After lunch I felt like I should go shopping more, but I was exhausted. I’d forgotten how quickly the City can wear you down. I ended up walking over to Washington Square Park to make a few calls. Then I headed to Broadway to wander in a few stores, but I was so tired I just ended up finding a cafe and chilling out.

Used to be Joe’s :: West Village, Manhattan

You know the opening scene of Spiderman II where Toby Maguire is in the tiny pizza place and is going to deliver a pizza? That place was Joe’s and it was just around the corner from my apartment on Bleecker and Carmine. When I was broke in NY I would buy a $2 slice for dinner, almost always at Joe’s. It’s sad to see it replaced.

IFC :: West Village, Manhattan

This theater was empty & deserted the entire time I lived in NY, which is a shame bc it would have been nice to have another one so close.. actually if it was more “mainstream” it would have been nice to have it close. Already I had the Film Forum, The Angelica, and Sunshine Cinema within walking distance to see indie/foreign/artsy films.

West 4th Street Basketball Courts :: West Village, Manhattan

The first time I went to New York was in June or July of 2001. I stayed with Mark on 6th/King. One of my earliest memories of New York is standing on 6th Ave and West 4th Street while Mark took a call on his cell and wonder wtf was going on with all the people and the basketball. Since then I’ve come to appreciate the courts at West 4th and used to stop to watch people play basketball when walking by or before going down into the subway station there.

Flute Jam :: Washington Square Park, West Village, Manhattan

Pink Shirt :: Washington Square Park, West Village, Manhattan

Washington Square Park, West Village, Manhattan

Are You Going to Heaven? :: Washington Square Park, West Village, Manhattan

Washington Square Park, West Village, Manhattan

I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent in Washington Square Park people watching.. or how many pages I’ve read there.. or how many problems I’ve worked out while sitting on a bench or laying in the grass. A lot. I used to go there all the time just to chill for a minute or to relax for hours. Or I would walk places and purposefully walk through the park on the way, even if it was a little out of the way. It’s not as relaxing as Central Park and you can’t lose yourself as easily, but it’s still a nice contrast to the city around it. The only challenge is to pick a spot or try to put on a look that screams you don’t want to be bothered. Someone is always up to something there and I’ve been offerred drugs, hit on, and badgered by religious zealots a ton of times.

Also, I guarantee you’ve never seen anyone jam on the flute like this (.mov, 43 sec, 1.4mb).

Broadway, West Village, Manhattan

Tax Free Week :: West Village, Manhattan

Tax-free week is a dangerous thing!