Humans of the Heights: A Conversation with Anna Borsos
In the fourth installment of my series sharing the stories of the people of the Heights, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Heights resident Anna Borsos.
A Nashville native and force in the world of retail, Anna is a kind and thoughtful individual with an assured and intrepid attitude toward life. Having lived in the Heights for over a decade, Anna brings a fresh perspective to life in the community.
This is her story:
Avraham Frohlich: So, tell me a little about yourself. Where are you from?
Anna Borsos: I am 33. Originally from Nashville, Tennessee.
AF: No way. Are you a singer-songwriter?
AB: Sadly, I’m the only person in Nashville that has no musical talent. But I have run into Taylor Swift a bunch. She lived close to where my college was in Nashville. And I would see her and other country singers around at, like, Trader Joe’s.
AF: Very cool. So how was it growing up there, in Nashville?
AB: Oh, it was great. It wasn’t cool, though, when I lived there. So, when I first moved to the Heights 11 years ago and said I’m from Nashville, people would be like, “Oh, do you have a horse? Did you ride your horse to school?”
But I just lived in a house in the suburbs. Not a tiny town, but not a huge city. And the people are nice, and the food is good. And if you’re into music, that’s the place to go. Johnny Cash has a museum there and Keith Urban’s around. And downtown, there’s music everywhere. Now it’s really hip and cool, so it’s fun to go back.
AF: How was your college experience?
AB: I went to a small college called Lipscomb University. I fell in love with the campus, and they had a really good study abroad program. So, I studied abroad in Vienna, Austria. At the time, I even spoke a little bit of German. Though the only thing I remember is my order at my favorite restaurant, which was Überbacken schnitzel mit Kartoffel. I think it just opens up your perspective, leaving where you’re from.
AF: For sure. What did you study in college, and what was your plan for afterward?
AB: I was a marketing major and minored in graphic design and international business. At the time, I had a couple different ideas. Growing up, my family and I would come to New York almost every year to see a show or something. When I was 11, I said I’m going to live in New York one day. And I remember my dad sat me down after college. He was, like, well, do you actually want to go to New York? If you go, I’ll support you for three months, and by then you will have a job. And I was, like, yes, sir.
So, I thought, okay, worst case scenario, I move to New York, and even if I can’t find a real job, I can work at a Starbucks for a year and say I lived in New York and then come home. So, if that’s my worst-case scenario, then why not? So, I came, and I’m still here. 11 years later.
AF: How was that first year in New York?
AB: So, when I first came, I was job searching for a month. And then, I got an interview at the Abercrombie & Fitch and it was a group of 20-year-olds running this million-dollar store. The location was huge: they had 1,600 people on the payroll just in that one store. It was really impressive. And I was like, oh, wait, this is kind of cool.
So, I worked there as a manager for four and a half years, and it was really great. I met my best friends there. But at some point I couldn’t do that schedule anymore. Good thing I was in my early 20s because we didn’t sleep. Our shifts were crazy. And I had no money because my starting salary was so low. I couldn’t do it now, but it was so much fun.
AF: What made you move here? Why the Heights?
AB: Well, I wanted to be in Manhattan but to stay on a budget. When I first came here, I lived for eight years on 176th and Broadway and fell in love with the space. The quality of life is better here than in Manhattan, and my apartments have always been big by New York standards.
AF: What was your next step after Abercrombie?
AB: I started to look for New York corporate retail positions and found a great job at Tommy Hilfiger as a project manager and visual trainer. I mean, it was wild. It was luck. It was God. So, that definitely changed everything and I thought I think I’m here for a while. That was six years ago.
Then, got laid off in COVID, which was heartbreaking. My new job was awful, so I found an opening to temp at Tommy. I took another leap of faith and got hired back on in a little under a year.
Now, I actually work for the parent company, which owns both Tommy and Calvin Klein, and do learning and development for North America. And I barely buy clothes anymore because sample size is free for employees, so I’m almost always wearing Tommy or Calvin.
AF: How far away do you think you are now from where you thought you’d be in college?
AB: Interesting question. I never had a single idea of where I wanted to be. I just knew I wanted to be in New York and work for a big international company. But I never would have guessed I would be in retail. Like, never ever. So, the industry I’m in is very unexpected, but the life I’m living is actually exactly what I wanted. Degrees don’t matter as much as you’d think in some ways. You’re probably going to jump around anyway.
AF: How has it been navigating jumping around and the uncertainty that entails?
AB: I felt really certain in all the big decisions I was making. Like, moving to New York, starting at Abercrombie, even when I got laid off, and then when I came back to Tommy, I just had a peace about the decisions I was making. I prayed a lot. I have a really strong faith. I feel like there’s a plan, and I may not see it now, but I know I'm eventually going to be okay. I am where I’m supposed to be.
And I have a strong family, so even if my job is getting a little crazy, it’s ok. My life is what matters. Your job doesn’t define you. I feel like we put so much of our identity into our job. That’s the first question people ask you: “What do you do?”
Now, I’m working on investing in my friends and my relationship. I shouldn’t be putting my value and my worth in my job because it could be gone tomorrow. My friends and my family, they’re not.
AF: What role does faith play in your life?
AB: So, I grew up in a Southern Baptist Christian family. Gosh, we were at the church three times a week. Sunday mornings, Sunday nights, and Wednesday nights. As I’ve gotten older, I’m not as active in the church, but I still have the core beliefs, principles and values. I think having a bigger purpose also gives me perspective. It grounds you in a way.
AF: What’s your advice for college students who are not sure what their next step is?
AB: I would say there’s not always one right choice or one wrong choice. Whatever you end up doing, even if you don’t like it at the time, use it to get to your next step. Think long-term. How can I grow where I am right now, build my resume and then take a step somewhere else?
AF: What are your favorite parts of Washington Heights?
AB: The food and the people. And I would say take a little walking tour because I was also blown away by the nature here and the parks around. Go to the Met Cloisters. The neighborhood is just so alive. There’s music and energy everywhere.
AF: Do you have any experience with the Jewish community in the Heights?
AB: So, not really. I know Yeshiva, and I know there are a lot of Jewish people around here, but I don’t really know that many of them. But walking around, you see remnants. In the building I lived in, on 176th, there was a slanted piece on the door frame.
AF: A mezuzah.
AB: Yes. There was one there, but it’s been painted over by a landlord many times. But I know that’s what it used to be. There was clearly a Jewish family that lived there. And it’s still there, under layers of paint.
AF: What piece of advice could you give to Yeshiva University students?
AB: Get to know your neighbors first of all. Start small. And get out there. Maybe just pick one thing a month that you haven’t done before and take advantage of the beautiful neighborhood that we’re in.
AF: And if you’re lucky, you can meet some from Tennessee.
AB: If you’re lucky. We’re kinda rare, but we’re around.
AF: Well, it was really great to meet you.
Photo Caption: Anna Borsos
Photo Credit: Anna Borsos
