FROM LEFT FIELD

This week's entry has a predetermined winner. But, if you stop reading now, you won't know why. So District of Columbians and Gothamists alike, take a step out of the limelight and give someone their fifteen minutes of fame. This underrated and often ignored city has stolen the crown.

Buffalo, step up to the stand.

Yes, yes, this entry has been Karl Roved. But, I am proud to say that I spent some time in the Queen City and had an amazing time. My co-workers snipped at me when I shared my weekend plans, debachaurous evenings in the Lower East Side still fresh in their memory. My DC pals thought it "bush league" that I had not spent the weekend with them, especially with traditional fall events in which I assumed the role of mayor in years past.

Here are some reasons why Buffalo was the wild card of the week.

FOOD: Everyone knows that the way to my heart is through my stomach. Buffalo was successful in winning my heart over because of their local dishes. While the food I consumed this weekend were neither delicacies nor healthy, it was the most satiated my stomach has been in a long time. Jim's on Elmwood Avenue was a late night stop that hit the spot. Not really knowing what I was being ordered, I was pleasantly surprised at both their chicken finger sub and steak sandwich. That's right...BOTH. A local bruncherie, Pano's, had a morning after solution of scramble and feta in a pita that did the job so well, it's officially called "The Fix." The one destination I had my heart set on was Bar Bill in East Aurora, where my best friend from college claims the best wings are made. Before the wing, we had a glorious appetizer of beef on weck--roast beef on kummelweck. As we had our first batch, he explained to me the art of preparing the dish that made Buffalo famous. The saucing, the deep frying and baking of each jumbo wing does not compare to the love I put into eating it. At the end of the night, my friend's statement transitioned from gospel to truth.

image from: www.theunknowshirt.com

PEOPLE: While the people in Buffalo were not the richest or most attractive, here's where they win. They've got good attitudes. Other than the two guys who had tried to fight my friend, one minute after we exchanged plesantries in the 24-hour convenience mart over our adult bevarage purchases, everyone was real friendly and positive. And who can hate that. There was the super-hyper, but adorable girl. The down to earth brother of a high school friend. And of course, the heir to a juice manufacturing empire. Totally great people.

SPORTS: Buffalo has some fanatics. I mean, where else can you find a grown man in his late 20's knitting Bills beenies the sunday before a huge Monday Night Football game, with temperatures expected to go below freezing. Or where kids would forego a Thanksgiving Feast to support their high school soccer team's attempt at a state championship. Ok, well maybe you can find that in a lot of towns across the nation. But, boy do these people love their sports.

VIBE: So life gets a bit hectic in urban areas. And being in urban areas for such a long time, you forget that life can be simple and it is an enjoyable journey. Don't get me wrong--Buffalo is not Smalltown, USA. But at the end of the day, Buffalonians know that some things are more important. Enjoying pizza and wings with a loving family. Sipping maté on a chilly sunday afternoon with friends. Walking to the local wal-mart, that's better than Walmart. Seeing a natural wonder of the world. Getting drunk and dancing on the streets of Chippewa. Connecting with your non-sister who you tell people is. That's what it's about in Buffalo. And their joie de vivre was exactly what this city boy needed after some rough weeks.

All the things Buffalo had to offer trumped the city that they've always come second to in the State and the first city of the Nation, even for just the weekend. So, kudos Buffalo. You did good kid.

But to be honest, this reign won't be long. And 80% of the reason why I really liked Buffalo was because I was with my best friend who I hadn't seen in months.

So stay tuned, and see the real cities come back to compete.

I GET AROUND

Bad Ankles. Bad Knees. BAD NEWS.

The trunk of my body has been unfortunately overworked since I was a little kid. Not only was I a hyperactive, run-till-I-drop kind of sprout, but sports and dancing have taken its toll. And as a result of living in a metropolitan area the last five years of my life, I developed a close relationship with public transportation.

This round: Washington Metro v. New York City Subway.

While both rail systems were officially birthed in the 60's, the subway has 100 years on the metro. A consolidation of multiple borough lines, the subway's age shows clearly, and at times superiority. However, the metro looks and sounds better than the subway. But, since I'm not a shallow judge-a-book-by-its-cover type of person, this argument can't be won that easily.

The subway is like an old lady. No, I am not referring to the hot flashes that so many stations suffer from year round. Or its inexplicably funny smell. More like a proud woman with years of secrets and stories, the subway has character. Its history is remarkable.; the tiles tell a story. All sorts of shoes have graced the New York City platforms--wing-tips, grunge boots, Manolos, Doc Martins, top-siders, leather sandals. The subway is like the life line of the City That Never Sleeps, since it is one of very few 24-hour rail systems in the world. Running through all the boroughs, the subway makes traveling New York City's urban sprawl managable. Like almost all of the elderly, the subway can be testy and annoying. Not only can it get crowded, but it becomes crowded with the some very miserable people--both in spirit and in, um, body spirit (yeah, BO is what I mean, especially in the summer). But some of the most fascinating people can be found underground. One of my favorite artists of all time, the Saw Lady, can be heard through the tunnels. Inspiring dance groups, solo singers, and inspirational orators provide entertainment down under. But the subway population also includes the homeless and beggars who never fail at dampening my mood.

If the subway is an old woman, then the DC Metrorail--fondly known as the metro--is a strong, dependable alpha male. With its high, brightly lit ceilings, deep escalators, organized tunnels, the metro leaves no room for mistakes and wants the world to know it. Each station's countdown timer allows you to decide whether you will run or walk to the platform. There are multiple transfer points, just in case you miss the one you planned to have. It is a financially conscious system with varying fare, letting you know exactly what your distance traveled cost. Rarely does the metro smell. But rarely does anyone take the metro late at night, preventing situations when riders can make it smell. On that note, it does not allow any solicitors or musicians which makes it boring. Sure it's safer, but it does not have characters to watch or, for some people, avoid. Yes, the metro is reliable, but its also square. Reaching into Maryland and Virginia, the capital's transit system is a reflection of its location.

Deciding between the two is a tough one, since I've had my share of moments with both. Friends have relieved themselves outside of moving subway cars, others have given me a visual of what they had while we rode the metro. Both have seen me at my worst, as well as what I can do with the poles and overhead catches. I've learned how to surf on the subway and how to properly fold a newspaper when reading on the metro.

So who wins? It comes down to the experience. While the unlimited monthly MetroCard gives me freedom to roam the urban jungle, the SmarTrip gets me to some of the most beautiful areas outside of DC (whereas the MetroCard is only valid in New York City, not the great land of New Jersey or the very warm Connecticut). And while I like striking conversation with strangers, people with strange things to say in an overly humid station are not my cup of tea. At the end of the day, I am going to give this round to the system that can give me a more pleasurable, less stressful experience. Add in convenient stops, air ventilation, and no rodents--the victor is clear. I'm sorry Saw Lady, but DC wins.

In consolation, here's a sample of the most interesting, most intense, most used subway system: Subway Drum & Dance.

P.S. Dear Red Line: Thanks.

P.P.S. Dear A/C/E: You're my favorite.

CALL TO ACTION

DUEL: \ˈdü-əl also ˈdyü-\ noun Middle English, from Medieval Latin duellum, from Old Latin, war 15th century 1: a combat between two persons ; specifically : a formal combat with weapons fought between two persons in the presence of witnesses2: a conflict between antagonistic persons, ideas, or forces ; also : a hard-fought contest between two opponents

In the same fashion of Menalaus and Paris, Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton, Pierre and Dolokhov, Lindsay Lohan and Hilary Duff, I present a duel over 200 years in the making: NEW YORK, N.Y (c. 1664) versus WASHINGTON, D.C. (c. 1790).

Fully equipped with white gloves and bludgeoning tools/pistols in hand, I've called a face-off between two worthy contemporaries. While both cities have their own personalities, in very many ways, they are cut from the same cloth. And in this blog, I want the two to jello wrestle.

Why? Simple. Out of love. I love both contenders and want to shout it from a mountaintop. And since I've got weak lungs, I've decided to scream, yell, yodel via internet. Entry after entry will weigh the merits of New York versus D.C. The Capital City versus The Big Apple. There's no hiding in this epic face-off. These two will arm wrestle over music, politics, fashion, history, infrastructure, bars, sports, media, safety, burgers, bridges, anything, everything. All for MY love and affection.

As neither the big spoon nor the little spoon in this ménage à trois, I'm caught between which one I want to face and the one I want to turn my back to.

:::flashback waves:::

This geographical indecision began when I spent the summer in Manhattan as an intern and the school year in DC as a student. Finding both experiences wonderful and enriching, I repeated this double-life pattern until I graduated this past May. While I was in New York for the summer one last time, I had come to a fork in the road where I had to choose one or the other. Since I had completed my undergrad in DC, I took the road most frequently traveled: I started my professional career in good, old Gotham. To further claim my place in the New York City sun (or what you can see of it through the pollution), I began my graduate studies at Columbia. So now I'm here for good. For three years. And boy do I miss DC.

:::flashback complete:::

Hence, this blog to pour out my conflicted heart. I will speak as authoritatively as I can during this debate, but keep in mind, my knowledge of both is comparable to that of Sarah Palin's to international relations--been around it, can see it, acknowledges its presence, but there's still SO much more to learn. This will be a learning experience for me and you.

So tune in, expect a magnanimous match up. And some cool pictures. And audience participation. Because after November 4th, you're going to be in search of a good, bloody battle.

DC versus NYC. NYC versus DC. Dukes are up. THE BATTLE BEGINS NOW.

image from: www.kcl.ac.uk