Summer in Manhattan — A Privilege I Earned Later in Life

As a teenager, I played Empire State of Mind on repeat in my dorm room. Back then, I hadn't even been to America—I just loved the raw energy of that song. If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere. To me, the New York in that song felt like a different planet, a world I had no part in. Years later, during my master's studies in Boston, I took my first trip to New York. It was a Greyhound bus ride—over four hours long, with the faint scent of marijuana lingering in the air and seats that were narrow and stiff. When I arrived at night, stepping out of the station, I looked up at the skyscrapers and dazzling lights and froze for a moment. That song echoed in my heart once more. Now, I spend part of every summer living in Manhattan. Summer in Manhattan has an atmosphere like nowhere else. 🌆 The sun sets late—past 8 PM, the sky still glowing—and the city seems unwilling to sleep. Mornings often start with a run around the Central Park reservoir, the skyline of Fifth Avenue rising in the distance. Afterwards, I might lie on the grass for a while, watching squirrels dart back and forth. 🏃‍♀️🐿️ Afternoons are for museums: losing time in front of Monet's water lilies at the Met, or exploring contemporary art at MoMA, then sitting at a café on 53rd Street, watching the world pass by. Evenings find me walking along the Hudson River as the sun sets over New Jersey, turning the water golden. 🌅 People jog, walk their dogs, or simply sit on benches, lost in thought. At night, there’s Broadway—after the show, walking back through the glowing crowds of Times Square, neon lights pulsing, surrounded by people yet feeling strangely peaceful. Weekends mean picnics on Central Park lawns ☕📖, afternoons spent reading and daydreaming. Sometimes I walk the High Line, that elevated rail-turned-garden where old factories meet sleek new apartments—history and future side by side. Sometimes I cross the Brooklyn Bridge at dusk, watching the light wash over Manhattan’s towers in a way that feels almost surreal. 🌉 These were once scenes I only saw in movies. Now, they’re part of my summers. Of course, New York has its flaws. The subway is old and stifling, platforms like steam rooms. Times Square overflows with tourists, making a simple walk a challenge. And yes, you occasionally pass someone acting erratically, forcing you to step aside. To be honest, I don’t love New York the way I once did. But I still return every summer—not for the city itself, but for the memory of that teenager in her dorm room, dreaming of a future she couldn’t yet imagine. ✨ #NYC #ManhattanSummer #CityLife #NewYorkMemories #CentralPark #HudsonRiver #Broadway #NYCReflections #GrowingUp #CityDreams