The Colossus of New York

“No matter how long you have been here, you are a New Yorker the first time you say, That used to be Munsey’s, or That used to be the Tic Toc Lounge. That before the internet café plugged itself in, you got your shoes resoled in the mom-and-pop operation that used to be there. You are a New Yorker when what was there before is more real and solid than what is here now.”

This quote encapsulates Whitehead’s perspective on the essence of being a New Yorker. He employs repetition and specific examples to emphasize that becoming a true New Yorker is tied to one’s connection with the city’s ever-changing landscape. He presents The City as a Living Entity and implies that one forms a relationship with New York through Personal Experience and Subjectivity. The author uses a declarative tone to assert that the ability to recall previous incarnations of current establishments is a defining characteristic of a New Yorker. This idea highlights the theme of memory and its role in shaping one’s relationship with the city. The contrast between past and present (“what was there before is more real and solid than what is here now”) underscores the notion that a New Yorker’s identity is intrinsically linked to the city’s history and transformation.

“Never listen to what people tell you about old New York, because if you didn’t witness it, it is not a part of your New York and might as well be Jersey.”

Whitehead uses hyperbole and a touch of humor to emphasize how Personal Experience and Subjectivity color one’s experience with New York City. The comparison to Jersey serves as a rhetorical device to underscore the perceived irrelevance of unwitnessed history.