What comes to mind when you think of the Big Apple? Lady Liberty’s iconic crown? A steaming slice the size of your hand? Perhaps a giddy golden retriever? When I frst came to New York for university, I was surprised at how many dogs I saw. Obviously dogs are amazing and all, but I thought most apartments were like 2 feet wide… max! Turns out I was as misguided as a groomer using safety scissors…
While New York boasts a large number of emblematic, and intimidating, rats and pigeons,
it also surprises with its puppy population! Apparently, there are around 500,000 - 600,000 domestic dogs throughout the fve boroughs.
declared that dog parents in New York spoiled their furry friends the most in the United States. It was reported that many a dog parent: pushed their dogs in strollers when they wouldn’t walk, spent more time with their pet than their human partner and even spent more on their pets’ healthcare and grooming than their own. How much does the NYC average dog parent spend a year, you ask? omewhere between about $1200 - $2000.
Spending this much on dogs is easy for New Yorkers out of love of course, but also due to the prevalence of dog services. While on your way to the subway, you could easily walk by one of the many puppy ftness or yoga classes, numerous dog friendly food events like bring-your-baby brunches, and even some pet psychic readings that ought to bow-wow you! There is even the annual dog alloween parade. This always draws a curious crowd because let’s be honest
adoring cutely dressed canines isn’t a bad day. There are also many opportunities to make money in dog dominated felds such as obs washing, grooming, petsitting, training, medically assisting and of course dogwalking. Now that you know all of this, which breed are you bringing home? Personally, I’d go for a bulldog…that I totally wouldn’t name Belle or dress in berets…
: A Tale of Heated Rivalry
Author and Stylist: Elene Gorgadze
Models: Maia Munich, Warda Hassan, Mia Garcia
It’s no secret that there exists a long-standing tension between the cities of LA and New York, with real-life residents and online debaters constantly arguing over the superiority of one or the other in this that & the third. This fosters a continuous narrative of comparative analysis and competition. As a result, it seems the two have historically taken turns on the winning end, “trending” socially. A part of what determines their position in this hierarchy are the culturally constructed identities of each city and how they fit ongoing trends.
New York City, the Big Apple, The City That Never Sleeps..(and many more well-established nicknames) is known to be rude, rushed, messy and obsessed with pizza & bagels. On the other hand, Los Angeles, the Big Orange has come to be known for its laidback lifestyle, health-obsessed attitudes, superficiality and pop-culture momentum (along with unbearable traffic of course). These two very distinct images have come to be formulated through a complex interplay of media elements and public discourse, therefore, as spectators, we’re inclined to associate certain brands of identity with one image or the other. For example, a disorganized, “messy girl” with a diet coke and a pack of cigarettes would be well-alligned with the trashy, chaotic New York persona, while a “clean girl” with a pilates membership and a flawless skincare routine
Photographer: Ava Zamora
Layout: Angelica Torres del Valle
would more closely fit the wellness-crazed LA type. While of course we see both archetypes in both cities, the symbolic portrait of each is directly aligned with the cultural identity of one or the other. And as certain lifestyles become trendier than others, the two cities take turns being publicly romanticized in response. In today’s climate, active users of social media will be able to tell you that we are freshly transitioning from a particular high for the “messy girl” aesthetic into the era of the “clean girl” and prioritizing gut health and cortisol levels. The high-calorie, high-fat content of the infamously symbolic New York pizza and bagels fails to satisfy the nutritional qualities this new health-crazed persona calls for, while the characteristic of cleanliness doesn’t particularly fit the smelly and dirty stereotypes of this city either. On the other hand, the over-priced smoothie and sea moss sales at Erewhon will likely spike in la-la-land. To add to this, everywhere we look, we seem to be exposed to a wave of 2016 nostalgia with throw-back posts from every major business or celebrity: a particular high for the pop-culture and influencer-saga of Los Angeles. So as people start to embody this new healthy clean persona or return to their 2016 roots, what does this mean for our heated rivalry? I think it’s safe to say... LA is back.
The Bagel Theory
Written by Lydia Hartshorn
Have you ever had a bagel as good as a New York City bagel? No – really. Have you? With over 500 shops across the city, New York has perfected the art of the bagel: golden and crisp on the outside, warm and chewy on the inside. It’s no surprise that most New Yorkers will swear that their city has the best. So what exactly makes NYC bagels superior?
There is a popular myth that it all comes down to the city’s water. The low concentrations of calcium and magnesium are often credited for that signature soft texture. The real secret, though, is technique. True New York bagels are boiled in water and a malted barley solution before baking. This extra step allows the interior to expand while giving the exterior its iconic chew. The magic of the NYC bagel isn’t just in
and
the ingredients; it’s in the process. There is something unwritten about the connection between the NYC bagels and the people who call this city home. I call it: The Bagel Theory. Many think that simply moving to New York will make them instantly successful. But the truth about both the bagel and the New Yorker is that superiority is not achieved that easily. Bagels have to be boiled before being baked; the process is necessary. New Yorkers also must take extra steps – educating themselves, volunteering, staying active, pursuing hobbies, and working hard to chase their dreams. Success is not just achieved; there is a process.
Moral of the story: don’t just eat the NYC bagel. Be the NYC bagel.
