Walking around Long Island City lately, where we have plenty of both lindens and 'tree of heaven' (see previous two posts), I am reminded of Charles Ives, the great American composer, whose compositions were sometimes inspired by the cacophony of overlapping marching bands — as one approaches and the other recedes in the same parade.
The overlap I'm experiencing here is olfactory however. It seems every other block in this neighborhood has an overpowering linden, while the in-between blocks have smelly Ailanthus. On one block, it's a little too sweet, while the next is too malodorous. But in the middle — a little bit stinky and a little bit saccharine — one can find the olfactory sweet spot.
Kind of like sweet n' sour pork, but for the nose.