Terrence

Terrence

Determined Breadwinner, Proud Bronxite, Peculiarly Humorous

“This city gives me an edge. New York is rough, and every day I have to tell her ‘you’re not going to take me down. You’re not going to win. I’m coming for you again and again, and you have no choice but to deal with me.’ That is the mentality New York gave me. Someone is gonna have to lose, but it ain’t going to be me.”

“I live in The Bronx. It doesn’t have a great reputation, most people have this idea that the Bronx is just extremely poor and dirty. People never even come to visit The Bronx, unless it’s to see a Yankees game.”

“The Bronx I know is cool. Even though we’re all living the American life here, people still keep true to their cultural heritage and you can hear a lot of Caribbean accents if you walk down White Plain Road. I love the morning time when you can see people hustling and going to work. That is the mindset of people from The Bronx. We are not people that hang out on the corners all the time.”

“It’s hard to build solid relationships and solid vibes with people here. The access to people makes it hard for things to stick. Everything is kind of ‘touch-and-go’ in New York, and that’s just the way it is.”

“Family is everything to me. My grandmother, father, stepmother, sister and I all live together. I’m over it now and want to move on, but I work in finance and I’m in the position to help my family. I make more money than both of my parents do. If I were to move and live on my own, I wouldn’t be able to help them out. It’s a sacrifice, but it’s worth it, I believe.”

“A lot of people in New York are impressed with the hype. The ‘it’ thing. If you want true relationships, you don’t just want to talk to somebody because they’re the cool kids and have nice shoes. You have to listen to your gut and not be charmed by the big charade if you want real friendships here.”

“New York is a rough place to live in. Frank Sinatra said it right? If you can make it here you can make it anywhere. It’s a hard place to be born and raised, grow and evolve. In order to navigate through those rough spots, you have to have some ‘oomph’ to you. It makes us edgier than most. Not necessarily in a bad way, but we definitely have an edge. A hard tinge.”

“I don’t cook, but someone in the family will make dinner and then we’ll eat whenever we’re ready. Eating together is a foreign thing to me. We just scoop it up and go to our own little unit. We talk casually when we meet in the house or we go in to each others room. We don’t have a knocking policy. We just tap quickly and then open the door. That also means I’ve never been one to keep relationships in house. That is just a no.”

“You can never duplicate the energy of New York. The same energy that I love so much about New York is also something I hate. It gives off the facade that everything is possible. I don’t like that facade because New York is not a very easy place to evolve careerwise or socially. People have this idea that when they come to New York everything is going to blossom, and that’s not the case. New York is a very hard place to evolve. Sometimes you’re held at a full stop. You need a good amount of positivity because it can knock you down.””

Q&A

“ I love New York. I love the lessons that it taught me. I love the people that are here in my life. I love New York for making me strong, focused and encouraged me to always reach for the stars. Even though there’s been obstacles along the way, New York has made me a fighter.”

What neighborhood do you live in? Williamsbridge, Bronx.

Best thing about living there? The best thing is this is a predominantly immigrant community, mainly from the West Indies. Also some of the best Caribbean take out food and restaurants.

Favorite neighborhood? South Jamaica Queens. I was born there and spent lots of time there growing up with my maternal grandparents. Going there brings back memories of them.

Favorite street to stroll? Fifth Avenue in Midtown.

Why? This is one street that epitomizes the New York people have seen in the movies - the city where all high fashion brands are at your disposal and corporate America where everyone is one step away from the best opportunity of their life. Although this is definitely a fantasy, sometimes it’s nice to take in Fifth Avenue as a tourist would, and dream.

Favorite restaurant? Sweet Chick in Lower East Side and Catch in Meatpacking.

Favorite bar? McGettigan’s. Most bars look and feel the same to me but the “greenhouse atmosphere” in McGettigan’s definitely stands out. And they have a great drink selection.

Hidden gem? Bushwick Collective. This has to be some of the best graffiti art I have ever seen. Scattered in a section of Bushwick, it’s almost like you’re on a treasure hunt for street art.

How to be(come) a New Yorker? Learn and appreciate the lingo ‘New Yawk’, ‘Yo!’, ‘Son’, ‘Dun’, ‘B Poppin’, ‘Dawg’, ‘Tawk’, ‘Wawk’. If you claim to be a New Yorker but have never owned a pair of black suede Timbs or Constructs (tan Timberlands) then you will be judged. Be very mindful of your tone when using the phrase ‘What’s good?’ It can mean one of three things: A: Genuinely asking what’s good in regards to food or drink, B: ‘Hi how are you?’ or C: Challenging someone to a fight. You don’t want to be on the other end of a “what’s good” for option C.

Your New York soundtrack? Coming of Age Part II by Jay Z with Memphis Bleek. This song embodies the spirit of a true New Yorker.

5 THINGS THAT TELL A STORY ABOUT TERRENCE

SNEAKERS “These are the running sneakers that I wear. Running has become a huge part of my health. I am running the New York marathon this year, so I’m training for that.”

HEADPHONES “I listen to music all the time. Music literally is a commanding force in my my life. It keeps me at ease, keeps me focused, while also gives me energy. I’m usually listening to reggae and dancehall which definitely stems from my Caribbean upbringing. But of course, as a New Yorker, Hip Hop and R&B is definitely on heavy rotation.”

PHOTO ON PHONE “You can’t trade your family, so you might as well love them. You can learn a lot from the elderly. They are the best teachers that don’t get a salary.”

PICK COMB “I come from a lineage of strong, revolutionary people. My mother’s parents were very involved in local politics in Queens and active supporters of the Civil Rights Movement. The comb is a symbol of strength and resilience that I take with me always. I want people to take notice of that and realize that I embody that same strength.”

SOCKS “Socks are my conversation starter. I work in finance and everybody dresses the same, black shoes and white shirts. It can get really boring, so I always add the fun socks to not be too conform.”