Good afternoon, Monday. I've been up since 5 am due to my insanely stupid decision to go to the gym at said hour. My limbs were not ready, nor was the rest of me. Needless to say, I'm chugging a Sugar Free Red Bull and trying to motor through. I'm knackered.
But in other news, I have to admit- I've been watching all of the fashion week shows and simply have not had time to really connect and write about them. This is unfortunate because there's many interesting things to say- perhaps sometime soon I will be able to figure out a time to tell you my take on Spring '13, but for now, I wanna tell you about another one of my favorite subjects- New York, and moreover, Brooklyn.
So check it- if such a thing as a perfect New York weekend were to occur, I'd say this past one was close to it. Saturday am was spent close to home, reading the early edition of the Times and then going to a big concert in Central Park to help end global poverty (http://www.globalcitizen.org/AboutUs/AboutUs.aspx?typeId=16).
It was a wonderful beautiful Autumn night, with 60,000 beautiful people hanging on the Great Lawn to listen to some music by five acts, most notably The Black Keys, The Foo Fighters, and Neil Young and Crazy Horse. I was amazed at how civilized the whole thing was- so organized and orderly and without incident. The Black Keys killed me (Dan Auerbach tots cute too) with their garaged out, sledgehammer mixed with jackhammer blend of rock and roll, and the Foo Fighters came at it with their usual fervor, though there's talk they may be ending the party and not playing again any time soon, at least that's what Dave Grohl said at the show, leaving many fans in the audience, of which there were many, scratching their heads. And then Neil Young came in and did his Neil Young thing, which to be honest, sounded good but was hard to look at. Horrid, I know. Superficial and stuff. But he's not easy to look at. But here's what was- the beautiful moonlight, the view of Manhattan from the park, the mix of old and young and the smell of weed pretty much everywhere and all for a great cause. Nothing like seeing a concert in Central Park- this much I can say.
And then Sunday came along and my dear friends from Boston came to our place and hung out with us at the Atlantic Antic, a huge street fair type thinger all up and down Atlantic Avenue from the Brooklyn Heights all the way to the new Barclays Center. In addition to the usual nauseating funnel cake and annoying little popper things that all those kids throw on the sidewalk, there was the most gorgeous sea of people I have ever seen. It's hard to imagine a more diverse group really- from Lululemon clad moms to Brooklyn homeboys to dashiki clad grandmothers, it was, a scene beyond scenes. The very, very special thing about this city is its ability to bring people together- when you live here, you are constantly bombarded by humanity, and there's no way to avoid it. Sometimes it's unbearable but on a sunny day in Brooklyn, it's heaven sent. As we watched as the locals danced to some vocal house- Puerto Rican families dipping each other, a beautiful African American couple vibing to the music, a group of white little Beastie kids hanging out and surveying the scene, it all came flooding back. "It" being why I fell in love with this crazy town in the first place- I will never forget the first time I wandered into Central Park after I moved here for the first time. It was back in the days of the amazing rollerskating circle- a spot where every class and character of Manhattan was out skating around to old disco or deep house. There was the guy who skated with the bottle on his head, the foxy downtown girls in mini skirts, the awesome street styled hoards before the Sartorialist was our lazy way to look for such things.
It was the early 90s, but it could have been any time really- because it just transcended time for one young little pup from Philadelphia whose world would never be the same (me, silly).
It was a poignant and powerful glimpse into how free and fun and fabulous New York could be, and I for one, was sold. One thing I will say- New Yorkers know how to have a good time, and I'm not sure there are many cities in the world (let alone this country) where so many different types of people hang out together and enjoy the city. I'm thinking London may be one of the few, but yesterday in Brooklyn, I felt the love. Brooklyn, although now known as artisanal and hipster capital of the world, is just so much more than that. Brooklyn is what this country is supposed to be all about it, if you really must know. It's people from different backgrounds and geographies and demographies all doin' it. Sure there's a lot of fancy pants people in the BK now, but there's still a lot of middle class people too, and in terms of every day life, we're all in it together. What's better than that?
And yea, there's Barney's COOP now on Atlantic Avenue and the old Hassids of Williamsburg must wince every time they walk past another chic little spot serving bacon, but there's still a large helping of middle ground in Brooklyn. In my neighborhood, anyway. I take great joy that I live in a neighborhood where Muslim women stroll their baby carriages right alongside Chinese women, American women, and families made up of two dads. I so missed that in Miami. Perhaps this all sounds idealized to you, but if I can live in a place that I can idealize and not feel trapped by, then so may it be. Nothing wrong with a bit of idealism. Especially in a place where I feel, well, real.
Many will tell you that Miami is multicultural due to its strong Latin presence. But to be honest, it always felt so exlusionary to me- I'm not sure a lot of people there want to fully integrate, to enjoy and celebrate our differences and experience the pleasure of moving past language, color, or class. I always felt like an outsider there, perhaps of my own doing, but more because I felt like there were a lot of weird rules there that I did not want to follow, and I'll leave it at that. I missed that more than anything I think; living in a city where rules are meant to be broken, and I am so thrilled to be back home where many times I want to tear my hair out, but other days have me pinching myself over how wonderful this city, and Brooklyn in particular, can be. At one point yesterday as we strolled the teeming streets with Khan in his bag peering out at the sea of people, David looked at me and gave me a huge hug and said how happy he was to be home, and this acknowledgement from the love of my life, the man I met right here in this city, was confirmation for me of how right this is for us. It ain't easy, but it's the only place for me. To be surrounded by so much great energy all weekend was the boost I needed after such a crappy Friday. Thank you, New York, for always giving me something new and cool to do. And thank you, New Yorkers, for always knowing where the party is. And though you shat on me on Friday, you more than redeemed yourself this magic carpet of a weekend(G-d only knows what I'd be without you).
And that's what's up this Brooklyn's the borough kind of Monday as I sit in an office in the 212. All the love and hope you are enjoying your surroundings, wherever you are today. Don't take it for granted. That means you too, New Yorkers. I know it's Monday and everything, but take stock. XO