I live between New York and Puerto Vallarta. There are burned-out cars in my neighborhood, but I won’t leave.

• Steven Polito is originally from New York and spends five to six months of the year in Puerto Vallarta.

• Violence erupted in the city and elsewhere in Mexico after a drug cartel leader was killed.

• Polito said he wants to stay in Puerto Vallarta to support his community.

The now-famous article was based on a conversation with Steven Polito, 49, a drag performer from New York who goes by the stage name Hedda Lettuce. The following content has been edited for length and clarity.

I’m a native New Yorker who lives in Puerto Vallarta during the winter.

It’s a great place to be a drag performer – it’s a very LGBTQ+ friendly community. There’s a lot of theater, a lot of cabaret, and great restaurants. It’s also very walkable, which I love.

The moment you leave the house here it’s like a big “hello”. That’s what’s really special about this place.

That’s why I came here – and why I still come back. Being part of a community means staying when times get tough.

Burnt out cars one after another

I went to the gym at 8:30 in the morning and was surprised to find it unusually quiet. Then my friends at the gym told me that the city was under attack by drug cartels and I had to stay put.

When I left around 10am, the scenery was completely different.

Daily life coexists with horrific property damage. An old woman was raking leaves in the street, and one burnt-out car after another was on fire.

My neighbors have been particularly hard hit. One neighbor pointed out that another neighbor’s burned car belonged to an Uber driver with two young children. This is the bulk of his income.

My nerves were a little jittery due to sensory overload. I’ve been through some tough experiences, but never anything like this.

Strong community keeps Puerto Vallarta growing

As I was walking home from the gym, I saw a restaurant I go to three or four times a week. They offered me coffee. Still, they try to be good neighbors.

I saw people cleaning up burned-out cars: it was neighbors taking care of neighbors.

I could go back to New York, but we have to think in a less cavalier way. People who live here don’t have the luxury of getting up and moving around.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I stayed in Puerto Vallarta and did not return to the United States. We all thought it would collapse around us. But somehow, everyone finds their own way, and part of that is through community.

The power of community, that’s what’s great about Puerto Vallarta.

I’ve experienced it firsthand and that’s why I keep going. People persist here.

Read the original article on Business Insider