Tag: Washington D.C.

Qualia Coffee – some local beans

Qualia Coffee

3917 Georgia Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20011
http://www.freshofftheroast.com/qualia.html

Read about my planned cappuccino tour around the DC area.

Qualia coffee is (to my knowledge) the only small scale coffee roaster in the district.  They roast their beans in the backroom of their little shop, offering new batches of freshly roasted beans most weekdays.  I’ve often used these beans for both espresso as well as pour-over brewing, though I don’t think they quite match up Counter Culture (one of the other major brands used at coffee shops in the DC area).  So, I can already vouch for Qualia’s whole bean coffee, but I wanted to find out how their cappuccino stacked up.

The shop is located in the Petworth neighborhood of DC, which has historically been the northern edge of a historically African American area of the city.  It is actually an interesting region because it has, for the most part, maintained a

A row house coffee shop

large middle class population even though there has been, until recently, very little investment there.  However, it has recently become more diverse as an influx of upper middle class professionals and other young people have begun to buy and rent here.  Although this change has not been as rapid as that of nearby Capitol Heights, Petworth is certainly different than it was 10 years ago; for one thing, there is now a hipster coffee house serving expensive espresso drinks.

The shop is located in an unassuming row house along Georgia Ave NW.  Inside the first floor is a small seating area and the coffee bar.  I have to say, the entire place is quite gorgeous, and it is obvious that a lot of care was taken in setting it up.  Also, if you visit make sure to check out the roaster in the backroom of the first floor; many days you can watch them roast the beans that they serve.  There is also a larger seating area on the top floor, accessible from the outside using a door code.  It is one of the more pleasant coffee shops I have been in, and I really give them credit for having so much class.

But of course, the cappuccino is what I was really interested in on this trip particular trip.  On this trip, they gave me a cappuccino that certainly was not a pretty as what I have come to expect in DC.  There was no art, only a plop of white in the middle of the drink.  I think this is a problem of consistency, because I have gotten drinks that looked far better from the other barista here (this is a small place, so there are just a few people on staff).  When I took a sip I

I wouldn't call it "art;" though who am I to judge?

realized why the barista was not able to make very good art; there was too much macrofoam on the top of the drink.  A drink of only microfoam is required for decent foam-art.  So, the barista messed up a bit frothing (though it wasn’t terrible).  I was made a bit happier with the underlying espresso.  There were some nice chocolate and fruit notes, though there was a (very) slight bitterness from (ever-so-slight) over-extraction.  So, I was quite pleased with the espresso that they are serving here, though the poor frothing left me feeling a little underwhelmed.   The ratings follow (all out of 5):

Smoothness: 4.4

Presentation: 3

Strength: 5

Complexity: 4.6

Foam: 3.9

Mean Score: 4.2

SD: .8

I’ll be back to Qualia to buy their beans (especially because they are just down Georgia Ave. a bit from where I live), and will certainly get a cappuccino while I’m here.   I’d recommend that you come by and visit too!

Big Chair Coffee n’ Grill cappuccino review – a good machine is not enough

Big Chair Coffee n’ Grill

2122 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE
Washington, DC 20020
www.bigchaircoffeeshop.com

Read about my planned cappuccino tour around the DC area.

Most American cities are racially and economically segregated, and in that regard Washington DC is a typical American city. However, it is rarer for a single unmistakable boundary to separate the wealthy from the poor; DC’s Anacostia River is such a boundary. To the northwest of this river can be found everything that DC has to offer: the mall and the federal government facilities that surround it, the wealthy neighborhoods west of Rock Creek Park, the diversity and hipness of Shaw and Columbia Heights, the diverse middle class neighborhoods east of Rock Creek Park, and much more. There is crime and strife everywhere in DC, but overall unemployment is low and there is a general feeling that things are improving (whatever that means). However, the area southeast of the Anacostia is not experiencing the urban resurgence that has changed much of DC over the past 15 years; unemployment in most of this area is near 30% and profound poverty is widespread.

Likely as a result of this, these areas of DC lack basic neighborhood amenities, like decent grocery stores and sit-down restaurants, that most people take for granted. It is perplexing to see many neighborhoods northwest of the river (in fact neighborhoods that have far higher crime rates) prosper while nearly identical ones southeast rarely receive any new investment; there seems to be an irrational stigma attached to areas across the river. When I visited, I went with a friend who’s family had lived in DC for several generations; he was the first in his family to step foot anywhere in DC south of the Anacostia river.  I suppose, that is how bizarre segregation can be.

