No one opens the door for a native New Yorker

I like working outside. On Tuesday, June 6, while typing away in my modest backyard, the hazy air (which I had attributed to unpleasant New York summers) started to smell like a campfire. Shortly after, I learned the haze and accompanying smell hailed all the way from Canada, where wildfires are ravaging the forests. Though wildfires are an expected natural occurrence in both Canada and the United States, the intensity and number of fires are both unprecedented. Tuesday's smoky air went from “u…

“If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.” There's definitely some truth to this lyric about New York City . Frank Sinatra wasn't wrong. But…do you really want to? As a native New Yorker, I often find myself asking if it's worth it. The rent keeps going up and my apartment isn't getting any bigger or nicer. There are tons of people gentrifying every neighborhood that has any personality, pushing out its residents that have lived there for years. The commute is both frustrating (the MT…