Recently I have begun to notice the large degree of segmentation that exists in Manhattan. It strikes me as odd that crossing a single street in this grid-like layout can completely change the atmosphere surrounding you.
Clearly this is true of many places around the world, but somehow it seems hypocritical that it should exist in New York City. In a place notorious for forcefully sorting people into unequal groups based on ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and other factors essentially out of the individual's control, the fact that people self-sort throughout this grid strikes me as odd.
The people of this city have sorted themselves according to internal factors such as tastes. In spite of the forced sorting determined by the uncontrollable factors, it seems that when individuals are given freedom they will inherently construct walls and surround themselves with the familiar.
Perhaps not everyone in SoHo can afford the "right" clothes or prime real estate, but the people that choose to spend their time in that area have common tastes in what they desire, what they admire, and what they want their life to be. The city has developed into a place where people can identify a location with an attitude and then immerse themselves in that culture.
They need not reside in that area, but the people know that they will find others with common tastes in certain places. This is a wonderful way to make a very large and overwhelming city seem smaller and more personal.
