Music Everywhere
Passing by a school playground full of children at recess in the East Village today, the din of a car horn in “panic” mode droned on and on in a monotone as they played. Just as I began to feel sorry for city kids who have to endure the urban noise around them from within their 12 foot chain link fence enclosed playground, I heard four or five boys stop what they were doing and start to build a chord based on the note from the car horn. They matched the rhythm creating the third and the fifth with one of the boys providing an off-beat and another improvising a counterpoint melody. One boy began to conduct with his right arm while the ball he had just been playing with was tucked under his left. I stopped on the sidewalk to wonder at the spectacle. Touched and amused at their ability to make music out of a car horn, I rounded the corner and realized that this was no ordinary playground I stumbled on to, this was the playground of
Grace Church School.A beautiful Gothic Revival style edifice set back from the street at 820 Broadway, Grace Church boasts one of the finest
musical programs in the city. Their open-door policy and daily organ meditations are famous in the neighborhood. In fact, the school at Grace Church began as a boys’ choir boarding school in 1894. Eventually the school expanded into a regular elementary school and became co-educational, but obviously they have maintained their strong music program including a
chorister training program for kids. Good thing, too, because these kids probably would have been beaten to a pulp on any other New York City playground. Keep singing, boys!
Labels: Only In New York
I Need a Little Christmas
I won't lie. The last couple of months being back in New York have been a big adjustment. After such an incredible year at school it was bound to be a let down getting back to the city grind. I miss the friends I made and the constant creative stimuli. On top of that, I had to finish up my final paper (which is done!) and I'm still living in a temporary housing situation. The reason? Because the tenant I chose with such care last year to rent out my apartment while I was at school won't get out! I won't go into all the details, but it has been a constant source of frustration and anxiety the last six weeks. So, when my friend Jimmy suggested I join him to attend the Unicef Snowflake Lighting at 57th and 5th Avenue, I jumped at the chance. Somehow the beauty of 5th Avenue as the holidays approach never fails to lift my spirits.
As these holiday lightings go, the Snowflake is a bit of a dog and pony show. It's short and sweet; a kids' choir singing some holiday tunes, some remarks from the Unicef mucky-mucks and a beautiful celebrity like Unicef Ambasador Lucy Liu to flip the switch.
Et Voila! Merry Christmas! Just what I needed. But the best part was probably going out for burgers afterwards with Jimmy who loves a good greasy spoon diner as much as I do. Bacon cheeseburger deluxe, please. Ah,
La Parisienne Diner--
c'est magnifique!
Labels: Christmas, NY Restaurants, Only In New York
O, Solo Mio
An interesting bit of
news about New York was released yesterday. It seems that more than 50% of Manhattanites live alone; as in single, no spouse, no family. This doesn't surprise me considering that the housing stock in Manhattan is made up of more studio and one-bedroom apartments than anything else. But what I'm waiting for is some kind of acknowledgement that this is the case.
Soapbox please.
I have lived alone for the past 9 years. That's not to say I'm "single". I've been in committed relationships for most of that time. But that's the way we do things in Manhattan. No one wants to give up their apartment. It's a classically eccentric New York tradition. In one of the most famous examples, Woody Allen and Mia Farrow maintained separate apartments for years! Okay--maybe that's not the best illustration. The point is, this is nothing new to us, and yet, we single households are constantly discriminated against by society and in the media.
Coming off an election year, and still with the health care debate, all anyone cares about representing or protecting or benefiting is "families". As if these are the only people worthy of going to political bat for. Have you noticed? Listen carefully--no one ever talks about single people. It's "families, families, families." The message is loud and clear that the only acceptable choice in our society is to live as a family. This attitude, probably a result of a right-leaning socio-political trend driven by the religious right, even fuels the LGBT fight for marriage equality. We've gotten the message that in order to be legitimized by the mainstream, we have to imitate their lifestyle. I'm convinced it's the reason the fight for marriage equality is far more visible and passionate than ENDA. But shouldn't we make sure we're able to support our families by protecting our job security first? But I digress...
