Well, we're back. This time, we've returned from a trip to NYC for my official graduation from Columbia. Pictures of that are over here, and further thoughts are on Paideia's Closet (link left).
As you can see above, both New York (Riverside Park, top) and Wisconsin (County Route A between Oshkosh and Neenah, bottom) are now gloriously green and all leafed out. In Wisconsin, when we pass farms we can see crops starting to grow, just a few inches off the ground. Farmers Markets can't be far behind!
New York is gloriously green.... if you are in one of the parks, of course, or on a college campus. Wisconsin is just green everywhere, even in our "downtown" location, with its nice big sky.
Both places have their delectable local fish cuisine: smoked in New York (finally, really good lox!) and decadently fried here in the Badger State. In New York, however, we finally had good (still-Americanized-but-vastly-better) Chinese food again, at our old fave local place, Columbia Cottage.
Oshkosh has Lake Winnebago and the Upper West Side has the Hudson River.
New York has traffic. Oshkosh does not!
New York has everything you could possibly need within walking distance. Plus the subway. Oshkosh has its own adorable public buses (until 6 pm).
Really, it's not about comparisons...both places have enormous benefits and costs. But it's always interesting seeing them in relief next to each other.
Below, a bit of Manhattan granite. This is a rock in Riverside Park right near where Maccabee grew up (and where we lived for one year), the site of many previous climbing expeditions. (You can also see a pic of Maccabee in situ). I love New York's giant rocks in the city's many parks-- they were my favorite thing in Central Park when I was little. In Ft. Tryon park the granite would glitter in the sunlight. When we left nyc, one of our going-away presents from some very dear old friends was a small piece of "Manhattan schism."
