As a native New Yorker, I will defend this city to anyone who will listen. There’s no place like it and it’s the place in the world I feel most at home, walking through the streets, riding the subway, and spending time with my friends and family. The past few years, though, have had their highs and lows. We’ve experienced our fair share of unprecedented times (derogatory) from a corrupt mayor and police force, the trauma and loss of covid, and the coldest winter in decades.