Scenes From A New York Weekend Pt I

Teeth slice through the Moe’s smashburger. My mouth is flooded with saliva and anxious taste buds. A smile erupts over my face even before I finish the bite. Heaven. The cousins weekend is nearly through, but how can I visit New York without Moe’s? Moe Junior greets us with a wave. He knows my brother and I for all our previous visits. There are fistbumps and smiles all around. “Four smashburgers with fries all around!” Oh, and their peanut butter shake!! But that’s the end of the weekend! But that’s the end of the weekend! Let’s go back to the start…

Arrival

I flew into Boston’s Logan International just a little before 5pm. Myself and the three other passengers from the Tacnam 2012 were escorted off the tarmac by an airport employee. I breezed out to the pickup zone. Unfortunately, the only flight I could snag to Boston coincides with rush hour. Victoria (Vic) and Clothilde (Cloth) had some traffic ahead of them. But the weather was comfortable and I enjoyed watching reunions unfold nearby. A mother greeted her daughter and son-in-law. A boyfriend held his girl and kissed her as if she had been gone for months.

The car ride from Boston to New York was filled with catching up and stories of Vic’s new job in a prison. Contrary to the rush hour traffic of Boston, getting into New York was fairly easy. Well, not exactly. I needed Cloth as my navigator, shifting lanes at the last moment to take the left turn while staying to the right. It’s a maze. We three arrived to Will’s apartment at nearly eleven. Hugs were exchanged and I was asleep nearly instantaneously while Will drank a protein shake and talked. 

Bagel Pub

Our first morning in Brooklyn requires a visit to another staple of the borough: Bagel Pub. Fresh Lox #4 no jalapenos on a garlic bagel and a peanut butter banana smoothie- that’s my order for the day. This place is swamped all day long. Employees call out names, relying on honesty from customers. Some people don’t like how crowded it can get. I find it fascinating. Like a pool of human specimens to study. Everyone is living their own life, playing the main character. 

“Have a great day, officer,” I say to an NYPD fellow.

I listen to the names called off and watch folks step up to fetch their order. Some move slowly, hesitating as if they haven’t been here before. Others are veterans, grabbing their order the instant their name bellows out of the cashier’s mouth. The manager steps over to keep the flow going. He makes eye contact with a couple of patrons, says how are you, and hands them their package.

My one gripe with Bagel Pub is the crazy amount of cream cheese. Gripe may be a strong word…in the future, I’ll simply ask for less. Otherwise, this is the only time I eat a bagel. Their bagels, I’ll add, are produced in house every day. The four of us sat at one of the outside tables in the comfortable 50℉ temps. Well, it was comfortable for me. Vic and Cloth were chilly. Still, the company was fabulous and, after picking off half the cream cheese, I ingested half the bagel after filling up on my smoothie. The other half? It became a pocket bagel to be consumed later.

Brooklyn Museum

As the cousins neared completion of brunch, we charted our next course: the Brooklyn Museum. It’s an art museum – not always my thing, especially abstract art. Abstract is silly stupid. Perhaps one day I’ll find a piece that changes my mind, but Picasso has failed thus far. As we perused some of the exhibits, I found art I could stand by: film photography and portraits. I studied the pictures Robert Frank took on Coney Island July 4, 1958. Since I started developing my own film, these images have more power over me. They used to feel so far away, the people never felt real. Now, I connect more, especially with the individuals included. I remind myself that they were the main character in their play despite the 60 year gap. 

These little insights, the occasional reminder that everything dies puts a little more pep in my step (pardon the cliche). No sense in wasting time. I like film because it transcends the time from Mr. Frank and me. I looked at the people on the beach and felt transported. A contact sheet was also included in the exhibit, showcasing Frank’s subtle differences as he shot the same scene. Sometimes, he adjusted the exposure just a hair, shifting from a 125 shutter speed to 60. Other times, he changed his position. In one image, his subject seemed to have awakened from a nap or drunk stupor…one or the other! 

We watched odd films with moans or about Cuba. Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party is currently on exhibit. I felt like a terrible history teacher when I only recognized a few names, such as Susan B. Anthony, Emily Dickinson, and Virginia Woolf. This exhibit had a lot of parts: the triangular table, 39 place settings, and 999 names on the tile floor. Pretty cool exhibit, but I did feel rushed by the line of people moving around.

I also enjoyed the period room exhibits. They showcase parlors, studies, and other extinct room functions. The rooms remind me of the internal dilemma I face: simplistic versus materialistic. I like modern spaces, but I am a sucker for the 19th and early 20th century decor. Mahogany furniture, elegant fireplace, portraits of family members, exquisite drapes. That fits my style, the more I think about it. Besides, most of my hobbies would translate over to the more traditional style…besides video games.

New Friends

After the museum, we headed to meet Victoria’s running mates. We found them at an overpriced Irish pub. Sure, I get it’s New York. Our nachos were $24 and about 1.5x the size of my iPhone 14. They tasted just a little better than mediocre. We didn’t stay long, barely catching everyone’s names. We walked to the marathon’s exhibition to fetch bibs and explore the vendors. I didn’t mind the crowd at Bagel Pub, but there were way too many people here. I was excited when we moved on.

Part II may be found here.