New York… What Happened to You?

Andrea Martinez, November 10, 2025

There was a time when New York City felt like the heartbeat of the world. The energy, the music, the mix of people, the dreams, everything felt possible.

But lately, it feels like the city that once never slept is now just tired.

With this new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, many New Yorkers are worried about what’s coming next, and not without reason. His promises of rent freezes, higher taxes on the wealthy, and sweeping social programs may sound appealing to some, but others see a dangerous path ahead. Beyond the financial strain, there’s a growing safety concern, as policies seem to favor leniency and “reform” over real accountability. Crime and homelessness, already pressing issues, could spiral further if leadership keeps focusing on ideology instead of practicality.

And perhaps most worrying of all, there’s a sense that this new direction could bring a major cultural shift, one that moves the city, and maybe even the country, further away from the traditional Western values of hard work, freedom, and personal responsibility. It’s as if the spirit that built New York — the courage, perseverance, ambition, the sense of ownership over one’s destiny — is being quietly replaced by something else.

Polls say that more than a quarter of New Yorkers are thinking about leaving. And honestly, who can blame them? The city has become too expensive, too restricted, and for many, too disconnected from the values that once made it shine.

A Personal Connection

For me, this hits close to home. My dad once lived in New York for more than a decade. He used to tell us stories about how exciting and beautiful it was, how anything was possible there. Every vacation, we would visit him for two months, and he was right. It felt like another world.

Those memories are a big part of our growing-up years, and New York was a big part of my dad’s life too. He made great friends, had amazing opportunities, and truly loved that chapter of his story. But eventually, because of work, he had to come back to Ecuador, which he was happy to do, because he always said that despite living in such an amazing city, the lifestyle we have in Latin America — the warmth, the balance, the connection to people and nature — simply couldn’t be compared.

Looking back now, he left at the perfect time, without even knowing the somber future that awaited New York. And maybe that’s why it hurts so much to see what’s happening now, because we knew what it once was.

What This Means for the Rest of Us

The truth is, this shift isn’t just about New York. It’s a sign of something bigger.

More and more people are realizing they don’t want to live in cities that make them feel small, unheard, or constantly overtaxed.

They’re looking for something real again: community, safety, respect, and freedom.

And that’s exactly what we’re building in the places we love — communities where people know their neighbors, grow their food, have space to breathe, and make decisions together.

For many Americans and New Yorkers, what we’re offering isn’t just a new home. It’s a way to reconnect with the culture and lifestyle they once knew and have lost:

• where people help each other out
• where life feels slower but fuller
• where freedom and personal responsibility still mean something
• where people can still recognize their culture and traditions

The Shift Has Begun

When you see more families leaving the big cities, not just for cheaper rent but for a better life, you realize we’re living through a quiet but powerful transformation.

And honestly, it gives me hope.

Because even if New York is losing some of its light, that light isn’t gone; it’s just moving.

It’s finding new places to shine: in the mountains, by the ocean, in small communities where people are rebuilding what modern life forgot.

And if you’ve ever felt that same ache — that longing for something simpler, freer, more connected — maybe it’s time to listen to it.

Because you’re not alone.

Where That Light Is Moving

That’s exactly what we’re seeing in places like Veritas Villages, new communities being built by people who still believe in the values that made cities like New York so special in the first place: freedom, creativity, and human connection.

Here, families and individuals are finding not just homes but a way of life that feels grounded and authentic. They’re rediscovering what it means to belong, to live with purpose, and to build something that lasts.

Maybe that’s the silver lining in all of this — that the spirit of New York, the one my dad knew and we once experienced, isn’t gone. It’s just finding a new home under sunnier skies, where life still feels free and full of possibility.