There isn’t much to compare when it comes to the Big Apple and Big Rapids.
As a certified future New Yorker, I’m here to tell you what a day in the life of a borough hopping young adult is like in comparison to the slow-paced small city life.
It’s obviously night and day, except in New York, there is no night. There’s just less natural light and the honking never stops.
People who have not experienced New York often don’t realize the city is not all skyscrapers and massive parks. That’s merely Manhattan.
Most of the common sights people want to see are in this borough, or section of New York. The Empire State Building, Central Park, Strawberry Fields, the 9/11 Memorial and the Plaza Hotel are all within the boundaries of Manhattan.
You can even reach Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty from Manhattan’s Battery Park.
It’s somewhat overwhelming to the average Ferris student. Those of us who are used to a classic burger from Schuberg’s or a Cranker’s brewed beer would feel lost. This small town feel is homey.
In that burger, you can feel the care that’s put into it. They cater to the taste of a small town student. However, in Manhattan, you can find hundreds of spots to snag a great burger, but it’s not the same. It’s not cooked for any one person; every burger is prepared the same.
Thankfully for New Yorkers there are more blue-collar spots for those of us who like the big city with a little smaller town personality – and it’s only a bridge away.
Brooklyn has become much safer than its reputation would allude to. Brooklyn Heights has flourished over the years. The area directly at the end of the Brooklyn Bridge is now a destination for young people looking for their start.
Brooklyn is as American as it gets. It’s the melting pot we learned about when we were in grade school. It’s diverse and exciting and only a little confusing to navigate.
If you’ve ever had issues navigating Big Rapids, New York probably is not for you.
The busy lifestyle is perfect for plenty of us. Eating lunch in Little Italy or strolling through Soho during their strange shopping hours can consume your weekends. By contrast, in Big Rapids, you’re either tubing during the summer or holing up in your room, braving the bone- chilling winters.
Those winter nights that freeze your hair upon taking two steps outside are bitter until you look up.
What you won’t get in New York are stars. Big Rapids has that wide-open sky filled with illumination on clear nights. Many people love that aspect of a little city in the middle of Michigan’s frozen north.
This isn’t a campaign to get all of you to move out east because the lifestyle isn’t for everyone. It’s simply a comparison of the two cities I know best and why I love them both.