I’ve realized recently that La Paz reminds me a bit of Midtown Manhattan (only with hills). There are a few big streets with pretty buildings and park-type areas plants and landscaping. But for the most part, you have side streets littered with small time retailers, often with themed blocks. I find myself living on the Toyota parts block now, just down from the plumbing and bathroom fixtures block. The streets are narrow and the sidewalks are overcrowded. Its tempting to chance it and walk in the street for a few strides at times, but you’re likely to get hit by a taxi.
These similarities were never more clear to me than this morning when I found myself walking at 7:30. Everyone was in a rush to get somewhere. Kids in school uniforms. Women in business suits. Vendedoras setting up shop. Policemen guiding both traffic and pedestrians. Maybe every city’s rush hour feels the same, but to me, this feels far more like Manhattan than DC or Chicago. I think it has something to do with the combination of the city’s grime and the level of pedestrianism. So, in retrospect, I would say La Paz is neither like Abidjan or Buenos Aires. Its like New York. Only Paceños wear more practical shoes.
These similarities were never more clear to me than this morning when I found myself walking at 7:30. Everyone was in a rush to get somewhere. Kids in school uniforms. Women in business suits. Vendedoras setting up shop. Policemen guiding both traffic and pedestrians. Maybe every city’s rush hour feels the same, but to me, this feels far more like Manhattan than DC or Chicago. I think it has something to do with the combination of the city’s grime and the level of pedestrianism. So, in retrospect, I would say La Paz is neither like Abidjan or Buenos Aires. Its like New York. Only Paceños wear more practical shoes.
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