A cultural geography lesson...

Regional pride is not a terribly new concept for me. Stick enough people in the most godforsaken place on earth and eventually someone will come up with a Barren Wasteland Pride bumper sticker. That being said it's amusing to see how people think their preferred area stacks up against other places.

Last week Lisa brought up something about fashion (to be honest I don't recall the context of the conversation), but she said that Harlem, where she grew up, is the fashion capital of the world. Now did I miss a memo stating that this title had been taken away from Paris? Are the French now strolling past cafes and the Jardin Du Luxembourg in terrycloth sweatsuits? Popping down to the bakery for freshly baked baguettes in pajama pants and ratty t-shirts? This is a bit of an ironic statement from a woman whose idea of her outfit matching is every piece of it being the exact same hue.

She also insisted that people travel from all over the world to visit Harlem. My first thought was "is she serious?" The last I checked Harlem isn't filled with fields of butterflies and happy bunnies dancing on rainbows. Supposedly some areas are getting quite nice, but non New Yorkers still hear Harlem and think violence, muggings and crime. The tourists stick to Times Square, Central Park and all the other points of interest. There might be a few bizarre individuals out there who consider a good old fashion mugging part of the New York experience, but I don't think it's likely.