Yesterday my sister and I had a mini adventure in NYC. I’ll be writing more about that here tomorrow, but in the meantime I’m thinking about cities and which ones are most important to me.
As an eastern Pennsylvania native, I’m lucky enough to live near three major cities: Philadelphia, New York, and Washington D.C. Growing up, this meant field trips and vacations to all three, especially the closest one–Philadelphia. If you’re wondering, the liberty bell is not all that exciting.
By the time I reached senior year in high school, DC was my favorite and since then, I’ve made sure to visit our country’s capital at least once a year.
In all fairness to rural America, I actually prefer living in the fresh country air among rolling hills. As the Alabama song says, “I was born country and country is what I’ll be” — and yet there is something about skyscrapers and masses of people that send shivers up my spine. I love the electricity in the air, the history, the promise of new, and as cliche as it sounds– the magic.
In the 1920′s, Greenwich Village was the center of New York’s literary and bohemian life and Edna St. Vincent Millay the “It” girl. She lived in a nine-foot-wide attic, wrote poetry, and was “very, very poor and very, very merry.” The first stanza of her “Recuerdo”:
We were very tired, we were very merry-
We had gone back and forth all night on the ferry.
It was bare and bright, and smelled like a stable-
But we looked into a fire, we leaned across a table,
We lay on a hill-top underneath the moon;
And the whistles kept blowing, and the dawn came soon.
In some of my most unrealistic of fantasies, I am Edna St. Vincent. I am the Mary Tyler Moore, Carrie Bradshaw, big city girl I’ve always dreamed about.
After college I moved to a small city for 4 years where I tried to live out some of my big city fantasies; walking to cafes, living in closet sized apartments, and drinking wine on rooftops. It was romantic, lonely, and perfect. Mary Oliver says there’s a big question the world throws at you every morning: “Here you are, alive. Would you like to make a comment?” As it turns out, the city is one of the best places to answer.
Everyone has a city. A city you ache for, a city that stirs up your inner glamor, your inner heartache; a city that makes you feel alive. Maybe you live in it, maybe you work in it, maybe you only visit once every few years.
What’s your city?
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I absolutely love DC – have you seen the Lincoln Memorial at night? Breathtaking. I currently live near San Francisco and growing up my family would often drive 5 hours to San Francisco since it was the closest city (and closest major airport) from my small hometown. I still go to SF often, but the weather bugs me so I could never see myself living there (it’s either chilly and foggy or it’s sunny and windy). I love the excitement and energy of any big city though. Visiting NY & Philly is definitely on my list !
Lincoln at night…perfection.
NYC! I love it all. 5th Ave, Rock Center, Central Park, Times Square. I’m a total tourist when I’m there but I don’t give a flip. I love the hustle and bustle. I live in the rural of the rural and so it all appeals to me, something different! I also love San Fran!
West coast: bucket list.
PHILLIES!
Fightin phils.
I love DC! I lived there for 5 years and I currently live in Tampa Florida, very different but I love them both.
Loved what you have to say about cities. You hit it spot on.
Pittsburgh is where I grew up, but I love NYC like it’s my hometown. Lived in Manhattan and the upper east side for thee years and now I live in the suburbs but I miss it every day.
I don’t know that I have one…I’ve only ever been to DC once and Chicago twice. Both were…OK. The only city that was close to me growing up was Cleveland and that’s not much of anything. Although parts of it were in the Avengers movie. And in A Christmas Story. But it’s not a place I have to go. I don’t think I’ve actually been there in three or four years and my parents live all of 15 minutes away.
I think I’d really like Tokyo though and its eclectic feel. One of these years, I’d like to go.
Tokyo! That would be pretty amazing.
I have two: Vancouver, where I’m from, and Sydney, where I live. At this point, I would say that both take up equal space in my heart. Isn’t it amazing how much you can love your city?
It really is. Vancouver and Sydney…that’s amazing. Would love to visit!
I haven’t traveled enough to find my city! I grew up on a farm outside of a town of 1,000 in Illinois and I loved being a country girl. Now I live outside of Pittsburgh and I think it’s a pretty awesome city.
Love Pittsburgh.
San Antonio. I fell in love there.
I guess it’s not just Virginia that’s for lovers.
Chicago! Especially at night!
Only been once. Must go again!
Toronto, for sure. It felt like home to me for a long time when we lived in Ontario. I miss it!
Must go.
Osakadelphia.
I want to go to there. – Liz Lemon
Brooklyn, NY – my home and the best place on earth.
!!!
Providence, Rhode Island….something about New England makes me feel like I am slightly in a different country. Love it.
New England! Yes. Love it.
Paris.
Must go there!
