Getting Old and Getting Out
In New York City
byHerb Bardavid
Blog about the elderly in
New York City
Getting Old & Getting Out is a blog about aging, specifically about what it's like to grow old in the city that never sleeps. New York City is often thought of as a place for young people to chase their dreams, and older residents often feel unseen.
My blog is an attempt to change that, to give voice to the stories behind the lined faces your pass on the street, to let you see a population that too often feels invisible as the city bustles on around them.
Learn Their Stories
If you stop and take the time to listen (or read this blog), you'll find that this older generation was once young, that they, too, once saw New York as a city brimming with opportunity.
That elderly gentleman bent over his walker? He was a world-renowned doctor.
The elderly woman next door who asks you to hold the elevator? She once wowed the theater-going crowd on Broadway.
And the older couple that goes to the same restaurant every Sunday for lunch? She cleaned apartments, and he worked construction. They've been married for 50 years and raised three kids.
The stories of the older generation are rich with wisdom, joy, and sadness - a treasure trove of experience.
My hope is that the stories within this blog will encourage you to take a look around and truly see the older New Yorkers in our midst as they grow old and get out in New York City.