2290)
Q. A friend is thinking of moving from the city to the suburbs. As someone who grew up in the 'burbs and came to the city, what do you say to that?

A. [from Eric Bogosian] What do you think you're going to do? How do you think you're going to spend your time? How often do you think you'll actually be outside of the car when you're outside of the house? Do you think you'll ever walk again? I walk way more in the city than you ever will - it's no wonder heart disease on such a rise. The only time you'll interact with other people is at the supermarket. You won't have any other human relationships. People who live in the suburbs think the city is a dangerous place, but the city is full of established values about community that don't exist in the suburbs.

Q. So...?

A. Don't do it!

Eric Bogosian
"Questions for: Eric Bogosian"
New York Times Magazine (2/2/1997)

2291) From the time of Tocqueville, foreign-born observers of America have warned against the adulation of state governments. It does no good. Against all the evidence, Americans want to believe that Washington is a hellhole but Albany is not.

Michael Elliot
"The Ties That Band" in
New York Times Book Review (2/23/1997)
[review of The New Golden Rule
by Amitai Etzioni]