seductive mistress, it bats its eyelashes towards you and whispers “come hither”. However, the drama and the drudgery of everyday existence can make a grown man cry sometimes. But when I read the latest real estate trend of NYC refugees moving to Buffalo, I was taken aback. Insert “shuffle off to” joke here. Although I do feel the need to flee from this concrete jungle once a week, I can not imagine moving to The Queen City. The primary motivating factor must be the outrageous high cost of living, right? But I suspect something else is in play here. There are plenty of affordable pockets of our fair town if you are a savvy client. I would say: this is a disillusionment with the dream. Never in history has a village been pimped out like NYC. Manhattan has been marketed with all the subtlety of a jackhammer. When you arrive, you are psyched to conquer the gridlock and make your mark in the Big Apple. But the flip side to your perfect plan is that this city is filled with devious distractions. It makes sense that the more adventures you have, the less you will accomplish. So you either find yourself having a ball with nothing to show for it. Or you succeed in your endeavor, but you are left with a hallow victory. Either way, you are likely to become a bitter bitch if you remain. I recall my first boss was in danger of losing her brownstone and she was forced to relocate to an alternate location. I remember her telling me she couldn’t afford to do all the things she originally moved here to experience. But perhaps she was just burnt out from racing with the rats on a daily basis. Having said that, I’m a sucker for this metropolis, and I have no plans to join the mass exodus anytime soon. When I lived in Brooklyn Heights, I used to stand on the promenade and imagine that my problems were across the river. It was a mentally effective trick. And the view from the boardwalk was breathtaking. Perhaps, you can escape the brain drain without packing your bags and heading for the sticks. Never underestimate the power of denial. Or the impossible beauty of our skyline. There is a rumor that A-ha were asked to sing this song after the 9/11 attacks. However, they had just been back together for a year and they didn’t want to use the terror tragedy as a spring board to succeed in the U.S. again. If only Rudy Giuliani could show such admirable restraint. America’s Mayor has been dining out on our darkest of days forever. But don’t get me started! Also: this single was released on my 19th birthday.