Nos. 124–131
Reason no. 115 to love New York, “Because We Walk Everywhere” [by Yael Kohen, December 26–January 2], was very opportune. I had to laugh in light of the thousands upon thousands who walked all over this city for three days during the transit strike. Regardless of how people felt about the strike, its causes, and its outcome, the overwhelming energy and perseverance of New Yorkers when responding to a crisis will never cease to amaze me.
—Gail Rodgers Zecker, Manhattan
Your “123 Reasons to Love New York” was spot-on. There is always more in New York City, more to love, more to do, more to admire, more to anticipate, more to buy, and more to experience—just an infinite abundance.
—Joan Mary Macey, Binghamton, N.Y.
I strongly object to your suggestion that the first reason to love New York is that “Bush Is Not Our Fault” [by Jennifer Senior]. Inarguably, one of the most appealing characteristics of New York is its diversity of people and ideas. It’s inaccurate to imply that New York has a single, characteristic political belief. “We fantasized about secession. ‘New York to country: Drop dead’ ” is a naïve liberal battle cry. Let’s see how happy we’d be if the billions of dollars in federal funding that New York receives each year disappeared one morning. Some country we’d make.
—Matt Grossman, Manhattan
Regarding reason no. 55: Pegacide is hardly the blood sport you make it out to be [“Because You Can Give Kids a Ball and Some Concrete, and They’ll Invent a Game Called Pegacide,” by Janelle Nanos]. I played this all through elementary school in the eighties at a Jewish day school in Westchester. If you saw my old buddies play it at Solomon Schechter, you’d hardly call it one of the 100-plus reasons to love suburbia.
—David Berkowitz, Manhattan
I loved “123 Reasons to Love New York.” Back in the eighties, we played Pegacide in northern New Jersey and called it Butts Up. It was brutal! Once I got pegged in the nose so hard I bled like a banshee. Rumor has it that our school banished the game when some poor kid’s hip bone was broken.
—Andrea Deangelis, Manhattan
I felt completely discriminated against when I saw that no atheists were listed in “Reasons Nos. 64–100: Because Christians and Kabbalists, Wiccans and Zoroastrians, Have a Home Here” [by Katie Charles]. We atheists also have an unshakable faith: We believe that God is a human construct and not the other way around. It’s as strong a creed as any other. I’m sure there must be a great number of the Godless in this great metropolis, and I bet many of them are to credit for its high quotient of tolerance and cool. It’s a shame you failed to include even one poor, confused agnostic on your list. We live here and believe here, too, you know.
—Yehudit Mam, Manhattan
Of course everyone in your issue loves New York. They don’t have to sacrifice half their salaries to live in the city in which they were born. Not only can they afford to eat at Mas at 3 a.m., but they obviously don’t have to get up and go to work. They didn’t spend their bonus on strippers but were able to spend $45,000 on a painting [“Reason No. 114: Because Not All Wall Street Bonuses Get Spent on Limos, Sushi, and Strippers,” by Karen Rosenberg]. For many New Yorkers, $45,000 is twice their salary. Next time you might want to ask the waiters at Mas and the limo drivers what they love about New York.
—Toni Heisler, Manhattan
Regarding “Reason No. 117: Because Our Doctors Can Give a Two-Pound Eleven-Ounce Baby a Long, Healthy Life” [by Robert Kolker]: Columbia is not the only hospital to administer CPAP to preemies. My son was born at NYU Medical Center eleven years ago at 27 weeks, two pounds and four ounces. He was on a ventilator for only one week, then CPAP, nasal canula, and a dozen other lifesaving devices. He is now perfect in every way. I’m sure Columbia is a fine hospital, but in my eyes, NYU and its incredible neonatologists win every award.
—Laura Green, Scarsdale, N.Y.
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