NYC's Huddled Masses: Yearning, Breathing, Voting, and Spending to Live Free

In "The New Colossus", the poet Emma Lazarus writes most famously about the "huddled masses yearning to breathe free." Specifically, she's referring to immigrants arriving by ship into the "air-bridged" New York harbor, literally huddled on board together, excited by the prospect of freedom in America and life in NYC, the Statue of Liberty looming above, eager for the literal and metaphorical open air of the New World. 

When she wrote this poem, in 1883, the United States was only a century old, a young country still finding its place in the world. NYC represented its literal and figurative entrance, the most welcoming place in the world's most welcoming country. 

Today, much has changed. We are no longer a neophyte country but the world's superpower -- and NYC is its superpower city. We still have "huddled masses" here but life couldn't be more different than almost 140 years ago; and this country and city aren't always, sadly, so welcoming.

Why? Well, you can look at our national political atmosphere to see why the country's not so warmhearted. As for NYC, it's simply the cost of living that bars so many people from living or staying here. 

And yet ... the city thrives. And for one simple reason: there are lots of people here. It remains big and populous. It's a teaming cauldron of humanity. The "huddled masses" of 2017 may be richer and more sophisticated but, like those before them, they are hungry for a better future. In many ways we resemble our immigrant ancestors -- we yearns, oh yes, lots of yearning goin' on -- but with more money.  

Here's a cross section of evidence. 

First, if you want to know how much it costs to live in NYC today, check out this comprehensive breakdown of the 50 most expensive neighborhoods. Here, in cold hard numbers, you get an idea of how and why it's so costly to live here -- although some of the most and least priciest neighborhoods might surprise you (i.e. the Upper East Side isn't anywhere near #1). What's also surprising, as this radio segment indicates, is that many people who can't really afford to live here somehow do. Hence the population boom.

Second, NYC is in election mode right now and, when it comes to voting, New Yorkers have many options. When voters go to the polls on November 7, their ballots will contain more choices than Baskin Robbins. That's because there are lots of political parties in NYC. Here's a history and explanation of the myriad political parties that exist in this town. Don't like either the Democratic or Republican parties? Well, you have an array of choices -- including a political party devoted simply to "diving" (you heard that right, as in diving off diving boards). 

Third, if money and politics isn't your thing, how about the stories of individual New Yorkers? This year marks the 50 Anniversary of New York magazine and their anniversary issue is devoted to the first-person telling of such stories by New Yorkers both famous and not. There's nothing more powerful than personal stories and here is an array of New Yorkers talking about what the city means to them. 

So what's NYC all about? Well, like the Declaration of Independence declares, it's about "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." But, as "The New Colossus" also indicates, that's only possible if we can "breath free" -- after all, you need air to breath and you need to breath in order to ... live. But if the air isn't there, if it's choked off, then it's hard to live. That's why we try hard to breath and, although it's never easy, when we do, we thrive!