RIP PhifeDawg, aka Malik Taylor and some of 90's NYC

(Above a still from the music video for "Jazz/Buggin' Out" by "A Tribe Called Quest" (1991) featuring a then mostly desolate DUMBO waterfront in the background. Of course that building behind them in this shot is being made currently, into condos.)

Phife Dawg is dead at 45. This one personally hurts.

"Phife Dawg" aka Malik Taylor was a lyricist and key member of hiphop's ground breaking group "A Tribe Called Quest"

Some folks rant about people mourning the death of entertainers or celebs, and if you're kind of fan of "A Tribe Called Quest" then Malik Taylor aka Phife Didd-dawg was the energetic essence of that, but he was also the dude I'd see on the regular in NYC. Specifically in video game arcades where he'd hold down a machine for hours, beating anyone who foolishly stepped to challenge, or just rocking the machine by himself. If you have no idea who I'm talking about let me take a few lyrics from the man himself to explain:

"Now here's a funky introduction of how nice I am Tell your mother, tell your father, send a telegram I'm like an energizer cause, you see, I last long My crew is never ever wack because we stand strong"

From "Check the Vibe" by A Tribe Called Quest
(This video shot with contours of a desolate DUMBO in the Background)

Phife on his preference of women:

"I like 'em brown, yellow, Puerto Rican or Haitian Name is Phife Dawg from the Zulu Nation Told you in the jam that we can get down Now let's knock the boots like the group H-Town You got BBD all on your bedroom wall But I'm above the rim and this is how I ball A gritty little something on the New York street This is how I represent over this here beat"

From "Electric Relaxation" by A Tribe Called Quest,

Phife On fidelity:

"Original rude boy, never am I coy You can be a shorty in my ill convoy Not to come across as a thug or a hood But hon, you got the goods, like Madelyne Woods By the way, my name's Malik The Five-Foot Freak Let's say we get together by the end of the week She simply said, "No", labelled me a ho I said, "How you figure?" "My friends told me so" I hate when silly groupies wanna run they yap
Word to God hon, I don't get down like that."

Also From "Electric Relaxation" by A Tribe Called Quest

Phife On life(kinda):

"I never half step cause I'm not a half stepper Drink a lot of soda so they call me Dr. Pepper(sad! He was referring to his indulgence of sugars that led to his diabetes) Refuse to compete with BS competition Your name ain't Special Ed so won't you seckle with the mission I never walk the street thinking it's all about me Even though deep in my heart, it really could be I just try my best to like go all out Some might even say yo shorty black you're buggin' out"

From "Buggin' Out" by A Tribe Called Quest,

Damn! Imagine being 20 years old and those lyrics play over Tribe's dope beats as you walk down the street, into the club, off to class, Phife aka #MalikTaylor made an introduction, lines for anyone feeling the vibe, especially someone young as he was then, trying to find their way.


It's very important to note these albums came out over 20 years ago, when HipHop was still a largely unknown genre, and when images of HipHop ranged from under budget to cliched. Yet A Tribe Called Quest powered by Q-Tip's fertile visual imagination, he and Phife's lyrical flows, Ali Shaheed Muhammad's dope beats and all three of their combined energies created videos which were imaginative, bugged out (sometimes literally, as shown above) and always full of Black and Brown faces.

Smiling faces, Hard Faces, Happy Faces, Dancing Faces, Living Breathing on the Block from Bk to Queens, faces. Us just living, being, us.

For a great example check out this video for "Oh My God" which was shot on Monroe (btw Marcus Garvey and Monroe *below) in Bedford Stuyvesant.

I can't begin to express what it was like in the 90's to click on "Video Music Box" (running on a public tv station channel 31 here in NYC at the time) and seeing the block my family lived on, and the people of Brooklyn I recognized as everyday people being the setting for the music of the moment. Tribe was a part of the culture that elevated an unseen NYC for millions of people.

If you're reading this and you've never heard of any of this, it could because while Phife and A Tribe Called Quest (#ATCQ) were pioneers in a jazz infused melodic hiphop that plotted the course for hundreds of lyrasis and producers to come, most notably The Roots, so you may not have heard Tribe on your radio but it didnt matter or as Phife might say:

No need to sweat Arsenio to gain some type of fame No shame in my game cause I'll always be the same Styles upon styles upon styles is what I have You wanna diss the Phifer but you still don't know the half.

