The Daily Show’s Head Writer on How the Muppets Lured Him to New York

I’m still not totally sure New York isn’t just a movie. Even after 15 years of near nonstop New Yorking, it still seems more filmic than real. Nothing I do in New York feels completely believable unless it reminds me of something I’ve seen someone do in New York in a movie. And even something as mundane as walking and talking becomes exciting when you see it in a movie. Especially something mundane like walking and talking.

For a long time, when someone would ask me where did I want to live, New York was my go-to answer, but I was always afraid I wouldn’t like it. This essay illustrates this point perfectly.