Manhattan was built for single people. Literally. Like I said, look at the housing stock. Now, the numbers even support that. And yet, New York continues this "family friendly", theme park approach to development and zoning that frankly most of us don't need, or, as in my case, want. I remember a friend who lived in Chelsea telling me that he and his partner wanted to get out because every new building going up was selling 3 and 4 bedroom apartments. "What comes with all those bedrooms? Kids!" There goes the neighborhood.
Now, don't get me wrong, I don't hate kids. On the contrary. I just don't want to raise yours and I don't want to live in a childproof world. I've made another choice. A legitimate, individual, American-as-apple-pie, free choice to live alone--just like the majority of Manhattanites. And there's nothing wrong with that. We're Americans, too.
Now, wish me luck on explaining this post to Scott who's moving in with me in a couple of weeks.
Labels: Only In New York
Fortunate
Harlem.Two female cashiers at the Duane Read on 125 Street. Woman 1: Yeah, he tol' me that when Obama talked to the school kids it would be good for my son 'cause he's "unfortunate".
Woman 2: He's not unfortunate. He got two working parents. That's fortunate.
Amen.
Labels: Only In New York
Shakespeare in the Parking Space
As a New Yorker who sometimes keeps a car in the city, I am normally not in favor of anything taking up a parking space other than a car. Today, however, I have to make an exception. New York City is taking part in an international event called Park(ing) Day. (
http://www.parkingdaynyc.org/)
The idea is to convert conventional parking spaces into engaging, people-friendly public spaces for one day a year. The aim is to spark discussion on the importance of parks and public space in normally auto-clogged cities like New York. Parking spaces all over New York have been transformed into art installations, exhibits, or performance spaces, like "Shakespeare in the Parking Space", which I made a special trip to see.
In a spot located on Columbus Avenue between 60th & 61st Streets, some Fordham University students set up a simple platform and a bench (all one really needs to perform Shakespeare) and treated passersby to sonnets, monologues, some contemporary poetry, songs and the inevitable "original rap". Some of the Shakespearean selections included Hermia and Helena from
Midsummer (pictured below), Juliet Act 4, scene 2, a marvelous St. Crispen's Day speech from
Henry V delivered with all the gusto only a college boy can muster, and even a female Hamlet.
Hard-boiled New Yorkers, normally too busy to even look up from their Blackberries, stopped to listen, laugh, applaud and take pictures, including a group of construction workers on their lunch hour (pictured below).
I must admit my word-nerd, classical theatre-loving heart was moved to see this earnest group of students performing Shakespeare as it was meant to be: in the open air for the masses. I doubt Shakespeare could have anticipated the noise from buses and ambulances whizzing by, however.
It's good to know that if I don't get any work after completing my MFA in classical acting, I can always high-jack a parking space to perform.
Labels: Grad School, Only In New York, Theatre
The Leopard Chair
Last night I signed a lease to turn over my apartment, the home I own, lovingly decorated and agonized over, the subject of endless furniture placement floorplans and sketch renderings of a mythical walk in closet I swear I'm going to build someday, to a complete stranger. Now, it's been many years since I've been in the rental market in New York, but back in the day it was notoriously cut-throat. I remember waiting at a newstand in the wee hours of a Wednesday morning to get the latest edition of the Village Voice and a jump on that week's rental listings. Then one had to pay finders fees and deal with bloodthirsty brokers who charged fees to the tune of 20% of the first year's rent that the renter, not the landlord, pays. I vowed back then if I was ever a landlord I would not support the racket that is the New York rental market.
The Internet and more and more buildings being converted to co-ops or condos thereby creating more individual owners, not to mention the building boom of the last decade that seems to produce sky-scrapers full of luxury rentals on a weekly basis along the west side, has eased the market a bit. Those no-fee apartments once almost unheard of have given way to new buildings with the phone number of their rental office posted outside on a 4 story banner. Craigslist has replaced the Village Voice for the best apartment deals in the city. It's free for no-fee apartments and apartment rentals by owner to post an ad. So, that's what I planned to do: post an ad on Craigslist. Easy, right? I'll have an open house and have this place rented in an 2 hours, maybe three
I made some calls to my building manager who instructed me to get x, y, and z financial and legal information from an potential tenant and of course a credit check should be done. I spoke to my boss, a smart, well-to-do, old-time New York "dame" who has been the owner of a couple of rental apartments over the years. I told her my plan to use Craigslist. "Are you crazy? Do you want every lunatic in New York parading through your apartment? Turn it over to a broker--it's what they do. You tell them exactly who you want in there and they'll find them. And it's free for you! You have enough to do before you go away." She had a point.