From "Check the Rhime" by A Tribe Called Quest

"Rappin' is an art, coming straight from the heart So forget the chart because the action can start."
From "Hot Sex" A Tribe Called Quest (on the Boomerange Movie Soundtrack)

Me, I used to be a gamer, hardcore, and like others I'd go to the city to play the best in the land. I saw Phife regularly in the arcade. Occasionally I'd stand by and watch his gamer skills. He was totally unpretentious. A regular dude like everyone else, flexing skills at a serious hobby, concentrating mad hard, or cracking jokes.

Dudes would come and try talking him up, but usually not, cause Phife was busy leveling up. And if you know, you know how that goes. After a while my visits to the arcade were just to come and go. I'd step in and right back out cause if Phife was on deck nobody had next.

Phife is a part of my NYC, my Hip-Hop my memories. 

Seeing him struggle with diabetes in the "A Tribe Called Quest" documentary was rough, but like anyone would, I'd hoped he was recovering toward a happy ending.

45 is young. Way too young to go.

(Recent photo of Malik Taylor aka "Phife Dawg" Photo credit Andrew H Walker/Getty)

"You on point Phife?" Yo Rest in Peace man.

#RIPPhife #ATCQ #NATIVETONGUES #HIPHOP #FallenRappers #NYC #BROOKLYN #BKLYN #QUEENS #UPTOWN #BRONX #WORLDTOUR #LONGISLAND #VIBE #PEOPLESINSTINCTIVETRAVELS

(Apologies for the wack spacing throughout this, I will be overhauling this blog soon)

The End of 5Ptz, a vibrant piece of New York City

I've been wanting to post about last month's Banksy NYC residency and it's impact, but life happened as it does, and then this happened.

(all photographs by Tiernan Morgan for Hyperallergic) 

EVIL. i dislike when "evil" is tossed around as a cause or a label, but this is straight evil, malicious, petty, intended to do nothing really more than wound and disrespect. The 5ptz building, which most of you know is an otherwise unremarkable industrial building at LIC Queen's eastern edge, made otherworldly and beautiful by the artwork it's been dressed in for over a decade has been defiled by it's owners who last night sent in workers to cruelly paint over as much of the artwork, as they could.

(all photographs by Tiernan Morgan for Hyperallergic) 

The owners recently won the right, after many appeals, to turn the land into a new development. The plans they show, make no usage of the existing structure, so why paint over this building that is scheduled to be torn down? They did it simply to be evil soulless monsters.

(all photographs by Tiernan Morgan for Hyperallergic) 

The buffing and over painting in this way is a physical, premeditated undeniable attack on art, which is an attack on the human heart. And why? To prove ownership? To forcibly demonstrate power to Meres who has been custodian and curator of the building and leader of the fight to preserve it as artists mecca and landmark? Did they cover the art to look away from the artists who've committed beauty to modern blight? Or are they like Oedipus realizing that they've screwed that which put them on the map and made the building (and to a large degree the neighborhood) a place where people would even consider WANTING to be? Did the fight over the right to make statements with paint leave them secretly longing to up their own sloppy tag, to say "fuck you we're somebody too" and at the same time physically blind themselves to the art that birthed their opportunity, attempting blind us in the process along with them?

Who cares their motivation, my desire to know why doesn't explain or excuse their desire to obscure creation, expression from the public space and the lotus-esque ways in which our spirits rebirth value out of human despair. 

I can't help but recall the transition of 11 Spring in Soho from public graf board and tag mecca to it's current luxury condo status.  I shot and produced a simple video with the help and support of Marc Schiller and the Wooster Collective, interviewing the artists and talking about the significance of that building. The owners sought out Marc to invite artists to tag up 11 Spring, dozens of them, each with their own styles, background, celebrity levels and politics were granted the time to demonstrate what that building had become, there public came, a moment was made and I believe the value of art it's inspiration to commerce were reinforced in an enriching experience. Granted there many were differences of opinion at 11 Spring, but ultimately recognition was given to the place art had made in giving that building such value that it was able to capitalize monetarily and as a result take what had become a public space for the exchange of ideas and friendships and political and personal discontent, through art, away from the public. New York City has always been a confluence of commerce, since the native Lenape came down to the rivers to trade, but there a ways to do business on a human level that add value to the transaction and the active. 

Disrespect is not only evil, it's unnecessary. 

So I'm hoping we all keep our eyes and ears open for how we as intentional and accidental members of this moment's nyc artistic community respond and when necessary participate in response to the evil disrespect of human heart that took place last night at 5Ptz. 

Brooklyn elects it's first Mayor since 1892, Bill deBlasio!

