I Devoutly Believe in an Urban Future
Let me tell you about the first time I visited Manhattan, just a few years ago. Doing a day trip had been on my mind for a while. Since my family was visiting my grandad in the Philly area, my dad and I decided to take that opportunity. Two round-trip Amtrak tickets later, and we got to spend the better part of a day just casually walking around a good chunk of Midtown. Admittedly, it was cold and overcast, and we didn’t go that far. But when I walked out of Penn Station, I didn’t feel a tourist’s sense of awe. I felt like I had lived there for years; I felt like I was truly in my element.
These emotions came back during a gaming exhibition I attended this past weekend. Split into two halls, one for video games and the other for tabletops, it was generally good if nothing else. But for the hours I spent there, I again felt like I was in my element. For a few solid hours, I could forget about whatever problems awaited me back home. In that time, I could enjoy the possibility of living in a bright and hopeful future.
I remember these things even though these emotions are not new. Or more accurately, they repeat and rhyme. I felt similar feelings when seeing the other great urban areas I’ve visited. New York, Boston, Washington, London, Paris, Rome, Philadelphia, Providence, Pittsburgh… the list goes on. It generally seems like I’m happy with any place…
