New York is a city of infinite variety and endless possibilities. Coming together by geography and economics, by history and personal choice, New Yorkers endure more sensory stimulation and deal with a wider variety of people than virtually anyone on earth. Moreover, the city is dynamic. For better or worse, it is constantly reinventing itself. If democracy is about having options, then New York City is in some ways the most democratic of cities, for it offers more choices than virtually any place in the world.

New York is a place of refuge for the dispossessed, and a place to seek fame and fortune. It is the most cosmopolitan of cities, and sometimes the most provincial. It is a city of remarkable innovation, and yet it can be remarkably parochial.

In these seeming paradoxes is a dynamism and energy unique in the world. This page will provide some perspectives on the city scene, reflecting its dreams and its diversions, and its place as a center of world culture.