City Girl

NYC is a huge place and it contains a lot of variety, including a large variety of people. What is great about New York is that there are so many possibilities that you get to choose what kind of person you want to be and what kind of life you want to live. I’ve chosen a life that I would define as the city girl lifestyle, a life which I think is ideal for young girls who are students in the city. I’d like to give you a sense of what my life as a city girl entails.

I attend Fordham University and the university has a few different campuses. Since I live in Chelsea, downtown, and school is in midtown or the Bronx being a city girl means getting used to different neighborhoods. Usually during the school year I am pretty busy going uptown, downtown and sometimes the Bronx. It can be a long day and a lot of transit. Being in NYC now for over a year I have really learned to use the subway, something California does not have. It takes some getting used to and yes I did get lost a few times, but now I would say I have it down like a New Yorker. To be a city girl you’ve got to know how to get around the city!

Being a city girl also means not getting too frustrated when you deal with the annoyances of city life. One of those is traffic and delays. Everyday when I go to school I take the subway. I find this is the fastest way to avoid traffic. Although it is normally the faster option the other day on my way to work I got stuck in some serious underground traffic. I decided to take the E train from where I live on the west side downtown to the east side where my work is.  I had to be there before 2:30 and it was already 2:00 so I chose to hop on the subway to avoid being stuck in traffic. A few stops go and everything is running smoothly and I am closely watching my clock. Finally almost there I was starting to get relieved and then suddenly our train stopped! I figured for a few minutes, fine, this happens a lot. But then they announced that there was a delay and the train should be running in a few minutes. I had to hold back my frustration and anxiety. At that point I was officially late so I’m hoping it is just a few minutes. Time kept on passing and there was another announcement about a train stalled at Lexington Ave. Now I am super late! About 40 minutes later the train started to run again and that exactly what I did when I got off, RUN! This doesn’t happen often but when it does it can really mess with someone’s schedule.  As a city girl you have to be able to handle the frustrations of delays!

One of the great things about New York is that you can get around without a car. Growing up in California I couldn’t wait to turn 16 and get my license. To me my license meant freedom and the ability to go wherever I want! I could drive myself to school, get food and do little things without anyone else. In New York City I see young kids all the time on the subway some of them going to school and some going or coming from their sports practice. City kids have had the ability to take themselves wherever they wanted at a young age. One of my friend’s who is a girl grew up in the city and still has no idea or desire to get her license and drive a car. It is very different compared to where I am from. In Los Angeles one must really have a car it is hard to get around without one aside from the bus, which is not everyone’s first choice.  This gives you a lot of a freedom as a young person to go where you want. That also means that you have be careful and watch out, because sometimes you can be travelling late at night on the subway. Being a city girl means you get all the advantages of easy transportation but it also means you have to be responsible for your safety.

One of my absolute FAVORITE things about New York City is the 24 hour food delivery service! There are great apps that allow you to choose food in seconds and have it at your door in twenty minutes. Between Seamless and other apps I can literally get anything I want at any time of the day or night. It is not just delivery but there are lots of places that are open 24/7 in New York City. For instance the Best Buy in Union Square is open 24 hours a day, everyday. One time I went there at 3 am with my friend to get a video game that had been released at midnight. Very convenient having so many places open at all times. I now know why it is called the city that never sleeps.  Because t here are so many options and you can get what you want whenever you want a city girls needs to know what she likes and how to get it. I recommend using Yelp to discover great food and activities around you. That way you can always suggest to friends new things to do and they will think you know exactly what to do. Everyone in New York, for instance, always says that they are looking for “the best in the city”, like the best hamburger or the best rooftop bar or the best speakeasy. If you use Yelp you can find the best in different areas of the city and suggest them to friends (or boys) and everyone will think you are a true city girl.

The other thing about being a city girl is knowing how to dress for the city. This can mean fashion but it can also mean dressing for the season. New York is a very trendy place and people like to have their own styles. I think being a city girl means less having a defined style but developing your own style. I know people in New York like to wear a lot of black and girls in Brooklyn wear a lot of jeans and flannel and big hats. But being a city girl means developing your own style.

Living in the city as a young woman is one of the best things you can do. You get exposed to all kinds of people, cuisines, cultures, and there is a great food and party scene. Since there are so many options you need to open to new experiences, and that might be the most important quality of a city girl: willing to experiment!