New York City stinks, and I mean that in only the most literal sense.
Garbage. Grease. Exhaust fumes. It's always a great treat the one or two times a year I just happen to walk by a Bay Ridge home with a yard the size of a postage stamp at the exact right time -- just after the grass is mowed and I get a whiff of the closest thing we've got to country air.
New Yorkers do, however, have another more common respite from the assaults on their noses. Many bodegas and corner stores line bouquets of flowers for sale along the sidewalk, tempting passersby with their bright colors and sweet smells. I've gotten only one -- as a gift from one of Paul's friends when he came to our Midwestern-themed party in February -- and it lasted a surprisingly long time. By carefully trimming the stems, changing the water and throwing out the wilted blooms, the bouquet lasted at least a week.
No one's going to mistake New York for a greenhouse, unless, that is, you're referring to the sweltering summertime heat. But a quick whiff of something nice on the streets of Manhattan is rare to come by and much appreciated.
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