Maunder

One of the biggest changes in my life since moving is the amount of walking I now do.

The greater New York City area is far too crowded to even consider owning a car. Half the time it's too crowded for proper business or living spaces. I'm not suprised to see thin railroad apartments, but eating in little diners or restaurants in some of the less-popular neighborhoods is like being in a parody of the city.

I think I'm just too used to having a wide open space. Plenty of grassland, plenty of living space, huge restaurant dining rooms, and plenty of nothing to do.

Since I am without my favorite luxury, a car, I walk pretty much everywhere. I walk probably three times as much as I do when I am home. When I lived at home I would drive to a grocery store that was 6 blocks away. Now I walk nearly thirty blocks to go visit friends at work.

There is something about the city that makes you keep walking. Dodging flyer venders, looking at misspelled signs, listening to other people's conversations, and the occasional hobo flipout keep it interesting. Any place else is just tedium.

Walking about aimlessly helps me learn my way around. I start to connect subway stops and neighborhoods in my brain map. I still manage to get myself lost though. But in getting lost, i get to discover new places in the city and broaden my scope. I'm a little nervous about getting lost at night though, because I am afraid of muggers, rapists, and werewolves.

One thing that makes walking in the city a lot easier is the ubiquity of Duane Reade. Otherwise, I don't know where I could buy a vial of bayer aspirin and a Snapple lemonade to help cure both my sore legs and my thirsty throat.

I'm not a fan of the subway. It locks you in and jams you next to a bunch of inexplicably smelly strangers. Especially on the express trains. The same trains that usually land you in the middle of a mariachi band gig or makes you the market for the hobo sandwich salesman. Plus, being kooked up in a stuffy, rickety train can make you very ill if you are hung over. If you are hung over on the train, just get out into the fresh air, go to a Duane Reade, and buy some Bayer and a Sprite. Best hangover cure ever.