The city of New York is situated in America, yet it is unlike any other place in America. It is a country in itself. It is then not surprising that it is not the capital city even though it is its financial and commercial nerve center.

As one the major global cities of the world and an English speaking one at that, it lures people from all over, as any city that promises wealth and success would. But it is not its power and wealth that makes it interesting. It stands out because it is so visibly multiracial, multiethnic, multicultural, etc. (Businesses are cashing in on this multicultural aspect, selling it as an attractive commodity and making a profitable business out of it.) Different groups of people from various parts of the world have pitched their tents here, sometimes retaining their old ways, and call New York their home. Different kinds of faces, different foods, different lifestyles, a plethora of differences. Nowhere in America do you see more colored faces than in New York, a shocking experience to many tourists, American tourists included.

New York also provides a home and a hiding place to those in America who are not mainstream, those whose lives run counter to the accepted ways of thinking and living. People come here because it promises an opportunity to free oneself from everything that has limited one's growth as a human being elsewhere. New York is the hub of artistic activity. People in pursuit of something different, something other than the mundane, mindless of the trials that accompany such a life come to New York, for New York promises fulfillment of such aspirations.

It would be unrealistic to speak so well of New York without taking note of some disturbing signs. The most obvious is how expensive living in New York has become. Can any of us really afford to live in Manhattan, the borough where all the action is? Even in the outer boroughs, Brooklyn, Queens, the rents are getting harder to pay. People with a modest income who had an opportunity to enjoy and participate in the city goodies are being pushed further away from the city. The message is clear -- you have to have money to live in the city or live in a jail cell like space or just get lucky. Meanwhile who live in this prime city area and why is this happening? There is a growing, and spreading gentrification. Poorer ethnic neighborhoods are turning squeaky clean, with upscale restaurants and bars. Seedy, grungy neighborhoods, the trademark of New York life is slowly being wiped out. One fears that the moneyed class that is mushrooming in New York will homogenize the city with their spread. And what about all the homeless? Where have they been dumped? I hear that they live underground, literally in the abandoned subway tunnels of New York. Who is responsible for these changes? Our Mayor, who has been in office for six years now, and who was ably assisted by the current economic and political ethos. The poor appear to have lesser claims to New York.

Disturbing as these trends are, they have also unleashed strong responses. Politically New Yorkers are growing more active and aware. Tragic incidents that resulted from the excesses of a conservative political climate have united several different groups of people in the city. Perhaps this is what makes the city so interesting. The sheer diversity of people insures democracy, if not a perfect democracy, at least a democracy where any mainstream will have stiff opponents.

I have lived in New York for a little over 10 years. It was my first experience of a big city outside India, my first of life in the First World. I recall very clearly ten years ago when I was uncertain about staying on in America. Should I stay or should I leave, was a very confusing and a weighty decision. I walked the streets of New York as I tried to sort things out for myself. The first thing that hit me, particularly as a third world woman was I could walk the streets enjoying the sights at my pace without being teased by any man. It was a very liberating experience the memory of which feeling I savor to this day. I was very excited by all the different kinds of faces I saw on the streets, the kinds I had never seen before. There was so much happening here. Not having become a city insider, I only saw what was happening out in the streets. The active life in the public spaces such as the streets, the subway, etc. was a sign that you could have a life in the city even if you did not have much money here. The people, the different languages I heard, the buildings, the street vendors, the street shows, the subway rides, the magnificent bridges, the glamorous city lights, all afforded me a glimpse of what life could be. It could be a life of limitless possibilities, and a life where I could feel I am a citizen of the world. And yes I decided to stay on in New York. The ten years I have spent in New York has consolidated the glimpse I had several years ago. Now I see myself a citizen of the world. I belong to the entire world, I have responsibilities towards all the peoples of the world. I do not see myself as separate from any person I meet even as I acknowledge our differences. Our humanity binds us all regardless of where we are from.

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