New York City

Sorry for being absent for so long. I've actually had the pleasure of being in New York City for the past two weeks or so. It's been fun, and I've enjoyed exploring the city for the first time really, despite having been here two times before. Those trips were mostly for work or interviews, and I didn't do much beyond the standard tourist things. This time, I've done both tourist things (MOMA, Met, High Line) as well as checking out four of the five boroughs.

One of the best things about NYC is the fact that I can get a 7-day metro pass and go anywhere I want. The liberty of being able to go places without a car is something I miss so much living in LA. It's amazing how much less stress I feel with taking a train for an hour to get from Brooklyn to the Bronx than I would if I had to drive there. I think New York is really the only place in the US where I have felt absolutely no need for a car, and I can imagine it being very much this way even if I lived here - unlike say, living in Washington DC or even San Francisco, where I think long-term, having a car would probably be a bit more convenient.

That said, I'm also surprised at how much less "green" New York is than even a place like LA. I guess I never really realized how progressive we are in the big cities in California when it comes to environmentalism... plastic bags for example - a very weak indicator, admittedly - but I'm proud to say that I feel like the use of reusable bags has reached a tipping point in much of LA and San Francisco, whereas it is still basically plastic all the way here in NYC. Likewise, I feel like organic and local is still very much a yuppie, middle/upper class bastion here in New York, while the community has penetrated deeper into more social and economic classes in California.

Of course, I don't live in New York, so there may be a lot more going on than I'm aware of while just walking around town, but these are my first impressions. If anyone has anything to add, please do!