Growing up in Minnesota, your exposure to a variety of cultures is what you would call...limited. Sure, there are areas and opportunities for cultural diversity (and there is actually much more diversity in the Twin Cities than many realize), but it is nothing in comparison to New York City. Consider these numbers (from the 2005 census):
- New York City Metropolitan Area Population: Estimated at 18.8 million people over 6,720 square feet.
- There are roughly 26,403 people per square mile and 66,940 per square mile in Manhattan.
- 36.7% of the population is foreign born
Now, considering those numbers, you can only imagine the amount of cultures and areas to explore. And this being my new home, I need to soak myself into this cultural mecca. I challenge myself (along with my partner in crime, Jason) to explore each of the 59 districts of New York City in a year's time. That is a little over a district a week. And while exploring, try ethnic food, observe the surrounding cultures, expose myself to new and exciting experiences, and document my observations after each trip.
As writer Tom Wolfe put it "Culture just seems to be in the air, like part of the weather."
Won't you come along?
