The pinnacle of civilization...

BY NICOLE BENHABIB

Your average laid-back Californian will say that the East Coast is nothing but cold weather and rude people. As someone born in Los Angeles who considers herself a true New Yorker, I think nothing could be further from the truth. I am forever thankful that my parents shipped me back East at age three, and let me grow up in the greatest city in the world. I do miss the sun as I trek through the city slush in February, but at least I can enjoy each of the changing seasons. The first snowfall of the year or the first really warm spring day brings me variety; plus I get the chance to try out a new wardrobe.

Let's be honest. The East Coast is a cultural Mecca. Aside from the old historical sites throughout the former colonies, New York City alone is full of intellectual and artistic opportunities. Who wants to deal with all those movie stars at Spago anyway? Everyone knows that the really cool stars return to New York whenever possible to do some real theater. As Woody Allen said in Annie Hall, the only cultural advantage of L.A. is making a right turn on red. Okay, maybe L.A. is an anomaly. As Berkeleyites never fail to insist, Northern California and Southern California are two utterly separate worlds. I'll admit it, San Francisco seems like a great town. But it is still a town, while New York is a metropolis. Just ask any foreigner where they want to go in America, and see if he's even heard of San Francisco.

The East Coast carries the mantle of American tradition, be it in the form of prep schools and the Ivy League or old money and New England stoicism. But it's not just elitist and old-fashioned; it can be a bastion of tolerance. As former mayor of New York David Dinkins said, "New York might not be a melting pot, but it is a beautiful mosaic." Not even the stuffiest New Yorker will notice your purple hair and your tongue ring.

As my Midwestern and Southern friends never fail to remind me, the most common complaint about the Northeast is rudeness. If someone on the street tells me to have a nice day, I might consider filing a police report rather than saying thanks. The fast pace of our lives means that we sometimes forget to be polite, but at least we aren't phony. Easterners can be kind--we just develop different kinds of rapports with each other. Get to know the guy at your local bagel shop or deli, and you'll feel like you live in a small town. Many individual neighborhoods or apartment buildings in the city become small communities, giving lonely New Yorkers the affection they crave.

And if you need to escape New York, just take the Merritt Parkway up here to New Haven--it sure beats those crowded California freeways.

Nicole Benhabib is a sophomore in Davenport, and can't wait for her homecoming to New York City.

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