A Trip to New York and Washington DC
Just back from New York and Washington DC.
Manhattan
This wasn’t the first time, and I still like it. It remains a unique city in the US — maybe in the world.
Cars feel inconvenient here. The few Ubers we took were fine, though that may have been our route and timing, and at least we didn’t have to worry about parking. The subway is convenient and not cheap, and very stinky. So you walk. Everyone walks, and the walking is what makes the city feel alive. Food trucks, fruit stands, people moving everywhere.
Oddly enough, it is more walkable even than the European cities I have visited. The buildings are taller, so they hold more people and more business per block, and everything you want is within reach on foot.
Lots of healthy-food restaurants. Lots of people working out in Central Park, some even jogging through the streets. There is an appetite for vitality here that you can feel.
It is diverse, but that part felt less unique than I remembered from my previous visits. Other big US cities seem to be catching up.
Prices are high and housing is expensive. Not a place to retire early — but a good place to find a job or start a business in finance and investment.
It may be the densest city I know, a place where you pass strangers constantly. And because of that, no one cares much about your business — to a whole new level. It is a good place to practice being yourself and ignoring what others think.
Washington DC
DC is a deeply political city. The monuments, museums, and government buildings sit far apart and the whole thing is un-walkable. The buildings are low, so there is no shade. During the day the sun is ruthless; the evening is nicer. Police and security everywhere. I suppose lawyers, journalists, and politicians need to live here. Otherwise it is just another regular US city.
Both cities are loud at night, sirens running through the dark. Bring earplugs.
The storm home
On our last day in DC, a storm hit, and we ran around looking for shelter in flying dirt and sand.
The flight home was its own saga. The plane was too heavy for the short runway, so we were de-planed once, sent back to the terminal. Then the storm arrived and we were de-planed a second time. After nine hours of delay we had to rebook the flight out of our own pocket, plus an extra night of hotel — without our checked luggage. So I jogged out for toothbrushes and breakfast and lunch, so everyone else could stay inside and skip the sunny street, since our hats were locked away in the luggage too.
We are still sorting out the double-charged hotels and trying to wrap up the mess. But it was a great trip for the kids to see the world. Travel gives you the city, and then it gives you the story of leaving it.