1. Everyone wears black. Do they have closets full of black clothing or are they wearing the same outfit repeatedly?

2. Hunter rain boots are everywhere.

3. I didn’t see a single picturesque clothesline connecting buildings. The movies lied to me.

4. We were treated with kindness by absolutely every person we met. In fact, people were eager to chat endlessly unless . . .

5. we were on a subway or elevator. Although the silence triggers Doug’s ‘get a conversation started’ reflex that makes him fun at parties, there is little talking on the metro and zero talking on elevators, even if . . .

6. the elevator reeks worse than a port-a-potty at Boomsday. Are street people denied access to public restrooms or does the power frequently go out and leave people trapped on elevators?

7. Nannies with strollers walk faster than Knoxville joggers run. They are like soldiers in a parade.

8. Times Square is as close to being inside Tron as anything I have ever seen. Don’t see it for the first time in the summer when the bugs are out, because it is jaw dropping.

9. Macy’s isn’t a store. It’s a mall. A mall that, during a snow storm, is worse than Black Friday. A mall with seriously annoyed and distracted employees except for the perfume girls. The perfume girls look and act like they are selling something more interesting than toilet water.

10. New York has absolutely amazing restaurants on every corner, but the people have supermodel legs. Great food and great bodies pretty much confirmed my idea that New York is magic.