I'm happy to report what you already know, Bill deBlasio is our new Mayor of New York City.

I didn't hate Bloomberg, (Hell I've actually go a photo of he and I shaking hands) but I often disagreed with his managerial style as it was too macro&micro view for me. Blanket policies worked in my opinion on bike lanes and pedestrian plazas, but failed to consider basic human rights as in "Stop & Frisk". So thanks to democracy we get to try a new way.

I've expected Mr. deBlasio to be our Mayor since this past August. But as recently as April I would have been stunned at yesterday's election result. I expected Speaker Quinn to be a stronger more able candidate. Nobody say Weiner coming. And what he did beside remarkably demonstrating it was possible to sink his public persona lower than it was after he disgraced himself out of congress, is remind optimistic liberals that we actually had a choice other than Ms. Quinn who many such as myself saw as a Bloomberg reboot. I think it's possible without Weiner entering, we could have just as easily had a Mayor Thompson or Quinn as deBlasio.

But we got what I and 72% of voting New Yorkers wanted, a clean break, a new guy, a new day.

I also find it very fascinating, (and someone who gets paid to write and explore these topics we'll surely pick up on this) that Brooklyn largely voted this Mayor in. A Brooklyn local, diBlasio's strong showing in Brooklyn during the primary provided protection against the wide field of candidates against him. Liu took most Asian neighborhoods, Quinn took most of Manhattan below Central Park, Thompson did well in Manhattan above as well as in Queens, and Carrion diluted the vote in the Bronx. But none of those groups could overcome the Brooklyn base that came out for diBlasio.

In yesterday's voting diBlasio continued to carry Brooklyn winning over 80% of the Kings County vote.

So much is appropriately and stupidly attributed to Brooklyn. The yawn-going conversation about whether we're the "New Manhattan" or whether someplace hundreds of miles away is the "New Brooklyn" (I'm looking at you Dutchess County, give it a rest) never seems accurately describe the actual impact Brooklyn has as an incubator of new city culture, and vault for treasured NYC tradition. but in this moment when Brooklyn is so central that we rate a Presidential visit, it seems spot on that Brooklyn has elected it's first Mayor* since 1892 and the time of Brooklyn Mayor Frederick W. Wurster.

(*btw I know Giuliani was born in Brooklyn, but Staten Island voted him in the first time. I ain't claiming him and I doubt I'm alone.)

Not to be out done, another Brooklynite, Councilwoman Leticia "Tish" James has quietly become the 1st African-American woman elected to city-wide office in New York City and by her position as the new Public Advocate, she becomes 2nd in line for Mayor of New York. Fantastic!

And last but by no means least, the vote for Brooklyn District Attorney. Who's going to police the police and prosecute those who break laws, you can argue it hasn't been out going Bklyn DA Hynes (who thought he was so nice we had to vote him out twice) but going forward it's no question, our new Brooklyn District Attorney is Ken Thompson and I believe he will work hard for the benefit and protection of law abiding Brooklynites.

"Manhattan keeps on making it, Brooklyn keeps on taking it"

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

Vote Today, NYC for Public Advocate!

This October 1st has no shortage of activity. Between the House Republicans  refusing to fund the federal government's operations, the start of national enrollment for what we call Obamacare and the today being the run-off election for NYC Public Advocate, there's going to be a lot stories fighting for attention.

Those three events have a common theme, government's responsibility to act in the best interest of the citizenry. When politics trump the need of the people you get a shutdown. When the people's needs are put first you get a national healthcare reform. 

Here at home I hope out eyes are wide open and we're ready to vote for a new Public Advocate.

The primary election resulted in Letitia "Tish" James receiving 36% of the vote which forced today's run-off election and I believe we need Tish elected our next Public Advocate.  By design, the office of Public Advocate is the overseer of city government and a general watchdog against government mismanagement.The office of Public Advocate has the power to submit policy changes based on the needs and will of the people. 

Here in Brooklyn Tish has been a tireless advocate for the needs of the entire community, whether it's long time native New Yorkers, or new comers, young old and all backgrounds. She's helped bring the need for affordable housing to the forefront and has worked to help bring many actual units of affordable housing to Brooklyn.

She is quick to respond to the community and unexpected events such as helping to activate city resources to help cleanup damage after Hurricane Sandy and she's work on these issues and more for a decade in the city council where she currently chairs the Economic Development and Sanitation Committees, and serves on the committees for Parks & Recreation, Small Business, Technology in Government, Veteran Affairs, and Women's Issues.

