The Five People You'll Meet in NYC

By Taylor Irwin on April 23, 2013

1. Your Random Roommates

My apartment search in the city is something that could probably provide material for several novels on end, but the city – and those who inhibit it – are just as strange as the stories you've heard through the grapevine. The craigslist market is a breeding ground for psychopaths and normal people alike, but sifting through them is just as time consuming as sifting for gold in a rapidly flowing California stream. After countless helllllll no moments, I finally stumbled upon my current apartment in Williamsburg. There are six roommates in total, and everyone has a different story. This sounds like it's an excessive amount of humans per square footage, but for a city where real estate is as high as the hobo on the corner, six people in a warehouse tends to be the norm. Everyone has a different reason for moving to the big apple, which is entertaining to say the least. You'll find that if you move to NYC, the melting pot will not only represent the city as a whole, but most likely your own living situation as well.

Photo by Brittany Taman

2. Your Insanely Organized Boss

I moved here for my internship at a fashion magazine and immediately had immense anxiety about the whole situation. I pictured myself as Anne Hathaway's character fresh out of the Devil Wears Prada mixed with Nemo when he encounters Bruce, the 3,000-pound shark, for the first time. Walking to my first day at the office I expected Anna Wintour to be waiting at my desk slapping a ruler against her palm, but in fact a sweet New York-native met me, who wanted nothing more than to make me feel comfortable. After a few days, I learned that working for a major publication was nothing that I was used to (obviously), and that an extremely rigid system needed to be in place to ensure that deadlines were met and that articles were en pointe.

3. The Homeless Person Who Provides Meaningful Insight

After meeting my friend out in the city one night, I headed home on the endless journey that is the nighttime subway commute from Manhattan to Williamsburg. The trains run slow, and the people move slower. As I sat on the bench waiting for the Brooklyn-bound L Train, a man dressed in heavy layers and toting a large satchel sat next to me and stared off onto the opposing tracks. After a few minutes of silence he turned to me and asked, “Is this the life you intended five years ago?” After the initial shock, I responded that “I wasn't sure what I wanted five years ago, but this has to be in the same general ball park.” He nodded and replied, “It doesn't matter what you wanted then, or what you want now. All that matters is that you make decisions based off of if it feels right and you can take pride in that decision,” which is something that I won't forget anytime in the near future. Those were the only words we spoke that night, but if I saw him again I would absolutely reiterate my gratitude for supplying me with a reminder of why we do what we do.

4. The Cashier at the Bagel Store You Frequent

“Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name,” is how the cast of Cheers felt about their favorite bar. Now, replace the cast with me, and the bar with a bagel place, and the song would still make sense. I randomly stumbled upon a shop called “Bagelsmiths,” where the bacon, egg, and cheese bagels are so good, they may actually bring you to tears. After a few (hundred) visits, the cashier started to assume what I was going to order as I walked in. When she recited my order when I walked to the register (which also made me feel like I should lay off the carb sandwiches), I replied with a half grin and a nod like yup das ma bagel. 

5. The Stranger Who Lends a Helping Hand

For one of the assignments for my internship, I went to a show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week across town. As much as I love looking like a robot navigating the city using google maps, the software isn't as reliable as one would like to think. As I was reviewing my intended route with a blank state, a man on the subway with a large camera and an even larger smile asked if I needed help finding my way. He explained that he was a photographer for a number of the shows, and offered to walk me to Milk Studios, even though he wasn't going to that particular one. After I refused his generous offer, he insisted that it was his New York obligation. We walked and talked for fifteen minutes about the absurdities of the city and Fashion Week in general. Moral of the story is that, no matter what people tell you about the typical “NY brash attitude”, you never know when someone is looking over your shoulder and willing to help a lost soul.

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