James McGee

Morningside Heights (10027)

The Anthora (Greek) coffee cup

For as long as I can remember, countless New Yorkers have started their mornings with a cup of joe in one of those blue paper cups with the Greek-inspired designs on the side, comforted by the words "We are happy to serve you" (whether they are true or not). When I moved upstate to Ithaca to attend college, it was a sighting of one of those cups at a local diner that brought back fond memories of home. It represents the sustenance of thousands of coffee shops and pushcart vendors throughout the city, as well as a convenient change receptacle for panhandlers and street musicians. It has spanned generations and social classes as an object that so many New Yorkers can identify with. Diminutive in stature, it has accomplished much over the years to bring a little happiness to tired, hard-working New Yorkers.