A candied peanut aroma ricochets through each block of smooth, stark pavement. A ragged dog rushes by with a steaming hotdog clenched between his jaws. Barely detected perfumes of various department stores vaguely drift through the crisp air. One can almost taste the smell of the churros piping hot in the glassy window of the vendor’s stand. City goers feel the movement, excitement, and energy of NYC like a young child’s glee bottled up and ready to explode at any given moment. The hustle and bustle of the shops and determined entrepreneurs with big dreams are detected even in the dead of night. Piercing the clouds, the razor-sharp skyscrapers invade the atmosphere. The narrow alleys below reveal quaint cafés with rabbit-white tablecloths gleaming under a rainbow of umbrellas. Central Park offers a quick moment of tranquility. The park is like a revitalizing splash of chilly water renewing one’s mind from the day’s tiring yet enlightening sojourns. Intricate window displays greet one with hospitality from almost every corner. Lampposts pose with valor, guarding the rough concrete jungle from utter and complete darkness. They uphold the chivalry of the knight alongside the kaleidoscopic advertisements that storm the sky of the city that never sleeps. Ceaseless sirens and honking horns never have a curfew in the Big Apple. It always seems to be Black Friday. New York City thrives as a melting pot that a diverse population of people call home.

Caroline Worthington ’19