Before I get so accustomed to Princeton that I lose the sense of unfamiliarity that accommodates close attention:
- Evanston seems to have more Hummers and Escalades; Princeton, more Jaguars and Lamborghinis.
- Evanston drivers make more U-turns; Princeton drivers make more dangerous swerves and lane changes.
- The obvious: Evanston = flat with a rectilinear street grid; Princeton = hilly with streets that curve every which way.
- Evanston houses generally look much more interesting; Princeton houses include a surprising number of architecturally vapid cookie-cutter MacMansionettes.
Evanston has a big edge in bookstores, for the time being; Micawber’s couldn’t stay open. There’s a Barnes & Noble at a Route One shopping center and a small used book store in Princeton, but for the time being downtown book browsers have to content themselves with the U-Store. And so far we haven’t found a restaurant that suits us as well as Cozy Noodle, or Chipotle, or Blind Faith.