A Heartwarming Letter to the Editor: “New York is Mine”

Photo courtesy Sheila Tenney, taken at the Cloisters.

We rarely share letters sent to us from the public but what we received yesterday encapsulates what we’ve been hoping to achieve as an organization during this pandemic, the positivity of our readers, guests and members who love New York City like we do, and our hopes for the city. A big thank you to Sheila Tenney from San Francisco, a new Untapped New York Insider, for this message (shared with permission).

Dear Untapped New York,
Thank you. Every summer for the past three years, I’ve been able to spend a couple weeks in NYC for a workshop at Teachers College @ Columbia University. This summer, I’ll be attending via Zoom, and obviously, I’m already missing my rides uptown on the 1. Those weeks spent in New York are incredibly important to my mental health, as it gives me time to restore myself as an individual. For a little while. I just get to be Sheila. I get to ride the subway- arguably, my favorite place to be – in a glorious state of anonymity, and wander the island in complete privacy. I’ve never had the opportunity to fulfill my dream of living in New York, so I cherish each precious moment.

New York is mine for that week. I get to weave myself within the fabric of the hard tenderness of its humans and landscapes.
My heart broke in half when I saw and heard of the impact Covid-19 had on the City and its people. I know she’ll come out the other side stronger and better, as that is what New York and its people do.

Finding Untapped New York has allowed me to connect in a different way this year. I’m learning so much about the place I love and its history from such knowledgable, passionate New Yorkers. Please know you are more than a tour company. You are educating and connecting people to our beloved New York during a very difficult time. You’re doing such important work, so please keep doing it. I appreciate you all so very much. Be well, Be safe. Thank you.

Warm regards,
Sheila Tenney
San Francisco, Ca

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