Esthetic/Aesthetic

Waterfalls

Are they the most spectacular thing you'll EVER see?  No.  Is it an interesting piece of installation art?  Yes.  Waterfalls are something that the environment they're in constructs.  If you build waterfalls into New York's East River would you put rocks and ferns around them?  No!  You'd make them out of scaffolding, the most common structure in our town.   I was thinking about the viewpoint of them as I was biking between the two of the ones in Dumbo and comparing them to Olafur Eliason's other works I'm familiar with.  The Weather Project created a sunlit day inside the Tate Museum. The Take Your Time exhibit at the MOMA altered individual rooms in subtle and shocking ways with light.  Seeing the world in black and white, as you walk into a room is a very unexpected experience.  Seeing the sun shining in the middle of a building is unforgettable.  Basically, he seems to be taking an expected experience (waterfalls, the sun, etc) and placing it in an unexpected place.  Waterfalls on the East River is pretty amazing, I think.  My one issue is that it would be nice if, like in nature, you were actually able to experience the waterfalls in a more intimate way.  The beauty of coming across a real waterfall is that you can walk around it, sit at the bottom and feel the water spray up on you, stand up at the top and watch the water plummet down.  Its a little frustrating to see a waterfall from 60 feet away. 

Of course, everything looks better with a spectacular sunset. 

Moving Day

Moving day has come and gone and I'm so happy to be in my new place.  Its so much bigger than I kept thinking it would be, and once all these boxes surrounding me are unpacked and everything is in its own little place, I'm going to really like it here.  The one thing I hadn't thought about before moving here was that since I'm now on the bottom floor, there are people above me, and the sound of feet is very distracting.  I'm sure I'll get used to it, just like any new place.  I got used to the sound of obnoxious bass coming out of the cars waiting for pizza at the last place and I have nothing remotely as annoying as that happening here. 

Yesterday, as I was sitting outside watching the moving truck, a very hip, stylish grandma sat down next to me.   She had spied some Jehovah Witnesses ringing her bell one door over and was going to wait them out.  They were taking their time and we had a lovely chat about churches, politics and most intriguing, my (ex) landlord.  She said that my building has always had a very high turnover rate of tenants.  She knew of my landlord ever since he and his mother had a sandwich shop in the neighborhood years ago.  She also said that the reason the last laundromat people left (I liked the previous ones so much more than the current ones) was because Ed would refuse to pay them because they didn't work enough, according to him.  He would also come in and verbally harass them for not working hard enough.  I said I really hope that karma pays him back someday, and she said that it already has, he has to live with himself. 

Blue Kitchen

It occurred to me that I've painted my apartment my college colors.  Go Bobcats!  Fortunately, I was never one for school spirit, so it doesn't bother me, but it'll bother my brother-in-law who wears a little bit of U of M every day (I'm assuming when he's in his nice clothes that his undies are grey and crimson).

And in other news, the landlord drama hadn't ended.  The lovely lady landlord sent me an email demanding I leave today, Friday, August 31 despite numerous emails AND a certified letter where she was okay with me leaving September 1, Saturday. I re-sent all those emails and  reminded her of the certified letter and have received no response.  I'm assuming the male, neanderthal landlord will be calling me later yelling about me having a lock that he can't get into and that all my things are still here.   

Fantastically Better Already!

Its beginning to look like a home instead of a real estate office!

The New Apartment

Looking In

Looking Out

I know what you're thinking.  You're thinking I've gone insane.  But, the possibilities of this place are very exciting.  You have to remember that its being painted (and cleaned).

This yellow, with all my stuff and some creative decorating, this apartment is going to be fun.  There's also a kitchen behind that wall that I'm painting a vibrant blue.  The fluorescent lights are going to be the one main, lingering issue.  The super told me I could ask him to do anything to the apartment, but taking those down was out of the question.   Fine, overhead lights are lame anyways and I've already been scouring Ebay for alternatives.  When I first saw this apartment it reminded me  so much of an old boy/friend's apartment in Gramercy.   He, as well as his apartment, were classically New York and I always envied him for the space he had.   

I can't believe Dumbledore and Snape were lovers!

The wait at Book Court only took about an hour to get through after showing up at midnight and waiting in a line that stretched around the corner. 

I even finished reading the whole thing, because I'm just that cool. 

Henry and 4th Place

I often joke about the "Mafia" in Carroll Gardens as if such a thing could exist in reality anymore, and then I come across this 2 blocks from my apartment and think, "hmmm, maybe so". 

The Knobbery

I love the Knobbery on 9th Street.   It amuses me every time.

Street Fairs and Harley's

I visited the street fair on 5th Avenue instead of going to the park today, which was the original destination.  On the way home I came across a more select gathering.  There were no tube socks, blow up castles or silly string fights here.  I'm both amused and frighted that the Hawg House exists so close to my apartment.

Butch, The Carroll Gardens Troubadour

I'd like to introduce you to Butch, The Neighborhood Troubadour (as I've referred to him for the past year or so).  Perhaps you've seen him and his guitar wandering the streets of Carroll Gardens?