I’m in the enviable position of living in New York’s West Village. It’s not something I take for granted. I love it here and am prepared to put up with no windows in our bathroom or kitchen, and six inches of counter space. When friends talk about the value of the real estate that they own in some far-flung place I look at them like they’re insane. When I tell them what we pay in rent, they look at me like I am. We’ve all made our choices.
This week, it’s climate week. The United Nations is in session debating progress towards its sustainable development goals, among other things. Joe Biden is in town. Volodymyr Zelensky. Everybody’s eating the big apple. On Sunday, I was walking across Sixth Avenue and saw a bunch of security guys standing by their black sports utility vehicles.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“There are foreign dignitaries in town and some of them have houses around here.”
“Ah, the U.N.,” I said. “Best of luck, gents.”
“Be safe.”
I don’t love those words as a conversation sign-off from a man wearing an earpiece. They’re too Homeland. But the rest of the week has, so far, been a lot of fun. On Sunday night I got a call from a London friend, in town on the job. He recognized my neighborhood from my Instagram account. He was standing outside my bedroom window when he phoned. It was a bit stalky but also, funny. We went on a very New York evening out. It included bumping into the writer of Four Weddings and A Funeral in an elevator. Or as my London friend insisted, “in a lift”. We saw some stand-up. Now we’re Googling “Empire State Building” on “Thursday night at sunset.” And I’m taking him to a jazz club.
Two other friends are in town and we’re having lunch today to talk about a proposal for work we’ve collaborated on. I had dinner with a client from a D.C.-based organization who was up here for a gender equity conference. I had lunch with another client whose leader addressed another conference. These in-person meetings are an opportunity to get to know the people I work with. I love to have food with people. The best clients become one’s friends and the best friends sometimes become one’s clients. We talked, these clients and I, about writing an opinion piece. They went to see John Kerry, afterwards. I like to think they told him they’d come from a meeting with Matt Davis, first. 🥸
When the name dropping is over and the expense accounts have flexed, I do believe in all the efforts here. On Tuesday night I rode up Hudson Street on a Citibike and had a random conversation with a fellow rider in town for the big hoo-ha. You never talk to strangers on the subway but I often chat with people on a Citibike. The vibes are different. He runs a nonprofit trying to inspire people about what it might be like if we fixed the climate crisis. He was inspired by the feeling of riding through the city at night, and the possibilities. I felt it, too.
But I am frustrated that our legacy will be the slow progress on the U.N.’s sustainable development goals. Britain sent Prince William in place of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who leaked news last night that he plans to roll back on the U.K.’s commitments to net-zero. My 75-year-old dad, who is concerned he won’t be able to buy a petrol-fueled car after 2030, will be pleased to hear the deadline slipping back to 2035. And he lives in Croydon, along with many swing-voters. It’s about politics.
If I were 15 right now, I’d be gearing up to run for political office on the platform that those in power are too keen to keep it. They seem less eager to use all that power to make the meaningful changes the next generation needs.
Meantime, it is nice to be at the heart of things. But as I told my friend from London, one of the things I enjoy most about living here is this. When it’s busy outside and there is a celebrity eating at the restaurant across the street, I can stay in. I can turn on the television and watch a movie in the dark with my wife. We can be calm amidst the maelstrom. It’s a lot like the calming effect most people get when they go for a walk outside in nature. All those forest noises are stimulating and soothing for your nervous system. All the cab horns and chatter and the occasional shout have the same effect on mine. I am a great believer in the importance of taking rest when you need it. Particularly when the situation starts to feel overwhelming. It is how I have learned to survive and thrive in Manhattan. I’ve always been a type-A person but this place calms me down.
I realize we are all in the middle of some very serious crises. But I am also an optimist about human beings and our ability to overcome even our hardest challenges. Now, where did I put those blackout curtains? I feel a restorative nap coming on.
Thanks for reading, as always.
