The Ultimate Setting

Bright lights, a colourful people walking the street and an unforgettable ambience. In a large portion of literary history, we find New York City, the Holy Grail of all things publishing and in retrospect, the ultimate setting to a large portion of modern and classical literature.  In New York City, we find the characters of Holden Caulfield, Jay Gatsby, Esther Greenwood and Princess Mia. Author's from prior to the 1900s have been fascinated with the city and authors today are follow this trend even more so. It is home to many publishing houses, some of the biggest, and the home of the notorious New York Times Bestseller List. New York City has an immaculate ability to draw in captors and once left, it is a place where a part of your soul remains. 

But why? In Catcher in the Rye we find Salinger diving into the depths of Central Park, using it as a symbol for self-growth and the beauty of youth for young Holden Caulfield. Central Park is just this, it is beautiful. It has an enchanting appeal to it, with large trees and a never ending path, it captivates it's visitors. It expresses the notion that in order to find yourself, you must get lost in Central Park. (Which, by the way, is extremely easy...it's huge, and confusing) Central Park has no reason to not be a perfect spot for imagination to run wild. It is romantic, it is fun, it is breathtakingly beautiful. The beauty continues into the buildings, the intricate designs on skyscrapers, the wondrous 9/11 memorial and the water. Everywhere turned, there is a story to be told; inspiration to be found.

The beauty is not why it is such a beloved location for authors. It's the fact that it is roaring with life, not only from present day but from the past.  It is truly, the city that never sleeps. Time's Square is roaring 24 hours a day. It has an amazing array of everything. Musicians, dancers, shopping and ADS, ADS, ADS. It sells the city to you. It is alive. Each cab driver has a story of how he ended up in New York. Each person walking the street is there for a reason. New York City has it's purpose for everyone. As a city that has seen tragedy, a city that has seen love, a city that has seen and harboured some of the world's greatest, how could Fitzgerald stay away from it's pull? How could Meg Cabot not place Mia in New York? There is so much to be done, so much hope, so many dreams, so many ways to be great in New York City.

It is the ultimate setting. 

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