Top Ten New York City Adventures
A lot of what used to compose my life was travel and adventure. The upstate world is spread out and vast, travel is a necessity. Here in New York, you've got an entire world contained in a reletively small space. Up the street from here I can visit Poland, across the river China, or Italy. Up in Queens is India, down in Brighton Beach you have Russia. Every area is represented, and the convenience of inner city travel and the difficulty of escape often leaves me feeling stranded in this tiny New York bubble. With the birth of a new age on the horizon (the second coming of the automobile), I'm taking some time to think about the times I was able to find adventure while living here.
10. Popfest '07 - I hadn't been in NYC long when we packed up to leave for Georgia. About two months, I was still living in Astoria with Jon. It was a trying two months, though, seeing as I had been seperated from everyone I know and tossed into big city life with a job that required very hard work. Meeting Eli and Miranda at the NQW station was a moment of jubilation. The following day when we set off was also a joyful experience, considering the year before I was making the same journey with three strangers, one of them who was with me still and one of my best friends. I think possibly the best part of this trip was waking up every morning in the Econolodge surrounded by people I love in a town that stole my heart.
9. Virginia Beach, spring '08 - Monica, for my birthday, let me schedule a weekend trip to anywhere I wanted. There were a lot of places I wanted to go, not all of them were accessible for two days. Considering that it was cold in NY, I wanted to go south (I typically always want to go south). We packed up, Monica, Miranda, Jon and myself, and piled into the car. On our trip we stopped at Colonial Williamsburg so Monica could get a Fife, a feather pen, and something else I cant recall. When we got to VA it was already dark and we were pretty tired. After we ate at Murphy's we got an oceanview room in a hotel. Mon took a nap, and the rest of us went out to play on the beach. In the morning we rented a bike car, took photo booth pictures, and before leaving we walked the strip. It was there that Monica had us take Oldee Tyme Photos at one of those places.
8. Boston, Valentines Day '08 - This trip was memorable for a load of reasons, from the weeks I spent planning this surprise trip, to the fact that when the day rolled around I felt like I was nearly on my death bed. Miranda had always wanted to go to Boston, so I figured I'd book us a trip there, via the infamous Fung Wah bus and stay at a fancy pants inn on beacon street. Though it was a whirlwind of emotions and our pricey meal at Davio's resturant was swell, through all of it I was still fending off the worse illness I'd encountered yet (worse still than the week I spent dying on a chazland couch). My plans for romantic walks through parks at night and strolls by hidden beaches were put to a halt by the sub zero temperatures. Still it was fun being there and the aquarium was nice.
7. Abandoned Small Pox Clinic, Roosevelt Island - Situated between Queens and Manhattan is an island once home to all of New York's undesireables. At the time it was called Blackwells island it housed an old folks home, two hospitals, an asylum, an orphanage, and a small pox clinic. Out of sight, out of mind. Though the island has been developed, it still has a large medical complex in the middle, so the banks are lined with wheelchairs and it retains the unhappy air of a suffering place. Jon took me there one day and we set out to explore the ruins of the clinic which still stand at the southern end of the island. Understand this sort of thing is what I live for.
6. Long Island Beach, Long Island - Last summer Mira and I took our bikes on the A-train, all the way to the end, and then rode to Long Island for a day at the beach. It was really lovely out, and the ride was sensational. It felt all sorts of great to have gotten so far away from home without riding the LIRR, MetroNorth, or a bus. I dug the biggest hole, at that point I feel it was more of a well than a hole. When the tide came in to wash it away I stood and watched, unfortunately the hole wasn't the only thing that got warshed away - it also got my phone and my Canon AE-1 with which I was just getting acquainted with. Even though I was bummed over dinner, I had a great time while I was there.
