Its official, So and So has been dumped. His friends are boring. There are never any cool shows anymore. Or worse; all three combined. Oh, and the bagels at his favorite coffee shop have definitely jumped from 1.25 to 1.50. They say it’s the economy, but he knows the truth. The truth is he just lives in a lame city. Now, when he goes out he has to dodge his brand new ex, and has to force his friends to do anything even remotely interesting - not that there is anything interesting to do in the first place. It’s a really, really lame city.

So and So knows the grass is certainly greener in Chicago, or Philly, or Columbus - at least till it’s underfoot. Then it is much more vibrant in LA, or New York, or anywhere that isn’t here. There have to be cooler shops, more cozy hangouts, and better people in those far away burgs. Or does there?

The math of the situation is simple. According to the 2008 census, Arlington, Texas ranks 51st in US city size with a population of 374,417. So in this relatively small city, if So and So met 1 person a day, it would take him 102 years and some change just to meet 10 percent of the populace. Or perchance So and So makes his home in LA and is really upset with those bagels, then he could pack all of his possession and hit the road, or -and this is just a suggestion- he could try one of the other 800 coffee shops in the major metropolitan area -there really are 800, although in the city itself, Starbucks is outnumbered by medical marijuana dispenseries. The trick is learning to navigate the landscape and settling comfortably into the new settings and scenes that are just waiting to embrace So and So.

Over the next few weeks, You Are Here will explore the proto-typical urban center of the US. There are 6,000 streets named after Martin Luther King Jr., and in any bar on any of those thousands of MLKs there is a significant chance that the patron next to you is going to order the same type of beer as a patron on the opposite coast. It stands to reason, then, that similar tactics would be useful anywhere, and if So and So can follow a general formula to find fun, he might just be relaxed enough to have that fun.

These articles will relate strategies and constants that are discovered and developed through surveys, interviews and experiments in the Columbus area, a noted test market. Topics will range from how to become a coffee shop regular in 2 weeks, to karaoke-ing with gusto, and plenty in between. Drawing on expertise and opinions from professionals and layman alike, You Are Here will give So and So a better understanding of how to find a better understanding of his city.

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