NYC Winter Wonderland...

NYC in winter...  is only about 30% of what it is in the movies. It's beautiful, no doubt. The decorations and lights are intricate and lovely. The window fronts are festive. And the big, wet snowflakes are delightful.

But let's talk for 2 seconds about what you don't get in the movies. The smell. Wool coats, fleece accessories, jeans, shoes, socks, unwashed hair and bodies... plus wetness. I've heard people complain about the subway in the summer... but it's NOTHING compared to the damp smells in the winter. The homeless have fewer outdoor options and it drives them into the subway.

You know that if you see a half empty subway car in rush hour, it's not your lucky day. It's probably a smell. And I don't mean the discomfort of a stale fart or someone who is steeped in 25 years of 2-packs a day secondhand smoke. I mean... you get in and immediately your eyes water. Smells you have never smelled before - Every type of rare body cheese and fungi, wet socks, feet, hair & the wafting of concentrated trash, urine and feces. And you will see the unfortunate, probably mentally unstable, homeless person sorting their newspapers or sprawled across a bench getting a nice $2.50 nap.

My "Oh GROSS!" reaction can last up to half the train ride before I remember that there's a person in there that lives with that 24 hours a day and really, finding a place to stay warm, something to eat, a little change to get into the subway is of absolute importance. That person still has feelings and no body enjoys being the smelly kid.

In all frankness, the subway is the culmination of all things gross here. Above ground it's street sludge, construction drips and puddles.

But the snow, while it's falling, is absolutely magical and lovely. Today the snow is falling...   And it is glorious.