Things I Love About New York

• Cranes, because they remind me of my mortality. I guess this is more of respect than love. They soar up into the air so gracefully. But if you've ever walked past the counter-weight at the bottom, you immediately feel like an ant.
  
• When a cab pulls over on the shoulder of 9th Ave, and I look into the window to see the driver furtively eating from a Styrofoam carton. Greater voyeurism than a peep show.


• Seeing pigeon footprints in dried cement on the sidewalk. Almost like the beach!
  
• Sitting a few yards away from the halal meat truck near Baruch College and listening to the Arabic pop music cassettes.


• When the man at the salad counter at the deli compares my beauty to that of a crasin. It took me a while to appreciate this.
  
• The fact that in the not-too-distant past, no one really gave a damn about my fake ID.
  
• Late-night running when the air is crisp and cool, and the streetlamps look like stars.


• Most importantly: the fact that I don't have to drive!