Like many people in community I've met Tish at events and political rallies working for the will of the people and often having the pleasure of hearing Tish speak truth to the powerful.

This is why of the two candidates I'm totally in support of Council Member Letitia "Tish" James in the run-off election for Public Advocate. She's one of us, a New Yorker, a Brooklynite and a defender. She's got our back and this Election Day I hope we'll elect Letitia "Tish" James, Public Advocate so she can continue fighting and winning for us all.

Update: as of 10:30pm NY1 is calling the election for Tish! Link http://www.ny1.com/content/news/189754/ny1--james-defeats-squadron-in-democratic-public-advocate-runoff

Bike Clot!!

Not my best title but I havent thought up poetry for this post. It's a busy 1st summer weekend in NYC, (Mermaid Parade tomorrow!) so before I over think, I figured I'd write and here it is.

The Bike Lanes need drano, for right now my peoples, they are clogged.

I'm stunned, sincerely. As one who is pro most things bicycle let me tell you I was shocked dismayed astounded and more. A metaphorical snake couldnt even get through because people were maintaining speeds and spacing so the type of maniacal darting and weaving I'd be likely to do through traffic was only going to get some other cyclist hurt so I resigned to be down with the slow-go crowd.

Before anyone anti-bike gets too excited, it's not like this everywhere, in Brooklyn for example I still get to cruise like Elaine after Kramer widened the highway, but in Manhattan it's like being trout in the Pacific Northwest (no pun intended, granted I can't speak for KimYe). here is one detail the surprised me most, as I rode down 2nd Avenue midweek, midday, and crawled through BIKE TRAFFIC, (BIKE!!) it wasn't at all deadly or safety concern inducing, because everyone in the lane, citibike or not (and the citibikes were out numbered 4 - 1 that day) was riding as slow as cabbies in traffic court.

A majority of the bike riders I encountered on the city bike lanes was slow, and riding like they were on a country path someplace bucolic where the need to make space for your fellow rider doesn't matter because there is no other country rider.

In some ways it was beautiful. People traversing, obviously enjoying, slowly savoring the city, with zero harmful emissions, save the rage steam pouring out my ears as I wished wistfully that I could get off that damned path and take my chances with the cabbies. Sure some of the cabbies are driving with their cousin's license, but they're driving fast!

So yeah on the 1st day of Summer let's all bask in the sun, bake away troubles and have a great time but please pull your big blissfully unaware ass over and let people pass. There's ya poetry.

Bike safe NY.

NYCHA reports "Unexpected" budget cuts could close Public Housing Community Centers

NYCHA (New York City Housing Authority) is facing an "unexpected" budget shortfall of over $200 Million dollars or 11% of it's operating budget. NY1 reports that as a result of this surprise, "a spokeswoman for the agency says the federal government's sequester cuts will affect every part of the housing authority's budget. She says that without a new source of revenue, "difficult decisions are unavoidable.""
 http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/183540/nycha-budget-clobbered-by--205m-in-federal-cuts

NYCHA Senior and Community Centers which provide resources for public housing residents could be forced closed as a result of this, which would negatively impact thousands across the City. I won't rant about how unacceptable it is that an action taken by the federal government months ago suddenly results in an "unexpected" shortfall because it's already happened and it's better to focus on fixes.

To that end, the City Council has scheduled a last-minute budget hearing on Thursday to address the unexpected shortfall. Let your Council member know you want them to find a fix that keeps those Community Centers open, and if it's not too much to ask figure out how to better monitor budgetary situations so $200 Million "unexpected" shortfalls don't happen.
 

Drawer Dropping - Mr Weiner, please, holster that Mayoral bid.

Sigh, look at the headline up there.

Is that what brought you here? Is that all it takes to titillate our minds, motivate our hands, get us to the box, the ballot box? Mr. Weiner, I think you're hoping so.

Anthony, you've disgraced yourself. How can seriously run for Mayor as anything other than a testament to the enduring chutzpah of a born and bred New Yorker?

Mayor. Mayor? No.

Can I see you as flaunter of the deadly duo, collective amnesia/public apathy? Yes. Poster child for Fuggedabout it? Good God, Yes!

Look at that headline. You've knocked off any other reference to "weiner" from google's image search. Doesn't that tell you something? All press isn't actually good press.

Ya know, I'd much rather be blogging about setting the waters of the Gowanus Canal ablaze as luxury hotels are built on it's banks. But you Sir demand my attention and I say, serious Mayoral candidate? GTFOHWTBS!

