To start this off I gotta say; I love New York! What an astonishing town. I don’t quite know what it is about that skyline that’s just utterly enthralling. Once you snag a glimpse of it, it just holds you in its grasp. The magnificence of it is truly the American symbol of progress and, the awe of modern industrialism co-existing with the outlandish. Driving into New York City, especially from up north is a study in contrast. You’d think it should just all of a sudden appear out of thin air. It should be like driving into Las Vegas or Albuquerque at night, total darkness and then all of a sudden…BOOM! Instead you’re met by ominously towering housing projects the moment you hit the Pelhams. All the way through the Bronx you’re reminded that while New York is a breathtaking metropolis, it is surrounded by gritty structures and urban sprawl, a factual representation that while this city is grand it’s like a cage for some, no way out. But the moment you get to the Whitestone Bridge and the view puts you in a headlock, it’s as if you’ve entered a different world.
Whenever I come to New York I feel like that kid in the candy store or the teenager with the twin turbo libido. It’s a sensory overload indeed. So much to do, so much to see and of course being a Bostonian, never having enough time to see it all, or even a chunk of it for that matter. To the point where I’ve toyed several times with the idea of picking myself up and transplanting down here. Indeed I’m fixated on this place.
I stayed the night in Brooklyn with my good friend Lenny and his sweetheart of a girlfriend Emily. Lenny is one of those guys, like the majority of my friends whom I found running through the streets of Boston at the tender age of 14. Pissed off at the world and drunk. Punk rock is what brought us together. Though [most of us] are a bit older, wiser and refined, punk rock is a sort of bond that we all share, whether we’re still into the music or not. As much as we may hate to admit to it, it’s a part of us.
But to be honest there are two things I truly love about New York other then the fact that so many things are open until all hours are quite simple things I’m sure most people who call it home take for granted. I am infatuated with the fact that you can walk into a corner store at 4:35am on a Sunday and pick up a bottle of shampoo, a pack of gum, a six pack of beer and a hot pastrami on rye. I ask you…WHY IS THIS THE ONLY PLACE IN AMERICA THAT DOES THIS!!!!!!! Also it’s the fact that when you call an area a neighborhood, it actually feels like one. The corner stores, bars, restaurants, dry cleaners, and other small independent businesses are a reminder that neighborhoods are supposed to be filled with businesses by the people who live there, not corporate run businesses. You can’t walk two blocks in Brooklyn without seeing any one of these types of establishments. This is America! No one in an urban setting should have to walk 10 minutes to grab a bite or a pint.
Whenever I come to New York experiences and fun come first, sleep always seems to be secondary. Honestly who visits New York to sleep? Save that for Salt Lake City or Mobile. This short trip to New York (as all the other ones I’ve taken in the last 4 years) has reminded me of this. After a lackluster 5 hours on a Lucky Star bus, all I wanted to do was get to my destination and let the good times roll. I vividly recall strolling down Grand Ave suitcase rolling with a smirk on my face and a peculiar assurance like I had walked this street a million times. Maybe it was the realization that in 24 hours I’d be on the rocky road (or should I say flight) to Dublin.
Within a half hour or so we were at the bar. What’s amazing about where Lenny lives is that the nearest drinking establishment is out the front door, turn right and walk into the next door to the Boulevard Tavern. The Boulevard is a small hole in the wall bar owned by a Norwegian metal head named Nick. Plus all weekend long once the weather turns, there’s a guy out back grilling up hamburgers and hot dogs for a wallet busting 5 dollars ALL YOU CAN EAT!! On top of this all the beers don’t go over 5 dollars a pint. And then there’s the working man special; a Budweiser bottle and a filled to the rim shot of Jack Daniels. Along with Lenny and I was my good friend Alain, who is someone I’ve known since summer camp days and thanks to advancements in social networking websites, reconnected with him. Lenny and I walked back up to his apartment at about 3:30am filled with beer and burgers. Good night.
The next morning I woke up rather early as I usually do from a night of fire water consumption and had issues falling back asleep. So I stayed awake writing this. After some time had passed I kept myself busy by doing a combination of filling my Itunes with music from Lenny’s collection and watching Casino Royale while Lenny did some work for his job. At around 11 we ordered some delivery, and ate up while watching the rest of the movie. Afterwards we took a walk around Brooklyn. Snapping some photo’s as we went along and eventually stopping at a little hole in the wall record store. There we met Mike, an old school punk rock guy who had played in such old school bands like Furious George and Blank 77. After waxing nostalgic there we continued our trek through Brooklyn, eventually returning to his apartment so I could gather my things for my long journey east. Lenny walked me to the train and I was off on my first of many unknown journeys. I had never taken the New York transit system very far before so this was a new experience for me. I made it to JFK, acquired my boarding pass and headed outside for a quick smoke. Outside I met Alix, a man who worked for Delta who was nice enough to take me around the corner to another entrance so I didn’t have to deal with a long security checkpoint line. After passing through security I hung out in the terminal and eventually boarded the plane. It took almost an hour to take off due to 16 other planes in front of use. Thankfully due to the runway we were taking off from I was able to snap some quality photos of the New York skyline as the sun set.
The plane took off and as I watched with excitement New York and Long Island passed my window view and I knew at that point that my journey had begun!
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