The Big Apple of Italy

Alastair McEwen's piece, "Milan, the Italian Big Apple", is a relatable and informative read. McEwen combines insightful observations with current statistics and historical background to help give the reader a better perspective and also perhaps a new one. The introduction is an example of the use of a historic tid-bit that is interesting as well as informative; "Fewer still know that the eponymous Enrico Forlanini made a steam-powered model helicopter that flew almost twenty years before the Wright Brothers took to the air over the beach at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina...". Of course, I knew about the Wright Brothers but as McEwen predicted I had no idea about the Forlanini helicopter. In the next paragraph we get a great description of Milan in a nutshell which also serves as part of the reason for why this piece is important; "Industrial, entrepreneurial and international, Milan has it all: from history to art, fashion to design, publishing to finance, universities to research centers, yesterday to tomorrow, and hustle to bustle...". He follows this with a bit more history and uses it to help place the current situation in a modern context.

Although he includes some of the negative opinions about Milan he keeps this balanced, providing another viewpoint or side to Milan, giving the reader a side that is also less familiar and less obvious. When talking about how difficult it is to find a "true-blue Milanese", he makes a very insightful observation and a useful comparison saying they are harder to find than, " a 3-dollar-bill". Another example of this type of insightful observation occurs throughout but one that stuck out to me was when he discusses how they handle the flow of new blood into the city, because after all he is comparing Milan to New York and New York is forever a city of changing demographic. "Despite this influx of new blood, the essential character of the city has remain unchanged. Like all great cities, Milan has the power to absorb newcomers and mold them to its own standards".

He continues the piece in a similar fashion, informing the reader of things that are slightly less obvious, like the discussion of the unusual small town of Brera, making useful comparisons throughout that allow the reader to relate all the while to what he is saying. He does not come across as biased, but rather makes a point to remain honest in his reporting and depiction of the city, admitting that it is not necessarily beautiful but that it is not ugly either, "A better word would be discreet", he says tellingly.

He concludes the piece that makes another great use of analogy and provides poignant insight, the piece does not feel like there are any stray ends left untucked, he comes full circle and recaps in a wonderful way. If you read nothing but the conclusion of the piece you would still have a sense of what Milan is all about and I think that's pretty remarkable, "So there we have it, a few very brief stills taken from an epic movie with a cast of millions - painters, poets and sculptors, soldiers of fortune and men of letters, fashionistas and industrialists, soccer stars, TV personalities and outstanding chefs. All this is Milan, Italy's fastest moving and perhaps most "American" city and - in many ways - its best kept secret".