kingfox | What the hell would you want to see?

Current Mood: curious
Current Music: RCPM, Mexico

Entry tags:

year of the e-friend

What the hell would you want to see?

Many of you are people local to the NYC metro region. Many of you are not. Of the latter, there's a decent subset that I've invited to the region at some point while imposing on you and seeing your area (probably during the Year of the Efriend). When I've gone to places, there was usually a clear agenda. I must see this spy themed bar, I must visit these gardens, I must try this local food, I must meet this person. But when it comes to my area, not to sound like an arrogant prick, it's hard to distill it to a simple list.

Just as I'm fascinated by how others perceive my accent, let alone the accent of Americans in general, I'm curious to learn about what people want to see.

So here's the question to the locals: If you had someone from decently far-off visiting you for a weekend or week, what would you show them? What are the staples of life around here that you really want the world to sample?

And for those distant, what do you think you want to see? I don't care how corny and touristy it sounds. Imagine that you've got a place to crash in Hoboken for a week. What's on your list, in as specific or as broad terms as you see fit?

Earlier this week I bought my first laptop since 1996. It's a five pound magnesium alloy beauty, which means mobile homework and WoW. Good times.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The Village. The Cloisters (haven't seen yet, so it's equally for my own edification). The cemeteries in Manhattan - the only ones left are all very old, as you can't bury anyone on the island anymore. CBGBs, if it's still around by then. An old record store in NOHO that sells ancient LPs.

If you ever make it to the Cloisters, don't forget to spend some time in Fort Tryon Park - you'll just keep saying to yourself "I can't be in Manhattan...."

Wait, YOU have never been to The Cloisters? You grew up so close to them! There was never a field trip in high school or college there?? Wow.

Go there.

Now.

I know. I was a deprived child - I was just taken to the Met and the MOMA about thirty times over a period of ten years. I've given up on trying to understand this country's education system.

I was taken to the Museum of Natural History and a few other greats often during my youth, and was pretty fortunate as far as that kind of a thing went. The Cloisters I didn't make it to until a field trip in college, sadly. There was a trip scheduled in high school, but it was called of for some reason or another.

It's hard to pick a few things out. I'd reccomend they come for the Parks Concerts in July. Also, the Empire State Building is a favorite of mine, whether or not I have far-off friends coming by. I'd say all the traditional New York spots are worth seeing - it's worth seeing a Broadway Play. It's worth going to the hole downtown and then hitting Century 21. It's worth going to The Met, The Museum of Natural History and MoMA. It's worth taking a New York Harbor cruise and seeing Washington Square Park. It's worth making funny faces in front of the Library Lions, standing in Strawberry fields or taking an afternoon at the Anjelika or CB's.

In the past, when I've had friends in high places, I've taken them on tours of prominent record companies or major television networks. That's always fun. Really, what Manhattan proper has to offer is great and wonderful no matter what it is you like.

Really, what's great about New York is that you don't have to have anything in particular in mind at all. You can just walk around and have a blast.

Don't even get me started on the greater metro area.

I mean, this whole Empire State Building thing is nice. Apple tour, okay? But what I really want to know is -- where is the location of the first Blimpie? Is it possible to see that?

Hey, did you ever make out with anybody over there? Please, be frank.

This broadway show idea is all well and good, but when do we get to see Woodbridge?

and what exit is that?

Exit 129 from the GSP, Exit 13 from the Turnpike.

Well, actually, you can use a number of exits for the GSP. 125, 127, 129, 130, and 131 all work. For that matter, 10 and 12 also work to shave off some time during traffic from the NJT.

Woodbridge Township, or Woodbridge Proper?

There's tons to see there. You've got the old clay pits, the library, the microbrewery, the mall, little India, incredible diners, many former girlfriends, and more!

Why, I could spend a week showing people Woodbridge alone.

It's funny that you ask about that. Despite being headquartered in Atlanta, the very first Blimpie is in lovely Hoboken, NJ. The chain was started by Stevens students. While Subway and Quiznos have more stores, they do have almost sixteen hundred franchises in the USofA.

No, I have not made out with anyone at that location as of this writing. Why, you interested?

you have an accent?

When visiting Wisconsin, I notice your accents every so often. Not quite Fargo level, but there's a few little vowels that come out funny in my ears. The Canucks were talking aboot their fine prah-duce, eh? So what are the words or phrases analogous to the French stereotypical ``oui oui, sacre bleu!'' or the British ``Cheerio, old chap! Pip pip!'' for my region?

The best I've heard so far is saying fuck a lot, also known as the Sopranos accent. My roomie, who is professionally and personally heavily versed in linguistics and has a father who speaks twenty-seven languages, claims that we have fairly harsh consonants compared to most of the US.

