last night, as friends chicharamboni and unusual suspect went to the home of the oldest 26-year-old in the world to play with his dogs, i was stuck in the tundra of my office writing letters to 60-year-old meat-punching celebrities. not as wildly exciting as it sounds, believe me.anyway, to treat myself, when i got back to my 2-by-2 foot apartment i packed a delicious picnic to enjoy with a book (middlesex) in rittenhouse square, as extolled by unusual suspect here. as i ate my farfalle-tomato-mozzerella-cilantro salad concoction (i know, cilantro was an unusual choice but i had no basil) and read my book on hermaphrodites, i was constantly distracted by the folks that frequent the square. bike couriers with big dogs and bigger tattoos, ladies who lunch with little dogs and big botox addictions, horny homeless men/horny old men (sometimes i'm not sure which is which), trash can bands and breakdancers, black-glasses-framed art students and more.
i find it strange that of the five original squares in william penn's plan for a greene countrie town, rittenhouse is the most diverse. city hall is filled with criminals (the politicians) and the people getting tried for crimes in that center square. franklin square used to house the homeless, but will now attract tourist families in search of mini golf and soft pretzels. logan square (circle) is a pass-through for business suits, people walking to the art museum, and some lucky youths who like to swim in the fountain. washington square is home to its quiet and genteel residents, plus anyone who stumbles out of old city on their way to a starr restaurant--any starr restaurant will do.
but rittenhouse, in the heart of one of the most desirable neighborhoods in america, is so great because it is so diverse. it's NOT just the ladies who lunch with their annoying dogs. it's not just men with pinkie rings. it's not just penn students or prostitutes or business suits on their lunchbreak. it's everyone and it is so NOT unpretty.
that's my love song for the day. goodbye.
3 comments:
Beautifully written, I have a secret obsession with Rittenhouse Sqaure.
dido, i love thee, old park.
since you made fun of havehearted, i will make fun of dido. are you writing to the singer who wants to thank us, or trying to say "ditto" as in, "I agree" ??
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