You Haven't Done What You Came Here For

You, yes you, are not done yet. Did you publish your book? Sell your paintings? Get nominated for a Tony? No, and you're not going to if you leave.

Yes, it's hard work, but it is better to work your ass off than to live an unhappy mediocre life of despondence. We're not saying that everyone everywhere else is unhappy, but if you are the kind of person who put up with moving here, with the smell of dog shit, with asshole strangers on the street, with mother fucking Penn Station on a Friday, with no silence and no breaks, then you are not the kind of person who is going to be happy anywhere else.

So, we won't stop you, there's too many people here anyway. But we're just saying that the small-minded bigots in your hometown will always be there but that this exact New York is vast and mutable and may not be here for you to return to.

(If you really must move, we hear Detroit and Portland - Maine or Oregon - are nice.)

[Photo via @brandymelvilleusa]

6 of 6