Rip City

Most of the time I forget that I live in a city. Besides hearing city buses accelerate up the large hill in front of our house our neighborhood is very quiet. Joe and I have been doing a lot of walking around the hood recently and we see things like neighbors talking to each other, kids playing together, and people working in their yards . It really doesn't feel like the city life I imagined at all. Then today on my way to work I started to compare my commute to when I worked at the Rock. My commute from Madison Ave to Stockbridge was about 25 minutes. I had to drive.. yuck!.. I passed 5 gas stations.. North street in Pittsfield... strip mall Lenox.. downtown Lenox.. then there were pretty rolling hills.. Tanglewood.. Kripalu.. and finally work. It was always rushed. I was always late. Instead of enjoying the beauty I was speeding going 50 in a 30 trying to get to my desk before my boss got to his. Now my morning has a pretty set routine of email and tea. Cleaning up the clutter in the house.. feeding Alice.. I meet my bus at 8:26am every morning. Greet the bus driver and sit in the third row of seats by the window.(if someone else is sitting there I give them a dirty look) then I have about 80 blocks of relaxation. Today I tried to remember what I pass on my way to work which takes about the same 25 minutes as my old commute. I pass three laundries.. more than 6 coffee shops.. countless restaurants. From Indian to Italian.. Balkan to Thai... breakfast joints and pub food.. to one of Portland's fanciest eateries. I passed sports bars and music bars... dive bars.. and a dance clubs. Of course there are a few banks.. a bowling ally.. a movie theater.. hippie stores.. hipster stores.. a tea shop.. at least 4 convenience stores.. 2 dentists.. plus houses, apartments.. condos and buildings under construction. oh and the county election offices. I could go on but I am sure you are already bored. So then as my bus pulled into downtown and the scene changed from building not over 3 stories to high rises and I realized that yes I do live in a city.. but no.. It's not like one I have been to before.