Cup of Cha
This is China

Were it not for Robert Moses, America probably still would have had suburbs in the modern sense. However, the idea of a rich city outskirt, and the ‘white flight’ that it spurred, certainly came about sooner because of the NY legend. When I went out to Beijing’s upscale Shunyi suburb, it immediately flashed into my mind that this is a place Robert Moses would have loved.

Shunyi is as unlikely a place to find wealthy suburbs as there could be around Beijing. Out toward the airport, until recently it was mostly farmland and factories, where there was anything at all. Even now, driving out there you pass little villages as you pass the third and fourth ring roads, going out to, well, sort of nowhere. However, you soon realize that the east does not have the same barren feel of Beijing’s western ends.

Once you get there, huge sprawling gated complexes spread out across the land. While in Beijing 150 square meters is considered a palatial apartment, Shunyi boasts houses three stories high of at least 500 square meters, and often quite a bit more. The kitchens have new ovens and islands in the middle, the living rooms are modern with high ceilings, and the staircases wind around with beautiful dark wood.

The road that heads out away from city would make Mr. Moses, a man credited with ‘building’ most of the bridges and highways that dot the modern NYC area, proud. Built to speed people on their way, the highway to Shunyi often crawls, with signs reminding locals that they should not drive tractors on major roadways. There’s a Steak and Eggs restaurant, and a Little Italy, which is in fact one eatery (in NY it’s only one block, so that’s similar too). Virtually all of the inhabitants in these pockets of luxury are western executives, far away from urban China. The light rail to the airport is supposed to have a stop or two out there when it opens next, so people can drive to the train, just like they do on the LIRR (Long Island), or New Jersey Transit.

It’s a weird little world, where you have to drive everywhere, and create your own perfect paradise removed from everything else. Maybe it’s just that I’m a Brooklyn boy, and that I never understood the suburbs (or LA!) that makes me averse to Shunyi. The houses are beautiful and spacious, and everyone has a team of ayis and drivers, but where’s the subway? Where’s the newspaper stand? It’s all quite confusing.

My parents’ house in Brooklyn is a ten minute walk from four different subway stations where you can take 6 different lines. Soon you will be able to walk to a basketball arena when the Nets relocate to Brooklyn. I like to walk places, or at least bike. I find a view of cars moving along the Second Ring Road from 20 floors up a cathartic tribute to urban life.

So I’ll go out to Shunyi and visit. It’s nice to go to the occasional party and breathe in what should be clean country air (but is actually even smokier than the city itself). But at the end of the day I just need to get back to my 106 meters with a view of the huddled masses. I can walk to the subway, and push my way on for my very short trip to work. Bustle is good. Fighting against the world keeps you sharp.

That’s who I am. That’s what I’ll always be. If Robert Moses were alive today and living in Beijing, he could drive in from Shunyi and visit the city on the weekends. Of course no real Brooklyner would give the time of day to the man who forced the Dodgers to LA.

Tags: new york, shunyi, suburbs, subway
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