What does Obama think about NYC?

As the story begins, Barack Obama is living in a small apartment in New York City, on the "unnamed, shifting border" between East Harlem and the rest of Manhattan. Obama appreciates the vibrancy of this predominantly Puerto Rican neighborhood but largely inhabits a world of his own, a world full of work and unrealized plans. Young Barry is a solitary figure who doesn't want to get too close to those around him. He'll exchange glib pleasantries with kids from the neighborhood, but that's about it.
We get the distinct impression that Obama isn't too keen to establish roots in New York; he simply looks upon it as a staging post on his life journey. New York is a big enough city for someone to do their own thing, where they can melt into their surroundings without standing out from the crowd. And at this point in his life, Obama seems just fine with that.
But New York, like any big city, can be a cruel place at times. Obama discovers this for himself when he hears that his father—this mythical figure he never really knew—has been killed in a car accident. There's a fine line between solitude and isolation, and for Obama, the news of his father's death blurs the distinction. New York City can be a lonely place, especially for someone separated from their family like Obama. The vibrant yet atomized hive of humanity that is New York stands in stark contrast to the tight-knit community that Obama's father experienced growing up in a small Kenyan village.