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That's why he is the favorite mayor of New York.
Presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg, Mayor of South Bend, Indonesia, made a poetic Thursday on the Big Apple as he joined The Post for a walk on the Brooklyn Bridge and a share at Grimaldi – who, yes, he ate with his hands.
"I find this city just inexhaustible," Buttigieg cried, observing the Lower Manhattan skyline from the famous bay. "I mean, just walking around it's exciting."
Buttigieg, 37, was feeling the excitement Thursday, getting the kind of rock star reception that New York mayor Bill of Blasio apparently can only dream of nowadays.
More than a dozen passersby stopped Buttigieg for handshakes, photos and wishes for happiness – including a traffic officer a short walk from City Hall.
"New York, as a creation, is one of the most remarkable things humanity has ever produced … I can only marvel at it," said Buttigieg, in town for a media blitz and Fundraiser culminating with an appearance Thursday night Stephen Colbert. "
On the Brooklyn Heights Bridge, Buttigieg experienced another triumph of human ingenuity: a slice of New York at the Grimaldi Pizzeria.
"Do you have my fork?" Jokingly asked an assistant, laughing and shaking his head as he took a piece of a pie at the margherita.
Dodge an obstacle that tripped Blasio – who in 2014 committed the cardinal sin of New York to eat his pizza with cutlery just days after being sworn in – Buttigieg sprinkled the slice of red pepper flakes and then eaten it by hand.
"It's obvious that everyone is faithful to the pizza of their own homeland, so it's not quite the same as my date at South Bend," said Buttigieg, who loves Bruno and Rocco.
"[But] I like New York pizzas, "he said, washing his mouthfuls with a sip of Pepsi Diet. "The basil is really good."
When asked why he had gained more traction in the race than Blasio, mayor of 8.6 million people, Buttigieg said he felt Hizzoner's openings in Central America were marked by a lack of traction. A note of coastal elitism.
"Part of that is just a question of tone, I think. Especially when you hear people say, "Well, why did these people in the middle of the country vote against their own interests?" Said Buttigieg. "I think there's that kind of condescension."
Buttigieg's popularity even surpassed that of Blasio in the five boroughs, where, over a three-month period ending in mid-July, Buttigieg garnered more than double the amount of donations received by Blasio nationally.
Buttigieg also condemned Blasio for managing the death of storm Eric Garner, saying he should have taken more decisive action and relied on the federal government to speed up their investigation.
"I think in a case like this, you have to visibly demand that the federal government speed up," said Buttigieg, who this year experienced a controversial death involving police in his city and confessed that he was loath to to guess how it works in New York. "
"I think the reason he reached his boiling point is that people were wondering what was taking so long," Buttigieg said of Garner's fiasco.
Buttigieg also touted his willingness to tap into the chests of his campaign to ensure safety while he was on the track. – unlike de Blasio, who put the bill at the expense of New York taxpayers using the security of the NYPD during his escapades in the main state.
"Even if I go to the Mayors' Conference, I just find it easier to use my campaign funds," said Buttigieg. "It allows us to do these things without ever having to explain to taxpayers why they support them, even if it is a legitimate business."
One of the New Yorkers whom Buttigieg has talked a lot about is city council chairman Corey Johnson, widely regarded as one of the first to have succeeded Blasio at City Hall.
"I seem to be someone very action-oriented, very focused on the voters and what they need," said Buttigieg, thanking Johnson for "putting it into action" at the time. the massive power outage of July while Blasio was in the election campaign.
"It's also an example of someone who lives a lot From what I can say, a New Yorker's life is like everyday life, Buttigieg said.
For his part, Buttigieg said he looked forward to the third democratic debate next week, an opportunity to shine as a young but moderate voice among some of his far-left opponents.
"I'm for a big bold action," he said. "For me, your audacity is not always the same as your extreme left.
"And we must find solutions that will unite Americans to solve problems."
Additional report by Aaron Feis
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