So, I gave in. I broke the promise I made to that idealistic out-of-work 23-year old actor so many years ago and called a broker. Thank god I called the broker I did though, because I was immediately reminded of why I never wanted to use them in first place. The aggressive tactics and fast talking. It was as if I could feel a claw like hand reaching through the phone ready to snatch up my listing. Before I even had a chance to ask anything, she knew the address and all my contact information. Finally I took control of the conversation saying I wasn't sure when the apartment would be ready to show, but I would let her know. I hung up and immediately started writing my Craigslist ad.
The ad produced a couple dozen email responses all expressing interest in the open house. I spruced the place up getting it ready and I must say, it looked fabulous. But in the end, only a handful of people showed up, including the perfect candidate. He gave me a scare over the weekend, almost backing out of the deal, but finally showed up to see the place one last time, checks in hand, ready to sign the lease. While he did one final walk through, I gave him ideas on how to increase storage space and we discussed furniture placement. But when he agonized over just where to place his leopard chair, I knew the place would be well taken care of and in good hands. I will be able to rest easy in Washington.
Labels: Only In New York, Personal
It's Not Easy Being Green
How will I ever save the planet if I KEEP FORGETTING TO BRING MY FREAKIN' EARTH-FRIENDLY REUSABLE GROCERY BAG TO THE STORE??? UGGHhhhhhhhhhh!
UPDATE 7/24/08: Okay, so today I FINALLY remembered to bring my green eco-bag to the Westside Market. The checker began to bag my groceries in a combination of both paper AND plastic (good heavens!) when I stopped her and said proudly "No, no--I have my own bag."
"Oh, no problem," she responded and switched the groceries to my reusable bag. Then she piped in with "I'm gonna give you some information on some specials we're having this month."
"Okay, thanks"
"All kinda organics and green products. Ya know..."
"Great, thanks."
"Some really good buys."
"Okay, I appreciate it."
So even though nothing I bought today was organic, my earth-friendly reusable grocery bag has me pegged by super-market checkers as an organic-eating, crunchy granola, tree-hugger. And I don't even wear patchouli!
Labels: Humor, Only In New York
Subway Connections
New Yorkers have a reputation for being unfriendly. And it's true, we don't have much patience for small talk in line at the grocery or on the train. But one thing we will go out of our way to do is insure that those who need accurate directions some where get them. We are very proud of our city and if we can help you find your way around it easier we are all too happy to do so.
This phenomenon is especially true on the subway. The system can be daunting with its different colored lines, uptown, downtown, Queens bound, Bronx bound, express, local and all manner of other terms completely foreign to tourists. I have witnessed (and even played a role in) a simple question from a tourist that will inspire a debate between three New Yorkers on which is the best route to take to said destination. We make sure they get off at the correct stop wish them well and shout the rest of the directions as they exit the train. "Remember, you want the number 1 train. Don't get on the 2 or you'll end up in Brooklyn!" On the way home today, I once again witnessed what great pains New Yorkers will go to to make sure someone has the correct information.
A freshly scrubbed young man in a dress shirt and tie asked a middle aged Latino woman on the B train as it was stopped at the 59th Street station if that train went to Times Square. Perhaps because of her limited grasp of English she gave the boy a vague smile and seemed to indicate that he should try the uptown A train across the platform. Before anyone could correct her the doors closed in the boy's face. This prompted a barrage of rapid fire Spanish from the woman's three companions that I imagine translated to something like "WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU, YOU KNOW THAT TRAIN DOESN'T GO TO TIMES SQUARE, NOW THAT KID WILL END UP IN THE BRONX OR HARLEM OR WHO KNOWS WHERE AND PROBABLY NEVER SEE HIS FAMILY AGAIN, AY DIOS MIO WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?!"
