Extraordinary is Commonplace

"Of all the marvels of man, New York deserves our attention, our study. Here is focused almost everything we should be proud of, and perhaps a little scared of, too: power, imagination, energy, competitiveness. It's a place where invariably even the extraordinary is commonplace."
George Plimpton, Cities

Everyday Impact

Thompson Street

"I've lived in a number of capitals around the world, London and Paris, and in a number of culturally exotic cities, such as Venice and Bangkok, but I've always become just a little tired of them after a while. They become mere backgrounds and lose their presence and their force. But not New York. You can't live in this city without feeling its impact day after day."
George Plimpton, The City

Bad Reputation

Hon. Thomas Tam Way

"I don't suppose any city in the world has as bad a reputation or a press as New York City. Calcutta, perhaps. But with New York, everywhere you go, people wonder when the city's going to collapse from financial instability or when it's going to slide gracefully into the Atlantic Ocean. They want to know when it's going to burn itself out of existence."
George Plimpton, Cities