Sanitarium

“Contrary to popular opinion, the hustle is not a new dance step- it is an old business procedure.”(Fran Lebowitz) . America’s economy is currently valued at $14.7 billion . As the world’s largest economy , there is no question as to “what is American culture?” – America’s culture is: hustle, hustle, hustle, and grind–$MONEY$. Good Morning America and welcome to New York.
New York is one of the most commercial cities in the world . Areas such as Time Square and Manhattan are overrun with big business. These two parts of the city are well built and well established to bring in tourists and entrepreneurs looking for new opportunities. Time Square has the big city lights, the big shopping stores, the big televisions, the big everything. In the 1920s and 1930s, Jazz musicians began to refer to New York as ‘The Big Apple’. This came from an old show business saying “There are many apples on the tree, but only one Big Apple.” At that time, New York was the premier place for jazz musicians from around the country to perform; hence the city adopting the name: ‘The Big Apple’. Similarly, Manhattan is running wild with big business. All the pictures of New York show enormous skyscrapers and people in suits, on their phones, while catching a cab to a meeting. A visit to Manhattan during peak business hours shows just that. Everyday Americans are out there grindin’ for that paper. Around the corner from the big city lights are the not so built, not so established parts of the inner city; the run down, poverty stricken projects of New York City. Yet even here, where the buildings are boarded up, graffitti’d and falling apart, for many it’s just another day, just another hustle. Obviously not every street corner is home to one of Forbes Fortune 500 companies; but the people that live in those areas are making their money the way they know how. “ ”I made a G today” –but you made it in a sleezy way, sellin’ crack to the kid–“I gotta get paid.” – well hey, that’s the way it is.” (2Pac - Changes) Big Business Manhattan and Hustlin’ Harlem seem to be worlds apart, yet both equally show how Americans hustle and grind everyday for the cash.
This city that never sleeps is also a home to much of America’s popular culture. New York is the premier fashion capital in the United States ; with Fifth Avenue and events like Fashion Week, New York dictates America’s fashion trends. New York’s Broadway theaters are the starting place for actors that become big in musicals and theaters as well as many who go on to the larger film industry in Hollywood, CA. In 2009, one of the most popular genres of music was Hip-Hop/Rap… a genre whose origin lies right here in Harlem, New York City. Even New York’s sports teams receive an overflow of media attention, just because they are from New York. The Yankees are one of the most recognized sports franchises in the world. The iconic meshed NY symbol can be recognized anywhere in the world. All of America wants to know what’s new with the Jets; with their fat, loud-mouth head coach and arrogant overrated players , they are one of the most covered franchises in the country. All the parts of America’s popular culture that were just mentioned obviously do not apply to everyone American and every region in America; but are applicable to an overwhelming majority and are therefore illustrates another way in which New York shows itself as a major player in America’s culture.
The part of NY that is less about the hustle or entertainment, but just as much about money are its tourist attractions. Other than all the previously mentioned acctrations (Broadway, Time Square, etc), New York is a city of many American Icons. Obviously not anymore, but before 2001 the World Trade Centers stood tall at the center of the city calling out to big business all while showing off their revolutionary architecture. These magnificent icons of business exemplified how America did business: BIG. Another very special icon that pretty much means America is the beautiful Lady Liberty, standing proud and welcoming immigrants to this great country of ours. Ellis Island was and is still one of the most important ports that bring new immigrants to America. When people first step onto the island, they look up and see The Statue of Liberty, look across the river to a lively, lit up city, and they know…they have reached America.
“I’ve got all the money I’ll ever need if I die by four o’clock this afternoon.” Henny Youngman knew what Americans were all about (of course he had to since he was making fun of us ). Americans work every day for more money, cause frankly yesterday is never enough. The government contractor that made about $3,000 on Tuesday is back in his office at 7am Wednesday morning. Fourteen hours a day, the dude is busting his balls for the next $3,000; it’s “The city that never sleeps, betta slip you a Ambien.”(Jay Z - Empire State of Mind) Goodnight…and welcome to New York.