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They come to New York for the jobs they may not get, for the homes they may not find, for the peace of mind or self-esteem or safety that may never be theirs. Yet they come for the same stubborn reason that everyone has always had in coming to New York: to find civilization, in spite of its discontents. The Democrats will be doing somewhat the same thing this week, although their convention is small potatoes compared with New York's. New York's convention has been going on for 327 years.
But can the great, gaping divisions also go on forever? Given the choice be tween Fifth Avenue and Charlotte Street, only a madman would pick the South Bronx. But if the eventual choice comes down to having a city like Oz surrounded by polar wastes, or a little less Oz and a little less waste, will New Yorkers preserve their city? New York has come a long way in the past four years, in two opposite directions .
Reported by Peter Stoler/New York