This will come off as glib but screw it: New York City is art.

20 minutes riding the subway from point A to point B will give you a better glimpse of what it means to be alive than any curated show or painting. Everybody but the ultra-rich ride together in the same cars everyday. In most other cities people are insulated in their car/work bubble and only the disabled and poor take public transportation. This mingling is what makes living in NYC significant to me.