Illustration by Robert Vargas

If you live here, you probably don’t need to be told what’s to love about New York. You’ve voted with your feet. Still, stopping now and then to take stock of the city’s charms can have a surprising effect. It’s like the couples-therapy gimmick in which you pause to recall why you love your loved one. And sure enough, no matter how berserk they’ve been driving you, they suddenly look pretty dreamy. It’s with that hope in mind (tune out the crush of Christmas in midtown; tune in the sight of the first city snow, before Fido has his way with it) that we bring you our third annual “Reasons to Love New York” issue. This year, as in past years, the reasons are varied and many, ranging from the topical to the classic to the loopy. This time, we’ve added a new element. We asked you, online, why you love New York (“Because everyone loves New York in his own particular way”). Your answers were passionate, cranky, and eloquent. Which speaks to the best reason of all to love New York: New Yorkers.