Mike Pilewski writes about life, politics and culture in the United States
I’ve often complained about the Philadelphia airport. It was designed for air travelers of a different age, and for far fewer of them — maybe a third of the people who use it now. The path that an international traveler must take to get from customs to security, then to the gate, is labyrinthine and poorly ventilated. Lines were long, … >>
Last week’s column was about designing cities of the future that would meet all the needs of their residents. But what about the cities of today? What do you do with a city that’s, say, 300 years old, that represents an important time in history, and that wants to be a modern place where people enjoy living? Philadelphia is an … >>
Regular readers of this column will know that I don’t like to revisit a topic — at least not right away. I like to give you something new every week. However, I can’t let this one go, because I’ve told only two thirds of the story. The cities of England (in reality) and the city of San Francisco (in fiction) … >>
“Hi,” said the man as he walked up to me. I didn’t think I knew him, but I said hello back. “I just wanted to let you know how I’m doing,” he said. Well, that’s considerate, I thought. The Philadelphia airport, where we were standing, is the epitome of discomfort and inconvenience, so the passengers often try to be friendly … >>
Some Americans who live on the coasts, or travel between them, refer to the middle part of their continent as “flyover country”. The states where most of the farming and mining take place aren’t, in their view, worth seeing from the ground. Last week we learned that Minneapolis, Minnesota, definitely belongs to flyover country. A Northwest Airlines plane to that … >>