IS THAT YOU? IS THAT YOUR HAIR? (last picture)
THAT IS ME AND THAT IS MY HAIR.
Nearly 8 years ago.
Buffalo, NY! Every time I come around the lake and see the skyline, I know I’m home!
Love.
I have a special place in my heart over two cities I lived in briefly. They both come into my dreams and I have some kind of romantic notion about going back…new orleans and boston. Swoon
Why are cities so romantic? I can’t get over it.
San Francisco.
On my list.
I have two cities: Toronto, which is just outside my hometown and is where I went to college; and Portland. I have family that lives in Washington state, about a 20 minute drive from downtown. That city just gets me. The food, the shopping, the vibe. No better feeling.
Bags are packed…
San Diego.
In some ways, San Diego makes me roll my eyes – it’s kind of a body town, a bit self-absorbed, not at all walkable.
But it’s so warm and beachy and wonderful. Oh man.
I’m sold.
Chicago and Toronto!
I keep seeing these two! Must go.
I spent a summer interning in D.C. When I first took the internship, I thought I’d move back as soon as I graduated. It turns out, I much prefer fresh air and mountain living to city life. While I loved the free museums, the monuments, and shopping at Eastern Market, I often found myself wanting to escape to do things like go tubing down the Shenandoah River in Northern Virginia.
I agree. I like to keep cities at the same distance as I do my parents– a novelty and always happy to see them.
Sydney! Dear God I Love Sydney. *s*
Looks beautiful.
WE LOVE Paris and wish we could go back at least once a year but those damn airline tickets are so high. It definitely is a change of pace from the small town in SC where we live.
I too love DC but have only been there in the winter. I know the Spring time would be beautiful with all of the Cherry Blossoms.
Cherry Blossoms are a must see. I must get myself to Paris.
Favorite “small” city – Boston
Favorite “big” city – London
Although I live 45 minutes outside of Philadelphia, I really love any city I have been to, each for a different reason.
Agreed.
Such a good question! For better or worse, New York is my home. It drives me crazy and then romances me right back, it’s the bad relationship I just can’t end because despite the low lows, the highs are so very high. I’ve flown in and out of LaGuardia my whole life, and the first sighting of the skyline on the flight home still takes my breathe away. Oh New York, I just can’t quit you.
Glad you had a fun visit!
Love it.
I’m a day late to this party, but I just want to say Los Angeles. I skimmed the comments and no one else said it which proves I am crazy, but I love it. I love the traffic, the smog, the graffiti. . . I love the feeling you get when your plane is landing and they inform you the temperature is 72 degrees. . . in DECEMBER. And at that moment you know you’re home.
You are never late to parties over here. I would love to go to LA…it’s next on my list!
I’m a huge Chicago lover! I’m only a hop away from it living in Milwaukee so it’s the perfect day trip for me!
xoxo
Erin
peacelovedecor.com
Must explore that place soon.
San Francisco is pretty sweet and it’s close to me. But nothing beats NYC. I would love to see Chicago, but I have more adventures planned for NYC…
Yes!
Before this summer, I would have said DC. Now, after living in NYC for a few months, every other city I’ve lived in or visited (and there are a lot of them) is a quaint imitation in my mind. Obviously that’s not fair to any of those cities; they’re not actually trying to be New York, and I really love each of them in their own way. They don’t deserve to be compared. But New York really does have a special kind of magic for me.
That said, I do suspect I’ll always feel especially attached to little old Lancaster.
Lancaster for life! :)
I loved this post! I’ve never thought of that before, but it’s true. We all have a city. I think DC is mine. I love the bustle of it, the city feel, but I also love the calm, relaxed feel of sitting under a tree on the Mall. I wrote about it here: http://witandspice.wordpress.com/2012/07/06/washington-dc-part-i/
Thanks for posting this. I had a great time reading through the comments and discovering other people’s cities.
First, I am a fairly new blog reader and I LOVE your blog. I’m not a Mom, but I have sent some of your blog posts to my Mom friends, and they find you both hilarious and refreshingly honest (my friend Noelle had to order cases of those things you sit on, from Amazon, after her labor). I found your blog on a link from another blog and, to be honest, I’m a huge Motley Crue fan haha, I thought your blog related. Anyway, I’m rambling, great blog keep it up, you keep me entertained at work. I am from right outside of Philly and I live in the city now….but San Francisco is MAGICAL, I am convinced fairies live in Napa Valley…also New Orleans…it feels haunted, but in a good way, if that makes sense….however, the most electric-in-the-air city I have ever been to….Vegas Baby, Vegas. I have been 3 times and it never gets even an iota less exciting.
WELCOME.
I must visit these cities. Never been to the west coast. I know it’s a travesty.