BULLISH IN NEW YORK CITY

To summarize the overly quoted Frank Sinatra song: if you make it in New York City, you will make it anywhere, plain and simple. This assertion, however, seems to imply that becoming successful in New York City is not the easiest of tasks. Perhaps it is like an elite four-year college in itself; upon graduation, your New York City success diploma becomes universal. This may sound ideal and dreamy but it requires acknowledging the criteria or means for success in New York City. Although, the definition of success is relative, within the boundaries of New York City it is evident that individuals with passion, ambition, and a strong work ethic are among the few who benefit from greater life chances[1]and are thus more likely to become successful.

From Broadway to Radio City, New York City has been a haven for aspiring artists, many of which owe their eventual success to both the city’s resources and their genuine passion. New York City is a cultural conglomerate and it therefore requires that successful individual’s be truly passionate about what they do. Whether you are a play writer who is passionate about entertaining, or maybe you are an actor who is auditioning for a short film, New York City rewards those individuals who exhibit a certain level of passion in whatever it is they do. Moreover, New York City’s stance as a strong supporter of the arts has demonstrated how it rewards those who chose not to compromise their genuine interests.

Another important factor for success is ambition, which has recently acquired a negative connotation given the ruthlessness of the individuals who took down our economy with greed. Nevertheless, New York City has become famous for ambitious individuals; from small business owners to CEO’s, successful individuals are on a mission to constantly improve themselves. More than often, those who are most ambitious benefit from economic mobility. Therefore, in order to make it in this competitive city, ambition is a necessity that is often rewarding.

I witnessed an obvious example of New York City ambition while walking around Union Square, noticing a long line of professionally dressed individuals along the side of a building that seemed to be housing a business exposition. Men in power suits, women in blazers, all holding a folder or some sort of portfolio were waiting diligently for admittance into the event. Immediately, I thought, this is the kind of professional ambition you might only see in New York City, which has never lacked talent. Given the abundance of professionals that roam the city’s streets, it is palpable that for an individual to succeed it requires a greater level of ambition and perseverance.

It appears that ambition and passion fuel the work ethic of many New York City individuals and the very essence of that ethic is what prompts their eventual success. Hard work is evident all around. There is the street vendors who apparently spend well over twelve hours outside through all sorts of climates. There is also the businessman who wakes up every other day in a different city. Maybe it is the immigrant working a mediocre to provide for his/her children, or the college student working to pay off loans, whatever motivates your willingness to work hard can often be the basis for success in a city as abundant as New York City.

                The person with the big house, or apartment in our case, does not characterize success in New York City. A freelance writer might feel as successful as a Wall Street executive despite the obvious difference in wages. What makes this city great is the fact that success can present itself in many ways. Not everyone agrees on the definition of success, nor on the means to achieve it.

            You often run into blogs that focus on celebrity news and gossip[1] but rarely do you hear of a celebrity maintaining their own authentic blog. Therefore, while reading an article in Complex Magazine I was intrigued to find that hip-hop artist, producer, and now designer, Kanye West, had a blog that he personally updated. Knowing Kanye West as a man of controversy, (we all remember his infamous assertion that “George Bush does not care about black people”) I sought to evaluate if his blog deserved to be bookmarked and whether it can serve as a model. Given its authoritative and genuine voice, appealing design, and contemporary content, I quickly realized why this blog has such a strong following while staying true to the author’s interests.
            If there is one fact about Kanye’s blog, it must be that it is truly genuine. Seeming more as if you’re strolling through the pages of “Flickr”, his blog is in great part a collection of pictures of exclusive high-end items, which he finds interesting. In turn, his readers find the items interesting as well. Whether it’s a picture of a new sports car, or a new video release, on most post you will see a hundred comments within the hour. He must be doing something right.

            Another aspect of Kanye West’s blog that I find interesting is that it has authority. Even if your blog is low profile, with a certain level of confidence you might manage to fool some people, and I believe that is the case for this blog. Although, overall the blog deviates from the standard blog with full article posts, there is still some sort of interest that is drawn from Kanye West’s position as an urban icon. In other words, his blog would most likely continue to draw the same attention, even if all his posts were ramblings about his fabulous lifestyle, simply because he has established himself with a certain degree of authority.

