Duane Reade

I've lived in Manhattan my entire life.

That's almost 28 years of having a Duane Reade on my corner or immediately across the street. And that's really what this is about: Duane Reade. A, nay, THE, 24-hour drug and convenience store that manages to eke out a profit despite having an outpost on virtually every third block in Manhattan. When Peter Minuit bought the island of Manhattan in 1626 for a handful of beads, everyone went to sleep, and then someone in his party, in the middle of the night, realized he really needed paper towels, deodorant, and gum. When the royalists in New York lost the American Revolution and had to bring their redcoats back across the Atlantic Ocean, they carried them in giant white plastic bags with handles strong enough to hold up a battleship.

The history of human civilization has been about increasing humankind's access to bountiful foodstocks, to life-saving medicine, to supplies for building better homes in which more people can live comfortably and safely. In short, the history of human civilization was the build-up to Duane Reade.

I'm a lawyer, moving to Connecticut for two years to pursue an MBA. This blog will chronicle the process of adjusting to life off the island of Manhattan, away from 2 a.m. sushi delivery, drycleaning that picks up and drops off with your doorman, and, yes, Duane Reade.

My move won't come until July or early August, but I'll update this sporadically until then, as my trips to and from New Haven expose things that I can look forward to in my journey away from the center of the universe. I look forward to having you join me on my trip.

Kind Regards,

Hamilton