This morning i woke up got ready then joined Nou and Takahashi (i believe thats what he said his name was, really broken Japanese) on the roof for Japanese food (i didn't have any, it was from last night, ugh). There is a really nice patio area up there, complete with fake green patio turf (I love that stuff, one day I will have a studio whose walls are covered in that stuff!). It was absolutely beautiful up there the bright morning sun shining all over the city, the traffic buzzing below, people in buildings across the way. After, I headed towards NYU stopping at the Starbucks in Astor Place. Plain bagel and a white tea, which i burned my tongue on... Oy. Now, at the NYU library in the basement drinking less hot tea.
Yesterday people kept on asking me directions, and surprisingly I knew the answers to these questions. NY is easy to figure out once you learn your way around and the concept of the grid system. It would be great to live here. The idea of being able to eat any kind of food at any time always just is mindblowing to me. And, to actually do it cheap. At the same time there isn't mountains, there isn't the sparseness and strangeness of Maine. There is filth here, something that really isn't the greatest, but everything is here, which makes up for it. As long as you don't look down your okay. Ive never seen so much puke-colored snow in my life. There is give and take, there always is. I can't wait to see Stony Brook tomorrow, that is going to be so exciting. Must go research, the tea is almost gone...
Thought for further contemplation in research: Image in rock, it matters so much now but back in the Downtown days it didn't really matter so much in the indie scene. Now, its hipster or not be cool... Hrm...
(later)
I am being pulled more and more into New Wave, Television, Richard Hell, Tom Verlaine, Patty Smith... I don't think this is the direction I want to go in the paper (personally, i am starting a collection...). Though, New Wave is SUCH a part of the scene - at the same time I gotta have some balance. Rock and classical etc. I have some new light about my project I am still going to keep it with the focus on Chatham's stuff primarily, but Poss is huge too, as well as the New Wavers.
(even more later)
I wrote a lot today already so Ill keep it brief. Finished up the part of the Hell papers I wanted to see. Even more good stuff and a lot of thinking. This trip has changed my viewpoint of the Downtown entirely. Maybe its because I am staying downtown in the East Village, maybe its because I am in it all around it understanding what it is. Maybe its the people and what they say/said. I don't know, its so interesting though. A lot of contemplation and note taking for the ride back home. In the afternoon I went to the NYPL at Lincoln Center, its nice up there. It really is a haven for seniors walking around LC but oh well. NYPL proved to be not the greatest source, didn't find much at all a few articles. So I went to this little crazy record store on 4th and Cornelia after called Subterranean. It is a Television/Richard Hell/Tom Verlaine haven - awesome but its so small, a bit cheeky. Turned things around, I came back to the room and chilled listening to Hell and the Voidoids.
I think I am almost done researching this. If I go any further I will be stuck in the New Wave scene. This trip has been a turning point. I think I might be done researching for this trip, if i take in anymore I might lose stuff. I need to think about this more.
Nou came back and we talked for a while, then we headed out to St. Marks/Astor Place area to hit all the record shops. Kims of course is INCREDIBLE and I filled up two little notebook sheets of CD I need to get over the next few months. I didn't buy any, I am friday morning, but i am narrowing my selection down because I want to go to the candy shop to buy major case of Bueno (the chocolate from italia - yummmmmm) and I want to go to Kid Robot and get a few toys! We had a lot of fun walking around, we also went shoe shopping. I need to brush up on my sneaker culture and understand the Nike retro thing. I am currently a Puma lover, but those Nike high tops are spectacular, maybe Ill go for a pair of Puma Hi's some day. Had a great steak Burrito at Burritoville. Now, I am back and going to go to sleep soon Stony Brook leaves early in the AM.
