This magazine cover always made me laugh. Even though it was done in the 70s the central thought still resonates.
To New Yorkers there is not much of real value across the waters of the Hudson or the East River. Once you leave the island of Manhattan the world becomes a bit blurry, a bit irrelevant. It's a type of social snobbery really.
When I lived in New York I actually spent most of the time living in Brooklyn rather than Manhattan. In retrospect I think that one of the many things that I loved about Brooklyn was the real sense of community, family and longevity.
Anyway, over the years that I was there I built up a list of brilliant things to do with friends who came to stay that did not involve setting foot on Manhattan.
The tiny fishing and sailing community of City Island, although it's actually just off The Bronx it feels more like New England or Maine; the real Little Italy, Arthur Avenue where menus are disregarded - you simply ask the chef what he recommends eating that night and at the end of the (delicious) meal your waiter decides what you pay; the elegant brownstones of Fort Greene...
Anyway, I had a Travel piece published in The Spectator this week on just this topic. Hope that you enjoy it.
I echo the sentiment, I lived in Manhattan but am in London now, yet I prefer life outside the city. However I think the general idea can be presented more concisely (and more artistically) here.
http://ranaban.blogspot.com/2007/08/nylon.html
It's relevant to this note, honestly.
Posted by: Rana | Saturday, 29 December 2007 at 11:34 PM
Rana, I LOVE these maps! Very cool, though I also equated Camden with the East Village and Shoreditch/Hoxton/Bethnal with the Lower East Side.
I lived all over the place in New York, but think that I lost my heart to Fort Greene which I just think was one of the nicest places to live in.
Thank you!
Posted by: Amelia | Wednesday, 02 January 2008 at 07:58 PM