You tell me.

i didn't really notice anything

but ALL of the times i've seen you i've been suffering from my surroundings

booz, work, or some combination of the two *grin*

What is all this talk about accents? Nobody down here in South Louisiana can place mine. Let's see, born in Bergen County but grew up in the Catskill Mts....I freak them all out. The reaction to Rachel's accent is just as funny. Her's being the mix of mid-western with central NY. All they know is "you not from 'round here, are ya?"

It's not that bad though...if we can only get these damn hurricanes to stop hitting us it would be fine! :)

BTW (not related to this thread)...glad to see somebody else in the family see the light about econ. It's nice to know I not the only "dismal" one around here. :) Seriously, let me know if I can help you out with your studies (abyssean@lsu.edu).

Take care...Rich (and Rach)

Empire State Building, Garden State Plaza, Ground Zero, Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty and My local Deli.

Garden State Plaza???

At least take them to the Palisades!

You've got a few things in Hoboken, but if someone's from outside the Northeast a good diner is a necessity.

There's also various historical sites (Morristown, Edison Museum for instance) that are important.

Obviously NYC, but there's good stuff in Jersey worth seeing.

We told

graye about the Pine Barrens and he seemed quite interested in that landscape.

Edison's a great thing to show people, Morristown didn't impress me as much. Then again, I was much more excited to visit Wall Street than to see the Morristown encampment, and I'm a freak like that.

I love the Edison radio tower in Edison, NJ that no one goes to. It's just this giant monument with a little museum, and doesn't make it on many maps I've seen. One of

jenniever's friends that we went to Mexico with lives right down the street from it, and I remember bringing family members there a few times in my youth - but never going there on a field trip or anything.

Things to do: drive through Jersey City (Newark Ave, the covered roadway, Journal Square, Grove St. area); hang out in the Village; walk over to the Lower East Side; walk through Brooklyn a little, walk around downtown (one of my favorite things to do is walk up Broadway from Battery Park as far as I can - with a long stop in Chinatown).

Places to go: DBA (bar in East Village), Belgian Beer Bar; Joe's Pizza (off 6th); Wild Ginger (amazing Thai food in the village); Ibby's Falafel; Hard Grove Cafe; rooftop champagne at the Met at sundown; walk around midtown; go hang out on the Frying Pan; Katz's deli; Statue of Liberty and Liberty State Park

Not only is this my list, this is what I'll try to hit up when I'm back for Halloween.

I could seriously go for some Ibby's right now.

Also, I think I have to take any far-off guests to McSorley's. That's a great bar to get trashed at with friends.

So, what days will you be around?

hmm...
A baseball game at Shea or Yankee stadium, the NY subway, Central Park, Met and MOMA, Chinatown (with a stop to 'Wo Hop' on Mott St, my fave dumplings evar!), hot dogs from Gray's Papaya, some random off-Broadway wierd show...
Jersey: a Jersey mall on a Saturday afternoon, the SHORE, and Harolds, that place with the giant amounts of food.

I've never been to Wo Hop,

runstaverun and I found a little dumpling house that was voted the best in the city by a number of rags that you should try some time.

jenniever and

jennifriend went there often this past summer, it was an amazing little hole in the wall.

But that's my problem with trying to show people NYC. There's just too much. Everyone's got their own opinion of the best dumplings, the best sushi, the best show, the best bar... and it's hard to get a good sampling of it all. One night

runstaverun and I randomly found this little place that served amazing chicken, steak, or tofu cheesesteaks Korean, southern, or Mexican style. It just opened a week or so before, and will probably be gone soon. How do you keep up on all of those little gems, other than reading a ton of NYC message boards? *Shrug*

Hell, even showing people the shore leads to another debate. Point Pleasant, LBI, Seaside Heights, Sandy Hook, or where?

turtle pond in Central Park.

Grassroots, Korova Milk Bar, and Rififi dancing.

Rasoi for Indian food.

really, whatever they want. I'm a good host, but a horrible tour guide.

You know, I have yet to make it to the milk bar, despite how badly I've wanted to go. We should do that some night.

Also, I would love to do that half-priced karaoke you posted about that I never responded to like a jerkface. I miss karaoke.

we should also grab your roommie so he can tell me how awesome my 'stache is.

because I know he'll appreciate it, unlike some other jerks.

I'm kind of busy from here on out till November, but we'll hang!

You're... busy? What the fuck happened? Did you get a job or something? I thought it was caviar and WoW for weeks on end, visiting us for lunch when you wanted? WTF?

Yeah, he does love a good `stache. You should come over sometime and watch me play WoW while he watches America's Next Top Model or someshit.

