The Big Apple

Cassandra Delgado
MC 4356F
Due Date: Oct. 6
Word Count: 1,038

Texas Girl Dreams of Moving to the Big Apple


For my eleventh birthday my grandmother bought me a big, glossy poster of Times Square in New York City. It showed the streets filled with zooming yellow taxis, colorful billboards that decorated the skyscrapers and the busy people cramming the sidewalks. Year after year, the poster hung above my bed reminding me of this enigmatic, far away land. I became fascinated with the idea of living in a place that appeared to possess such movement and excitement. One day, I decided that when I grew up, I was going to move away and start fresh in the Big Apple.

My love affair with New York only grew throughout the years. I was able to explore my favorite city vicariously through movies and books. However, I never gave up on my dream to actually visit it myself. When I was fifteen, my wish was finally granted as my mother informed me we would be vacationing in New York City in just a few short weeks.

The moment I walked out of Pennsylvania Station and onto the crowded sidewalk of the city, it all hit me. The smell, the noise, the traffic, the buildings, the people, and the electricity in the air consumed me all at once. It was everything I thought it could be and more. It was in that defining moment that I realized this is where I belonged.

Every little facet of New York intrigued me: the vast amount of restaurants and shops, The Statue of Liberty, Central Park, the different cultures, the museums and even the attitudes of the people. I walked the streets of the city with ease and comfort. In an odd way, the city gave me a certain confidence I’ve never felt anywhere else. I gladly fell asleep to the sounds of ambulance sirens, and the neon lights that filled my room. The city could do no wrong in my wide-opened eyes. After five days, I returned to Texas and tucked the memory of New York City away, hoping one day- I could call it home.

As college graduation looms in December, the question of where to work and live comes into play. Of course, my first choice is New York, although, I’m not the mesmerized fifteen-year-old girl I used to be. I still love the city, yet I am now aware of a world where student-loan bills, jobs and rent may worry one’s mind.

Among 2008 college grad job seekers, 77 percent moved back home with their parents after graduation, which is up from 73 percent in 2007, according to a recent poll from Collegegrad.com

This scary, little fact definitely makes me nervous. Is it that hard to find a job, and are times that hard you have to move back home? I start to question whether I’ll have a difficult time finding work and making it on my own. I try to push the idea of curfew, feeding the cats and Sunday chores out of my mind. It is obvious the nation is in an economic downturn, which makes me reconsider fulfilling my lifelong dream and moving to New York.

The 2008 cost of living index there is 135.9. This is extremely high for a city considering the U.S. average is 100. That number makes me envision myself becoming a dog walker or eating a Snickers bar for dinner to cut costs.

One of my best friends, Dominique Folacci, 22, just recently moved to New York City this past August. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in May, and bunked with a friend until her determination landed her a job in advertising. She would call me at random times during her quest for a job crying and disheartened. I wanted her to succeed so badly, because in a way, I felt if she could make it in the big city, then I could too. Dominique made me feel that much closer to achieving my goal.

“At times, I just wanted to give up,” she said. “I was running out of money and patience. I’m glad I decided to stick with it though. This is what I want and I’m willing to sacrifice. Right now I’m sleeping on an air mattress and don’t have a TV. It’s hard because the economy is so bad right now, so many places aren’t hiring. If a company is in a hiring freeze, it doesn’t matter how qualified you are. You have to give it all you got and really want to make it here.”

After speaking with Dominique, I started to debate whether I’m willing to sacrifice numerous things just to say I live in New York City. I don’t know if I could happily give up a bed or shopping or privacy or decent meals. My mother, once an avid supporter of her oldest daughter making it in the Big Apple, is somewhat wary now. She’s not discouraging, but urges me to be realistic about my decision to move.

According to an analysis of Integrated Public Micro-Data Census sample, 1970 through 2005, the wages of New York women in their 20s with a college degree was $33, 616 in 2005.

This number has lingered around my head ever since I read it. I start to picture how my life could be if I did move away to New York City, and how it could be if I lived somewhere else. I would always wonder about the distant city that was so unattainable to me. I’d feel like a failure for not executing my childhood plan to start fresh, because I don’t see New York City as just a location. To me, it’s an amazing metropolitan where dreams can come true and lives are changed; It’s that eccentric place in my poster where I always dreamed I’d find myself.

After much careful consideration, I’ve decided to move to New York City after graduation. I start to think about how every time I’ve visited the city; I’m reminded of why I want to stay there. The lights, the exhilarating atmosphere and the breathtaking scenery flood my memory, and sway me to take a huge chance. I’ve decided that I am willing to sacrifice some things, because I truly do love you New York.