Is New York City Emotionally Unavailable?

This past week I visited Seattle. As I walked around Green Lake, I noticed not one person walking or running alone. I immediately flashed to an image of Saturdays in the West Village — people with their AirPods in, walking, and talking on the phone. It made me think of a year ago, when I didn’t have a strong social network here in New York City. I was in long-distance relationships with my friends and family and nervous to build a social network here where I lived. I felt scared to build strong relationships in my environment and didn’t know what that even meant.

Even today, I have trouble reaching out to friends in New York because everyone is busy and last-minute walks or catching up is hardly a priority. This feeling may also be due to the overwhelm I experience related to my C-PTSD, which makes it difficult to trust and rely on people.

My observation about Seattle and New York City made me wonder – is there some emotional unavailability drifting through my city? Why do we live in such solitude? Why aren’t meaningful relationships a focus? Could it just be me?