A Broad, No Longer Abroad: Between the Seine and the Subway
Graphic by Neshama Ryman
The coffee shop where I’m writing this isn’t as charming as my favorite cafés in Paris, like Café Vavin or Candle Kids Coffee, but it’s a holdover from my abroad days. When deciding where to work today, I debated between a West Village coffee shop and the Harvard Club of New York. As my roommate astutely pointed out, that choice mirrors the broader tension I’ve felt for months—before, during, and after studying abroad: Do I choose the familiar comforts of home (the Harvard Club’s friendly faces) or chase the thrill of the unknown (solo afternoons in unfamiliar cafés)? What began as a decision about going abroad has evolved into a deeper question as I approach my senior year: Where do I want to be after graduation?
The international instinct won today. But since returning to the States and moving to New York City for the summer, I’ve found myself increasingly grateful for the Harvard community. I’ve realized that choosing where to live isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about the people you share your world with.
On paper, Paris and New York have a lot in common that appeals to a twenty-something: nightlife that never quits, a walkable layout, a train that can take you anywhere, and an energy that hums through every street. After a brief stint back home in the Cleveland suburbs, I’m reminded of the joy of having a city at your doorstep—no car needed.
But Paris still calls to me. I’m drawn to its artistic undercurrent and endless beauty. Maybe it’s because I had more free time, but I loved losing myself in Paris’s infinite museums and art galleries. While the Met is impressive, I haven’t found that art and museums permeate every inch of New York as they do in Paris. (I’ve also spent a lot less time drawing in parks in New York, though that one might be on me.) And while New York brownstones are lovely, nothing compares to the romance of Parisian architecture, which still lives rent-free in my mind.
I may be offending all the native New Yorkers right now, so I’ll clarify that I’m in no way suggesting New York’s art scene is inferior to that of Paris. Instead, I found that my artistic side reemerged while abroad, but in New York, I no longer have time for three-hour watercolor classes on Wednesday mornings. From my experience, Paris is the city where I got to explore the art world while New York has allowed me to pursue my career goals. Each city comes with its own set of habits and personality traits for me.
I’ve tried to carry some of my Parisian habits with me—most notably, the long dinners. In my first week in New York, I closed out four different restaurants with a fellow study abroad friend, lingering over each meal and eschewing New York’s need for efficiency. But the reality of working in New York means some routines just don’t stick. My first “working lunch”—a Sweetgreen salad eaten in front of Excel—left me longing for the warm paninis I used to savor along the Seine. Unlike Paris, New York rarely makes time for leisure.
Still, what draws me to the New York post-grad life is the people. While Paris’s emphasis on work-life balance allows more time for socializing, New York has something far more important: my community. Since arriving, I’ve bumped into fellow Harvard students and hometown friends nearly every day. Whether I’m running along the West Side Highway or waiting in line for an intern bar, I never fail to see a familiar face. As someone who loves to say “hi” in passing, New York has been heaven.
During my first weekend here, I ran into a Harvard friend in SoHo, and we got brunch the next day, just as easily as if I had seen her outside Widener and suggested lunch at Eliot House. In Paris, I missed that casual, spontaneous social fabric. But New York is proving that life beyond Cambridge can still feel like campus.
As I weigh the beauty of Paris against the community in New York, I’m not surprised by how much I value the latter. Every spontaneous encounter brings the same thrill as the first. I love spending my weekends with people I met in Annenberg freshman year. When I was abroad, I sometimes feared Harvard would move on without me, but seeing my college friends in New York reminds me that social circles don’t vanish in five months.
New York feels like a small town when practically half my grade is here this summer, many of whom will probably move back after graduation. That said, I’m less confident that I’ll have as many run-ins five years post-grad. I imagine that if I stay in New York, I’d reach an equilibrium where the outflow of old friends would be replaced by new ones. In theory, the same could happen in Paris, though I doubt I could ever reach the same base level of community. A move abroad would mean giving up many of the relationships I’ve forged over the past four years in favor of new ones.
And so, where does that leave me? At its core, Paris feels like the city that’s more “me.” While abroad, I felt a strong sense of peace, and then a gaping hole in my heart when I left. When I came to New York, that hole was quickly patched by the amazing community I have here. So for now, being in a city surrounded by people I know and love is more beautiful to me than any painting in the Louvre.
Frances Connors ’26 (maryfrancesconnors@college.harvard.edu) is uncertain whether New York bagels can replace croissants.