Over dinner last week in Manhattan I declared to our three local hosts that Winnipeg is The Most Interesting City in Canada. They appeared politely skeptical as I tried to explain.
I’ve written about the city before here, here, here, here, and here, praising it up one side and down the other. I can easily list the qualities I love, but it wasn’t until this morning that I could boil down the essence of it into one sentence: Winnipeg feels like New York used to feel before it went and got all gentrified.
[pullquote]Another day of relentless blue skies and the city continues to surprise me with its ubiquitous public art, wealth of classic architecture, and intriguing tapestry of grand and pocket public spaces. I love that these work so seamlessly together, that art is interwoven with everyday life and business, that social justice issues appear to be studied in plain view, and that artists of all stature seem to command a respect here that isn’t as obvious in other Canadian cities.[/pullquote]
I wasn’t exactly hanging in New York during the ’70’s and early ’80’s, but I hear myriad voices in the media nostalgic for cheap rents, interesting characters, and the scrappy creativity of that era, if not for its scarier or less desirable attributes.
It appears that geographic isolation and benign neglect, due to a dearth of speculative investment, has protected Winnipeg from being torn to bits and rebuilt from scratch. I feel no pity when I say that. Quite the opposite. Limited means keeps it from becoming stale and commercially and socially milquetoast. The city possesses a unique energy that reflects a particular moment in time, a socio-economic status, and a necessity to invent, then reinvent, gradually by way of internal muse instead of instant external gratification.
There are still areas in the city I’m advised not to walk after dark, unlike, say, Vancouver which has been washed clean of its sins. I mostly take that advice, but I am happiest when I walk the streets to search out the vast and evolving collection of street art, the undiscovered historic corners and architectural magnificence. Every time I feel a frisson of excitement, a distinct lack of predictability about how my day will play out, what exactly I will experience and whom I will encounter.
The city teeters a bit and it’s hard to say which way it will go. But, as all lovers know, keeping things a little off-balance provides a sense of mystery that’s worth jealously guarding.