Apple-Cheeked Optimism

"The city was different back then—poor and crumbling—kept alive only by the gritty determination and steely cynicism of its occupants. But underneath the dirt was the apple-cheeked optimism of possibility, and while she worked, the whole city seemed to throb along with her."
Candace Bushnell, Lipstick Jungle

Vital and Fertile

"I'm not one of the wise ones who try to put Hollywood down. It just happens that I fit to cadence and pace better here as far as living goes. New York is vital, above all, fertile."
James Dean, The Unabridged James Dean

Neon Grunginess

"One minute New York was a juicy boil of lust, crime, and possibility, the next it was  just another innocuous American city. Thankfully, a lot of Brooklyn and all of Coney are intact. Lonesome and soulful in their faded neon grunginess."
Maggie Estep, Hex