A Walk Down Broadway

Live music on a street corner.

Coney Island Mermaid Festival

I dont know much about this event, but the people were quite interesting to say the least. It was also my last chance to see Coney Island before restoration.

DVD Hustler

A few weeks ago, I was riding the subway and this man came on with a gigantic black bag. Once the train began to move, he began to speak. Nearly everyone around me was captivated by his salesmanship. He is not an ordinary bootleg DVD vendor - he is a businessman.

To prove to his audience that his movies were legit (i.e. good quality, stable camera, and no one's head popping up), he carried a portable DVD player with him. The reason he was so memorable was because of his slogan, "You can play before you pay." He went on boasting,"They say that 'Nobody beats the Wiz' folks, but I clearly do." After he made this announcement in English, he went on to perform the routine in Spanish and then French - the latter he had clearly just learned for this job.

Graffiti Hall of Fame: 106th & Park

I made a trip to the legendary 106th and Park a few weeks ago - the official site of the Graffiti Hall of Fame, which consists of a few walls that enclose a basketball court in Harlem. Apparently, there was a time when it was repainted annually. I was disappointed to see the following sights when I arrived.

Pieces were literally pealed off the wall in pieces. To the right one can see that amateurs wanting their chance at fame took the liberty of redecorating. Extending left is the main wall of the park, spanning about 50 yards, and standing a good 10 tall. Most of lower perimeter of this collaborative graffiti masterpiece is covered in such vandalism.

The walls have been covered so many times, the layers reveal themselves in the paint chips.

Rumor has it that the walls were repainted on June 30. Stay tuned for an update if this is true.

Introduction: NYC Life Thus Far

Self Portrait with lens & 59st Bridge/East River.

Despite my initial reluctance to join this modern form of self-expression, I have succumbed. As I write, I begin to play my own minuscule role in the online world. My main excuse for doing so: I don't know what else to do with all the pictures I take.

The following is a glimpse at my life this summer thus far. Enjoy.