A Report From Abroad

By Arthur Schwartz

MADRID, above, is in many ways, a model of what New York City could have been, but will never be. Photo by Arthur Schwartz.

Somehow I managed to not leave North or Central America for 25 years, and that trip was 27 years after my prior trip. But as October ended, my wife and I took off for Madrid to see our daughter who is studying there.

Madrid is the capital and most populous city of Spain. It has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU) and its metropolitan area, 233 square miles, is the second-largest in the EU. Unlike most major cities in the world, Madrid is not situated on a major river or body of water. It is the capital city of both Spain and the political, economic, and cultural center of the country.

What struck me is that Madrid first became a “major“ city when King Phillip II chose to rule there in 1561. It had a population of 80,000 in 1594. NYC (which only had a population of 5,000 in 1700 and just 25,000 in 1776) was established in 1605, so Madrid is barely older. Madrid has survived several wars. It was conquered by Napolean in the early 19th century, saw a rebellion against Napolean, and was bombed by Franco during the Spanish Civil War, which fascist Franco won in 1939. Franco by the way, was a buddy of Hitler’s but stayed out of WWII, and went on to rule Spain with an iron fist until 1975! (I traveled there in 1967 and 1972 and was told not to even say his name in public because spies were everywhere.) Madrid is a far more livable and beautiful city than NYC.

The next thing that struck me was extent of beautiful architecture everywhere. Even old houses and buildings have beautiful design details we rarely see left anywhere in NYC. Houses and buildings rarely exceeed six stories, although I did see a posting about a planned housing development with a group of 10 story buildings. It has around three skyscrapers. Sidewalks are not non-descript concrete. Every street has paving stones and brick colored pavers from building edge to curb.

What also struck me was the respect for pedestrians, and the emphasis not on bikes or cars, but on giving streets to people who are walking. In NYC the powers that be close a street or two, here or there, for pedestrians, but never a major thoroughfare for more than a weekend, or for a few blocks. In Madrid there are many major streets where cars are banned and throngs of people walk in the streets. They walk or use the Metro, which is exceedingly clean, though not crime free (my wife had her phone, passport and credit cards stolen, quietly and surreptitiously, on the subway, the first day). Here in NYC studies show that 40% of trips are made by walking and 2% by bike. Our city government is focused on bike lanes rather than pedestrian thoroughfares. Crosswalks in Madrid are beautifully outlined with cobblestones. Crosswalks are not right on the corner where someone can get run over; they are 10 feet from the corner. Cars making turns can clearly see someone crossing and everyone stops.

I didn’t see a single person lying on the street and no one had a sign begging for money. I don’t know the whole story, but social services are far more generous and available. If you lose your job, the government pays your salary for two years. New parents (plural) get one year paid leave. Health care (like in most of the world) is free. The “safety net” seems to catch a lot more people than here in NYC. I was told that this safety net wasn’t just a post Franco phenomena – the fascist (a real fascist) had to implement protections found elsewhere in Europe or risk losing population.

The sidewalks on the main boulevards are wide and there are many sidewalk cafes/restaurants/bars. Though Madrid comes alive with a rush hour starting at 7 am, most people don’t eat dinner until 9 pm or later (even at home). Local restaurants are open well past midnight and full of people.

Madrid, in many ways, is a model of what NYC could have been, but never will be. I came home a bit jealous.