I've got things to do! no job, just stuff.

friends' wedding, camping trips, parties, etc., etc.

Oh, ok then.

We should hang out sometime, besides when Uldum is down.

What would I like to see? My son.

I think I covered most things I'd want to see, in the 25 years I lived in the area, except of course ground zero, and on the horrible footage I can superimpose brunch at Windows on the World.

My dad, the Oklahoma farmboy, told me more than once that when someone bragged to him about the advantages of living in the NY area, specificly Broadway shows, he would ask whether they actually went to said shows. I never rebutted him in person but, (A), there is freedom in the potential to act, and (B), I did see Broadway shows, operas, the cloisters, shows at the met, St. John's Cathedral, shopping, and saw some of the not so fun stuff too. Now when either of us sees footage of the NY area, we shudder, and BC has a fear that if he ever returned to NJ he would die there.

The accent thing is interesting though.

Yeah, Ground Zero's gotten cleaned up quite a bit, and at this point it's hard to imagine my almost daily trips through there the summer before I moved in with Father Joe. The new PATH station's a hauntingly large and empty space over what used to be there.

Honestly, I fit into his accusation. I really don't take advantage of the city, despite being a half hour and a buck-fifty away from midtown. While paying all this insane rent to live near it, I only visit once a month or so.

Daily trips through the epicenter must have been excessively depressing.

I'm afraid that stage show tickets cost quite a bit more than that buck-fifty, even with twofers, and often (my experience) are not more impressive than a good high school production, let alone TV.

Still, the experience of having my knees in the conductor's back at Fosse's "Dancin'", and hearing 50 massed male voices singing Wagner, are treasures to remember.

I actually work less than a block down from St. John the Divine - it's such a great neighborhood. Russ is a great reason to come here, I'm pretty sure for just about anyone. He has enthusiasm enough for himself and for anyone else who cares to join him. But you probably know that already. :)

Ground Zero is great only in what the whole thing meant to you - it's really just a large hole (people hate me for calling it that, but it's true - it's a hole with a fence around it). I think you can accurately mourn for the whole thing without having seen the hole. It's become somewhat of a mythic national animal to most of the country - something that exists as a symbol for the thousand and one things they love about their lives in the US. Standing at the hole then, it becomes like Mecca. It's less about the place and more about the faith and the religion that brought you there to worship.

Having been to WTC before 9/11 is more than enough - you know how big it is and was - and you know what dirt looks like in the NY/NJ area. Seeing the hole just kind of leaves an empty feeling to a place that should have memories of lunches and friends and summer internships (at least, for me - but I'm sure you can fill in brunch, etc.) - but all that gets mixed into what created the hole (and what removed to make it a hole), and placing a significance on this empty space becomes a somewhat tedious task for those were familiar with its other life. And familiar with those affected in the transition.

Sometimes, I kind of wish I hadn't been too emotional (and, in turn, too scared of being caught being emotional) about this whole thing and had gone to see it when there was still a pile of something to see. I think that would have meant more to me. But I've seen holes before. So I'm still waiting to make my peace.

If you're here again, and they haven't filled it in, and you need to do it, it's worth seeing. Otherwise, you'll end up standing there and feeling guilty about thinking to yourself:

"Wow. Now that's one big hole."

Thanks Jenniever. Well said. I'll remember reading in the mid-sixties in the New Yorker mag about the huge project of building the towers (splicing the phone lines alone was huge.) The smooth ascent in the elevators making you almost forget how high you were getting, until you stepped out and a pathway through the flooring with lights under the floor surface on either side gave again a feeling of height--looking out on light or lights in darkness let you think the world was at your feet. Coming out here and making mostly quilts inspired by the woods, but the hanging I gave Russ inspired by the melting pot of Manhattan epitomized by the towers--and turning on the TV and thinking that the first tower burning must surely be another Apocalypse type movie.

I would want to see pork rolls, Bon Jovi, the pine barrens (best sopranos episode) and the clerks quick mart. Along with shitty dive bars.

I would just go to HO-Boken and get back Marc's fuckin' tapes for him. Then everybody could go thier seperate ways-no harm, no foul. Unless the tapes no longer are there....HHHMMMMM? Anyway, I am about to take the lead on this mission and I work fast.

- seaside.
- jersey pizza
- any good view of the skyline. you can't get that in NYC.
- a huge mall.
- central park
- the village
-- Gray's Papaya.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

What the hell would you want to see?

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Supposedly

Re: Supposedly

Re: Supposedly

no subject

no subject

New Jersey color

Re: New Jersey color

Re: New Jersey color

My List

Why not log in, sir?

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

HOLD UP A SECOND

Re: HOLD UP A SECOND

Re: HOLD UP A SECOND

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject