Answer:
The narrator comes from the Midwest. The excerpt describes one of the reasons he and many others moved to the big Eastern cities, especially New York: ambition. Life in the Midwest seemed small and limited compared to the bustling metropolis, which offered more possibilities for advancement, and the desire for wealth is one of the themes in The Great Gatsby. As Sinatra, would later sing, "If I can make it there I'll make it anywhere".