Illustrations
layout by Caroline Abella
Photographed by Lucy Gile Modeled by Elene Gorgadze and Catalina Correa
The Soles
If you pause for a minute and take a look at the grime-covered New York streets, a whole new world comes into focus. The millions of feet adorning the avenues reflect the millions of lives of New Yorkers, each soul shining through the footwear they chose that morning. From the vintageinspired Onitsuka Tigers, the glorified stars of the Golden Goose, the classic loafer, or the resurgence of the New Balance dad sneaker, every shoe choice made is a manifestation of the heart and soul of the New Yorker. These shoes are the foundation of how we carry ourselves throughout the city. They take us from our morning class in Keating to our coffee chat in Midtown to happy hour in the West Village. No matter where we go, the shoes we choose to wear are the foundation of who we are.
of New York
WrittenbyLilyKolm
When Public Transit is the Third Wheel: Dating in NYC
Written by Audrey Hoffman
The perfect person has just come up on your dating app. There’s just one problem: they live on Staten Island. You do a quick calculation. It’s only 18 miles, but that would take at least two trains and the ferry- probably over an hour and a half each way. Are you willing to do that just for a date?
In New York, deciding whether to date someone cannot only consider personality, looks, chemistry, or even free time- there’s another, quieter factor- how many trains will it take to get to them?
The way public transport shapes romantic life isn’t always overt, but it is a major factor that most consider when they start seeing someone. With most New Yorkers not owning cars, distance is measured less by miles than by transfers, wait times, and how many blocks you walk to reach someone. A 45-minute drive seems manageable, while a 45-minute commute involving three subway transfers seems totally different. While the time is identical, the experience is not.
When I asked NYC college students how many transfers they were willing
to make, most capped their limit at 2 for casual dating. For a serious relationship, some were willing to do 3. A few insisted they would do “however many necessary” for the perfect person. These answers refect an unspoken hierarchy of effort. Transfers are a measure of interest, signaling how much a relationship can withstand before it starts to feel impractical. Where someone lives also narrows or expands their dating pool. Living near an express stop, a major hub, or a line that runs reliably on late nights makes certain relationships feel more possible. Boroughs also carry their own assumptions- dating within Manhattan often feels simpler than crossing between outer boroughs, or even into New Jersey.
Over time, these calculations begin to infuence how people defne “long distance.” In NYC long distance may start after the second transfer, or once a bus replaces a train. It’s less about how far someone is by miles or by minutes, and more about how fragmented the commute feels.
Photography by Polina Romanets
Modeled by Audrey Hoffman and Stella MacDonald
Styled by Audrey Hoffman Layout by Caroline Abella
New York,
B R I E F L Y
Written by Stephania Lopez
Layout by Kamalani Soriano
Modeled by Brooklin Warner, Maia Munich, and Caroline Abella
Photographed by Leah Stuart
Styled by Stephania Lopez
New York,
I learned you in pieces.
At twelve, I traveled nearly 1,300 miles just to feel the rush of a real winter. One cold enough to demand layers, where fur coats and bundled hats replaced jean shorts, fip-fops, and a Miami tan. I remember the feeling of it then: the constant motion, the dense choreography of bodies moving with purpose. I felt real in that crowd. Exposed in a way that felt honest. Living here seemed impossible, dreamlike: a place meant to be admired, not occupied.
That dream became realistic at eighteen. Acceptance letters. Suitcases. Dorm keys. I returned not as a visitor, not as someone passing through on family vacations, but as a student, which was another way of saying unsure but willing. Still, you met me like a stranger.
You were intimidating. A city that never slept, already home to so many. But I was intrigued. I wanted to know you, even if you didn’t yet seem interested in knowing me back.
For years, living here felt implausible, New York as a place you visit, narrate, then leave behind. Even after I arrived, you remained procedural: systems already in motion, uninterested in my orientation. I stumbled on subway stairs, mistimed closing doors, learned too late where to stand. I walked too slowly at frst, apologizing for my posture. I memorized street names and avenues, cofee shops and cathedrals, nail salons and shortcuts. You introduced yourself in fragments, and I learned to accept that as intimacy: loving me back by letting me stay, by letting me change, by not insisting I remain the same version of myself.
Now, you feel less like a stranger and more like a friend I don’t explain myself to. I don’t know when I will leave you, but I’ve learned how to leave without pretending it’s permanent. However, see you soon feels more accurate, New York–briefy, and without ceremony.
Single and Fabulous
Written
Alina Broderick
by
Modeled by Hannah Keehn, Catalina Correa, and Ellie Nguyen
Photographed by Lainey Nguyen
Styled by Sofia Lakdawalla
irl, when are you going to get a boyfriend a awkward a pau e a you let it be or girlfriend Week in, week out, flogged by the ue tion ro friend , parent , e tended fa ily Ha e you deleted Hinge yet So eet anyone new thi week think you re lying there ha to be o eone
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nlike the lu inou , e alted Carrie Brad haw, will wager an an wer
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ake drag of cigarette
id you notice the top put a period there becau e there i roo for u AN S A C MPLE E SEN ENCE
Who care about the one if you can t e en tand to be in a roo by your elf ou hould be your nu ber one priority
ake your elf on that date Sit in a re taurant alone, order lot of app , a gla of wine, and read a book Will you feel awkward the fir t ti e ES But then it get fun o antici e it Like, oh, who i he ha ing an a a ing ti e o run in the park, go ee that o ie you e been dying to ee, hang out with your girlfriend , ha e a econd gla , put on your prettie t i practical tutu, and laugh when it get dirty
While it not the life he cho e, Ma a Carrie would be proud
