Livin’ In New York City Post 3: Eat At Joe’s
This past weekend was incredibly bittersweet. As my parents left me to go back to Farmer City, I realized that I was on my own but also a bit unsure of what to do with this new state. While I have been working to put resumés out daily and to land a job in either film or journalism, I also have been doing a bit of exploration of this city that I’ve been rapidly falling in love with.
The day before my parents left for Farmer City, we went on our own odyssey of the lower half of Manhattan including a long overdue visit to the Strawberry Fields memorial in Central Park. Located at Central Park West, roughly across 72nd Street, this mosaic mural was erected in 1985 to remember the life and legacy of peace activist, musician and Beatle John Lennon. The Strawberry Fields site in Central Park was where Ono spread Lennon’s ashes and is located near the Dakota where Lennon lived and was murdered in 1980.
Nowadays, the site is a designated quiet zone but it’s actually quite loud because of the musicians who play there and the many Beatles/Lennon fans who formed a rousing chorus to some of the greatest songs ever written. When my parents went, we were entranced by a singer who had so much talent as he sang songs like “Imagine,” “Let It Be” and “Here Comes The Sun.” Not only was he a gifted singer with an acoustic guitar, but he also had a special kind of tambourine attached to his foot and an echo pedal attached to his microphone so he could simulate a chorus. It was tranquil. Peaceful. It was a site that felt just as holy as any ground walked upon by religious figures, saviors and healers.
After taking a cab down to the Financial District, we bore witness to one of the most sobering sites in the entire city: the memorial for the World Trade Center and the 9/11 attacks. Seeing just how massive these towers were was incredible in the most sorrowful way as you saw their impressions now made into fountains with the names of the dead all written on this stone. Every time you touched a name, you felt the weight of that person’s life.
However, it was a bit off putting to see so many people taking selfies and pictures with this grave site. So many people’s remains were atomized when the towers collapsed and to see people taking selfies at this site was disheartening, especially when these towers and that day meant so much to so many Americans. While I’m not the best one to discuss the impact of 9/11, since I was only 1 year old when it happened, I’ve seen enough documentaries and read enough stories from survivors to know that you don’t trivialize these attacks.
But there were also things I saw at the memorial that instilled hope. As I was walking around the memorial for the South Tower, I heard laughter. It was the laughter of a victim’s family who were visiting that day. They remembered his life and all of the funny things he used to do. In the museum, I saw survivors hug and cry as they relived that terrible day.
While I know so many people who read this blog were alive and aware for the attacks of September 11th, 2001, I still recommend that you watch Spike Lee’s “NYC Epicenters: 9/11 to 2021½” on HBOMax. It’s a four-part docuseries detailing New York City being the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic (the subject of the first two episodes) and the 9/11 attacks (the subject of the last two episodes). In this series, you hear the testimonies of survivors, the families of victims and you see the unrelenting spirit of New Yorkers as they dealt with catastrophes that might have knocked any other city down for good.
When we got back to Brooklyn, I knew that I had to visit one single block in Bed-Stuy. On Stuyvesant Ave., between Quincy St. and Lexington Ave., was the block where Spike Lee filmed his masterpiece “Do The Right Thing.” While I’ve gone on and on before about how amazing this film is, it’s a whole other story when you walk the ground where the film was shot.
As I walked and took pictures and video of the street and landmarks from the film, I was approached by J.L., a long-time resident who was there when the film was shot and has continuously been at the block parties hosted by Spike Lee to honor the film’s legacy. J.L told me about what it was like when the film was made as well as his life growing up on this block. As I left to rejoin my parents, J.L. asked me if I had heart. I quickly told him I did and he said good because you need heart to be in this city.
As my parents left to return to Farmer City, I knew I still had some exploration to do which included my first trip on The Subway. Now, while the stereotype that the Subway smells is true, it’s important to know that we’re currently experiencing a heat wave. In this heat, everything smells. One day, I took a shower at 11 a.m. to stay fresh but by 1 p.m. I looked like I just got tossed into the Hudson. If it hadn't been for my deodorant, I probably would have smelled like the Hudson too.
When it comes to navigating public transportation, I find that the best app to use is Transit. The app utilizes all available information on buses and trains in the city to inform you what’s the quickest way to get to where you want to go. It also has some interactive features like asking you if the train arrived on time and how crowded the cars are to let all users know what they can expect.
In the subway terminals, you can sometimes find musicians which I’m always going to love. One day, I encountered a man who was dressed like he was straight out of the 1970s. He also played Jimi Hendrix songs in such a way that even Hendrix might have been jealous.
On the subway platforms, lots of people keep a distance of 6 to 8 feet. You might think this is because of COVID-19 but I believe it’s preparation just in case someone near you is a psychopath. In a situation like that, you want to give yourself a running start.
Just recently, I decided to venture into Manhattan with absolutely no plans whatsoever. For me it was all about exploring Greenwich Village, The West Village and The East Village. First of all, if you’re an artist of modest means who wants to follow in the footsteps of the beatniks and the hippies who lived in this part of town, you’re out of luck. Ever since the rich came in and made rent so unaffordable, the starving artists have to starve somewhere else.
With that said, this is truly a beautiful part of Manhattan. I walked around Washington Square Park and NYU just looking for something truly special. I then remembered that Jonathan Larson lived in this part of town. Who’s Jonathan Larson? He is best known as the creator of “Rent,” one of the greatest musicals to ever hit Broadway. Unfortunately, the night before “Rent’s” off-Broadway debut, he tragically died of an aortic dissection at the age of 35. All of the praise he received for his work, including three Tonys and a Pulitzer Prize, was received posthumously.
As I stood outside his home, I remembered his music and the ways it was adapted including “Rent” and its film adaptation as well as a recent film depicting Larson’s life, “Tick, Tick…Boom!” A Netflix original film, this is one worth checking out to honor someone who made New York’s art scene so much better and whose legacy is still being felt today.
While walking, I also encountered a pretty famous pizzeria in New York: Joe’s on Carmine Street. This iconic restaurant is probably best known to non-New Yorkers as the pizzeria where Peter Parker worked in “Spider-Man 2.” However, that film got one thing terribly wrong about Joe’s. They do not have deep-dish pizza. They have a pretty slim selection compared to other pizzerias but their regular slices, Sicilian slices and whole pies are legendary and have garnered some pretty famous customers.
On the store’s wall of fame included stars like Matthew McConaughey, Bradley Cooper and Bill Murray. However, I don’t think they’ve vetted the wall in a while because Kevin Spacey was still on it. But don’t hold that against Joe’s because the pizza was spectacular. The crust was so good with a bit of char in some places with a sauce that is boldly sweet and super satisfying.
And if you come to New York and just can’t stand the heat, do what everyone used to do to escape the heat: go to the movies! Trust me, it’s a great way to sit in a dark, cool space and just ignore Mother Nature’s attempt to light you on fire.
