New York is however you want it to be.
And therein lies its greatness.

In August of 2000 I gave up my job in Istanbul and moved to New York. Until that day I knew the city only from the Hollywood films that show its more glitzy side and from the newspaper columnists who refer to it in legendary terms. In short, my knowledge was both extremely limited and a trifle one-sided.
My lack of familiarity with the ways of my new city did not make my first days more difficult, quite the contrary it made them easier. Since I loved New York and believed with all my heart that it would make me happy, the city too seemed to treat me better. The skyscrapers, beneath which most people feel as tiny as worms, smiled at me every time.

FAST, SEXY, TRENDY DID YOU SAY? FORGET IT!
There were certain types who went around acting as if they knew New York like the back of their hand. Most of them had come to the city just like me.