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47 Reasons To Love Living In New York City

I took these photos to show the best things about the city don't cost anything at all (you know, except for the waffle.)

1. Because this dog I saw in the West Village is nailing his impersonation of the nearby mailbox.

2. ... and sometimes the neon bleeds onto the sky.

3. Because every time I take a photo someone is taking a photo of me

4. Because when traffic is stopped on the Brooklyn Bridge, it turns the city into Tim Burton-era Gotham

5. And another time Tompkins Square turned into Narnia

6. ...because of this memorable graffiti conversation I saw in SoHo

7. Because I love Central Park in the fall

8. ......but I also I love Fort Greene Park in the fall

9. Because this dog is learning to read

10. Because when they put the spire on One World Trade Center, it looked like something from a sci-fi film

11. Because I can get anything I want to eat here at this KFC

12. Because of designer footprints in the snow

13. Because of this happy dog I saw on 8th

14. And this sad dog I saw on 25th

15. ...and this dog who was obsessed with squirrels in Washington Square Park

16. Because pigeon footprints look like a fleet of fighter jets

17. Because Central Park cleared out during a snowstorm

18. ...except for a few of us traipsing about

19. Because of everything this sign represents

20. ...and all the new words I learn living here

21. Because of this clever ad

22. Because of spooky mist-fog that obscured Manhattan

23. Because of New York's participation in the "Little Free Library" program

24. Because this man with a bagel-colored coat walked past the bagel cart

25. Because of the view of Lower Manhattan from the Brooklyn Promenade

26. Because this is how the NYPD saves money on multi-car pursuits

27. Because a few days out of the year, the sun lines up pretty well with the grid in Manhattan

28. Because the snakes here are not very dangerous

29. Because the Irish Hunger Memorial looks like a real Irish hillside in the middle of Lower Manhattan

30. Because one time I turned and saw this guy stealthily sneaking up on me

31. ...and another time the unlicensed Cookie Monster was staring at me as I came up out of the subway

32. Because of the free car washes

33. Because after Hurricane Sandy I lost power and walked north toward the light

34. Because you can buy fruit (and other groceries) without ever leaving the sidewalk

35. Because Midtown looks so big from Chelsea

36. ...and so small from Williamsburg

37. Because there are a dozen breakfast-all-day spots within walking distance

38. Because some buildings change their skin seasonally, like this one in SoHo

39. ...and occasionally you catch a glimpse of greatness through the scaffolding

40. Because once a year I get to see this

41. ...and once a week I get to see this

42. Because of this tattoo parlor in SoHo

43. ...and Tristan Eaton's "Audrey of Mulberry"

44. Because of this phenomenal work in Brooklyn

45. ...and this work under the Williamsburg Bridge

46. Because at some point, I stopped fighting it and just accepted that there are legs in the shrubbery

47. And because it's the most competitive city in the world...