Truly Italian in The World: New York

New York: timeless and restless

I arrived in New York years ago out of curiosity, as a tourist. I was a fascinated observer, captured by this metropolis that surrounded and welcomed me with its intensity and its extraordinary diversity. Today as yesterday, every step is an adventure, every sight is a discovery.

New York preserves the charm and appeal of an incredible, timeless and restless city, cosmopolitan by definition. Year after year, it is still the ideal destination for everyone who wants to live outstanding experiences, and to get lost in its streets that tell stories, in its various districts and hoods, each of them with its own identity, as small cities in the city. Permanent residents or tourists, for work, love or a holiday, people arrive in New York from all over the world, bringing their stories and feeling free. If you come here for a short period of time, you know you will never be the same once home.

In this magic city, new ideas, trends and styles are created, and then they are diffused all over the globe. Every day, there are new exhibitions, shows, events, concerts, conferences, speeches for all tastes and needs. You will never feel out of place, here. NY welcomes everybody.

During the week, my days begin with the smell of freshly brewed coffee made with my Gaggia Classic here in my flat, located in the vibrant Meatpacking District. I have a sacred and mandatory ritual that makes me start my day in the best way. After grinding the beans, I put a dose of ground coffee in the portafilter, I tamp, and then I lock the portafilter to the machine. I click the button and then my espresso takes shape in the cup.

Today it’s Sunday, so the ritual is a little bit different. With my trainers on and my jacket zipped, I am ready to face the cold and run.

I’m crossing the High Line, a urban park built on old elevated railway, that offers a unique point of view on the city, and a fresh breath in the middle of the frenzy that surrounds me. Despite those roads should be familiar to me by now, the city never ceases to amaze me. It’s permanently evolving, an open-air worksite, with new architectural forms and new ways to conquer and interpret the spaces. A huge metropolis which is, at the same time, human-sized.

Once I’ve finished my running, I enter my flat. I feel as I’ve conquered a small piece of the city, in which I have my personal safe place I’ve always dreamt of.

As usual, coffee gives me the energy I need. After preparing the espresso in a mug, I pour hot water on it, brewed with the professional steam wand of Gaggia Classic. My American coffee, made “the Italian way”, is ready. While the smell of coffee diffuses in the kitchen, I am eating a salmon bagel, my favorite one. Even if I stopped, outside the window there is a bustling tangle of streets, people, cars, …

New York is a neverending experience, an open stage in which every individual, with their story, becomes a part of a urban fabric in constant change. And even if I’ve joined as a foreigner “movie extra”, now I feel part of something extraordinary.