By setting The Nest in the borough of Manhattan and its neighborhoods, Sweeney participates in a long tradition of situating novels in New York City. Authors frequently use NYC as a setting in part for the city’s renown and in part for its history. With nicknames like “The Big Apple” and “The City That Never Sleeps,” NYC is an advantageous setting because many readers are instantly familiar with the locale. Landmarks such as the Empire State Building, Central Park, Rockefeller Center, the Statue of Liberty, and Times Square are well-known and familiar, even for readers who have never set foot in the city.

Part of the city’s allure is its large and diverse population. During the nation’s second immigration boom from 1880 to 1920, over 20 million immigrants arrived. As New York City’s Ellis Island was one of the nation’s primary points of entry, many citizens settled in the city (“U.S. Immigration Timeline.” History, 23 Aug. 2022). As a result, New York City remains a center of ethnic and cultural diversity. The city is filled with a variety of kinds of people, from financial experts working on Wall Street to artists engaged in activities in Broadway’s Theater District to workers in the city’s numerous restaurants and shops.