Birth Quote by Luc Sante
“I thought of New York as a free city, like one of those prewar nests of intrigue and licentiousness where exiles and lamsters and refugees found shelter in a tangle of improbable juxtapositions. I had never gotten around to changing my nationality from the one assigned me at birth, but I would have declared myself a citizen of New York City had such a stateless state existed, its flag a solid black.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: New York City, Luc Sante, 1995
New York feels like a stateless sanctuary where diverse, marginalized lives intersect, offering a sense of belonging beyond legal identity.
In simple terms: NYC is a refuge for the displaced.
Key Takeaway
Find belonging beyond borders.
Themes
identity
migration
urbanism
Mood
nostalgic
critical
Type
literary
observational
When to use this quote
- travel
- creative writing
- community building
- political activism
Key Concepts
sociology
existentialism
Questions to Reflect On
- What does “stateless” mean to you?
- How does urban anonymity affect identity?
A Different Perspective
Romanticizes hardship, overlooking systemic issues.
![“We thought of [New York] as a free city, like one of those storied prewar tropical nests of intrigue and licentiousness where exiles and lamsters and refugees found shelter in a tangle of improbable juxtapositions.” quote by Lucy Sante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/32c/lucy-sante-67080_new-york-city_we-thought-of-new-york-as-a-free-city-li_3043554.jpg)