I crossed the river for a cappuccino. To be more precise, I went to the first and only place southeast of the river to serve espresso, Big Chair Coffee n’ Grill. Big Chair, in the Anacostia neighborhood, is named after a big chair across the

The big chair

street from it that was erected ages ago by a local furniture company (back when the area was more prosperous). Now, the chair is a local landmark, and I have to say it is certainly a big chair.

 

You should understand that I had some reason to hope for a good experience at Big Chair, and it is related to Murky Coffee (the now defunct coffee house that was run by Nick Cho), which I talked a little bit about in my review of North Side Social. When Murky closed its doors in DC, its property was auctioned off; this property included an espresso machine. The owners of Big Chair bought this machine before opening up shop in Anacostia, and it now makes all of their espresso. Even though they have an excellent espresso machine, Big Chair certainly isn’t focused on espresso. They have a full grill menu and a liquor license, so as I only had a cappuccino I can’t judge these offerings.

Big Chair is located inside a converted row-house; the main coffee bar and kitchen is on the first floor with more seating on the second floor. I went on a weekday early afternoon and

Outside image from dc.urbanturf.com and Gretchen Cook

there were a few people on the first floor, mostly reading or waiting for their food. I ordered a small cappuccino and went upstairs to do some reading. Unfortunately, my drink came in a paper cup; perhaps they thought I was taking it to go, but I didn’t give any indication of this, so they should have assumed that I was staying.

When I got the drink, the froth was quite poor, with a texture similar to

This was taken after the foam settled.

dish-soap (with very little microfoam) and below that mostly warm milk; the espresso was not much better. The taste was quite flat, with the common dull bitterness that occurs from poor extraction or old beans. If the espresso hadn’t been drowned in too much milk it likely would have been slightly offensive, but as it was it was just a bit boring. So, although their machine is legit, their cappuccino left quite a bit to be desired.   My ratings follow (all out of 5):

Smoothness: 3

Presentation: 2

Strength: 2.5

Complexity: 2

Foam: 3

Mean Score: 2.5

SD = .5

I was a bit disappointed with Big Chair’s cappuccino.  As I’ve heard good things about the other aspects of Big Chair, I suspect it is similar to a lot of neighborhood coffee shops that offer good drip coffee and food offerings but where the espresso is mediocre. There are many coffee shops in DC like this, and it makes finding good espresso a bit of a challenge. However, most people don’t really care how the espresso is, so these sorts of places are often still great assets to their communities.  So, to conclude, Anacostia certainly isn’t scary (as many local fear-mongers will lead you to believe), but it still doesn’t have good espresso. Maybe I’ll be back in a few months to see if things have improved; I’ll update if so.

Modern Times cappuccino review – unironically used typewriters

Modern Times Coffeehouse

In the basement of Politics and Prose
5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20008
http://www.moderntimescoffeehouse.com/

Read about my planned cappuccino tour around the DC area.

Politics and Prose is a rather famous part of the DC bookstore scene.  It is best known for its numerous book talks, that often feature prominent authors of all sorts.  It also helps that it is located in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods

A Google streetview image because I was feeling lazy

in DC;  a place full of rich people who like to attend book talks and actually buy new books from brick and mortar stores (pure craziness).  If this place didn’t sound cool enough, it also was rumored to have an  excellent coffee house in the basement.  Books and good coffee in a nice neighborhood – I had to see this.

Politics and Prose is located in a nondescript strip of stores along Connecticut Avenue NW.  The bookstore is quite nice (especially the discounted book section next to the cafe) and it would be a good place to browse.  It is also one of the more dignified  bookstores I’ve been to; it is the sort of place where you will see an older gentleman unabashedly set up a typewriter and begin his work as he sips coffee (I actually saw this).  The cafe is downstairs and was extremely busy on the Saturday afternoon I was there.  This is pretty normal for popular DC cafes; but if you go on a weekend don’t expect a seat.

