My 5 Favorite Places (2004-2005)
Submitted by Arbit on Sun, 07/24/2005 - 10:56
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- 5. Boston, Massachusetts (except Cambridge): Something about Boston just tickles me, probably because it is so radically different than where I was raised. The distinct accents, the loud culture, the less-efficient-yet-more-entertaining subway rides. Just fun...exotic for me, or as exotic as a mainland American city can possibly be. I don't care for Cambridge because it takes itself a little too seriously, and I've run into a few too many pretentious Harvard students who are a bit too willing to pronounce their superiority...I do like MIT kids.
- 4. Santa Fe, New Mexico: It's hard to put my home on the list, but at the same time, I can't ignore how unique and interesting it is. The museums, architecture, blending of social classes and beliefs. Advantages and disadvantages to knowing lots of people, but I won't detail and bore by writing too much about the trivial points of my social life.
- 3. Dartmouth College (Hanover, New Hampshire): Something is charming about Hanover. It seems so pretty and quiet, and reminds me of one of those few unspoiled small American towns that don't really exist anymore. The buildings of the college itself are quite beautiful, and while I was on campus I had a few moments where I sincerely wished I had enrolled just for the environment. The ridiculous emphasis on fraternities and the complete lack of life in the town after 8pm were the my main issues with the place (my friends and I ended up eating at a gas station, because nothing else was open).
- 2. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City): I love history, I love art, and I adore the ambiance of the layout and attention to the beauty of every corner and section of the museum. I've never been much for crowds, but when it becomes overwhelming, slipping to any section dealing with the southern hemisphere normally results in solitude. I always vow I will spend a whole week there before I head back for summer, yet the opportunity never presents itself. Next year...next year
- 1. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library (New Haven, Connecticut): Once more the 'history nerd' part of me comes out. It's hard not to be enthralled by everything the depository holds, and just the scholarly feel it exudes. The display sections are always updated and interesting, and it's also enjoyable to just watch people as they look at the Gutenberg. Everything from the architecture to the people who work there makes me happy, and thus it wins.
I don't travel much, being from somewhere in the vague category of middle class, and spending most of time in college. I still decided to compose this list, simply to remind me of some of the more interesting times and places I've visited in this, the year of limited mobility.