            Kanye West’s following is palpable from the little link under each post which indicates how many readers have commented on that particular story. Although, celebrities are bound to draw attention on most of what they do, I still believe that this can serve as a model for others who look to establish a consistent following of readers. In order to do this, it is essential to know the audience you intend to appeal to because let’s face it, you cannot be appealing to everyone. Surely, there are people who might visit a blog like Kanye West’s and quickly move their mouse cursor towards the top right of the screen.

            Of course, we are not all celebrities and might have to work a little harder to acquire the following that will make our blogs meaningful. In this respect, one can take a few notes from the overall design of Kanye West’s blog. Designed with a solid backdrop and blue lettering, it’s not only cutting edge but appealing to the audience which mainly consists of hipsters. In addition, I often find that blogs that are often overwhelmed with text make them less appealing. You will not have that problem on Kanye West’s blog that features videos and pictures with only titles. If you are interested enough to read more you have the option of clicking in and you’ll see actual text related to the post; simple yet functional.

            I think most importantly is the fact that the author of this blog does not compromise his unique voice to be more or less appealing. This can serve as a model to any blogger who may be concerned about who follows their blog. Kanye West apparently is unconcerned with who reads his blog and he maintains his own voice throughout whether he is giving an opinion or “spazing out” (see link in the introduction).

            Being genuine, maintaining authority in your posts, and focusing on whom you want to establish as your following can all be factors in making your blog more appealing and thus more successful. For a helpful and unique model, see: http://www.kanyeuniversecity.com/blog

Like many New Yorkers, I ride the train just about every day of the week. Although, it’s become a standard and unthought of procedure, I can’t help but notice how unreliable the city’s transit system has become. We have all been there: we leave our homes at the same time we do everyday, alloting enough time for the walk to the train station and the actual train ride to school or work. Then all of a sudden, there’s a light switch that’s not functioning or a sick passenger on the train ahead of you. This results in an hour long delay in your commute, and that probably will do it for the rest of your day.

I think the system, although it is massive, can be improved to run a lot more smoothly. First off, how about we simply get more trains running through all lines? Yes it would cost the MTA more money but, it would probably solve all the congestion we now see on trains. The City’s only getting bigger…

Also, trains are typically crowded during rush hours but the crowding becomes more severe as soon as they become delayed. How about the MTA creates a task force that can respond quickly and efficiently to any problems that may prompt a delay during rush hours…

We have all seen this:

            New York City transcends as the essence of capitalism; manifesting free-markets and privatization, this city has encompassed the business ideology that our nation shares and many envy. Despite the appeal and success of capitalism, New York City has also the greatest wealth disparity in the country. Does this imply success is only feasible to some? Or is it inherent in the structure of capitalism? Whatever the case, the New York City economy has flourished in privatization and has exampled how the wealthy cannot exist without the poor.

When people think of the opportunities for success in the United States they might think of one place in particular. Historically, New York City has attracted the larger portion of those who seek the American dream. With a dense population and a seeming abundance of jobs, many immigrants have sought to become New Yorkers to seek economic prosperity and thus fulfill American Dream. Nevertheless, prosperity is never easily achieved, and like in any capitalist economy, it entails the division of classes. Karl Marx might argue that the lower class is arbitrarily disadvantaged. However, success can result out of many things and in New York City, ambitious individuals often transcend the disadvantages that are inherent to capitalism, while others do not.

New York City’s legacy as a source of economic opportunity began with an establishment that sought to serve as the gateway for immigration into the country. Located in New York Harbor, Ellis Island served, during it’s time in operation, as the entryway for twelve million immigrants coming from all regions of the world. This immediately set the stage for New York City’s rich cultural history those who entered through Ellis Island sought to become a part of the flourishing United States economy. However, the city is not immune to the arbitrary laws of capitalism, which requires the division of class and therefore induces the overall wealth disparity.
            The inherent flaws of capitalism are greatly evident in New York City, where the wealth disparity is the greatest in the country. Approximately, 1.5 million New Yorkers live below the poverty line, one-fifth of the entire city’s population (Blodget). This drastic spread between the rich and the poor is inherent to the function of capitalism. If everyone were either rich or poor society wouldn’t function. Therefore, looking into how New York City has functioned, there is evidently a large number of lower class individuals and a select number of wealthy folks, the divide between them drastic. One New York billionaire, David Koch, is worth more, in terms of monetary wealth, than all 1.5 million New Yorkers living below the poverty line combined (Blodget). Given this disparity, many have become resentful of the American Dream and have shared Marxist views that capitalism requires the exploitation of the lower class for the benefit of the rich. However, this extremist view implies that there is no possibility of upward or economic mobility. Conversely, New York City has been the setting of an abundance of rags-to-riches stories that hint of the existence and feasibility of the American Dream.