Brother Weiner, as a man, the urge to introduce and master your Johnson, on-toward the young female masses, is one I struggle with everyday. Every, day. But c'mon man, you went so far across the red line, yours must have looked like a traffic cone. You successfully diverted progress (albeit temporarily) from national political discourse with your package displaying scandal. Then your handling of it, the dodging, the lies, the righteousness, made it worse by a factor of at least two.

No matter how iDeviced-Zombized we are, all it takes it one finger swipe to bring it all back.

Mr. Weiner, I enjoyed you as a Congressmen. I liked that tenacity was an understatement in describing you. You were the Democratic pit-bull, barking loudly and intelligently on the Sunday talk shows. Not only unafraid to snarl, spew, and spit at the Bush administration, but you communicated the clear sense that if you were loosed from your chain you'd bite the shit of him and take out Cheney with your last growl.

But friend, let us be reasonable. You're not getting elected. Part of your reintroduction came with the self-admitted ticking time bomb that in the days to come "women may come forward with more emails, photos, DMs". Really.

I get it. You and some consultants ran a poll that says the current Mayoral candidates are weak. Duh hard to be strong when one guy sucks the air out of the office for twelve years. Now you want to suck up much oxygen from the candidates. Some whom, I'd really like to see have a clean shot at the office (Bill De Blasio). So you yours did some math that says you can get a run-off and worm your way in. You won't. You will distract from serious questions I have about Speaker Quinn (three terms eh, okay...) and you won't get elected.

You already felt so embowered to do what you want that you besmirched a woman who besides being wholly in your corner; wife, mother, partner, is highly intelligent (how did you get her?) and dare I say it, pretty darn foxy (TO SAY THE LEAST). You felt so embolden that in the face of your lies you chose to circle the wagons and ignore your party's (polite at first) calls for you to resign. And now you feel so singular that after all that you want to distract New York City away from more suitable candidates. I get it, you are an island.

Okay big shot, run as an independent. Clearly you think you're a hot-dog.

Happy Memorial Day weekend all, and enjoy your weiner roasts.

I didn't think there were any fixtures left on Ludlow to go

Unfortunately I was wrong. Another piece of the Lower East Side 90's & 00's went the way of the Dodo. 

Courtesy of the NY York Times

The Pink Pony closed it's doors, likely for good, on Jan 31st.

Detailed below by the New York Times, the story talks about the neighborhood leaving the familiar and moment essential bar more so than the bar leaving the neighborhood. 

Damn this thing change. Same thing that made Reagan a Republican. Damn, Damn, Damn. The article photo of the cafe front features a posted, leaning Jim Jarmusch at the entrance. I myself ran into Jim often there and made an ass of someone, probably me, by asking a few too many questions of him during dinner.

Ah youth, it goes so fast.

Well, now we know who's the last one to turn out the lights on Ludlow Street. To paraphrase Bugs Bunny, "There. Sports Bars...Take it away"

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/11/another-90s-fixture-of-lower-east-side-is-gone/

Mayor Koch, Rest In Peace.

(Photo courtesy: NY1)

Mayor Koch.

A resilient thread in the fabric of New York City.

The Mayor of New York City. The Mayor of my childhood. I was much more a fan of his chutzpah than his Mayorship. 1977-1989. Twelve years, stopped in the process of going for 16. Prior to Ed Koch we had no term limits on Mayor. After we knew we needed them. (something of the past easily forgot in the Bloomberg moment)

I'll write more on the endless ways he maintained and promoted a certain classic New York City, which arguably, was his sworn duty. But for now Mayor Ed Koch, in his own words (some of which of course, I disagree with), courtesy of an New York Times produced video:



Edward I Koch, you wrought havoc on some, brought placidity to others and your were always, fortunately and unfortunately focused on New York City. I respect that. Rest In Peace.

New York Keeps Running and that's a good thing.

(Wrote this on Friday 11/ 2, had some technical issues preventing me from publishing (nothing tragic) but I stand by this even and especially in light of the type of criticism the Marathon received and it's cancellation)

Friday, Nov 2nd:


Cancelling the Marathon doesn't remove water from people's homes, lift trees off of houses and cars, repair roofs, return electricity to the hundreds of thousands without it. Deliver vital medicine to those with chronic illness or sadly raise the dead. Beat cops do not conduct disaster relief missions. Currently relief efforts are underway it's a shame that they were not there sooner, just as its

equally a shame that people who didn't take two days of evacuation orders and open shelters and near by higher ground were not willing or able to use them. Should evacuation failures be investigated and improved, definitely. Cancelling the Marathon doesn't do that. Should available resources from the marathon go to survivors I think so, should the proceeds of the marathon go to survivors, i think a chunk should at least.