Following this all three women started banging on the windows of the train to try and get the young man's attention. With a combination of sign language, Spanish and English all three indicated that the boy should go upstairs and across to the downtown platform. The kid was oblivious. Unsure, he hesitated before stepping on the uptown A train which was just about to leave the station. From there he seemed to wander in search of someone else who might give him the right directions. I have no doubt he found them.
Labels: Only In New York
City Snapshot: Cowgirl Hall of Fame
The popular West Village eatery Cowgirl Hall of Fame has been a fixture in the West Village at least as long as I have lived in New York. The food is good old fashioned white trash fare from the delicious chicken fried chicken to Frito pie. The place is full of kitschy western memorabilia, vintage photos of actual cowgirls plus a few of fake ones, as well as western themed paint by numbers paintings. Capitalizing on both Gay Pride month and Tony Award season, the Cowgirl Hall of Fame has decked its windows out for June in old style Playbill covers of classic Broadway Musicals with a gay twist. Below are
Tranny Get Your Gun, Oklahomo, Peter Pansy and
Gays and Dolls.
Despite it being perhaps one of the gayest restaurants in the village with a decidedly in-your-face gay attitude, Cowgirl attracts tons of families with kids. Scott and I stopped in to have dinner here tonight and there were no less than a dozen children under 10 with their families. (I counted.) Their website includes a section for children's parties and among Cowgirl's most prized possessions is a thank you note to the staff from then First Lady Hillary Clinton for hosting one of Chelsea's birthday parties.
Labels: City Snapshots, Gay Culture, Only In New York
Aberscrawny & Fitch
While running some office errands today I experienced one of those priceless New York moments where the absurdly chic meets blue-collar reality. I was at the corner 56 and 5th Avenue waiting for a light to change when I found myself in front of the Abercrombie & Fitch flagship store. A tall, gangly 20 year old boy with jeans slung low around his hips stood shirtless in the doorway feeling very good about himself while dance music spilled out the doors of the store into the middle of the 5th Avenue workday afternoon. Our scrawny hero flirted with a female employee whose job apparently it was to writhe to the beat of the dance music occasionally rubbing her body against the shirtless boy. Two other boys (with shirts) stood guard at either side of the doorway completing the posse while one of them groped another female employee as she passed by.
I couldn't help wondering how much these kids were getting paid for this gig. The whole thing just smacked of desperate corporate promotion of an ideal that only exists in the pages of a catalog. It felt contrived and ridiculous. As ridiculous as Abercrombie's youth-obsessed current branding founder, Michael S. Jeffries, a 60 year old man who dyes his hair beach boy blond and wears shorts or torn jeans with flip flops to work no matter what the weather. In Ohio.
As I stood there trying to figure out who's buying this non-sense anymore, an MTA bus pulled up at the light in front of me. The swarthy driver looked toward the Abercrombie doorway with disgust and honked the horn a couple times. He opened the door of the bus and said to me "Tell that dude he's got no guns!" With that the driver pulled back the short sleeve of his uniform shirt, flexed a thick beefy bicep and flashed me a smile. Somewhat taken aback by the brawny display I failed to relay the message to the shirtless boy that "Hey, the bus driver is hotter than you!" though I wish I had. Given the choice, I definitely would have gone with the bus driver. Take that, Aberscrawny.
Labels: Consumerism, Only In New York
And...we're back!
Well, I'm back. Which is kind of a play on words because the source of most of my misery this week has been my back. My achin' back to be more precise. Is there anything worse? And don't say childbirth. Tooth pain is pretty bad, too. Dry sockets following four wisdom tooth extractions--not pretty. Been there. Thank you all to those who left such lovely get-well wishes. Anywho...because there's so much to catch up on I guess I this is going to be one of those random thoughts posts. Let's see, where to begin?
Friday brought another crane collapse here in Manhattan. Perhaps this will mean a much needed slowdown to the building boom that is seemingly out of control in this city. It has me and many other New Yorkers walking alternate routes just to avoid construction sites these days. On top of that the grave atmosphere has put a damper on things at work since I work in the construction industry. You didn't know that, did you? Yup, it's true. Pretty butch, right? Impressed? Well--don't be. It's not actual construction
work. 
