flâneur

America and Europe Are Equally Poor

palladiummag.com · 2,810 words · saved by 1 readers

“Honey, don’t worry,” I said, reassuring myself as much as her. “I see a big crowd up ahead. It’ll be fine.” We were wandering down Market Street in San Francisco, after sundown. Despite the towering buildings looming over us, designed to host tens of thousands of people, the streets were quiet and empty. Except, of course, for the shadowy figure shuffling around without direction on the other side of the street, and the occasional and deeply unnerving scream. There is no shortage of anecdotes about Americans who visit Europe for the first time and are shocked to discover streets that are safe at night, food that is tastier yet healthier, and large cities that are nonetheless beautiful and walkable. The reverse is much rarer, if only because true Europeans don’t write about their experiences on the internet in English. As a dual European-American citizen from birth, I have spent roughly half my life in North America and half in Europe, so neither continent is capable of giving me cultu

Gabriella Clare Marino/Tourists and locals mingle at sunset in Giardino degli Aranci in Rome, Italy “Honey, don’t worry,” I said, reassuring myself as much as her. “I see a big crowd up ahead. It’ll be fine.” We were wandering down Market Street in San Francisco, after sundown. Despite the towering buildings looming over us, designed to host tens of thousands of people, the streets were quiet and empty. Except, of course, for the shadowy figure shuffling around without direction on the other side of the street, and the occasional and deeply unnerving scream. There is no shortage of anecdotes a

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