Constellation

East 42nd

"New York is a constellation of magic moments. No city as complex as New York rebuilds itself so often, and often so well."
Robert A.M. Stern, quoted in 6sqft

Striving for Discomfort

"I love the city. I've spent my life here, and I don't think I could survive anywhere else. There's so much good here. I love how diverse it is. I love being exposed to so many different types of people and ideas. I love the competitiveness and energy (although that also gets exhausting as well, so it's love-hate). I love the culture, the weirdness, and the arts that are still here. People here are tough and it takes a lot to make them uncomfortable. I like making myself uncomfortable when I can and this city allows me to do that. I feel like in other places people strive to be comfortable, while here people strive to be uncomfortable."
James Maher, 6sqft

Reasons to Love New York

Apartment building in East Harlem

"What do I love about New York City? That it's against the law to be bored. That New Yorkers put up with tiny apartments to claim a foothold in the mighty metropolis. That there's always a new neighborhood to discover. That contrary to legend, New Yorkers go out of their way to help strangers. That the most interesting people in the world live here, and living in New York makes everybody interesting. That every country in the world has an outpost here. That New Yorkers love their landmarks. That the classic New Yorker was born somewhere else, arrived in the city, and shouted, 'I'm home!'"
Anthony W. Robins, 6sqft

Dense

"New York is very dense. It's dense with everything. It's dense with visual information. I'm talking about Manhattan—every place you look, there's something to see. There are stores, but it's never just one level of stores. It's two or three levels of stores. The first floor might be books, the second floor might be a place that does nails, and the third floor might be a place that stores furs. And then there's the architecture—it's one era of buildings slapped up right next to another with no space in between. That's one of the things that I adore about New York City. There are not even words for how much I adore that. Everything smashed up against everything else."
Roz Chast, 6sqft