"I have so few people here," I said, "and if I lived somewhere else I'd have this group of friends to deal with, a crew of people to go to the movies together, eat at diners, I wouldn't be so...."

"Paul, I think you're missing a fundamental truth, which is that people everywhere are lonely and isolated. It's no better outside New York than--"

"No, you misunderstood," I said. "I meant that as a reason not to leave New York."