5. Coney Island - Coney island is always an escape. My first visit, which was a haunting-good time was when Patrick, Pardis, Monica and I got in the car and drove from Morningside Heights to Brooklyn on a whim. It was winter and there was snow on the beach. The place was abandoned and lonely. When the wind came through the empty park it sounded like moaning. Since then I've had relaxed days on Brighton Beach in the sun, discovered sideshow barkers, been through the mermaid parade and even found still-living clams in the tide. What is in store for Coney Island in the future, I cant say. I'm just glad I got the chance to know it as it once was.
4. Popfest '08 Pt. I, Baltimore - My third Athens Popfest was almost the Popfest that never was. With Jon saving for India, Monica tied up with wedding shenanigans, and all other ties to transportation cut, I was begining to lose hope. Bus rides were available, but at $300 a pop, it was out of our budget, considering we'd still need to get a hotel room. Everyone we knew had a full house, there was nowhere to stay for free. The night I gave up was the night I got three pieces of news that changed everything. Mira's mom was heading to Florida and could give us a ride down if we met her in Baltimore. Jason and Kay graciously made room for us to stay in their living room for the week, gratis. We also got in touch with a lady named Courtney who lives in Brooklyn and could give us a ride home.
I had never been to baltimore before, and I can say honestly I wouldn't regret it if I never make it make there. We got dropped off in this god forsaken neighborhood with a few hours to kill. We found out that their McDonalds have security guards to keep the homeless people out, and there were hookers in the bathroom bathing themselves in the sink. We walked one way, and walked back since there was only sadness and burned out houses. Mira's mom had hit a lot of traffic and we ended up spending about 6 hours there, most of it on the front steps of an empty business. Though the city sucked, it was an interesting time.
3. Popfest '08 Pt II, Athens and Back - We got into Athens, GA sometime very early in the morning. At the time I had no cell phone, and we were relaying everything through Mira's phone. It was so early we didn't want to call and wake Jason up, so we thought to kill some time at the Hot Corner, which was no longer in existance. We tried sleeping on one of the first football fields in the US, but it was getting too bright and it was just too weird. We eventually got up to the Cookie Compound, and the rest of the week was amazing. We met lots of cool people, like Dan and Keenan. Every morning we got to hear the cookies rehearsing through the wall, and in the afternoon we could hear The Greak Lakes recording their next album. On the way home we rode with a girl named Courtney, which went smoothly. I drove a majority of the way and all in all had a good trip.
2. Staten Island, winter '07 - There are two New York trips I think about almost all the time, surprisingly a trip to Staten Island is one of them. Considering that from the time Miranda and I left from my place on Riverside Drive to the time we got back we hadn't accomplished anything, it's strange to think that I would hold such a trip in high esteem. Still, we took a train, a bus, a boat, a train, a bus, a bus, a boat, and a train altogether. There was a feeling of discovery, as well as the feeling of being in a foriegn place. It didn't feel like NYC at all. We were in a land with malls, narrow streets, houses. I want to go back, but add bikes to the equation.
1. Boston, summer '08 - When The Bowerbirds were on tour with Bon Iver, they booked a gig at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Even though I went to buy my tickets three months in advance, they were already sold out. I was livid and for weeks I vented about my dissapointment. Looking over their tour list, I noticed a gig in Boston and saw it as an opprotunity to get out of town and stay in a hotel. I reserved a room for us at the Element hotel in Lexington, which was only a month or two old. Unfortunately the hotel is a bit out of the way, and we had to take the redline all the way to the alewife station, then a bus to Lexington to get to the hotel. A 15 minute walk on google maps turned into an hour walk througha beautiful countryside, and once we got to the hotel it was an amazing relief. The place was a swanky clean place that seemed too nice for me to be staying in. Our room was bigger than most studio apartments in New York, and better furnished too. We had the most comfortable bed in the world, a kitchen, a sectional couch, a huge tv. Even the breakfast in the morning was top notch. The concert was amazing, too. Bowerbirds really did an amazing set, Bon Iver wasn't bad, either. To top it off, when we were trying to get back to the bus station to go home, it was raining and no cabs were stopping. I was on the corner with my arm out, drenched, when a limo pulled up next to me. He asked if I was looking for a ride, and I said yes. He ended up driving us to the bus station for $15. It was both thrilling and extreemly silly taking a limo to catch a cheap chinatown bus. I'll never forget it.
