Archived Edition of Chromatic Musings

I love DC in the springtime

I love DC this time of year. The weather is almost perfect; just the right amount of heat, a nice breeze to keep things cool and the nights and days have a good amount of balance to them. The tourists haven't yet overrun the place, so you can still make your way around without resorting to bodily threats.

When I first moved here, I didn't like the city. At all. In fact, I went way out of my way to avoid setting foot over the border. After a while, I started to go in from time to time, but I didn't make a habit of it. Then, as I was driving up to a bookstore to listen to an author talk about his book, I realized that I was starting to like the city, that it really had a beauty to it.

Since then, I've pretty much started an out and out love affair for the city. I really like living here. Of all the cities that I have been to in the US, I like returning to my home. NYC has the tall buildings that careen the heavens, SF has the hills, the Bay and cable cars, Philly has some of the best Italian food I've ever eaten, Miami's got beach and scene and LA is all show, glitz and sparkle, but nothing's quite like DC.

This is one of the greenest cities that I know of; there are parks everywhere, Rock Creek winds it's way through the heart of the city (yeah, I know, Central Park is bigger, but it's all in one spot. Rock Creek connects one half of the city like an artery). There are trees and gardens everywhere you look, softening any rough edges that might be around.

There are people from every walk of life and every place in the world. Not hyperbolé -- I'm pretty darn sure that every country in the world has some number of people here (in the embassies, if nothing else). I know that I've personally met people from probably at least a quarter of the recognized countries of the world. Even when I was in college, I didn't meet this broad a spectrum of people. For a guy like me who likes drinking in new cultures and new musical styles, this is nearly heaven.

There aren't a whole of of places where a white guy from the mountains of Appalachia play Latin music with two Persian guys? And then break for Ethiopian food? (Yes, I know that there are other places, but you get my point.)

There is so much to do in this city, too. I try to take a few days off each year just to go to some of the offerings. Not the major ones -- everyone who wanders through here goes to the Smithsonians, but there are a whole host of other places of a similar ilk -- the Holocaust Museum, the opera, film festivals, just to name a few.

I know that this isn't the biggest media market in the nation (NYC and LA have that honor), but DC doesn't do all that badly. With few exceptions, we pretty much get all of the major acts through here, and most of the not-so-major ones, too. Even when someone's only going to be in NYC, it's a short train ride up there. A trade I'm more than willing to make.

If you live here, you probably know what I mean already. If you don't live here, drop by sometime for a visit -- you won't regret it.

Posted by Casper at April 18, 2004 11:39 PM