How does the personification in the words Manhattan breathing affect passage

Answer: Gives human traits, emotions, or qualities by using a metaphor or something that is not human.

It shows that the subject has been in manhattan, but hasn't really lived there. the personification shows manahattan as a living, breathing "person" of its own, and the fact that someone has not done enough to really connect with that cycle makes the reader feel like the subject is not as much a part of the city as they might think.