The cappuccino at Modern Times

Modern Times has a menu that includes a wide variety of sandwiches and salads but, because it was so busy, I just ordered a cappuccino and  quickly took the seat of someone who was leaving.  Their cappuccino was a bit of an enigma.   The microfoam was excellent and the presentation was also quite nice.  The espresso element was too bitter, especially initially.  However, this bitterness gave way after a while (likely due to my own accommodation) to a dark chocolate flavor.  This kept my interest, even though it wasn’t the most pleasing taste.  My ratings (all of out 5) are as follows:

Smoothness: 3

Presentation: 4.6

Strength: 4.8

Complexity: 4.3

Foam: 4.8

Mean Score: 4.3

SD = .75

I will likely be back to Politics and Prose and will certainly get a cappuccino at Modern Times while I’m there.  However, next time I’ll try to come during a weekday when the cafe isn’t as busy; I suspect I’ll get a better cappuccino then.  I don’t think Modern Times is worth a trip by itself, but it is a good place to get espresso if you find yourself in the area.  Politics and Prose, on the other hand, is worth the trip.

 

 

Northside Social cappuccino review – a Murky connection

Northside Social – Coffee and Wine

3211 Wilson Blvd
Arlington, Virginia 22201
http://northsidesocialarlington.com/

Read about my planned cappuccino tour around the DC area.

Northside Social has ample seating inside and out.

I think it would be fitting if I start my tour of DC cappuccinos with the place where DC’s most famous espresso bar finally gave up the ghost.  Before Northside Social came into existence, its store front was occupied by a different coffee shop named Murky Coffee.  Murky was owned by Nick Cho, who is famous for both bringing world class coffee to DC (the land of Starbucks and Caribou) as well as telling a customer who had requested an espresso over ice (coffee sin!) that he would “punch him in his dick” if he ever came into his store again. Unfortunately, Murky closed just before I arrived here in DC; apparently, although Nick Cho is serious about his coffee, he isn’t serious about paying bills, wages, and taxes.  I’ll have more on this in upcoming posts.  Several cafes in DC have a connection with Murky.

With that in mind, Northside Social is a very different place from what Murky was.  I was lucky to visit Northside with a friend who lived in Arlington when Murky was around, so he had some perspective on how much it has changed.  Murky was very utilitarian, with crappy chairs and extension cords everywhere.  It also pretty much only served coffee and typical indie coffee shop fare (muffins, scones, etc.).

Northside Social is a different story.  The new owners have made the interior very attractive, with lots of comfortable seating.  The space is also very large for a DC area cafe (it occupies a large converted house), with lots of smaller rooms where one can find a bit more quiet.  Most importantly, Northside Social specializes in a wide variety of wine and food along with the coffee.  I had a cranberry turkey sandwich along with my cappuccino; it was made with fresh bread made in-house and was delicious.  My friend had a scone (also made in-house) which he thought was also delicious.

I ordered the “classic cappuccino” (they listed this as an option on the menu – this will get you a proper 6oz drink).  They serve Counter Culture Coffee (a roaster out of North Carolina), which is the most common brand of beans in high-end coffee shops in the DC area.  Most coffee geeks agree that they rank among the best coffee roasters in the country.  So, Northside Social is certainly starting with excellent coffee.

The cappuccino was a mixed bag.  The presentation and microfoam were excellent (because I was a little delayed in taking the picture, some bubbles started to form around the periphery – the original presentation was better than

A lovely cappuccino

the picture would suggest).  However, the underlying espresso was a bit bitter, and lacked complexity.  Given that I know they were using high quality coffee, I think they probably over-extracted the espresso. It was quite unfortunate given everything else this place has going for it.  My ratings are as follows (all are out of 5)

Smoothness: 3.5

Presentation: 5

Strength: 5

Complexity: 3.5

Foam: 4.8

Mean Score: 4.36

SD = .87

Northside Social has a pretty good cappuccino.  I will almost certainly be back in the future, hoping that they don’t mess up the espresso next time.  They seemed capable of producing great espresso here (if perhaps inconsistently), and the other amenities of the place make it a pretty wonderful cafe.

Next week I travel up to Friendship Heights to see how they make cappuccinos in the basement of the venerable bookstore, Politics and Prose.

A tour of DC cappuccinos

A couple of years ago I started a project to try a cappuccino at every legitimate coffee house in Madison, WI.  I ended (only missing a few places) that project a few days before moving to the Washington, DC area; now I would like to try a similar thing here in DC.  I learned a lot from my first project in Madison and I hope to share some of my experiences with DC coffee houses.  I’ve already explored a great deal of DC’s coffee scene but up until now I have not done so in a systematic way; this is what I will do on this blog in the coming months.