Individual ambition has played an important role in New York City’s economic mobility. Ideally, those who live in New York are by default ambitious individuals despite what end of the economic spectrum they might belong to. This reinforces the idea that whether you are on the lower end of the income level there is always a chance of upward mobility. This could also justify that, as Henry Blodget from New York Magazine puts it, “wealthy New Yorkers [are] just inspiring examples of the ongoing American Dream.” Quite possibly those on the lower end might draw their ambitions from New York City’s wealth, something that might justify the city’s overall upward mobility during the past years as New Yorkers accept higher standards of living.

The story of Robert Gonzalez, as presented by Jennifer Gonnerman from New York Magazine, helps put into perspective how individual’s lives are often contextualized by our economic system in New York City. A security guard, immigrant, and ambitious individual, Robert sought to come into New York City for greater life chances at success. Getting the best job that was available to him, he worked as a security guard on an insufficient salary that was barely enough to support his two daughters and not enough to move out of his parent’s apartment in the Bronx. Gonnerman tells the story of this individual very well and one commonality exists among the many stories of this kind that New York City exhibits; despite how hard earned an individual’s life may be, they always have hope for prosperity. Although, Robert “wasn’t sure how many of [his] dreams he would be able to accomplish, he set his sights a little lower, on maybe a second job” (Gonnerman 57). Its stories like Robert’s which reveals how a strong ethic and hopes of an American dream drive capitalism specifically in New York City.

Poverty and wealth are two interdependent concepts that must coincide in society in order for capitalism to work. In New York City, someone can take a fifteen-minute train ride and go from one of the richest districts in the country to one of the poorest (Kozol 3). This divide is unavoidable and has become a distinct characteristic of New York City. Poverty seems to be built into the system. In a survey conducted by the Coalition Against Hunger, it is estimated that out of the 3.5 million working New Yorkers, 425 thousand do not have enough to eat. Is this just another one of capitalisms drawbacks or could it hint that our economy isn’t completely fair to all? Or maybe it’s like an obstacle that only the most ambitious overcome.

At the lowest end of poverty is homelessness, something every New Yorker probably witnesses on a daily basis. From walking the streets of even the richest districts to riding the trains, most people have at some point come across the homeless who occupy the city as remnants of broken dreams and those who willingly or unwillingly were unable to adapt to the economic system. Perhaps capitalism can also be arbitrarily bias since not all of us may have the opportunity for economic mobility.

At the extreme of wealth is greed. New York City, as a leading business district, has shed light on the overly ambitious wealthy during the current economic collapse. Although, wealthy New Yorkers could serve as symbols of inspiration they have recently demonstrated how ambitions often outweigh ethics. Recently, Bernie Madoff might come to mind when thinking about capitalistic greed. The mastermind of a $50 billion ponzi scheme has created a dent in the perception of a capitalistic economy. Someone who unethically amounted such great wealth makes those at the complete opposite end of the economic spectrum question their chances at the American Dream. Madoff is among the several figures that have tainted the New York City economy and thus impacted the public view of the country as a whole; one in which the wealthy sometimes find any means to become wealthier even at the expense of their more humble counterparts.

“Economic and cultural evolution has been a constant in the city’s history” (Blodget), and it will be interesting to see how recent events will impact public sentiments regarding our economy and whether the American Dream, one similar to Robert Gonzalez’s, is still feasible in New York City.

Works Cited

“Ellis Island History.” The Statue of Liberty – Ellis Island Foundation Inc.

17 April 2009. <http://www.ellisisland.org/genealogy/ellis_island_history.asp>

Blodget, Henry. “The have-lots and the have-nots.” New York Magazine 6                                   

Nov. 2006: 39-42. 

Kozol, Jonathan. Amazing Grace: The Lives of Children and the Conscience of a Nation. New York: Crown, 1995.

Gagnier, Monica. “The Rise and Fall of Bernard L. Madoff.” BusinessWeek.

(6 Dec. 2008). 17 April 2009.
<http://www.businessweek.com/blogs/recession_in_america/archives/2008/12/the_rise_and_fa.html >

Gonnerman, Jennifer. “A Hard Earned Life.” New York Magazine 6                                             

Nov. 2006: 52-57.