Should people get booted from hotels for marathoners? Hell no! Give the runners trailers or something, they're only here for a few hours, but does cancelling an event that arguably focuses the city and to a degree the nation's focus on New York at a time when many New Yorkers need all the attention and assistance they can get, improve conditions for hurricane survivors? I don't think so.

 

The Marathon should be used to increase attention and aid to people in need, so regular people who've focused their lives on this event can be given the opportunity to run for something bigger than personal achievement. Let's make that happen. The Marathon has run through Harlem, Spanish Harlem & the South Bronx for 40 years and in that time child mortality rates in those areas have rivaled 3rd world nations. Economic, educational and environmental suffering has existed in those marathon run through neighborhoods for years as well. Yet there's never been a huge outcry that the marathon is being run while people suffer. Quitting the marathon doesn't miraculously fix things.

When we fall we get up. When people fall we think it's right to give compassion and we hope that compassion will be there if we ever need. I think people should be helped when they fall. all people. but when we fall we don't make progress but asking the people standing to lay down.

My two cents.

 

(As I was writing this word came in that the Marathon would be cancelled, the following then came to mind)

I blame Bloomberg but not for a failed response to the Hurricane. Personally I think people need to go back and look at the days preceding that terrible storm and look at what and how Bloomberg did to prepare New Yorkers of the disaster to come. There were two days of warnings that people in the flood zone (Evacuation Zone A) were in danger and needed to leave to be safe.

 

Shelters were opened. Evacuation instructions were given. Warnings were made.

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20121029/new-york-city/where-find-shelter-closest-you

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20121028/new-york-city/heres-what-do-if-you-live-hurricane-evacuation-zone

So what do I blame Bloomberg for? His style of leader ship for more than a decade, which in and of itself is part of the problem. He broke the rules, bending them from illegal to legal for his own desire, and said it was for our betterment. He's made dozens of changes to our city, often against public opinion and ignored most grievances saying essentially it's for our betterment.

I blame Bloomberg for squandering his clout and the goodwill of New Yorkers such that anything he does is now likely to be greeted with scorn. A Mayor, a leader, who engendered good will of his constituents could have presented an event like the Marathon as a way for New Yorkers and the world (by way of the international cast of competitors) to give to the hurricane survivors. 

As of last weekend most people in outside of Staten Island wouldn't know where or how to get to Staten Island right after the disaster, or who to help. People didn't know how to reach out and some New Yorkers didn't have a direct connection to the tragedy in Staten Island, Breezy Point, Rockaway and the Lower East Side but you know what does reach Millions of New Yorkers? The marathon, which is why i feel it could'a been and could still be a way for people to help. 

 

On the street level it almost all volunteers, runners could have been designated as representatives for stricken communities. rest stops could have been set up as donation points, the proceeds or at least a sizable chunk could have been donated to the disaster relief.

The NFL continued with the Giant's game in New Jersey less than 20 miles from the destruction zones. They used the game to honor 1st responders, donate to the survivors and encourage more donations and awareness.

A better leader who would have been able to show and connect us to the ties that bind us as people and New Yorkers instead of stubbornly plowing ahead as our communities frayed.

Sandy Aftermath, Sights Seen

Yesterday I took the bike into Lower Manhattan for a look around. Flooding aside with the power out there were no subways rumbling, no red lights for people to ignore or linger of front of which meant no horns blasted in disgust. Granted there was vehicular movement, but it had the ebb and flow more in common with country intersections than city speedways (although the cab's did all seem powered by Red Bull). Here's a lot more of my musing from the trip:

The food in most of the small biz food spots, diners etc was being eaten by the staff as they sat in front of the establishments.

People have realized you electric outlets are everywhere, saw people sitting on the floor at the bank charging laptops and phones

I was busy standing almost in the street taking photos of a flooded tunnel when I noticed a city bus creeping up on me. I quickly got out of the way and walked passed, only to realize the bus driver was taking pictures of the same thing.

Homeland steaks started cooking their entire inventory on the street at 9th ave btw 15th & 14th streets. smoke billowed a line formed (most people not exactly sure for what) and smiles floated through over the sidewalk along with the scent of marinated steak grilled to perfection. Then the police showed. Their window rolled down and a steak was offered to them as to the other New Yorkers and soon they were on their way. It was the kind of classic New York scene you only find in memory or a movie like Ghostbusters. Steak was delicious by the way, I'll have to go their for dinner when the world is a little less upside down.

