I'm in Massachusetts

On a whim, I decided to come to my home state of Massachusetts--actually, home commonwealth, as that is what Massachusetts officially is. I have taken some photographs, and some videos, and have some videos from 2007 that I should post, but not now, as it is quite late in the evening.

The main point of this post is now to discuss whether or not I have videos or whatever, but rather to discuss New York City, and residence there.

When I was younger, I wanted to move to NYC quite a bit--you know, all that stuff that people look for when they move to New York: The big city, things to do, a vibrant feel for the city, and so on. So when I moved there back in 2002, I was quite happy, as it did fulfill all of those desires.

However, nearly six years into my residence, it's begun to feel more like a tour of duty than a pleasure trip. What is the point of living in New York if you weren't born there? It's a fast-paced, big city, very vibrant--but so what? Even the vibrancy of the city becomes somewhat of a bore, with the pleasures of a laid-back smaller town lifestyle becoming more of a novelty, seeming more pleasurable.

Of course NY has more cultural opportunities than anywhere else in the U.S.--but what's so great about this? There are only so many cultural events a person can attend per week. Anyone's cultural needs can be satisfied in Boston, Chicago, or some other decent sized American city. Maybe even places like Cleveland are satisfactory. I've spent time there; there were things to do. In any case, for all practical purposes, a New Yorker doesn't have there time filled with more activities than someone in most other decently sized American cities.

So it's not better--but is it worse? I would say so. Aside from all the subjective reasons (my friends are mainly concentrated in Massachusetts, with a few stragglers in New York, Madison, and elsewhere...), ther are some good reasons that New York isn't the best place to be.

Getting anywhere is a hassle, even with the extensive subway system.

Any place you live is infested with cockroaches; when you go to take the trash out, you are likely to be bitten by rats.

Everything is incredible expensive. Here in Massachusetts, I could own a frickin' house. Someone was telling me they were selling a house for $175,000. Shit! The only thing you can do with that amount of money in the City is to buy get on a years long waiting list to buy a co-op apartment, and then after all those years buy the place, and still pay a monthly maintenance fee. Currently, I am in an apartment where they charge you $1,200 for the privilege of residing in a shoebox sized, cockroach infested apartment that doesn't even have a full kitchen. I could get a bigger place for $500 in Massachusetts, leaving me with enogh money left over for trips to Boston, which is maybe even more of a cultural mecca than Boston, and other such things.

I've become disenchanted.

What are good reasons to actually be in NYC, aside from work? Can anyone think of any? I mean, I don't have the choice to leave, but it's helpful to complain about these things...