I like cappuccinos; that is primarily the reason why I will review those rather than other espresso drinks (or even drip coffee).  However, there are other reasons why cappuccinos are a good test of the quality of a cafe.  Most espresso drinks consist primarily of prepared espresso and milk in various forms and quantities.  The best way to test a cafe’s espresso is to drink it straight; however, this will give you no indication of how well that cafe prepares milk.  Alternatively, trying a latte will give you a good indication of how well the cafe steams milk, but the high milk to espresso ratio makes it very difficult to make an assessment of the underlying espresso.  A cappuccino is 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk, and 1/3 foam; this composition allows the nuanced features of the espresso to come through, while retaining the silkiness and sweetness of the milk (that most people prefer).

One problem with enjoying cappuccinos is that excellent ones are a relative rarity.  Everything must come together: the cafe must use fresh, high quality beans, the barista must use the proper amount and perfect fineness of grind and must tamp the espresso with a certain amount of pressure (and only use one application of pressure), the machine must be at a certain precise temperature to produce a good extraction, the barista must use the proper amount of milk and be able to use the steam wand to produce a good amount of microfoam.  A problem (or many of them) can arise at any point in this process, producing a cappuccino ranging from good to terrible.  Large chains, such as Starbucks, have been able to produce espresso drinks of decent quality consistently by using “full-auto” espresso machines; these machines grind and tamp coffee by themselves, producing espresso at the push of a button.  This means that the barista need only froth milk effectively, largely avoiding the possibility of truly terrible espresso drinks.  However, this automation never seems to produce truly exceptional espresso.  Fortunately, most cafes still use “semi-auto” espresso machines, which require a barista of great skill…and keeps things interesting.

The bottom line: there are a lot of terrible cappuccinos out there and hopefully I can help you avoid them.  There are also certainly some amazing ones, that I hope to find (and keep all to myself!).  Just as I did in Madison, I will be using several criteria in my assessments of cappuccinos.  Most importantly, understand that my score is of the drink itself and not other qualities of the cafe (price, food, ambiance, other happiness producing properties…); I will comment on other features of a cafe but these will not be included in my scores.  The criteria are as follows, only slightly modified (and hopefully improved…) from the reviews I did in Madison (all rated on a 5 point scale):

Smoothness: Bitter cups will get a low score.

Presentation: Cappuccinos should be in a 5 -6 oz cup; milk art is always a plus.

Strength: A sufficiently robust drink will get a high score, a milky one will earn a low score.

Complexity: If the cup seems to have hints of several flavors, it will score highly.

Foam: A cappuccino should have a layer of finely frothed milk (microfoam).

The following map shows the cafes that I will visit; once I visit a cafe I will change its icon into a cup and a link to the review will be included in the title.  The latest reviews can always be found at this blog, under the “DC Cappuccino Reviews” category.   DC has far more cafes than Madison does, so I must be rather selective about the places I chose to visit (or I’ll never finish!).  Essentially, if I have found any indication on the internet (mainly yelp and google searches) or by word of mouth that a cafe has good cappuccinos, I have included it on my list.  I have also left off the large chains, as these are typically very similar to one another and thus not very interesting (see my review of the cappuccino at a Madison Starbucks). This is only a preliminary list and I will add cafes to it as I get new leads.

[googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=201189551063676516414.000499bd5cd0e01391673&ll=38.904927,-77.040939&spn=0.213736,0.274658&z=11&output=embed&w=400&h=400]

Finally, I will also take some time in each post to talk about the neighborhoods in which the cafes are located.  So, if you are a tourist wanting to know more about DC and you have a hankering for espresso, my reviews should be a good starting point.

Ok, now that all of that is out of the way, first stop….North Side Social in Arlington!  I hope it’s good!

What is the real purpose of a transit system?

Some might answer the above question like an evolutionary biologist; the purpose of a transit system is to maintain its strength and grow.  This at least seems to be the sort of perspective that is creeping into the debate about how to close a budget gap for the DC metro.  Although it is very refreshing to see fare increases be the main strategy, many of the proposals from transit advocates in the area are centered around methods that take advantage of captive customers who are very unlikely to leave the system even with substantial fare increases.

The two main proposals that exhibit this property affect commuters to the city center (up to $0.50 surcharge during peak commuting time) and tourists, along with those who must pay with cash, (with surcharges for paper fare cards – frequent riders typically have a permanent credit card type fare card that would not be affected).  The thinking behind these disproportional increases is quite simple; these sorts of  people are very unlikely to change behaviors after fare increases and therefore metro can charge them more without losing ridership.

