The existential quandary of every New Yorker: When exactly is it "evening"?
Ah, New York City. The city that never sleeps...or does it just take really long naps strategically placed throughout the day? One of life's great mysteries for any resident (or even a curious visitor) is this: when does afternoon transform into that magical time we all crave - evening?
Is it a science? Is it an art? Is it just a marketing ploy to sell more happy hour drinks?
There are those who will tell you it's a scientific fact. Sunset happens at X time, therefore evening starts at Y time. But have these people ever actually been stuck on a crowded subway train as the sun dips below the horizon, only to emerge into a world that's still bathed in an unsettling pre-dinner glow? Science, shmience.
Then there's the "feeling" school of thought. You just know it when you feel it. That shift in the air, the city lights starting to twinkle on, the sudden urge to abandon all productivity and head straight for a rooftop bar. This method is undeniably romantic, but it also runs the risk of leaving you elbow-deep in work emails at 9 pm, wondering where the evening you felt coming on ever went.
The Big Apple's own special brand of twilight: The "Maybe I should get off work now...ish" phase
Let's be honest, folks. New York City thrives in that beautiful, hazy gray area between afternoon and evening. It's that time when the sun is starting to set, but the fluorescent lights in your office are still aggressively buzzing. It's when your stomach starts to rumble, but the lines at your favorite taco truck haven't quite died down yet. We call it the "Maybe I should get off work now...ish" phase. It's a glorious time of indecision, and frankly, it's the time New York feels most like itself.
So, the next time you find yourself wondering "Is it evening yet?", take a deep breath, savor the ambiguity, and maybe order some takeout to enjoy in that perfect in-between moment. Because in the end, isn't the beauty of New York City that you can make your own damn evening whenever you want?
