Last night I attended a farewell gathering for some fellow
Humphreyites who (much like myself) had ventured out to the policy world of Washington, D.C., fully doe-eyed and greener than
Shinnecock. Well, as a few of us have discovered, the land of 10,000 lobbyists is not nearly as satisfying a place to live as the
land of 10,000 lakes. A fellow New Englander was also in attendance and so turned to me to explain this indescribable allure of the Twin Cities and its environs. While I could come up with some concrete examples of its brilliance, I must have sounded like a blathering idiot. Cause for the most part, in my comparison between D.C. and the T.C., tangible factors did not really play into it. It's more the general "feel" of the place and the people. The general laid back vibe versus the hyper-competitive, "Let's-define-you-by-your-job" vibe. The general "It's okay for you not to shave your legs" sentiment versus "Dear, God, she's not wearing nylons" sentiment. But, there are certainly some tangibles, as well. And here they are:
- The Walker and the M.I.A. and the Weisman vs. the Smithsonians, the National Building Museum, the National Gallery of Art, etc., etc.: Now, I know what you're going to say: How can Minneapolis possibly win in the museum category? OK, well, I guess it really can't. The Building Museum is probably the most serene, exquisite, and interesting museum I've ever been to. I love to sit in the expansive hall and read -- certainly not something I'd be caught doing in the Walker. Still, for the sheer size of the city, Minneapolis' museums are quite impressive and are more than enough to keep a less than museum-savvy gal happy. And -- due to recent shake-ups at the Corcoran -- D.C. is still without a Gehry. Score one for the T.C.
- The C.C. Club vs. ??: Yeah, it's kind of sad that there is not one bar in D.C. that I feel comfortable comparing to the C.C. Club. The dog-eat-dog D.C. thang seems to preclude the existence of any truly chill bar with a good juke box that isn't some fancy new computerized beast. Whereas, C.C.'s jukebox is full of jewels. And they serve Leinie's Honeyweiss, which D.C.'s Brickskellar can't even boast. Add in the musical history of the C.C. Club (scroll down for C.C. goodness), and it's just magical.
- Metro Transit vs. Metro: OK, neither's a gem, but let's see, an hour long ride below ground vs. an hour long ride weaving your way through the Cities? I'll take the bus. Sure, D.C. also has buses, but I have heard enough horror stories to know that they are NOT reliable. AT least not in the way that I was always able to count on my 1 a.m. bus home after my shifts at Marshall Field's.
- The Twins vs. the Nationals: The Nats are certainly growing on me. And the Metrodome is one of the very few MLB stadiums that is a worse baseball venue than R.F.K. But, I will always be an American League woman. Give me whichever team provides the greater chance of my being able to see the Sox. (That's the Twins, for you baseball novices.)
- Blue Moon and Vera's and Anodyne and Hard Times and Caffeto and the Urban Bean and Pandora's and Heavenly Daze and ... vs. Starbucks and Lawson's: Please, need I say more? Sure, D.C. also has Murky Coffee, which has the right atmosphere, but the iced coffee has never impressed me. And, it's SO far away!
- The Wedge Co-op versus Takoma Park/Silver Spring Co-op: The Wedge is bigger (though I've never visited the SS branch of TPSS) and has a better selection. I do enjoy the quaintness of the Takoma Park store (the Wedge is sometimes uber-crowded), but it really can't compete. The Wedge has fancy juices and smoothies, bad-ass vegan carrot and cheesecake, and sea beans! ;-)
Other personal reasons aside, isn't it clear why one would want to move back to Minneapolis?
5 comments:
If I recall correctly, though, the Black Cat jukebox does have some Fall cd's in it.
... what about the Wizards vs. the Timberwolves?
Yes, this is true about the Black Cat. In fact, that venue is one fantastic aspect of living in D.C. I don't know how many times I've eaten their carrot and chocolate cakes pre-concert. And their multiple stages do give First Ave./7th St. a run for their money...
Wizards & T-Wolves -- I guess the T-Wolves are more exciting, but basketball doesn't ever play into my evaluation of a city. I like watching it, but I don't really care who my hometown team is.
As a Minneapolitan-cum-Washingtonian-cum-St. Paulite (or whatever the hell we call ourselves over here), I feel I can speak to this issue with some authority:
Outdoors: Chain-Of-Lakes, Mississippi River, Wirth Park, Minnehaha Falls vs. Rock Creek Park & the Mall. Twin Cities 1, DC 0.
Outdoor dining: W.A. Frost, Jax Cafe, Black Forest, Brit's vs. Perry's, Rosemary's Thyme, Busara. Draw. Twin Cities 2, DC 1.
Bookstores: Rag & Bone (oh, wait, that closed), Bound to be Read (oh, wait, that's closing), Orr, Magers & Quinn vs. Kramerbooks, Politics & Prose, Olsson's, the Daedalus catalogue outlet store (in Columbia, MD). DC wins, hands down. Twin Cities 2, DC 2.
All-night-dining: Perkins vs. The Diner. Twin Cities 2, DC 3.
"Independent" movies: Lagoon, Uptown, Edina, Oak St., Parkway vs. Visions (but did I hear that Visions closed?), AFI, that crappy Dupont Circle theater and E St. Twin Cities 3, DC 3.
Cheap movies: Riverview (!), Hopkins vs. jack shit. Twin Cities 4, DC 3.
Theater: Guthrie, Childrens Theater, Jeune Lune, all the Fringies vs. National Shakespeare Theatre. Twin Cities 5, DC 3.
Enough already. As evidenced by my move back, I prefer this town to that one. But I sure do miss Tryst and Kramers.
Anon: Yes, I did forget the whole bookstore comparison. I may be willing to cede that one to D.C., but I actually have never been a fan of Kramer's as a bookstore. It's better as a bar or restaurant. Also, Minneapolis gets a BIG bonus for having the mystery bookstore, Once Upon a Crime.
Speaking of books, though, Mpls Public Library collection is fantastically better than the D.C. Public Library collection. If I wanted to see any other movie besides "Scotland: By Train," it's to the local video store I go...
And movie theaters -- Visions did close and that Dupont Circle theater is still crappy.
I'd also like to tip my hat to the TC music scene, which has provided me with several years' worth of google- and friendster-search material. And some music, too. The problem is whether all of this can ever overpower the dark forces of:
THE WINTER
It's sad when you go home to Madison to thaw out.
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