Is it wrong to charge disproportionate fees?  Not exactly.  The problem here is not the disproportionate fares themselves; this is done all the time in an effort to change people’s behaviors to more pro-social options.  For instance, you might increase parking fees in an area with the hopes that people will take public transit instead (this might make sense if cars often clog the city center); however, the intent in such a case is totally different from the current case.  It is hoped in the current case with metro that people won’t change their behaviors.  Otherwise these extra fees would not raise the needed funds.

I’m not against most of the proposals that include fee increases but it is important to maintain a just (an ethically justifiable) distribution of burden.  Something radical needs to be done but many transit advocates seem to have lost sight of the actual purpose of any mass transit system, building a just city.  We can take advantage of the circumstances of some so that they carry a disproportionate burden but this sort of strategy is certainly wrong.  After all, models of consumer elasticity can’t tell us what sort of values we should have.

Saving the DC Metro

The DC area rapid transit rail system (called ‘the Metro’) is facing something of a budget crisis this year.  They need to close about a $180 million budget gap for the next fiscal year; the gap itself has many causes but a major one is the reduced travel due to the recession.  Last week, the interim GM of WMATA (the agency in charge of Metro) presented a solution to the problem that features widespread fare increases but minimal service cuts.  I don’t want to go into specifics because other sources have done a great job at analyzing the various options open to Metro but I do want to comment on how open people have been to fare increases.

The worry seems to be the similar for many who speak up against service reductions in place of fare increases; to reduce service to a level such that metro does not fulfill almost all of people’s transportation needs would in fact destroy the entire system.  Many people (including myself) depend on Metro as a main source of transportation.  For many it is not simply a supplementary method but something that is a requirement of normal living and to curtail it would be to breach a certain trust.  People have modeled their lives around the persistence of a robust Metro, therefore limiting that system would also limit their ability to live normal lives.

People are willing to pay a lot to keep Metro healthy because it is, in many ways, a primary method of transportation for much of DC.  I find it unlikely that this aversion in service cuts would take place in many metropolitan areas in the US outside of New York.  Unlike most rail systems in the US, Metro is far more than a commuter system; rather, it is a legitimate transportation system by itself.  Just as with highways, once this is the case it is very difficult to take such a system away from people.

Social Justice and Transit Oriented Developments

As the automobile became the preferred method of travel in the United States during the 20th century, car oriented development became the dominant pattern of city design. Today it is extremely difficult or simply impossible to go about ones daily life without some reliance upon an automobile. Furthermore, in most areas of the country, the lack of one makes a person a second class citizen. For a variety of reasons, there has been a resurgence in the interest for mass-transit oriented developments (TODs). Proponents of this alternative method of city organization argue for its superiority over car oriented developments in efficiency, aesthetics, and livability (to name a few).1 Although there is something to be said for all of these reasons, here I will concentrate on an argument for TODs from the perspective of social justice. Typically arguments from social justice have been among the more controversial because they often involved some sort of redistribution of resources; in American politics it is often unclear how much the rich should be forced to give up in order to help the poor. I hope to bypass this issue by looking at a current public policy that seems to have wide-spread public approval, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and derive from it an argument for government sanctioned support of TODs. In section 1, I describe a number of public policies, including zoning, highway, and accessibility standards for the disabled and from these derive the moral basis for the government support of TODs. In section 2, I explain my argument in detail and address a number of initial concerns. Finally, in section 3, I address the most plausible objection to widespread TOD development – that gentrification could cause the poor to lose their homes. Continue reading Social Justice and Transit Oriented Developments

The difference between trains and buses

Some people feel buses are the answer to all our mass transit needs.  They will, of course, admit that big expensive commuter rail systems are more pleasant than a fleet of buses (anyone who has ridden on both can attest to this), but they will simply point to the price tag as the major issue at hand.  How can we afford such large transit systems?

In fact, if you look at the issue from a certain perspective rail systems seem simply fascist.  Whereas bus networks can be easily adapted to meet the ever changing demands of the customers (we must keep them happy!) , rail systems dictate what the customer behavior should be.  It is very easy to change a bus route to accommodate a new population distribution (for example, the construction of a new subdivision); it is extremely difficult to change a rail system.

