New York City

The following things were written about New York City:

Day 1.
Landed in Newark:
Jersey - First Impressions:
Dirty snow. Overcast. Gray. Not a single tree. In fact the first one I saw may have been the Christmas tree in Rockefeller center...
From airport to New York:
- This Monkey's Gone to Heaven --> sludge. Factories. Cargo containers, pollution mixing with the clouds, creating the clouds.
Never been in Jersey before. It's got a bad rep so I see it in a negative way. Maybe it's not so bad...it is the garden state and all. From what I saw though...sucks.
New York City - first impressions:
Hi Queen Street, Auckland. (from car)
(on foot) Hi Queen Street with a million or so more people.
Short people with umbrellas suck. Hooked me and almost poked my eyes out. Terrifying stuff. The streets of NYC are a battlefield.
Lunch --> Amadeus Pizza, formerly Famous Ray's Pizza (we saw at least three Famous Original Ray's Pizzas or some variation on this name. We were told to eat at Famous Ray's. Ray gets around)
- It was...alright?
Old man in the pizza place talked to us the entire time. Would not stop. Insisted himself upon us.
"I wouldn't lie to you."
"Can't beat the price."
"Oh my God."
"Forget about it."
Each repeated over ten times. Before we sat down, he had been talking to himself. It was 3:30 pm. He said he got there at 11am. Had nothing to do but stay...
This guy made himself one of my least favorite types of people by not taking the hint that we wanted to have lunch as a family and not with him, and by asking us the price of absolutely everything. "Where you stayin? Oh yeah how much is that a night like a grand a night?" (It ain't. We're not high rollers here, people.) "Goin to the Rockettes huh? How much were your tickets? Oh I coulda got you in for free. I got connections."
He was really pissing me off, but I knew he was just lonely. New York City has got to be the loneliest place I've ever been. Imagine living here among the however many millions of people and not having anyone. Jesus Christ.

Maybe that's why everyone tries to fit in by buying the same shit and buying into the same ideas. Saks Fifth Avenue store was disgusting. Things on sale for alf-price and still cost more than my entire wardrobe (these were guy prices; I'm sure women's clothing was worse), and people gobble it up because it's a brand. Chanel, D&G, Prada. I just have trouble comprehending people who focus so much on a label when it means absolutely nothing to me.

The Rockettes. Man, talk about conforming! I keed. But they do all look exactly the same...Impressive choreography though, it is HARD to get that many people that perfectly synchronized. The woman sitting behind us definitely wanted to be a Rockette, oooor just wanted to be punched in the face for being annoying.

Outside. Asshole New York dad yelling at his kid. Your son's life is more important than the new umbrella you just put in his hand. He almost got hit by a car, you stupid fuck.

ANYWAY. Dinner. Food. The redeeming quality of the city.
China Grille. Dear Lord Delicious.
- The idea is order food and share it with all
Appetizer: Lobster Pancakes
Entrees: Duck two ways*, Szechuan Beef, Seared Tuna*
Sides: Crunchy Spinach, Duck Wild Rice
Dessert: The Great Wall (which we Mangolianed the shit out of)
All delicious. And all of it to the musical stylings of Lady Gaga, Shakira, and Keri Hilson. Odd.
Day 1 overall opinion: NYC is a lonely place with too many god damned people in it.

This is all very negative. I am heavily influenced by the fact that it was cold and rainy the entire day, perhaps. And my brother annoys me.





Daaaaaaay 2
Tour of the city.
My opinion of New Yorkers themselves has yet to improve.
Proud of their city, or just arrogant and won't let go of something lost? New York is no longer what it was. Consumers have taken over and the powerful individual is gone. I understand the importance of and appreciate history, but I don't see the importance of telling people who used to own the now Verizon Building. New York has changed and the new needs to be accepted and embraced.
Strawberry Fields --> would be beautiful during the fall.
My favorite part of today was a family on the tour with us: mom, dad, and their two daughters. The elder daughter, still no more than 10, reminded me of my friend Cassie. She and her father were very close. On the ferry back from Staten Island she and her dad sat on a bench inside, sitting and talking, each with one arm resting on the back of the bench with fingers interlocked. It's kinda hard to explain and I may just sound creepy for watching this and now writing it down, but it was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.
But yeah anyway tour guide was kind of a douche. Reminded me of someone I know.
Sorry New Yorkers, I'm hating on your city.
Dinner at Esca. Absolutely amazing. Had the Pesce Nera, I believe? Monkfish (Blackfish? Poor man's lobster? Some such description) with wild mushroom and leeks. Oh my. Crepella or something for dessert. Crepe with pumpkin inside with caramelized nuts and pomegranate.
Yep.

Oh and saw Avenue Q; certainly a favorite of mine. Always fucking hilarious.

This is more a comment after yesterday, but I feel that New Yorkers have to go to plays and shows and shit to feel like magic and hope still exist, because they've completely deprived themselves of it in their day to day lives.

Again, all of this negativity could certainly be inspired by the fact that I'm here with my family. I'm sure it's much more romantic if you're here with someone you love, but that applies most anywhere.
Sad to have just finished The Fountainhead and see these things so changed. Hell's Kitchen wasn't what I imagined at all. Again --> embrace the new and all.

I had trouble sleeping last night because of the constant sirens. I did have one of the best dreams I've ever had, though. One of those you wake up from and you wish it were real. What id that's what New York gives you? A dream of something better. But fuck that. I want to see that when I'm awake, too, and I'm not going to accomplish that here.





Day 3

I have been thinking too much and so I have decided to stop. I feel that this is a safety precaution, because it's a dangerous thing, thinking.

Dinner:
Balthazar
Appetizers: Homemade Pumpkin Ravioli
Chicken Livers and Duck Foie Gras
Escargot
Dinners: Duck Shepherd's Pie
Roasted Black Cod
Chicken Paprikash
Lamb Shanks
Desserts: Apple Tatin
Profiteroles

Tried to go to MoMA but we got there late and there was such a long line that we left. Sad day. Tim Burton exhibit was sold out as well.

Short. Running out of steam.

Oh yeah, crazy man on the subway. Tourette's I'm guessing. Yelled at my mom. Not cool, brotha.



Day 4.

Didn't actually write anything down.
Left this day. Went to Frick, first. Discovered two artists I liked.
T. Gainsborough. Wonderful portraiture.
J.M.W. Turner.

And on that note I saw a graffiti artist named Shepard Fairey or something like that...gotta check him out.

In short I could never live in NYC. It was an interesting experience and I'm happy to be home where it is 62 degrees, and no longer 20 degrees with winds up to 50mph.