A 15-Year-Old View

August 15, 2011 blog 0 Comments

Ben Cohn, 15, lives in NYC
This city radiates the kind of energy that I haven’t seen in my life time. The sheer amount of young people here is mind boggling. I have to admit that on the plane ride here I was never imagining such a secular and moderate city. Now that I have walked the streets I see that the city is mostly young vibrant men and women who dominate the streets and shops. The separated neighborhoods that I imagined are nonexistent.

Instead this is an easy going and blended city, with arabs and jews coexisting in harmony. It is almost as if the city is in its own bubble of community and peace. I think that the city can be compared with Williamsburg Brooklyn because of the volume of new young hip kids who are just coming of age, the orthodox community, and the intense diversity of other European and African immigrants.

The kids here in Tel Aviv; however; are a little more assertive and politically aware than heir counterparts in Williamsburg, which is demonstrated by the huge rallies and tent protests that have taken place here because of the state of housing and other issues in Israel.

There are definitely enough reasons for young people in Brooklyn to be protesting as well; but it is harder in New York because of the police stateb it has become.

Tomorrow is my last day here and I hope to get in every minute of the girls and other sites of this amazing city.