Ex Bibliotheca

The life and times of Zack Weinberg.

Friday, 21 November 2003

# 6:30 PM (GMT-5)

So here I am in Manhattan, which is deeply familiar. I'm writing this in Madison Square Park, not very far from the Flatiron Building. On first glance, it seems hardly anything has changed since 1999. Especially the area around Columbia University, and the campus itself, are just as they were: same sorts of faces, same little restaurants, same old brick and copper buildings. Elsewhere, again, same sorts of faces, same bustling streets, same architecture.

Looking harder, one sees cosmetic changes. The MTA is engaged in a huge project to replace all the tile in all the subway stations. They are keeping the 1920s-era mosaic station names intact, which is a relief. On the surface, there are a lot more American flags in evidence than there used to be: appliquéd to the sides of trucks and buses, hung up in office lobbies, and so on.

Mainly I've been visiting old friends. They are the same people that they were. Some have moved into new digs, some have new jobs, some are out of a job, life goes on.

Yesterday I got to say hello to one of my old professors, Dr. Allan Blaer of the Physics department. He tells me that the new president of the university is full of plans to expand the campus with a new complex of buildings at 133rd and Broadway. There would be a distressingly large gap between this and the existing campus, which ends at 120th, but if it means they can tear down the hideous business-school building, I am all for it.