New York

“Sand barge coming up to starboard, time to tack,” Skipper Steven calls out to Abby. We continue to lounge as the designated deck lizards while they do all the work. Clouds give way to sunshine as a welcome change from the rain and gloom from the first few nights. The next day, we met up with new cruise friends Susan and Denise and had a spectacular day circumnavigating Manhattan from a boat.

High energy, brass band soul music percolated through our veins at Blue Note the night before. Fabulous Michelin meals, strong coffee, and sore feet ensure we don’t forget where we are. Neither do the astronomically high prices all around. Having been to 40 cities this year, we are pleased to recognize how The Big Apple stands out. People really love this city. The High Line is an example of successful community organizing leading to valuable preservation. Fancy new riverfront “beach” parks and elevated artificial islands provide rest and green space to relax. What if we all invested as much sweat into caring for and enjoying our own cities? Do we really love where we’re from the same way?

We wrapped up our last evening watching a favorite film, Interstellar, from a mid-town rooftop theater with Mark and Anna. After 1:00 am, we hop on the subway back downtown. Even in Tokyo, transit would have stopped by then. With each ride, we see peak urbanism at its best in the US. While at times full of grime, the system does function remarkably well. But NYC is in a precarious place. We see parallels with Seattle. Residents are upset, fleeing in some cases, as violent crime soars, housing affordability plummets, and wasteful spending on never-ending construction projects that don’t yield benefits interfere with daily life. Maybe everyone will just end up in Brooklyn. Maybe we should just move to Bali.Baca selengkapnya