I spent yesterday out on Long Island, planting the garden, so my wife can keep herself busy pulling weeds all summer . This morning at 5 AM I got on my folding bike under a dark sky full of bright stars and rode to the train station, like every day except that this was not my usual station. I got on the train to NYC, and promptly fell asleep. It was still dark.

Waking up on the train is always a disorienting experience, especially if you're not even sure what train you're on. I woke up just a minute or two before my train disappeared into the tunnel into Manhattan. I opened my eyes to find the whole Manhattan skyline laid out in front of me, illuminated by the sun rising behind me, and it was staggeringly beautiful. I'm not a New Yorker, and I don't love this place like many of its citizens, but wow, what a view.