Other than a pronounced lack of Jewish delis (and for that matter, Jewish people), and the fact that Moonbeam Bob Kerrey lives there rather than shacked up in the Nebraska guv’s mansion with Debra Winger, there is no telling many of poor souls in the 212 area code about life here in O-tizzle. It’s a shame; probably 40,000 of them heard your interview today waiting in line for the Holland Tunnel for an hour.

And darling, did you have to publish the granola-noshing rantings of Captain Sprocket above? Like everything else Canadian, the warming Chinook breeze is worth .68 real winds; weather here in the O is a spectator sport with more crashes than NASCAR. Tornadoes! Hail! Thundersnow! We know, but are not impressed, that Ann Curry can get her fallopians in a nationally-televised knot when the outer boroughs get an inch and a half of slushy snow, but then again, we do not rely principally for our transportation on a quarter-million new neighbors raised in the world’s deserts.

Unless your idea of culture is eating food out of a sidewalk cart (and Omaha has two of those anyway — about 60 feet apart at the Leahy Mall) or Broadway shows — most of which are populated by 268 people wearing fanny-packs from Ord, Nebraska and look like Edna Turnblad anyway, the argument for NYC over OMA was lost about 10 years ago.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to pick up my Blue Man tix.

Luvs,

Carly

I just finished listening to you on NPR and wished I could have called in.

I drove cross country with my sister about 6 years ago, and we took 80, kindof expecting it to be boring. What a shocker when we went through Nebraska. We loved Lincoln and Omaha, finding the later to be incredulously hip. We ate at the Persian restaurant downtown, which was fantastic. And we spent a whole day shopping at a vast number of used clothing and retro stores in Lincoln.
To this day we sing the high praises of Nebraska to unbelieving ears, and tell how hard it was to make it out of the state for so many things to do and see. We often talk about taking a trip there again.

NY is addictive for a million reasons, but once you are out of its wake, you notice the virtues of other places.

Thanks for a great article.

Cheers,
Robbie A.

Another book out? I can’t wait.

Cheers,

Barbara

That said, we have had more than our share of violent crime of late, and this city is terribly segregated. But some East Coast blue blood could easily solve that.

Keep ‘em coming.

For a visitor at the height of fall colors, the midwest was a delight, and I too wondered why more people don’t flock there. After all, South Dakota has the nation’s lowest unemployment rate, and Sioux Falls in particular is a fine little city. “Winter” was the one-word answer I usually got. Apparently the winters are quite long and bleak, not much snow but lots of cold wind and gray skies. For younger people, there’s also the feeling of being “out of it” and receiving all their culture second-hand from the coasts. And for professionals, whether in arts or sciences or commerce, only a big metropolis can provide the peers and competitors necessary to know whether you’ve truly succeeded.

I live in Calgary, Alberta, and am familiar with all these anxieties. One saving grace here is proximity to the Rockies with all the opportunities for hiking, biking, climbing and skiing. Another is the warm Chinook winds that bring a temporary spring at frequent intervals throughout the winter. The biggest one is probably just that it’s Canada, with public health care and without the “culture wars.”

Anyway, I’ve lived in some fine cities — New York, Philadelphia, Toronto, Montreal (not sure if Ottawa counts) — and have no regrets about settling in flyover country 32 years ago. So thanks for the article. But next time you might give a little more weight to climate and outdoor recreation.

Regards,
Robert

p.s. There’s a bit more about my travels in the “Green Bike in the Red States” blog at http://bikecalgary.org and there may eventually be a book.

Just read your latest op ed in the NYT, October 29th. I was speechless! Living in Omaha, I saw more murders and crime on TV than in Seattle. It is the most segregated city I experienced, so much so, it decided to break the school district into 3 ethnic parts. People are nice, yes. Genuine? No. Openminded? no.

You did not mention food. the options and quality was atrocious, and it alway baffled me that a citey surrounded by corn, the corn in the supermarket was good onlyfor cattle.

Take care,

David