(as mentioned) It's weird how quiet manhattan is if you just take away the subway and red lights. seriously I heard almost no horns. because no one was reminding someone to go through the green light. drivers for the most part have to look to see whether they can drive. much more attentive that way.

had this thought,"The Street Lights have fallen!! Give over your allegiance to our new lord and road masters the taxi!!"

Cabbies were speed demons.

Streets were nearly to totally empty. If ever you wanted to film a dystopic future set movie or that zombie apocalypse that everyone is so found of, now's the time. early morning especially.

I had a "I Am Legend" moment as I approached a barricade at the South Street Seaport not far from the base of the Brooklyn Bridge. The moment got more surreal when suddenly two blackhawk helicopters appeared and landedgreated by reporters and troops. I don't know what that was about.

I only saw three people who looked hilariously stereotypically shady to me. I mean pick any movie with a criminal and these three dudes (of diverse backgrounds but essentially the same grimy gear) fit the mold. the were trying doors at an office building.

Someone mentioned cab drivers would rack up because of the lack of transportation. I disagree. Cab driving in this situation is risky because most fares looked packed to get the hell out of dodge. If that happened the cabbie would spend way to much time on one-way fares.

Who was racking up? Food cart dudes. Matter of fact if you know anyone with a coffee truck, send them to astor place stat. (Gothamist posted a story about this later)

North of 30th Street no one seems care, they aint waiting, they aint worried.

Having a bike is gonna be so awesome when the electromagnetic pulses start.

9/11/12 another beautiful Tuesday morning, this time will more lessons than loss

One of my biggest challenges is moving on without the feeling of loss. It's easier to turn away and ignore than hold a memory of the past living in my mind and still navigate into the future.

Today's 9/11 anniversary, on a beautiful bright Tuesday just as the tragic day itself was, reminds me of the difficulty I find in moving forward while looking back.

No one should want to forget but how do you move forward while a part of you lives in the past? If we move to far forward, letting time and daily life erode the moment, how do we respect, remember and learn from what has happened.

I don't have an answer.

Millions of lives were changed eleven years ago today. Thousands of lives ended. Some of those lifes snuffed out that day, and some thousands had a chain of events set in motion that morning that would steal their lives too soon. People personally connected to the victims of this day eleven years ago had dents, detours and holes placed in their lives and hearts. The world contoured itself on the basis of that tragic day, in ways we have yet to unravel.

It's obvious we should never allow the loss and resulting impacts to be forgotten, all while we continue striving on toward a better world.

Rest and peace to those innocents lost as a result of that tragic day, love and strength to all the 9/11 survivor.

New York Shi**y, sometimes

Sewage overflow. Sound bad? it generally is, its the term for and what happens when a huge amount of water from say sudden and epic rainfall (as is seen in this AWESOME photo

Photo by Dhani Jones / https://twitter.com/DhaniJones/status/225644233309163522

now famously snapped by former NFLer & Travel Channel star Dhani Jones as his flight was in a holding pattern over Long Island waiting to land at LaGuardia) is dumped into the sewers and drainage of NYC. 


Yesterday's epic downpours dropped nearly an inch of rain within an hour's time. 


When this happens the actual floodgates are opened and the sewage, a combination of toilet waste, street run off and other less than pleasantry and the sudden rain are dumped, into our rivers. That's bad enough, but worse of course is that we live in an interconnected world and so what goes into the river yesterday will be around the beaches this weekend, and in smaller amounts remain for days to come.


Sewage overflow does have to go somewhere or it will back up into your home, but this is the only solution we as a city have available for when there's heavy rains like yesterday. We let it pour into the rivers and eventually beaches and either don't know or don't think about the results.




That is until someone records one sewage release point (above) this one into the Hudson River, great music select from 4Sespecially who posted the video on youtube.

Photo Wednesday 07/27/11: Paper Subway Crane

I noticed this as I was decending down into the subway one day a few weeks back, a paper crane. was someone trying to tell us something?



Speaking of the subways and what not, I just learned that only two years into his six year contract MTA Board head Jay Walder is leaving for a gig outta town. He will stay on until October of this year, then he's Hong Kong bound.

