The City.

I like Gotham. Sometimes I wish that I had gone down to NYC to live for a couple of years before settling in the 'Middle of Nowhere'. I can't see wanting to live my whole life there, but I understand the draw for friends of mine who can't imagine living anywhere else. Regardless, I would have never been a Yankees fan. Mets- perhaps. Yankees- hells no.

Traveling to The City from RI is pretty nice. Taking the car is stupid- the effort, traffic, burning of fuels, parking costs... No thank you. Taking a plane? Granted the flight is only a half hour, but you need to get to the airport two hours prior, they gate check all your bags for the little planes, a much larger amount of burnt fuel, and the cab ride to Manhattan from the airport which takes forever and is $50 each way. The best route? The train- by far. $20 more gets you in business class on the Amtrak service where you have a ton of room, less people, and all the cran-apple juice you can drink for free! Okay- so the juice thing does not make it worth while, but having a lot of space to yourself is pretty key. So long as they do not combine trains in New Haven and screw you out of your peace and quiet. Grrrr...

The ride from Kingston station south takes me across the Wood River, which always brings back fond memories of FARTAB's past. Making me think more about goofing off than the long work days ahead. Once you clear Westerly, you hug the CT coast and have great views of the sound, beaches, salt water marshes, beautiful houses and sailboats at the marinas. Just sit on the left side of the train on the way down, and the right side on the way North.

If you leave at the right time you also get a nice sunset to watch while shuffling your work papers.


(Okay- so the scenery in this particular picture is not that great... Think of it as a contemporary juxtaposition of the natural world with man's desire to reshape the landscape. Or something that sounds even more hoity-toity.)

Train takes you straight into Penn Station at MSG which is a pretty central location to most things south of Central Park. (And also two blocks away from Kang Suh - Broadway between 31st and 32nd- where great Korean BBQ can be had)

Speaking of Central Park, there is a reason why it is wonderful. I mean- the value of that real estate is unfathomable in a time where single buildings downtown are selling for a billion plus. But the value to New Yorkers (and the value to those whose property borders Central Park) keeps it as a little green oasis where one can be mugged if not careful at night and enjoy physical activity in the outdoors in the heart of The City during the day. I keep hoping to meet some of the mountian bikers who use the park to get an idea of their loop. I know that they ride there...

And well- seeing as the site is not letting me add anymore pictures, I guess I will have to do it later to illustrate my point...