Just to dash any butch images you might have of me, I was among the first of my friends to see the
Sex and the City movie! I just popped some pain killers and propped myself up at the Chelsea Clearview Cinemas to enjoy the show. Yes--if you can, you must see it in the gayest movie theatre in town. I enjoyed it and was never a regular viewer of the show.
Random non sequitur: Do you remember the name of the construction worker in the Village People? I do. David Hodo. He was my favorite. (Pictured left)
I would be remiss not to mention the passing of two show business greats: Harvey Korman and Sydney Pollack. Korman is best known for his brilliant comedic work on the Carol Burnett Show. Not only did he create hilarious characters like Max to Burnett's Nora Desmond, Ed, opposite Burnett's iconic Eunice in the Family skits and perhaps my favorite, Mother Marcus, a drag character based on Korman's real-life Yiddish grandmother.
Sydney Pollack was of course a much accomplished actor and an Academy Award winning director. Gay audiences will always remember him as Will Truman's philandering, but understanding, totally-cool-with-his-son's-homosexuality father on
Will and Grace--the super PC Dad so many gay men probably wished they had.
Labels: Gay Culture, In Memoriam, Only In New York, Pop Culture
Troubled Kids
Overheard on the B train.Three girls of color all wearing Mets jerseys.First Girl: (to second girl, indicating third girl): No, she didn't go to school with us. She went to a special school for troubled kids.
Third Girl: Bullshit! I did not! I went to school for performing arts.
First Girl: (to second girl) Like I said, troubled kids.
Labels: Only In New York
Provincetown Playhouse in Peril
Another piece of American Theatre History is being threatened by the wrecking ball. The ever-expanding
NYU is planning to raze the Provincetown Playhouse on MacDougal Street. The playhouse has played host to the New York premieres of much of Eugene O'Neill's work as well as the plays of Edward Albee, Edna St. Vincent Millay and others. Andrew Berman, president of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, had this to say, "This is a world famous historic site that is critical to the development of alternative theatre in America. To demolish it is sacrilege." I agree, but then, I'm partial.
NYU says the expansion is still in the planning phase and that the theatre's demolition is not a done deal while at the same time trying to justify the demolition arguing that after the its 1940s renovation, the Playhouse's exterior bears little resemblance to the original 1918 structure. (Which is true as you can see from the photos.) They similarly rationalized away the demolition of one of Edgar Allen Poe's former residences a few years ago arguing that he didn't live there for very long. Whatever. Someone get this building landmarked and fast!
The original 1918 facade of the Provincetown Playhouse as it looked around 1936.
The exterior as it looks today.
Labels: History, Only In New York
Habla Inglese?
Let me start this post with a disclaimer: I am not a language snob. I do not insist that people speak English whenever I am within earshot, nor do I consider anyone who speaks with an accent unable to speak English. (This is one of my pet peeves. Just because someone speaks with an accent does not mean they don't speak English!) My family are recent enough immigrants that I remember many of them speaking with an accent. When someone complains that immigrants don't learn the language fast enough, I often ask them if their own ancestors got off the boat speaking fluent English. Unless they are of English or Irish descent, this is very rarely the case. (Although, in the case of my own Italian grandmother, she did, in fact, speak fluent English before she ever came to America, having been schooled in Scotland.) But I digress...
There is one instance, however, where not speaking English really does rub me the wrong way. That is when people in public service positions (cashiers, fast food workers, etc) speak to each other in a language other than English, say, oh, i don't know....Spanish, for example. And even that is not so bad as when they speak to Spanish speaking customers in Spanish in front of me. It's not as if these workers or the customers are not perfectly bilingual, flipping easily back in to English to wait on me. It just seems rude. And, in the case of representing a national chain, not right. Does this ever happen to you? Does it bother you? Or am I turning into Lou Dobbs?
Labels: Only In New York
Have a Nice Day!