10. Popfest '07 - I hadn't been in NYC long when we packed up to leave for Georgia. About two months, I was still living in Astoria with Jon. It was a trying two months, though, seeing as I had been seperated from everyone I know and tossed into big city life with a job that required very hard work. Meeting Eli and Miranda at the NQW station was a moment of jubilation. The following day when we set off was also a joyful experience, considering the year before I was making the same journey with three strangers, one of them who was with me still and one of my best friends. I think possibly the best part of this trip was waking up every morning in the Econolodge surrounded by people I love in a town that stole my heart.
9. Virginia Beach, spring '08 - Monica, for my birthday, let me schedule a weekend trip to anywhere I wanted. There were a lot of places I wanted to go, not all of them were accessible for two days. Considering that it was cold in NY, I wanted to go south (I typically always want to go south). We packed up, Monica, Miranda, Jon and myself, and piled into the car. On our trip we stopped at Colonial Williamsburg so Monica could get a Fife, a feather pen, and something else I cant recall. When we got to VA it was already dark and we were pretty tired. After we ate at Murphy's we got an oceanview room in a hotel. Mon took a nap, and the rest of us went out to play on the beach. In the morning we rented a bike car, took photo booth pictures, and before leaving we walked the strip. It was there that Monica had us take Oldee Tyme Photos at one of those places.
8. Boston, Valentines Day '08 - This trip was memorable for a load of reasons, from the weeks I spent planning this surprise trip, to the fact that when the day rolled around I felt like I was nearly on my death bed. Miranda had always wanted to go to Boston, so I figured I'd book us a trip there, via the infamous Fung Wah bus and stay at a fancy pants inn on beacon street. Though it was a whirlwind of emotions and our pricey meal at Davio's resturant was swell, through all of it I was still fending off the worse illness I'd encountered yet (worse still than the week I spent dying on a chazland couch). My plans for romantic walks through parks at night and strolls by hidden beaches were put to a halt by the sub zero temperatures. Still it was fun being there and the aquarium was nice.
7. Abandoned Small Pox Clinic, Roosevelt Island - Situated between Queens and Manhattan is an island once home to all of New York's undesireables. At the time it was called Blackwells island it housed an old folks home, two hospitals, an asylum, an orphanage, and a small pox clinic. Out of sight, out of mind. Though the island has been developed, it still has a large medical complex in the middle, so the banks are lined with wheelchairs and it retains the unhappy air of a suffering place. Jon took me there one day and we set out to explore the ruins of the clinic which still stand at the southern end of the island. Understand this sort of thing is what I live for.
6. Long Island Beach, Long Island - Last summer Mira and I took our bikes on the A-train, all the way to the end, and then rode to Long Island for a day at the beach. It was really lovely out, and the ride was sensational. It felt all sorts of great to have gotten so far away from home without riding the LIRR, MetroNorth, or a bus. I dug the biggest hole, at that point I feel it was more of a well than a hole. When the tide came in to wash it away I stood and watched, unfortunately the hole wasn't the only thing that got warshed away - it also got my phone and my Canon AE-1 with which I was just getting acquainted with. Even though I was bummed over dinner, I had a great time while I was there.
5. Coney Island - Coney island is always an escape. My first visit, which was a haunting-good time was when Patrick, Pardis, Monica and I got in the car and drove from Morningside Heights to Brooklyn on a whim. It was winter and there was snow on the beach. The place was abandoned and lonely. When the wind came through the empty park it sounded like moaning. Since then I've had relaxed days on Brighton Beach in the sun, discovered sideshow barkers, been through the mermaid parade and even found still-living clams in the tide. What is in store for Coney Island in the future, I cant say. I'm just glad I got the chance to know it as it once was.
