I LOVE NY: A Defense of the New Yorker

            “Visiting Americans will find more warmth in Tehran than they will in New York, a city founded on the principle of Us versus Them,” claims David Sedaris in his essay, “City of Angels” (127). New Yorkers have been shrouded with a worldwide reputation as being boisterous and detestable, the epitome of the arrogant American. David Sedaris, a native New Yorker, defends his hometown in “City of Angels” as a southern woman finds all she can wrong with the people in the heart of Manhattan. He is able to use sarcasm and hyperbole to emphasize the absurdity of many of Bonnie’s claims. A.J. Liebling, too, defends his fellow New Yorkers in “Apology for Breathing,” where many issues of complaint are dismissed by the author through a series of flashbacks, generalizations, and juxtaposition. Both authors admit that there is something to be said for the common feelings of the inhospitable city, but also are able to present a theme in the recurring complaints against New York, and it is this theme that is at the root of both authors’ defenses. The common perception that New Yorkers are loud, stubborn, and repugnant is seen only when they are compared to people who possess an extremely opposite persona.

            In David Sedaris’ “City of Angels,” Bonnie, a small southern woman, visits New York City for the first time with Alisha, a childhood friend of the author. Bonnie comes with high expectations, as well as cautiousness against being scammed by the inhabitants of the urban metropolis. She has a detailed agenda of activities and places to visit, all of which the author attempts to dissuade her from doing due to their popularity amongst tourists. She continues to put down his suggestions to see the “real New York,” as she prefers to see tourist attractions instead. The trouble begins upon her arrival, as Bonnie refuses to tip a New York City taxi driver following her transport from airport. She claims, “I don’t know about you, but I work hard for my money. It’s mine and I’m not tipping anybody unless they give me the kind of service I expect” (127). Clearly she is unaware that it is customary for a patron in a taxicab to tip the driver with the exception only of the extreme circumstances. Still with a caution against being ripped off because she was obviously an outsider, Bonnie throws a fit when she was shorted only a nickel by a subway clerk. She shouts, “Excuse me, but for your information, I do not appreciate being taken for a fool. I may be from Greensboro, North Carolina, but I can count just as well as anyone else. Now, are you going to give me my five cents, or should I talk to your supervisor?” (129). Bonnie then proceeds to carry out activities on her itinerary, including a Broadway show and visits to the UN, South Street Seaport, Plaza Hotel, and FAO Schwartz. These places, clearly not cites of routine visits for New Yorkers, put Bonnie into “a state of almost narcotic bliss” (131). Bonnie is finally happy, as Sedaris describes, because she had found “New York without the New Yorkers” (131). In these must-see locations were other visitors just like Bonnie who had come to Manhattan on vacation to see the sites, but did not want to deal with the stereotypical New Yorker, not realizing that they were not seeing New York, but instead a “family theme park” (127).

            A. J. Liebling, in “Apology for Breathing,” defends his New York against the common stereotypes so often viewed by out-of-towners. He decides that the underlying cause of many complaints is rooted in the fact that tourists expect to be treated the same in New York City as they are in their hometowns, but as Liebling claims, “New York, of course, just isn’t America” (626). Americans are outsiders in Manhattan, and they cannot possibly understand the intricate workings of the city. Liebling tells of “all the city microcosms so nicely synchronized though unaware of one another” (627). In what appears to many as the hustle and bustle of an urban setting, confusing and overwhelming, the author views as a detailed system that makes the city work. While many view the dialect to be loud and ugly, Liebling demonstrates its beauty.

            If this Cork dialect Thomas Crofton Croker in 1839 wrote: “The vernacular of this         region may be regarded as the ancient cockneyism of the mixed race who held the old city—Danes, English, Irish. It is a jargon, whose principal characteristic    appears in the pronunciation of th, as exemplified in dis, dat, den, dey—this,     that, then, they; and in the dovetailing of words as, ‘kum our rish’ for ‘come of      this’” (629).

This language is not only a regional highlight, but also assisted European immigrants in transition, as their harsh accents fit perfectly into the language of “New Yorkese” (629). He finally compliments the manners of the New Yorker. While they may appear to be loud and ill-mannered, Liebling shows that due to their experience with many people in crowded areas, New Yorkers are experts in group etiquette. By giving an insider’s view of the many stereotypes portraying New Yorkers in a poor light, Liebling is able to provide a strong argument in defense of the New Yorker.

            A. J. Liebling and David Sedaris, both New Yorkers, recognize the many stereotypes and rumors regarding the citizens of the Manhattan isle. Through their critiques of those who possess these harsh opinions they are able to demonstrate that New Yorkers only seem inhospitable when compared to such extremely opposite places, such as North Carolina. In fact, as Liebling points out, New Yorkers are exemplary people and model citizens of this country. If a tourist comes to New York City looking to find the warmth and kindness of their small towns they will be disappointed, but if they know what to expect they will be presently surprised with the intriguing city of New York.