Yesterday the NYPD revealed with much fanfare something called Operation TORCH. It is supposed to act as a deterrent for would-be terrorists and involves teams of riot police armed with automatic weapons and bomb-sniffing dogs who will be situated in various subway stations throughout the city. What a welcome sight for a sleepy morning commuter on his way to work.
The team (or teams) will be deployed to different subway stations every day. So, you may see them one day and gone the next. But I'm not sure their presence would make me feel any safer. In fact, it might make me feel less safe, as if the reason I'm seeing them is because an attack is imminent. I'm all for protecting the subway system, but there has to be a less in-your-face way to do it.
Besides that, the fact of the matter is that if someone is bound and determined to bomb the subway system they are going to do it, Operation TORCH or no. With the teams in different stations everyday, don't they think a would-be terrorist would find out where they are on the given day of a planned attack and just enter the system at another station? Then all they have to do is ride into Times Square and pull the trigger, light the fuse, pull the pin, or whatever one does to set off a bomb. I suppose I shouldn't complain about this new means of security--maybe it will deter attacks. Who knows? But I can't help seeing it as just another depressing sign of the times in which we live.
Labels: Current Events, Only In New York
I'm a Bad Person
It's Earth Day. And I drove to work today. In Manhattan. Across town. At rush hour.
I know what you must be thinking. I'm not proud of this. But it was either that or be slapped with a costly parking ticket due to a delayed entrance into the delicate dance that is alternate side of the street parking in Manhattan. And since my bank account seemed in more immediate danger than the environment at the critical moment I was forced to make a choice, I chose to drive. Yes, to drive. On Earth Day.
Gentle readers of the blogosphere, forgive me!
Labels: Only In New York
Grow Up!
File this one under "get a life." During construction of the new Yankees Stadium, a Red Sox-loving construction worker on the job reportedly planted a Sox jersey under two feet of concrete as a practical joke and possibly to spur Yankee fears of a Boston "curse". Construction workers, most of whom are Yankee fans, spent five hours on Saturday digging up the offending jersey at the request of Yankees brass.
The Yankees are considering filing criminal charges against the construction worker because "he had bad motives and was trying to do a really bad thing." Criminal charges! For something that's imaginary! Gimme a break. Why don't you go tell his mommy while you're at it. The only thing criminal here is spending five hours on a Saturday at union wages digging up brand new concrete. Maybe they can get the pope to exorcise the spot during his upcoming visit to Yankees Stadium next week. Grow up, boys!
Labels: Only In New York, Pop Culture, Sports
Well, I'm Glad!
At last Mayor Mike Bloomberg's pet project of congestion pricing has received a final fatal blow from Albany. For those of you who do not live in the New York City metro area, we here in Gotham have had to endure a year of Bloomberg style propaganda promoting his last attempt to leave a legacy on the city--that of congestion pricing. The bill was so unpopular it never even made it to the State Assembly floor for a vote. From the beginning critics have accurately argued that congestion pricing to drive into Manhattan below 60th Street amounts to a tax on the working class. The first setback the plan faced was last year when it was decided that drivers from New Jersey who already pay $8 (the same price proposed for congestion pricing) to cross the Hudson River at bridges and tunnels would be exempt from paying the fee once inside the city.
The Bloomberg administration has tried to spin the congestion pricing plan as a "green" solution to the city's traffic problems claiming that the additional commuting cost would result in less cars on the road and more people using mass transit. But anyone who thinks that in a city where it costs $6 to $8 to cross almost any of the bridges and tunnels, in addition to local NY Thruway tolls, Parkway and Turnpike tolls, gas prices averaging almost $4 a gallon, daily parking spaces in midtown ranging $40 to $60 a day and parking tickets in Manhattan ranging from $65 to $125 that an additional $8 would keep anyone from driving into the city has clearly just fallen off the turnip truck from Idaho. The only thing green about this plan was the $350 million that the city would have received in federal funds if the plan had been put into effect, money that would not necessarily go to improving New York's already overburdened public transit system and did not even address the issues in neighboring commuter states of New Jersey and Connecticut.