The articles below all reported the story when I missed it last week (when I was probably in the middle of the eighth shower that day)

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/21/jay-walder-m-t-a-chief-resigns-suddenly/

http://gothamist.com/2011/07/22/outgoing_mta_ceo_jay_walder_to_make.php

http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2011/07/21/mta-chief-jay-walder-resigning/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/henry-j-stern/mta-chief-walder-leaves_b_907389.html

You'll see in the articles above the range of opinion on the story as views differ on what this says about Walder and more importantly the effect it will have on mass transit riders in the city.

Some are trying to make him out to be the railyard equivalent of LeBron James (<--Btw this clip is very amusing if you havent seen it) for taking his talents elsewhere, but as the Gothamist article points out he was make $500k in London then left that job to come here and work for $350k and Hong Kong is offering almost a million annually.

Plus the transit works union, (and I am prounion) has a big sway over the agency thanks to the necessity of the MTA for city life and their contract is coming up at the end of the year while the MTA still struggles to pay off the debt incurred by huge borrowing over the last ten years, (thanks Pataki).

If you dont know Walder is credited with an attempt to modernize the MTA specifically city buses and subways. Things I havent liked under his watch, the cut off of bus service in the boroughs, and shortening of schedules but most of that was the result of budget cuts and a lack of public fighting to keep necessary services. As well as the constant problem with the MTA, that they are not politically accountable to anyone because they are a half private half goverment agency.

Things I have liked under Walder's watch, continued modernizing of the trains (I'm not a fan of robo trains though) and the update and addition of schedule clocks, (mentioned in a previous post) which every major city's subways (London, Tokyo, etc) have. I also like the realtime bus tracking and priorety bus lanes in the city. This and more was the promise and expectations that surrounded Walder's arrival as MTA head.

But yeah, Walder's a native New Yorker, and we know a few things with certainty; when the road's about to get bumpy and what a good deal looks like. I can't fault him for his choice but I'm not very optimistic that Cuomo will find anyone nearly as able to run this city's MTA and complete the turnaround Walder attempted to start.



Looks like NYer's will have to fold up our hopes and dreams into another, this bird has flown.

Combing the Beach in Times Square

Combing the Beach in Times Square, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

That New York Spirit (from NYT 10/18/10)

Just read this Dan Barry article in today's NY Times, its the eulogy of a beautiful dynamic vivacious woman, who was more character than words could account. She in my mind is quintessentially the vanished New York City that's celebrated, conjured and missed.

I recommend reading it: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/nyregion/17annie.html

Piano to the People!

Saw this story in today's online NY Times and had to share. 60 pianos (as we speak!) are being prepared for placement throughout the city (although I'm thinking that means Manhattan)

(I was wrong the pianos will be in the five boroughs) Map below

And the piano's purpose? Amusement of the masses. Now I can already imagine a million inappropriate scenarios but... I'm keeping my mind outta the gutter on this one. In a world where most urban kids have little contact with classical musical instruments I think this will be great.

Here's the link from the group "Sing for Hope" and according to the info on their site:
 "Touring internationally since 2008, “Play Me, I’m Yours” is an artwork by artist Luke Jerram."
Much of the labor and time in this project according to the Times is made possible through donation and volunteerism.

And the map of where to find the public pianos:

Now what they need to do is give out the sheet music to classic hiphop samples...

Makes me imagine all the city stories and episodes this will generate all summer. Impromptu Billy Joe
concert in the Lower East Side, Alicia Keys blesses the crowd in Harlem, yeh I'm going in, with the optimism and why not? With an idea like this art project how far are we from a city like this:


Although I could do with a few less "Solid Gold" dance steps, but I guess that's the point, eh.

(Btw: in the video, the dude in the pink headband and green cutout shirt will win-your-heart. I don't know his name, but if I knew it I'd remember.)

Primary Day

It's primary day in NYC! That means all those City Council spots will be decided, and possibly some will be reshuffled. Got a complaint about something in the city, now's the time to act on it. Didja vote?! Well hurry!

Here's info! http://www.vote.nyc.ny.us/

Droolers Delight: NYC Cream

Just saw this article in the NY Times wherein an intrepid reporter, friends in tow, traverses the city in search of tasty ice cream treats.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/02/dining/reviews/02unde.html

I couldn't get past the third paragraph and photos before drool deluge began. Watch out for Buzz Buzzard and good luck, I'm off to buy some creamy.

WTF! Free.Bouncy.Rides. ?!?

How in the fuck did I not know about this:

It's been going on at least since March, apparently everywhere.

So what I want to know is, is that Paco Cao under the hood? And why are some many women I dated in the last few months, on that fish's lap?

Also you can't miss this:

Random New York Magic (not shot by me) featuring said Dolphin Furry: