Darell Murray
English Composition 1
13th May 2023
The Concrete Islands
New York City and Port of Spain are two cities located in different parts of the world but
they have similar characteristics nonetheless. In this essay, a comparison and contrast of the
two cities in terms of their population economy, and attractions will be made.
Port of Spain is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago, a dual island nation in the Caribbean,
seven miles off the coast of Venezuela. New York City on the other hand is a major city in New
York State and contrary to common belief it is not the capital of New York State. Port of Spain
has a small population of under 50,000 residents while New York City has millions of residents.
Port of Spain is a central hub of business in Trinidad and Tobago; likewise, New York City is a
major shopping hub and center for business in New York State and the greater United States of
America.
In terms of public transportation New York City has a well-developed and coordinated
system of commuting its millions of residents around its metropolitan. Port of Spain is different
from New York City as its public transport system is less complex and transports less of the
population. The majority of New Yorkers rely on the city's network of subways, buses, ferries,
trams, and shuttles, while Port of Spain's residents depend mostly on shared taxis and the city's
bus program. Senior citizens can ride the buses for free while in New York City, senior citizens
pay half the price.
A train is a common sighting in New York City; most New Yorkers would not even take
the time to glance at such a mundane thing. However, a train in Port of Spain would elicit stares
of awe and bewilderment; a sight to behold. Buses are much more common there and likewise,
in New York City. Both cities have a well-coordinated bus system. It may come as no surprise
that Port of Spain, being a city in a dual island nation, has an inter-island ferry system. It is the
main source of transportation between the islands. New York City's most popular ferry, the
Staten Island Ferry, moves thousands of residents hourly between Manhattan and Staten
Island. In contrast to Port of Spain, New York City's Staten Island Ferry is completely free while
Port of Spain's ferry is only free to senior citizens. While modes of transport are certainly
unique in different aspects, both cities have great options for anyone choosing to visit or
perhaps call it their home.
The residents of New York City live an extremely fast-paced lifestyle, unlike the residents
of Port of Spain. A common term in Port of Spain is 'island time' which denotes a more relaxed
speed, where time is of less importance. In New York City, people are constantly in a rush to get
where they are going and they place a high importance on being on time. For instance, the
city's public transport is usually on time unless delayed by factors outside of the city's control.
Buses will at times wait at stops if they are early or drive a bit faster if they are running late; this
is not the case in Port of Spain. In Port of Spain, it is expected for buses and ferries to be late.
This, however, is not an issue for the islanders as it is an understood part of everyday life.
The architecture of New York City is more advanced in the technical sense and its
buildings are possibly two to five times the size of anything found in Port of Spain. However,
Port of Spain's style of architecture carries with it a charming tropical style. While both cities
are vastly different in terms of architecture, they both have appealing characteristics. Despite
being on an island, Port of Spain, like New York City does not have beaches that are commonly
used. Sure enough, there are a couple that only the brave may be willing to explore but the vast
majority of beaches are not in the city.
Port of Spain, like New York City, has a lot of docks which facilitates its businesses and
contributes to the overall economy of the city. Of these docks, there are several used by cruise
ships that open the doorways to the tourism industry. New York City's tourism mainly comes
through one of the city's two airports. Port of Spain only has one airport through which a lot of
tourists also arrive. Both cities are an epicenter of tourism activities in their respective spheres.
The cost of living in New York City is the highest in the world, in contrast to Port of Spain
which may very well be one of the lowest in the world. Apartment rentals in New York City
could very easily be upwards of two thousand dollars a month while an entire house rental in
Port of Spain could be under four hundred dollars a month. Port of Spain's cost of living is just a
faction of New York City's due to its low labor costs. New York City's minimum wage starts at
fifteen dollars an hour while in contrast, Port of Spain's minimum wage starts at two dollars and
fifty cents an hour.
The weather in Port of Spain is hot and sunny year-round; a perfect spot for individuals
who enjoy tropical weather. Snow and frigid temperatures are uncommon in Port of Spain but
extremely common to New York City; an ideal place for cooler temperatures and a traditional
winter and Christmas experience. While these contrasts can differentiate the two cities, there is
something to enjoy for each person that chooses to visit these cities or call one of them home.
1. Did you use the point-by-point or block method to organize your body paragraphs? What
made you decide to organize your essay in this way (3-4 sentences)?
In this essay I used the point-by-point method to organize the body paragraphs. It was the best
option for me because of the large number of comparisons and contrasts that where made. The
point-by-point method would help readers to stay engaged as it is easier to follow along.
2. In what ways did writing a comparison/contrast essay differ from the Narrative essay you
wrote in Touchstone 1? Give specific examples (3-4 sentences).
The narrative essay, which relied more on my personal experience and storytelling, needed less
research and analysis than this comparison/contrast essay. Additionally, although the style of
the narrative essay was more fluid, this comparison/contrast essay followed a set pattern. The
narrative essay depended more on chronological sequence and descriptive language, but this
comparison/contrast essay used words and phrases to link concepts.
3. Remember that the writing process is a recursive process, and your first draft of an essay
is rarely your last. What part of the draft did you struggle with (3-4 sentences)?
I really fought to be objective about one particular place when writing this comparison and
contrast. It was challenging to resist emulating the huge show that is New York City. On the
other side, there isn't much to say about Port of Spain, despite it being a beautiful city. I was
inspired to look further and consider my unintentional prejudices by this essay.