Bushwick Street art - one set of many...

More Bushwick Art - May 21st 2011, a set on Flickr.

Just because I haven't had a chance to write this week, and because I won't until later this week...

Some pictures I took during one of my many early Saturday morning wanders around Bushwick.

Idiot Neighbours From Hell - RANT

Read on for another rant about my lovely neighbours. Have fun...

Usually you have one neighbour who ruins it for the rest of the building. One neighbour who is too loud and has people over consatntly. Or one neighbour who complains about everything, and calls the cops at any given moment. or one neighbour who never takes the trash out, and leaves it in the hallway to stink the building up (until one of the other tenants gives up and dumps it in the garbage).
But what if you have half a building full of this one neighbour? What if half the building is inhabited by obnoxious neighbours and the other half just shuts up and sucks it up until their lease is up so that they can move somewhere else?

Welcome to my life.

I am seriously far from being a goody-two-shoes, as anyone who has spent any time with me knows. I was pretty well-known for my raucous partying habits back in the day; and I still indulge in a good old party nowadays (although without the copious amounts of alcohol). I like to play my music loud. I like to stay awake half of the night writing and talking to my friends. I like having random dance parties at any given time and singing at the top of my voice. And I hate my neighbours.

I actually don't really know what any of them really look like, all of their faces blend together into one type of look: young, wealthy-but-pretending-to-be-poor, rebellious, late teen early 20's, first time living away from home. In other words, annoying poser gits.

(As a side-note, annoying poser gits severely irritate me, just because actually being poor REALLY sucks, and pretending to be poor is disrespectful to those who really are).

Beth and I were the first people to ever move into this building, and are now in our fourth year. The only neighbour I recognise is the lady right next door who must be on her third lease now. Other than that it's one continuous flow of different people, month in month out.

The first floor is comprised of two duplex apartments. I suppose they should normally house around three people comfortably. But for some reason the management company keeps renting them out to students who act like the whole building is a giant dorm, running up and down the stairs to the roof, slamming doors and constantly yelling at the tops of their voices. Hosting band practice during the day (there's loads of rehearsal space to rent in Bushwick, douchebags), inviting groups of hardcore gangster-style drug dealers to their rooftop parties (you gotta know one to recognise one right?), and, get this, the last straw this past weekend, throwing glass bottles off the rooftop into the courtyard. Because that's super smart right?!

But I think what irritates me the most is... I can't STAND the music they listen to!! If it were some real rebellious teen black/death metal/goth/punk/riot grrrl/fuck the world I hate you music I would at least be able to respect them. But yelling along to Katy Perry or some other replaceable girl singer at 2am?? No. No. No. NO.

They all need to leave as soon as possible please. I'll keep the hipsters from the building next door - at least they listen to semi-decent music, grow sunflowers in their yard and have a median age of 25.

Rant over. Until next time...

Running, running, running

Running really does make me happy... Who would have thought?!
I got home from work, threw on my running clothes and shoes (and knee brace-thing as I have a wobbly right knee at the moment) and ran a couple of miles around my neighbourhood, down Evergreen, over Flushing, around the lofts, up Johnson, down Bushwick and the Varet and back up past Flushing. That hill from Flushing up to Jefferson on Everygreen is a bit of a killer when you take it at the end, but it's a good extra work out.

I think this all started as a way to work out, but now it's also a way to let off steam, be by myself with some music, time to let my mind wander and think about what may be and what may happen...

For some reason I always listen to the Stones while running - they motivate me. And the Stones channel on Pandora is just perfect.

I'm already dreading the days where the snow is going to stop me from running.

New Black & White Prints

A lot of overexposure on these, but I can't help loving the stark atmosphere they relay. Here are some favourites, link to the full set at the bottom of the post.

Seagulls and Pelicans on a roof along the Santa Cruz Boardwalk.

Miriam and George, filming Emilie's part in the first scene.

Michelle sitting outside of our Fort Tilden camp in July.

Written on a mural on Jefferson St, Bushwick.

More HERE on my Flickr.

Blue mural

I found this in an album of photos I took back in December during one of my walks around Bushwick. It's so very thought-evoking to me...

More Bushwick street art!

I have not really had a moment to myself these past three weeks, and I keep seeing places that I want to photograph, and immediately forgetting them again (then again these places happen to be pieces of art along the railway tracks somewhere between Philadelphia and Penn Station, or Penn Station and Boston, so I really don't know how I would remember...).

