Yes, people who have asked, even for someone who has spent the past decade or so circling the world, 2 days a week in DC and the rest in NYC is a culture shock. (These are general observations, not workplace observations).
1. 5:30 am
New York: Cycling in Central Park
DC: Running the National Mall (Lincoln Memorial to Capitol Building)
2. People
New York: Friendly, but direct and real.
DC: Best buddies, the second you meet them, but with the menacing undercurrent that it’s a small town and that can change fast.
3. Swagger
New York: Bankers
DC: Wonks (or wannabe wonks – there’s the college intern clique, the House clique, the Georgetown clique, the Senate clique, the Judiciary clique, the Executive branch clique …)
4. Summer Weather
New York: Oddly pleasant, with occasional hot days and a month of humidity. We complain anyway (but less this year out of gratitude for the end of this past winter)
DC: It’s the south – an immediate reminder upon stepping out of the air-conditioned airport with doors dripping on the inside with condensation to the outside, where one needs a fork, knife and blender to soften the air to breathable levels.
5. Tourists
New York: “Where’s the Statue of Liberty”? (it’s all the way downtown)
DC: “Where’s the White House” (turn around and walk 30 paces)
6. Small Talk
New York: Yankees, celebrities, strange sights and smells in the city
DC: Idle questions about where you’re from and if you’ve been to Washington before, or “There’s that new coffee place, just came into town, “Pete’s? Peat’s? Peets! that’s it” or “What’s it going to be like when Excelon buys Pepco (the local power company?)”
7. Food
New York: Street cart, deli, chain restaurant, seamless or chef restaurant?
DC: Power lunch or Subway?
8. City Management
New York: Rats, garbage, bugs, broken streets, potholes the size of a Greyhound (the bus, not the dog). Don’t say anything about it or you’ll be cussed out by the garbage collector, street worker, landlord, building owner, or restaurant next door. (except for the DOE Fund guys — love ’em — they’re the best)
DC: Spic and span. Nice roads (though jammed with traffic), people act like members of the rebellion if they walk while the walk sign is red.
9. Traffic
New York: A mess going cross town above 34th, but not too bad on the avenues
DC: An inexplicably snarled mess pretty much all the time.
10. Public Transportation
New York: Disgusting, but gets the job done.
DC: Like going to an amusement park with big nice stations, cute little trains, efficient buses and general cleanliness.
So those my friends are a few of the reasons why New York continues to be the greatest city in the world. If you don’t quite get why after seeing it written out, you’re probably not a New Yorker.
