--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Just two days in Manhattan and you find…" description: "\"Just two days in Manhattan and you find yourself looking for a place to wash your handkerchief after you wipe your forehead and it comes away black. Is..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e8/herb-caen-15397_answers_just-two-days-in-manhattan-and-you-find_142005.jpg" --- # Just two days in Manhattan and you find yourself looking… ![“Just two days in Manhattan and you find yourself looking for a place to wash your handkerchief after you wipe your forehead and it comes away black. Is there a dirtier or more fascinating city anywhere in the land? The answer to both parts of the question has to be positively negative.” quote by Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e8/herb-caen-15397_answers_just-two-days-in-manhattan-and-you-find_142005.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e8/herb-caen-15397_answers_just-two-days-in-manhattan-and-you-find_142005.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e8/herb-caen-15397_answers_just-two-days-in-manhattan-and-you-find_142005.jpg) > “Just two days in Manhattan and you find yourself looking for a place to wash your handkerchief after you wipe your forehead and it comes away black. Is there a dirtier or more fascinating city anywhere in the land? The answer to both parts of the question has to be positively negative.” [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote juxtaposes the gritty, fascinating nature of Manhattan with a paradoxical negative answer, highlighting the city's complex allure. **In simple terms:** Manhattan is both dirty and fascinating, yet the answer is negative. Key Takeaway Embrace the city's contradictions. Themes city life contradiction urban fascination Mood reflective curious Type observational descriptive When to use this quote - travel - urban exploration - photography - writing - city planning Key Concepts sociology paradox urban studies Questions to Reflect On - What makes a city both dirty and fascinating? - How does paradox shape our perception of urban life? A Different Perspective The negative answer may oversimplify the city's richness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [Finding yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finding-yourself/) [Manhattan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manhattan/) ## Related quotes > [The handkerchief dabbed at my forehead. 'Ouch! You'll have a fine-looking bruise tomorrow.' 'Then you'll be able to distinguish me from Rose.' The handkerchief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franny-billingsley/the-handkerchief-dabbed-at-my-forehead-ouch-you-ll-have-a-fine/) [Franny Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franny-billingsley/) > [“Girls fight much dirtier than boys”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-shepard/girls-fight-much-dirtier-than-boys/) [Sara Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-shepard/) > [Standup is just dirtier, a far more risque kind of thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-coolidge/standup-is-just-dirtier-a-far-more-risque-kind-of-thing/) [Jennifer Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-coolidge/) > [I have such a dirty mind and an even dirtier mouth. I'm a man trapped in a woman's body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-such-a-dirty-mind-and-an-even-dirtier-mouth-i-m-a-man-trapped/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What the country needs is dirtier fingernails and cleaner minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/what-the-country-needs-is-dirtier-fingernails-and-cleaner-minds/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [If it is the dirty element that gives pleasure to the act of lust, then the dirtier it is, the more pleasurable it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-sade/if-it-is-the-dirty-element-that-gives-pleasure-to-the-act-of-lust/) [Marquis de Sade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-sade/) > [Blues purists may hate what I do sometimes because it's a little dirtier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fantastic-negrito/blues-purists-may-hate-what-i-do-sometimes-because-it-s-a-little/) [Fantastic Negrito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fantastic-negrito/) > [And no matter how serious an environmental problem the automobile poses in today's big city, the horse was dirtier, smelled worse, killed and maimed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/and-no-matter-how-serious-an-environmental-problem-the-automobile/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [“Secrets are like arseholes. We all have them. It’s just that some are dirtier than others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-tudor/secrets-are-like-arseholes-we-all-have-them-it-s-just-that-some-are/) [C.J. Tudor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-tudor/) > [Everything seems dirtier when it's late at night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everything-seems-dirtier-when-it-s-late-at-night/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Harry had the impression that even the barman was listening in. He was wiping the same glass with the filthy rag; it was becoming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/harry-had-the-impression-that-even-the-barman-was-listening-in-he-was/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The higher you rise, the dirtier it gets.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-august/the-higher-you-rise-the-dirtier-it-gets/) [J.M. August](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-august/) > [Dirt is dirt, and we've all got it no matter where we come from. I'm not sure Christ sees one kind of dirt as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/dirt-is-dirt-and-we-ve-all-got-it-no-matter-where-we-come-from-i-m/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [How a dirty little secret gets found out is usually a dirtier little secret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-alejandro-king-aka-the-covert-comic/how-a-dirty-little-secret-gets-found-out-is-usually-a-dirtier-little/) [John Alejandro King Aka The Covert Comic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-alejandro-king-aka-the-covert-comic/) > [“I don’t like dirt, because nothing is dirtier. Except politics. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-don-t-like-dirt-because-nothing-is-dirtier-except-politics/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) ## More by Herb Caen > [I have a memory like an elephant. I remember every elephant I've ever met.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/i-have-a-memory-like-an-elephant-i-remember-every-elephant-i-ve-ever/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [A city is not gauged by its length and width, but by the broadness of its vision and the height of its dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/a-city-is-not-gauged-by-its-length-and-width-but-by-the-broadness-of/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [I sometimes worry about my short attention span, but not for long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/i-sometimes-worry-about-my-short-attention-span-but-not-for-long/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [Baffling late-life discovery: Golfers wear those awful clothes on purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/baffling-late-life-discovery-golfers-wear-those-awful-clothes-on/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [All American cars are basically Chevrolets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/all-american-cars-are-basically-chevrolets/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [San Franciscans have a bond of self-satisfaction bordering on smugness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/san-franciscans-have-a-bond-of-self-satisfaction-bordering-on-smugness/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [The waterfront without the Ferry Tower would be like a birthday cake without a candle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/the-waterfront-without-the-ferry-tower-would-be-like-a-birthday-cake/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [Best trumpet: Mike Vax, an alumnus of the Kenton Band, who plays every style with a bright cutting edge, throwing in bop riffs here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/best-trumpet-mike-vax-an-alumnus-of-the-kenton-band-who-plays-every/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [The trouble with born-again Christians is that they are an even bigger pain the second time around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/the-trouble-with-born-again-christians-is-that-they-are-an-even/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [We are reorganizing in order to eliminate duplication and redundancy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/we-are-reorganizing-in-order-to-eliminate-duplication-and-redundancy/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [Old San Francisco - the one so many nostalgics yearn for - had buildings that related well to each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/old-san-francisco-the-one-so-many-nostalgics-yearn-for-had-buildings/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [The clock doesn't matter in baseball. Time stands still or moves backwards. Theoretically, one game could go on forever. Some seem to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/the-clock-doesn-t-matter-in-baseball-time-stands-still-or-moves/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [Isn't it nice that people who prefer Los Angeles to San Francisco live there?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/isn-t-it-nice-that-people-who-prefer-los-angeles-to-san-francisco/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [A city is a crazy concrete jungle whose people at the end of each day somehow make a small step ahead against terrible odds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/a-city-is-a-crazy-concrete-jungle-whose-people-at-the-end-of-each-day/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [Martinis are like breasts, one isn't enough, and three is too many.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/martinis-are-like-breasts-one-isn-t-enough-and-three-is-too-many/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) [Explore all 43 Herb Caen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) ## More Answers quotes > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [“As long as you keep searching,the answers will come.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kynock/as-long-as-you-keep-searching-the-answers-will-come/) [Mitch Kynock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kynock/) > [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [There is a comfort in rituals, and rituals provide a framework for stability when you are trying to find answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-norville/there-is-a-comfort-in-rituals-and-rituals-provide-a-framework-for/) [Deborah Norville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-norville/) > [A religious person answers to God, not to the elected or non-elected official.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/a-religious-person-answers-to-god-not-to-the-elected-or-non-elected/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [Instead of asking a girl how she feels, try looking through her recently listened to songs. The lyrics are the answer to all your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-asking-a-girl-how-she-feels-try-looking-through-her/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/) [Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/) > [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [Enjoying life isn't about finding the answers, but living the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/enjoying-life-isn-t-about-finding-the-answers-but-living-the-questions/) [Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/) Browse all 7,843 Answers quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Just two days in Manhattan and you find yourself looking for a place to wash your handkerchief after you wipe your forehead and it comes away black. 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