clearance rack

I was trying to explain to some new, non-northeast friends my love of city life and how East Lansing is slowly killing me. I was coming up with all of the things that I miss about living in a large metropolitan area, and realized that I have some pretty odd reasons for loving big cities.

I miss good public transit most of all. The midwest does not understand how to do this, not even in Chicago. Everyone tries to tell me it’s because Michigan is the home of the automobile, but I think it’s because Midwesterners are too stupid to realize that decent public transit benefits everyone, as well as the environment. Even civil engineers in the midwest have no desire to talk public transit… let’s just build more roads and parking lots!

However, the weirdest thing I miss about city life is the smell eminating from a basement laundry room. You know when you’re walking along a city street, you get a nosefull of city smells (e.g., garbage, Chinese food, body odor). The smells are constantly changing, and sometimes they get pretty rank. But sometimes, you walk past a vent from a basement laundry room and you get a big whiff of fabric softener. It’s like a treat for your senses, hidden in the depths of stinky city smells. You just don’t get that same moment of joy from suburban laundry rooms or laundromats. You only experience this serendipitous occurrence walking down a busy city street or some stanky city alley - the simple pleasure of “fresh rain” momentarily whisking you away from dogshit and car exhaust.

Man, I really miss city living.