4. Popfest '08 Pt. I, Baltimore - My third Athens Popfest was almost the Popfest that never was. With Jon saving for India, Monica tied up with wedding shenanigans, and all other ties to transportation cut, I was begining to lose hope. Bus rides were available, but at $300 a pop, it was out of our budget, considering we'd still need to get a hotel room. Everyone we knew had a full house, there was nowhere to stay for free. The night I gave up was the night I got three pieces of news that changed everything. Mira's mom was heading to Florida and could give us a ride down if we met her in Baltimore. Jason and Kay graciously made room for us to stay in their living room for the week, gratis. We also got in touch with a lady named Courtney who lives in Brooklyn and could give us a ride home.
I had never been to baltimore before, and I can say honestly I wouldn't regret it if I never make it make there. We got dropped off in this god forsaken neighborhood with a few hours to kill. We found out that their McDonalds have security guards to keep the homeless people out, and there were hookers in the bathroom bathing themselves in the sink. We walked one way, and walked back since there was only sadness and burned out houses. Mira's mom had hit a lot of traffic and we ended up spending about 6 hours there, most of it on the front steps of an empty business. Though the city sucked, it was an interesting time.
3. Popfest '08 Pt II, Athens and Back - We got into Athens, GA sometime very early in the morning. At the time I had no cell phone, and we were relaying everything through Mira's phone. It was so early we didn't want to call and wake Jason up, so we thought to kill some time at the Hot Corner, which was no longer in existance. We tried sleeping on one of the first football fields in the US, but it was getting too bright and it was just too weird. We eventually got up to the Cookie Compound, and the rest of the week was amazing. We met lots of cool people, like Dan and Keenan. Every morning we got to hear the cookies rehearsing through the wall, and in the afternoon we could hear The Greak Lakes recording their next album. On the way home we rode with a girl named Courtney, which went smoothly. I drove a majority of the way and all in all had a good trip.
2. Staten Island, winter '07 - There are two New York trips I think about almost all the time, surprisingly a trip to Staten Island is one of them. Considering that from the time Miranda and I left from my place on Riverside Drive to the time we got back we hadn't accomplished anything, it's strange to think that I would hold such a trip in high esteem. Still, we took a train, a bus, a boat, a train, a bus, a bus, a boat, and a train altogether. There was a feeling of discovery, as well as the feeling of being in a foriegn place. It didn't feel like NYC at all. We were in a land with malls, narrow streets, houses. I want to go back, but add bikes to the equation.
1. Boston, summer '08 - When The Bowerbirds were on tour with Bon Iver, they booked a gig at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Even though I went to buy my tickets three months in advance, they were already sold out. I was livid and for weeks I vented about my dissapointment. Looking over their tour list, I noticed a gig in Boston and saw it as an opprotunity to get out of town and stay in a hotel. I reserved a room for us at the Element hotel in Lexington, which was only a month or two old. Unfortunately the hotel is a bit out of the way, and we had to take the redline all the way to the alewife station, then a bus to Lexington to get to the hotel. A 15 minute walk on google maps turned into an hour walk througha beautiful countryside, and once we got to the hotel it was an amazing relief. The place was a swanky clean place that seemed too nice for me to be staying in. Our room was bigger than most studio apartments in New York, and better furnished too. We had the most comfortable bed in the world, a kitchen, a sectional couch, a huge tv. Even the breakfast in the morning was top notch. The concert was amazing, too. Bowerbirds really did an amazing set, Bon Iver wasn't bad, either. To top it off, when we were trying to get back to the bus station to go home, it was raining and no cabs were stopping. I was on the corner with my arm out, drenched, when a limo pulled up next to me. He asked if I was looking for a ride, and I said yes. He ended up driving us to the bus station for $15. It was both thrilling and extreemly silly taking a limo to catch a cheap chinatown bus. I'll never forget it.