11.25.2007

Nouveau Riche and the Celtic Tiger


Dublin is nothing like Mara described.
In fairness, her description is from the previous millennium -today the robust economy has created a critical mass of nouveau riche who obliterated my perception of the Irish as a humble and friendly people.
By humble I mean self-deprecating, not indigent.
I have also spent most of my time on Grafton Street or around Temple Bar.
Conspicuous consumption seems to be the rule, and when I asked a garrulous native about the women's ostentatious dress he flatly told me, "They are overcompensating for something, clearly."

It is not as clear to me.

Mara's old college room mate came to mind; about ten years ago as she had me copy-edit her thesis on the growing Irish economy, the now so-called "Celtic Tiger,"; her predictions were on point, these people have CREAM.
There had been a bus strike because bus drivers are being pushed to work extra hours without extra compensation, but hey, you can go to a pub and watch the locals strut Chanel.
Good luck trying to find shepherd's pie.

The Voodoo lounge was a slice of punk NYC from the mid 80s (not that I saw it firsthand). The DJ played Ramones- "Blitzkrieg Bop," Sex Pistols- "Anarchy in the UK," Sisters of Mercy- "Temple of Love."
Haven't heard music like that since the days of Mara's crazy house parties, which she insisted were modeled after some club, "Berlin" on Steinway Street in Astoria.

SOD shirts and oxblood Docs pepper the crowd but no one seems to mind I'm in dress pants and Lanvin flats.
Now they are spinning old Smiths and a Guinness costs exactly 4.20.
It is kind of a small city for what I have gotten used to, but I just heard the NYPD killed some guy holding a hairbrush. Think I'll stick around these parts for a while, the cops here are friendly.
Maybe that is why she lost it upon her return.

9.05.2007

Lowest Murder Rate Since 1963 in NYC

According to NY1, New York City is on its way in 2007 to having the fewest murders on record since such record-keeping began.
The news is great for tourists and transplants, who may fear visiting the Big Apple for reasons related to crime.
These new numbers suggest that walking around New York, the most populous city in the country at just under eight million residents, is as safe as walking around Mayberry.
Crunching some very basic stats (dividing population by murders in 1 year) yields the interesting result that a person in New York has a 1 in 16,000 chance of meeting her demise via homicide.
And that means a woman has a better chance of dying during childbirth (1 in 10,000 for US) than a person has of being killed here.
Such good news is tempered by the rumor that the police still have no leads on the shooting at the Broadway N Train Station that took the life of a nineteen year old male.

8.08.2007

I Love NYC

I saw a guy selling t-shirts in on the subway Tuesday. That in itself is not really a big deal. Our salesman was worth noting because he pulled his wares out on wire hangers. They were black t-shirts with a variation of the iconic “I love NY” logo on them. The shirts were covered in those flimsy plastic covers the dry cleaning comes in. Mr. Intrepid hung the shirts off the poles on the ceiling that we grip during rush hour.
Sometimes we even have to fight for a full hand’s width around those horizontal poles. Intrepid was glibly taking up about twenty inches of real estate on those very poles.

It is indicative of August in the city I guess. Everybody is out of town, ergo the trains are less crowded, especially as it was just shy of two PM.
But still, high end shirts and an instant display rack.
Intrepid’s first customer approached him just as he had finished setting up. And then I had to switch to the 6.

With what some people are insisting is a tornado touching down in Brooklyn today, the subway, and all its opportunity seeking merchants, are out of luck, at least for a few hours.
Residents of Bay Ridge had roofs torn off their homes, and it is estimated that at least fifteen-hundred people in the Bronx and Staten Island are without power.

Last I checked on NY1, the only train that is running is the 7, which runs from Shea Stadium in Queens to Times Square.
I love New York, especially today, as I am a resident of Queens, where the train is running, albeit slowly, I still have a roof, and my power has not been disrupted.

5.31.2007

Astoria in the 21st Century


Some malcreant broke this car window in broad daylight, apparently to steal a GPS module. Yeah, the property value has gone through the roof, but we better prepare for a long, hot summer.
When the population swells in an urban center, so does the number of petty crimes. So say the sociologists anyway.
I am thinking about starting a neighborhood watch on my block. Better we police our selves.
I saw a lot of rookies today. Is it possible to be a police officer but not be old enough to buy a beer?

5.23.2007

Ancient Astoria


This is the corner of one of the earliest urban Astoria developments. The new buildings are great, let's just not forget this edifice was here first, much like the ill fated natives.

4.09.2007

Gorgeous To Me


What I stared at for a week: A gleaming gold midtown edifice looks like a lion after iphoto.

2.06.2007

Cold Days Seducing You Malevolently?

There were more than the usual homeless people in the subway tunnels. Not sure if it is just the freezing temperatures or that I no longer ride on a daily basis.
I miss the fashion advice.
And pretending I am not actually stepping over the nest of another human being.
Guess I will go back to driving.