There’s Pride in Times Square

Eric touched on something I wanted to mention:

I think a great deal of the show will be about a city’s pride and the unpleasant process of occasionally swallowing it.

OK, his point is actually much more important, but it’s related. I work in Times Square, here in New York, a fact that elicits a soft coo from anyone who’s never spent more than a few hours there. No true New Yorker spends more time than he must in Times Square, just as, apparently, no true New Orleanian waltzes through the French Quarter to hear some jazz.

Every major city has one: a district so fraught with out-of-towners that “true” locals avoid it like Antoine avoids responsibility and conjugal duty.  Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. Georgetown in Washington D.C. Faneuil Hall in Boston. The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town.  I don’t know, but assume, that Hollywood is like this in LA (perhaps WAT’s West Coast bureau can enlighten us?). A couple friends recently returned from a weekend in New Orleans, and told me the local they were staying with scoffed at their insistence to visit the French Quarter. I suppose I’d hold my nose up if a visitor wanted to see Times Square, but I’d certainly take them there, and if I’m being honest with myself, I’d admit that Times Square at night is one of mankind’s most awesome creations.

I hope we don’t spend the show beating up on the French Quarter and Bourbon Street. Steve Zahn’s clever joke (Yes, he was better in this episode!) to the maurauding cowboys was enough.

Anybody been to the French Quarter? Fun? See many NOLA natives?

Advertisement