And I understood that it was partly because of Alfred Kazin that New York seemed a place of the imagination, a place where life opened up.
I thought New York was a place where you had a lot of opportunities. 
mnli hypothesis: I thought New York was a place where you had a lot of opportunities.  premise: And I understood that it was partly because of Alfred Kazin that New York seemed a place of the imagination, a place where life opened up.