Well, I would love to get to Oxford sometime. I am not sure about Sunday evenings, but I see quite a few people walking around, enjoying life on weekends in Annapolis (where I live) and Washington (my home town), although usually with their families, lovers, or a couple of friends, rather than as a larger group. I am not sure what you think we are missing. On a beautiful spring day, one can go to the city dock and see people taking in the view of the Annapolis harbor; or go to the National Mall and see people playing frisbee and picnicking; or go Sandy Point State Park, on the Chesapeake Bay, and see people grilling. My wife works near Dupont Circle in the District. Every nice day, there are a lot of people goofing around on their lunch hour in the little park in the middle of the traffic circle.
In New York, one can see picnickers, joggers, boaters, skaters, bicyclers, volleyball players, and softball teams in just the first few blocks of Central Park. People really skate, in the winter, in Rockefeller Center. I went to Coney Island last July, and it was filled to the brim with sunbathers and waders and body surfers. On Ocean Parkway, on the way down to the beach in Brooklyn, people socialized in the parks on the median strips.
So, what are we Americans missing? |