In any case, I was in a car going home on Wednesday when I noticed some more great street art in Brooklyn, and this time remembered to put the cross streets down in my phone. I got up early yesterday morning, took a few cameras with me (I never know which one I am going to use until I actually decide I want to take a picture). I found the location I had gone past on Wednesday and started from there... Walking randomly for 90 minutes or so, I came across more and more great graffitti art... All portrayed HERE on my Flickr. A Bushwick street art stroll past Bogart & Boerum, Harrison & Morgan, Morgan & Grattan, Knickerbocker & Thames, Jefferson & Knickerbocker. I ended up just using the Canon Rebel Ti1 for all shots, just because there was so much to shoot and I didn't have enough colour film on me.

I've been reading up on the different crews and their history - it's really interesting.
Here is a great blog on NYC graffiti: Fresh Paint NYC
If there are any writings you want to know more about let me know - I tried to grab the signatures on all of them, so I could find out more about them.

East New York next week. Probably not the best idea in the world, but I'm sure I'll find some really cool spots.

This one is my new favourite, above one of the L train Morgan stop entrances:

Rooftop gloom

BLAH.

I'm getting itchy feet again. I've been here over four years now and I still love it. I don't really want to move anywhere else... But I really want to settle down and feel like my life is stable. The idea that once filled me with utter panic is now what I want most of all. Actually the opposite fills makes my heart jittery with fear right now. What if it never happens? What if I am alone for the rest of my life?

Bushwick is tiring me. Last night my street became a full-blown party area around 3am. Cars stopping in the middle of the street blasting the crappiest dance music I have ever heard, people yelling at each other, skateboarders riding up and down the street, non-stop... The BP gas station was robbed at gunpoint again last week and I can never walk to subway station without hearing some kind of lewd remark. BLAH. I love Brooklyn but all this is tiring me. I want a house in the country. Do I?

Overwhelmed by everything at the moment.

Cabdrivers can be evil

When I first moved here four years ago cab drivers used to be extremely reluctant to go anywhere in Brooklyn. Luckily for me, I never needed to go to Brooklyn. When I moved to Bushwick last year things had changed alot, and I probably came across two or three cab drivers who complained about having to cross the bridge. Until last night.
I had a great time at the Cruel Black Dove and Blacklist shows (see other blog for a write up in the next few days), followed by a more irritating few hours, ending with food at Remedy. Larry put me in a cab just before 3am, I closed the car door, and had the following intensely annoying conversation:

Me: "Bushwick please - take the Williamsburg Bridge and then follow Broadway to Myrtle"
Cabdriver: "Oh well that guy over there was in front of you so you need to give him the cab"
Me: "Um no, I don't think so."
Cabdriver: "Well yes you do because I don't want him to complain"
Me: "He just got another cab, so there isn't an issue. Unless of course you don't want to go to Brooklyn, and you don't have a choice now that I am in the cab."
Cabdriver: "You didn't notice the 'off duty' light was on. You have to get out Ma'am"
Me: "I will be the one complaining you shiteous human being"

[followed by me slamming the cab door and cab driver - minus off duty light on - screeching away down Ave A].

Maybe I should either:
1). Never go out again
2). Get the J train during the night and brave the crackheads/murderers/scary people
3). Stay out til after 4am as I never had a problem when I used to drink
4). Try to really remember the cabdivers number and see if complaining really works
5). Chalk it up to yet another charming incident that ruins my mood

Ahhh New York. I love you.

PS - I now wish people would stop telling me they prefer me sober. Yes I prefer myself sober too, but I also prefer you all sober. And it's beginning to sound a little hypocritical. Thanks.

So much has happened in the past few months... Beth and I found a dream apartment in Bushwick, right by the Myrtle stop on the JMZ. It's huge and I love how much light we have. Not to mention the washer dryer IN the apartment, the great rooftop and the fact that we can fit 2 three-seater sofas in the living room and still have tons of space. Oh and I am saving $450 a month on rent alone. I am so much happier there...

Other things are happening too. Things that I can't really stop but that make me happy. I have the best friends in the whole world and couldn't imagine life without any of them. Those who constantly judged me have been dismissed from my life. Such a relief. I don't need to keep explaining myself to people who are not going to listen anyway. Sometimes I wonder why people always have to focus on other people's lives. Is it because theirs are too boring? Probably. I wish I had time to be bored.