New York State of Mind.....

A disclaimer to start this entry: Chicago’s a great city. It’s livable. It’s authentic. It’s affordable as big cities go. And it’s a crucible for all things Midwest.

Having said as much, Chicago is to New York as Barney Fife is to Andy Griffith. Chicago is the amiable sidekick that is a few tacos short of a combo meal. Meanwhile, it’s abundantly apparent which metropolis wears the sheriff’s badge.

Yes, I spent last weekend in New York. And I’m currently simmering on high in a New York state of mind. Not surprising after a pulsating “bright lights, big city” weekend. Still, I think my affection for NYC is more than a momentary crush.

Chicago is a two-night town. You’re more likely to run into Sasquatch than a lively Chicago nightspot mid-week.

New York, on the other hand, is an eight-night town. When you think the week is over, another day emerges and the whirlpool sucks you back in. I need only reference my twelve hour stint at Le Souk in the East Village this past Sunday as evidence. Pulsating house music and a vibrant, attractive crowd gathered mid-afternoon, and good vibes carried hundreds of the enthusiasts (myself included) well into the morning.

And the weekend didn’t stop there. On Monday night we hit The Hudson Hotel, which hosted a 4-hour after work session with Ben Watt on the turntables (Watt is known for being half of the duo Everything but the Girl). Over 500 people showed up for the gathering, and the crowd would have gladly gyrated for another four hours had the tunes kept cranking. Apparently, there was some consideration for the hotel guests.

New York’s 24-hour “open for business” sign applies to more than its night scene. As assortment of retail stores and eateries are open around the clock. Personally, I was partial to Famous Ray's Pizza on 3rd Avenue (or was it Original Ray's?). Regardless, whether it's a food craving or a late night haircut you're after, a store will be open to service you. Rest assured, another New Yorker with the same intentions will already be in line.

Of course there is another side to the big apple’s insomnia. When you want peace and quiet, or merely an interval of solitude, it can be tough to come by. Part of the NYC contract is agreeing to cohabit with a slew of international neighbors who operate at every imaginable hour of the day (some of which will reside in very, very close proximity to you).

For many that’s a highly acceptable trade off for living in the cosmopolitan center of the universe. Yes, there’s also the requisite $1500 a month (or more) to live in a tiny apartment with an above ground tub and a kitchen that doubles as your living room. But if you can stomach that reality, the reward is a city whose style, diversity, culture, sexuality, food, and energy are found in New York and New York alone. You get glimpses elsewhere, but in aggregate, it’s New York or else.

Still, New York's cornucopia of offerings isn't enough on its own; you still need friends to share in the fun. Thanks to my good friend Jason Warth, who accompanied me on the last-minute sojourn to NYC (we bought airline tickets on Friday at 2 pm), by Monday night we'd rounded up an impressive assemblage of new friends for our dinner table. Our NYC companions wasted no time making us feel at home as we shared lurid stories of personal satisfaction and deconstruction. I can't wait to cross their paths again.

Which is another thing I fundamentally like about New York: the residents are there because they want to live in New York City. Chicago is a feeder city. Collegiate graduates from the Midwest migrate in mass to Chicago once they grab their diploma.

New York is the opposite. It’s a smorgasboard of people and personalities, most of which have very little connection to each other when they arrive in NYC. Admittedly, some New Yorkers are set in their own ways and doing their own thing. But millions of others are willing to expand their circle. They too were once a newcomer to the city which Alistair Cooke called "the biggest collection of villages in the world."

Which is all to say: New York isn’t for everyone, but it might be for me. It’s going on the list. Write it down next to Buenos Aires and Floyds Knobs as locales I’d like to call home for some period of time before the sun sets.

And if anyone can find another person with sights on those three cities (granted, the Knobs lacks certain attributes which we generally associate with “cities” – but its other advantages make up for the divergence), send them my way.

That cat and I need to grab a beer.