Growing up in the city of New York, I have encountered many people from different backgrounds. Everyone in the city is unique and special, no one is quite similar to one another.  Everyone has a different friend group or a “community” in which they are a part of. You might believe you aren’t in a community but that is in fact not true. That is what I originally thought, but I quickly changed my mind as I started hearing my peers say the different groups they are a part of. There are two different communities I consider being a part of. One of the communities almost everyone in the city is one, and that is simply being a New Yorker. But the other community I feel I’m a part of is a cycling community. I would say these communities are very different from one another, but they correlate with one another. 

People define their communities very differently. To me, my cycling community consists of people who enjoy long rides around the city, socializing, but also anyone who simply likes bikes. Living in NYC you’re automatically a part of the community. This community consists of people who walk, people who support each other, or people who take public transport. You get the gist, anyone who’s doing something in the city makes you a part of the community. People within the community have different thoughts and opinions of their own group. For example, within the cyclist community, some might say some are wreckless when biking, others might not  even care about this and think of us as really cool, amazing, or extraordinary. A new yorker would say that this city is insane, crime happening, people complaining about public transportation. These communities have their ups and downs but they help you grow and teach you valuable things. I grew up with both of these communities and it has honestly shaped me into the way I am today. One group has helped me socialize with complete strangers and another has guided me into being ready for anything that could possibly come my way. 

As I mentioned before, these communities both have a strong connection. It can be boiling hot outside, raining cats and dogs, or freezing temperature, you’ll most definitely see cyclists riding their bikes  along with people going on with their day. Both communities come together when someone needs help. New Yorkers are always on the lookout when looking for someone, or keeping quiet, not trying to snitch. This past year, I have seen many people post on their instagram story pictures of stolen bikes. They do this in order to make other cyclists and non cyclists be on the lookout for a specific bike on the streets. New York cyclists come together to make group rides. This is created as a way to meet other cyclists or just to ride around the city. Both communities look out for one another and unites them. People outside these groups have many different opinions about cyclists in New York. People consider us as savages because we’re always running through red lights but not everyone does that. News outlets sometimes think we are the problem due to many accident reports, but the majority of the time it’s someone who needs to get their license taken away. Outsiders tend to not like us. There are descriptions that are just completely wrong about us New Yorkers/cyclists. We are all different, we all have different values, so therefore you can’t blame an entire group just because you dealt with a really awful person. 

The word community has a plethora of interpretations. But to me a community are people who share the same interests as you, they think similar to you, and these reasons can be said with any other community. You might not think you’re in a community, but in reality, everyone is actually in one. You just have to think very hard about stuff you’re interested in. All in all, cycling and being a part of New York are my two communities. I adore these communities and hope to keep growing with them.