Here is New York by EB White

“Here is New York” by E.B. White

Many of author E.B. White’s observations in his essay “Here is New York” still resonate today. Perhaps one of his most profound observations is the idea that is bestows “the gift of loneliness and the gift of privacy” (White 659). This seems paradoxical, given that New York is a very crowded city. But the proximity of other people enables city-dwellers to live in a state of anonymity, not needing to talk to one another at all. Of course, living alone and living in isolation from a community of people who are like yourself (given New York’s fabled diversity) can also make New Yorkers very lonely.
The fact that New York is made up of strangers, of people who have “pulled up stakes” to make their home in the town is also why it is a mecca of entertainment, art, commerce, and sports (White 696). This is true today as it is in White’s time, even though various components of these industries have moved elsewhere. White lists a catalogue of different historic events in all of these fields, all of which took place in New York. A New Yorker can casually stroll past Broadway or a place where the legendary writer Ernest Hemingway punched someone in the nose. New Yorkers are always in the presence of history, whether they are in awe of this fact or not. The fact that the presence of history is so palpable may also be one reason why New Yorkers are relatively cynical and difficult to excite.
In fact, many New Yorkers do not bother to participate in the various tourist events and attractions that are around them because they have become simply part of the scenery—which is also similar to today. This is particularly true of long-time residents. Like New Yorkers today, White draws a clear distinction between commuters and those who are born and bred New Yorkers.
White notes that it is very possible to live only streets away from a murder or falling cornice and not to feel the effects at all or to know anyone involved. He suspects that the apparent coldness to these events may be due to the fact that so many New Yorkers have fled their place of birth to escape, not to seek out new connections. Again, this is also similar to today, where it is not unusual to see real New Yorkers casually strolling past events which would be major news in a small town. And this pluralism is also resonant with today’s New York, as anyone who has ever heard the diversity of language or eaten the diversity of foods that can be found on a single city blocks.
Of course, there are some differences between White’s New York and today. There are different ethnic groups that dominate the city—New York has grown even more diverse, beyond that of White’s Eastern European, Irish, and Italian immigrants. The convenience of the different types of stores that White lists have also diversified. Even more unusual stores have proliferated, like stores that sell only cupcakes or purses. The Internet means that the physical locations of art and commerce in any city are of reduced importance. The presence of the Internet has also made the city slightly less lonely, as it is easier for people to connect with one another. Being able to use the Internet to navigate the geography of New York has also made the city easier for tourists to navigate and thus it is easier to fake being a native New Yorker.
Still, the idea that New York works at all seems like a valid question to ask. New York’s size and breadth, all wedged into one small island, remains breathtaking. The fact that someone can get Jamaican food, go to a Korean cultural festival, and see a Russian ballet, all within the span of a few hours, and pass an even more diverse conglomeration of individuals on the street is quintessentially New York.


Work Cited
White, E.B. “Here is New York.” 1946. Web. 14 Nov 2014.
http://www.travel- studies.com/sites/default/files/White,%20Here%20Is%20New%20York.pdf