Big Apple

(Approximation)

Me: Why do the subways here always smell like vomit?
C (not a New Yorker): Cause you don't piss in them enough.

So, I'm sure I'm the ten millionth person to mention this, but the subways, lovely as they are for someone like me who hates driving, kind of reek. I've yet to actually see any human excretions puddled up anywhere, but my nose is pretty certain they're around somewhere.

I am less impressed with New York fashion than I thought I would be. Yes, it's about 10 million steps above D.C., but that's because D.C. is the most fashion-conservative city anywhere. It makes, I dunno, rural Alabama, look positively hip. Anyway, here in NY, there's definitely more variety, and there's a lot more casual approach to things--it really frees you up if you don't have to wear a suit or something like it everyday--but the only things I've really noticed are that guys sport a more scraggly hipster look compared to D.C.'s typical junior prof/journo-geek thing, girls tend to better color coordinate their coats (the day after it snowed they all wore big white coats), and girls seem to do a much better job with boots here--especially the brown boots/black top thing.

This is not to say I haven't seen some very spiff looking members of both sexes, but they're a lot more rare than I was led to believe. People just kind of look and dress like people, you know?

Addendum: The Politico disagrees with me about D.C. And yeah, D.C.'s glamour elite are slowly becoming more noticed, and may even be growing. But the rank and file, even amongst the semi-hip younger people, are still a lot less fashion-forward than in other cities (which is kind of par for the course for a city built on government policy intellect and wonkery).