This is New York. No one drives here for the fun of it. But things have to happen here. Important things. Life and death things. International things. World economic things. These things will happen at any cost--especially if it's only $8. Companies would figure it in to the cost of doing business. The only people who would feel the sting of congestion pricing are the true working class--the truck drivers for example, who would have been charged $21 for coming into the city. The taxi drivers whose daily operating costs would sky-rocket. And all of those fees would result in increased prices on goods and services for those not commuting, but actually living in Manhattan--guys like me.
As for going green New York is ahead of most American cities with strict emissions laws in place, all city buses now running on hybrid power, an electric subway system (which we've always had) and a plan to make all taxis hybrid cars in the next few years. We New Yorkers use mass transit in greater numbers than any other American city--just ask anyone who has the misfortune of living on the 4,5,6 line. Certainly more can be done to decrease the city's carbon footprint and we need to look into that and fast--but this isn't it.
It's true that New York has a serious congestion problem. But how about this: Why let
Good Morning America or MTV block off Times Square at rush hour for some stupid pop-tune promotion? Why allow a movie studio to hijack the city for an entire week staging publicity stunts causing traffic and tie-ups for the opening of the Spiderman movie? Why allow a ticker tape parade in the Financial district on the day of a presidential primary? And if those things must happen why not charge the multi-billion dollar corporations behind those events exorbitant fees to do so rather than passing the buck on to the poor working slobs? Just asking.
UPDATE: Mike Bloomberg is now
railing in the press against Speaker Sheldon Silver who put the kibosh on the Congestion Pricing vote. The down side of this is that the city has lost all that federal funding--but then Bloomberg should have come up with a better plan rather than this extremely flawed one. By the way--Sheldon Silver is also the one who saved us from a West Side stadium to attract an Olympic bid. Funny how Mayor Mike wasn't worried about traffic congestion back then.
Labels: Only In New York
Hazard: Crane Collapse
About a month ago the category for
Glenn & Dave's weekly photo challenge was "Hazard". So I dutifully ran around town snapping photos of things that looked hazardous to me. On my way to work I took a photo of this crane precariously situated over 51st and Second Avenue. Today,
that crane came crashing down, breaking in two, flattening a small 4 story apartment building and damaging two larger ones, in one case shearing off a corner of the building and the apartments it contained. This is yet another construction accident in what seems like a record number this year. This particular site was cited for nine safety violations in January. Nine. So far, four people are reported dead due to this accident and 17 injured, some seriously.
Scott and I first got word of the collapse from our friend,
The Flaming Curmudgeon, who lives in the neighborhood and witnessed the commotion minutes after the fact as emergency vehicles arrived on the scene. Check out
his blog for a first-hand account and some haunting photos.
Below is another shot of the construction site in the distance as it appeared on February 7th, just two blocks south of the one in the foreground. As far as I know, Plaza Construction had nothing to do with the site of the crane collapse.
Beware the Ides of March.
Labels: Current Events, Only In New York
Obama Swag
Amsterdam & 107th St.
I was in my car tonight and pulled up behind a cab at a red light. A hooded black youth walking a pit bull mix crossed between my car and the cab. He squatted down behind the taxi as it was stopped and appeared to be fiddling with the bumper. No doubt defacing a license plate thought I--though I am not proud to admit this. Once he rose again and walked away, he revealed a freshly posted "Obama '08" bumper sticker on the back of the cab. While I didn't necessarily approve of his campaign tactics, I had to admire his nerve.
Once the light changed, I pulled up along the sidewalk, rolled down my window and called out to him "Hey, can I get one of those?" He stopped, looked at me and said "A bumper sticker?"
"Yeah," I said.
"You saw who it was for, right?" he asked, almost shocked I could be interested in the same candidate.
"Yeah," I replied, "I cast my vote this morning."
"Oh, cool man. Here, I'll give you the small one, too. I only got one left."
"I'll take whatever you got."
"Okay. Here." He said and unloaded a couple of pamphlets along with the stickers into my car window. I thanked him and was on my way.
As I continued up Amsterdam I couldn't help but think that this little exchange with this stranger was the perfect metaphor for the Obama campaign. One in which "we're choosing unity over division."
Labels: Only In New York, Politics