A rail system has the remarkable effect of change the area around it.  Transit stops usually become hubs of development; property values go up around them and people try to move as close by as possible.  In the Washington DC area, for example, real estate prices are largely a function of distance to a metro stop; people want to use the metro and thus want to be near a stop.  But it is not clear how we should feel about this trend.  On the one hand, a rail system can have an incredible stabilizing effect on a community.  It supports clear neighborhood centers and a maximization of space (i.e. higher density) around the stops of the metro.  This in turn greatly decreases the dependence of residents on cars and thus decreases energy consumption; if you live near a metro station/neighborhood center, you have all your basic needs met within walking distance and you can take the train to anywhere else you need to go.

However, the flip side of stability is restrictiveness.  The rail will stay where it is for a great while and therefore people are forced to live where that system exists if they want the high quality mass transit that their tax dollars helped build.  People must, in effect, react to what the government has provided and are not as free when choosing where to live.  The government can, in effect, coerce people to live in a specified pattern.   The ethical implications of all this are rather interesting, and when I have time I’ll post about my take on it.  However, for now this is an issue about which I am still starting to form a view.

Madison to DC by rail

I recently had to take a trip to Washington D.C from Madison, WI in order to look for a new apartment. My wife and I decided to try out the Amtrak route that runs from Chicago to Washington D.C; neither of us had been on a modern train the the US, so we thought it might be interesting. It was certainly a worth-wild experience.

Unfortunately, Madison lacks any passenger train service, only a crappy bus that runs from here t o Chicago. There is, however, a commuter train from Milwaukee (about a 1.5 hour drive from Madison) to Chicago so we decided to start our train journey there. Doing that (including the reduced parking fees for train users) made the price of the trip about the same as flying out of Milwaukee and a little less than flying out of Madison. But, the train trip was definitely not an economical choice.

A few things surprised me. For one, I expected very few people to be taking the train from Chicago all the way to DC. “Who would do this?” thought I . After all, it seems like most normal people would not choose the 17hour train ride over a flight of a couple hours. But the train was completely full on both our trip there and when we returned. Luckily we got our tickets ahead of time, so this was not a real problem. This also relates to the fact that the main train stations we stopped at (In Chicago and DC, both named ‘Union Station’) were extremely busy places. They had the feel of airports without all the crazy security; but they were a bit anxiety provoking regardless. And Chicago sucks; nothing is open on Sunday near Union Station and countless people will ask you for money.

Some other things left me yearning for Germany. American rails are pretty crappy. I sort of knew this before the trip, but actually traveling on them reminded me. European commuter railroads (at least the German ones I have experience with ) are quit smooth; this makes for a rather enjoyable traveling experience. However, for the most part, American passenger trains travel on standard freight rail lines that are not maintained at the sort of level required for fast speeds and smooth travel. Expect to be shaken around quite a bit; at some points the train felt as if it was experiencing a sort of minor turbulence. I was told that for a period between Cleavland and Pittsburgh the track was smooth as silk (I was asleep….perhaps because of this); it sure would have been nice if the entire trip had been like that. So, I know that rail travel is capable of being far smoother. The entire operation was also somewhat less organized than I would have liked. We were not given seats (even though we had ‘reserved’ seats) until entering the train; this made us wonder whether we would be able to sit together if we didn’t hurry to the train once the gate doors were opened. I’m not sure if our worries were justified, but it would have been nice to get actual seat numbers on the tickets (though you do actually get tickets mailed to you before the trip, so there is no need to check in and there is no risk of being ‘bumped’).

Otherwise, the trip was ok. And there is one bonus. If you ride the train, you get to see the rusting remnants of the rust belt (I got to see Cleavland…that was pretty exciting). You will pass by vast factory yards that have been long since deserted but for perhaps a few buildings. The highway doesn’t go near these sorts of places, so you usually forget that they exist, that our nation once produced things in such filthy environments; an Amtrak trip will remind you of these industrial wastelands. Sort of fun places to pass in the middle of the night.

Some might worry about the 17 hours it takes to complete the trip, but it isn’t actually all that bad. You get extremely large seats that are ok to sleep in and there are a number of cars between which you can divide your time (dining car, observation car, cafe car). And if you can get to sleep, the trip doesn’t actually feel that long (but don’t miss Pittsburgh!). Also, you ‘feel’ the distance far more than when you travel via airplane; I always feel a bit odd at the end of air-travel, like I haven’t traveled as far as I have. Though, maybe that is just me.

So, to conclude my observations. I would ride Amtrak again, but it certainly is substandard in comparison to European rail. I also wonder why it is not cheaper than travel by air. It might be that the greater staff hours required by Amtrak is the culprit, but I also wonder whether cheap petroleum makes air travel more affordable than it should be. But I don’t have those answers.