self-taught

self-taught

Share this post

self-taught
self-taught
How to write a New York bucket list
the log

How to write a New York bucket list

In defense of the “West Village Girl”

Chloe Cullen's avatar
Chloe Cullen
Jun 04, 2025
∙ Paid
4

Share this post

self-taught
self-taught
How to write a New York bucket list
1
1
Share

When “The West Village Girl” essay made its rounds, calling out the monotony of white twenty-something women climbing the influencer-adjacent ladder, it laughed at these women who sought friends in a specific circle in a specific subset of the city:

After they snapped a selfie, I observed one of them, in the course of a minute, check a group chat, swipe through a dozen Instagram Stories, clock in to her Hinge account (no new messages), then throw a few heart reacts into yet another group chat. When I introduced myself, she told me she settled here two years ago after a breakup; it’s a good place to be single. “Everyone’s so attractive. It’s electric on the weekends,” she said. Plus: “We’re all the same! We’re all doing the same thing! It’s not a bad thing. It’s community!”

As these girls got dragged by older women within the article who remarked their time as West Village girls was freer, more fun, I resonated with the pressure the newest round of transplants face.

September 23, 2021

Ne…

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to self-taught to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Chloe Cullen
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share