Rollin' deep in the heart of the I.E. through the gnarled concrete arteries of 60+10+91 east to neon sunsets and Naugles, Taco Tia, the Mad/Friendly/Happy or Lucky Greek,The Menagerie, Spanky's, Butch's Grinders, The Denny's Cocktail Lounge at Hardman Center (in pace requiescat). We spell Paris P-E-R-R-I-S, bitches!

10.04.2007

Devil in the "Details"

I woke up this morning to Ben Affleck's face on my doorstep. Another sign of the apocalypse. And another sign that it's time to get crackin' on finishing (or starting to finish) Relocations. This month's issue of "Details" unfurled to reveal not only Ben's "serious face" and dewey chin-dimple, but a teaser headline about "Why the Suburbs are Cooler than Downtown" (?!?!?!?) Talk about zeitgeist. Or is this just more proof that The Secret works? Anyway, I could rant ad nauseum about why the article is lame and why the idea of a "cool style culture" relocating to the 'burbs is totally NOT what I'm saying in my project. People always assume.

But then I'd have to explain why I subscribe to Details in the first place. (Note to self: consider cutting wispy man-bangs off this week). In the meantime, check out the Details guide to the "hottest 'burbs" below. I'm sad/glad to see that the I.E. is nowhere to be found on the list.

FR. DETAILS, November 2007

THE CITY: CHICAGO
THE ESCAPE: NAPERVILLE
Naperville, 30 miles west of Chicago, has the character—innovative restaurants, independent shops, fairs and festivals—that the city has started to lose.

THE CITY: LOS ANGELES
THE ESCAPE: MONTROSE
Set in the foothills of the San Gabriel and Verdugo mountains, Montrose is just 20 minutes by car from downtown L.A. It feels more like a small town than a suburb—albeit one with a nationally recognized wine and cheese shop, Goudas & Vines.

THE CITY: NEW YORK
THE ESCAPE: COLD SPRING
An hour from Grand Central on the Metro-North railroad, Cold Spring has panoramic views of the Hudson River, good restaurants, downshifting creative types from the city, and proximity to the vibrant art scene of Beacon.

THE CITY: SAN FRANCISCO
THE ESCAPE: MILL VALLEY
Mill Valley: Across the Golden Gate, 10 minutes north of San Francisco, you’ll find a renowned farmer’s market, outdoor tai chi classes, redwoods, and canyons—and not a Gap store in sight.

THE CITY: WASHINGTON, D.C.
THE ESCAPE: TAKOMA PARK, MARYLAND
Takoma Park, Maryland, one of Washington’s first suburbs, is more affordable than other neighborhoods and has a great variety of restaurants. It’s a little crunchy, but it’s hard to argue with the well-regarded schools and impressive music and arts festivals.

THE CITY: BOSTON
THE ESCAPE: WALTHAM
Twenty minutes west of Boston, Waltham is home to Brandeis University and has the sophistication of a college town without Boston’s hordes of overserved undergraduates. The restaurants around Moody Street provide city-quality offerings.

2 comments:

Tavia said...

I will make a research trip to Cold Spring to verify reports of the existence there of a 'cool style culture.' More soon.

A.Writer said...

Oh snap. I lived in Waltham. I even got arrested there. The old college-prank gone bad routine. And yes, I even went to Brandeis. It's where I learned first hand that there's this thing called Arab/Israeli conflict going down.
And just think. I saw Beck AND Janes Addiction concerts in the 'Deis auditorium. Anyway, great school...crappy town. Moody street, as they say on the streets of Compton , CA is not the business.