NewYorkistheconcentrateofartandcommerceandsportandreligionandentertainmentandfinance，bringingtoasinglecompactarenathegladiator，theevangelist，thepromoter，theactor，thetrader，，sothatnomatterwhereyousitinNewYorkyoufeelthevibrationsofgreattimesandtalldeeds，ofqueerpeopleandeventsandundertakings.Iamsittingatthemomentinastiflinghotelroomin90-degreeheat，halfwaydownanairshaft，，-twoblocksfromwhereRudolphValentinolayinstate，eightblocksfromwhereNathanHalewasexecuted，fiveblocksfromthepublisher’sofficewhereErnestHemingwayhitMaxEastmanonthenose，fourmilefromwhereWaltWhitmansatsweatingouteditorialsfortheBrooklynEagle，thirty-fourblocksfromthestreetWillaCatherlivedinwhenshecametoNewYorktowritebooksaboutNebraska，oneblockfromwhereMarcelineusedtoclownontheboardsoftheHippodrome，thirty-sixblocksfromthespotwherethehistorianJoeGouldkickedaradiotopiecesinfullviewofthepublic，thirteenblocksfromwhereHarryThawshotStanfordWhites，fiveblocksformwhereIusedtousherattheMetropolitanOperaandonly112blocksfromthespotwhereClarenceDaytheElderwasWashedofhissinsintheChurchoftheEpiphany（Icouldcontinuethislistindefinitely）；andforthatmatterIamprobablyoccupyingtheveryroomthatanynumberofexaltedandsomewisememorablecharacterssatin，someofthemonhot，breathlessafternoons，lonelyandprivateandfulloftheirownsenseofemanationsfromwithout.
WhenIwentdowntolunchafewminutesagoInoticedthatthemansittingnexttome（abouteighteeninchesawayalongthewall），（thewaiter）wasayoungmanjustarrivedinthiscountryandbeforehecouldunderstandawordofEnglish，，thewaiterrecalled-amanofstraw，！（Andstillonlyeighteeninchesaway.）“，”saidthewaiterthoughtfully，contentwiththisfragileparticipationindestiny，thislinkwithOz.
NewYorkblendsthegiftofprivacywiththeexcitementofparticipation;andbetterthanmostdensecommunitiesitsucceedsininsulatingtheindividual（ifhewantsit，andalmosteverybodywantsorneedsit），，’tattendandneitherdidmostoftheeightmillionotherinhabitants，’’，with650milesofwaterfront，andshipscallingherefrommanyexoticlands，buttheonlyboatI’，though，.I’.（Hewaslame，andwaswearingabolero.），，，andagaintheinchescountedheavily.
