E.B. White once wrote that, "New York is nothing like Paris; it is nothing like London; and it is not Spokane multiplied by sixty, or Detroit multiplied by four. It is by all odds the loftiest of cities." I lived in this cross roads of Western culture for four years when I had just finished university. Now, I call Madrid my home, but there are some things about New York that make me nostalgic every so often. It is, without a doubt a city unlike any other with the power to take from you all that you can give, and if you are lucky, you will go far. For me, the city showed me all that I was capable of, and prepared me better than any course I could have taken for living in another country, as in New York, we are almost all ex-patriots from somewhere else. What follows is a list (in no particular order) of 10 things I will never stop missing from The Big Apple. "Here´s to you, New York!"

Central Park is, of course, a quintessential part of the city. A huge experiment in urban planning meant to relieve New Yorkers of the concrete jungle that they are forced to inhabit on a daily basis. The park on a Sunday in springtime is magical. I will never tire of wandering along its paths and taking photographs contrasting architecture and nature. Madrid´s Retiro Park cannot compete in my heart with the area by the lake in the middle of Manhattan.

On a Saturday morning, there is nothing better than a fresh bagel with cream cheese. My personal favorite? An everything bagel with lite veggie cream cheese, and a coffee with milk and sugar. I especially like them from H&H on the Upper West Side...but I´m pretty sure every New Yorker knows THE best place for bagels in their neighborhood. I won´t even try to argue. ..

Too many sights, sounds, and tastes to ignore. In Madrid we are seriously lacking in places to get good, authentic Dim Sum.

Regardless of the time of day, you can always find a diner that is open, where you can order breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert. Nothing beats a good diner! One of my personal favorites? The Manhattan Diner at 2532 Broadway between 93rd and 94th St.

I wrote a report about this bridge in 6th grade for social studies class and learned about how many men died making this bridge. It truly is an amazing work of architecture. Gorgeous, iconic, unequivocally New York.

In a city full of unexpected things, finding sculptures and murals on your daily route to work is something we can all appreciate.

Maybe it's not the best coffee, maybe you are buying horchata, or maybe you want a knish, but there is something about a food truck on the corner that combines New York´s multiculturalism and functionality to perfection.

Meeting friends in the park. Peace among the chaos, all walks of life, crossing paths in Madison Square Park. You would miss this, too.

The fact that in New York, your living room extends to the local café, and on a Sunday morning you can enjoy the city at a slower pace with your latte and the Times is something that appeals to me, and many other New Yorkers.

Need I say more? The cocktails, the packed bars and cool lounges. Be it with your best friends, your couple or your cousins, Manhattan´s night life is unique and unforgettable.