If you have the guts to be yourself, other people'll pay your price.
John UpdikeRead
New York is a city with virtually no habitable public space - only private spaces expensively maintained within the general disaster.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote critiques the lack of accessible public spaces in New York City, emphasizing the contrast with expensive private spaces.
John Updike's quote highlights a significant issue in urban living, particularly in New York City, where the scarcity of affordable and accessible public spaces creates a divide between the wealthy and the general population. It reflects on the paradox of a bustling metropolis where the only maintained spaces are private, suggesting that the vibrancy and communal spirit of city life are overshadowed by a prioritization of exclusive and costly environments.
Themes
New YorkPublic SpaceUrban LifePrivatizationCommunity
In practice
Example use cases
Use this quote in a discussion about urban development and the importance of public parks.
More from John Updike
All quotes βDost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of. _x000D_ _x000D_ Suspect each moment, for it is a thief, tiptoeing away with more than it brings.
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Museums and bookstores should feel, I think, like vacant lots - places where the demands on us are our own demands, where the spirit can find exercise in unsupervised play.
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The reader knows the writer better than he knows himself; but the writer's physical presence is light from a star that has moved on.
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To guarantee the individual maximum freedom within a social frame of minimal laws ensures - if not happiness - its hopeful pursuit.
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