Taylor Swift Named New York City Global Welcome Ambassador
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Taylor Swift is New York City's new Global Welcome Ambassador.
In a series of videos posted on New York City's official tourism site, the pop star greets travelers to the Big Apple.
"What makes New York City New York City is that it is unlike anywhere else in the world. It's almost like the city has its own heartbeat. You can find fashion that inspires you, art that inspires you, humanity that inspires you. Everywhere you look it's impossible not to fall in love or be affected by something in New York City," Swift says in the video. "I think what brought me to New York is still a little bit of a mystery to me. Every day I would wake up with this feeling, like, 'I need to be in New York.' New York kind of pulled me here like a magnet. I was intimidated by the fact that it was bright and bold and loud. And now I know I should run toward things like that. I should run toward things that are absolutely, overwhelmingly electric. There's so much happening right in front of you, so many stories playing out, that for my writing it definitely helped inspire an album that is by far the one I am most proud of in my career."
Taylor Swift Named New York City Global Welcome Ambassador
Swift goes on to describe some of the things she loves about New York: Getting a good cup of coffee or a latte and walking throughout various neighborhoods.
"People talk about Southern hospitality, and that's a real thing, but there's also a really interesting hospitality about New York too," Swift said. "Yeah, people here are honest but they're also very friendly and there's also a lot of heart here. And it's easy to get around. People will help you, if you ask for help, trust me I've done it. For me it was always this big, intimidating thing. There's a coziness to it here."
Swift introduces her "New York City vocabulary words," including "bodega," the correct pronunciation of Houston Street and the difference between NoHo and SoHo. She also clarifies what exactly a stoop is.
Swift, who was born in Pennsylvania but moved to Tennessee at 14 to pursue a career in country music, is a recent New York City transplant.
As CBS 2's Scott Rapoport reported, some New Yorkers are wondering why the city chose her.
"We have no other choices but Taylor Swift?" one resident said.
But others thinks he deserves a chance.
"I don't know. She's great. Who doesn't like her?" another told CBS 2.
"Have you heard the album? It's amazing. She's amazing. Like, she's Taylor Swift," said one NYC Taylor Swift fan.
As Rapoport reported, the tabloids have certainly had some fun with the news, but the city's tourism office says Swift is a great choice to attract tourists to the city.
"We think this campaign is going to resonate in our markets around the world," Christopher Heywood, Senior Vice President of the city's global communications said.
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