Sunday, August 15, 2010

Harlem, ny

I'm going to write this like EU.

Today I woke up and decided to go to the Botanical Gardens cause I've never been. (It's not today anymore, I started writing this days ago.) I took the 4 all the ways to the Bedford Park stop. When I got off I went towards the diner across the way to ask which way was the Botanical. (I know I can figure this stuff out with my phone. The thing is, I like to talk to people.) (A pink rose from the Rockefeller Rose Garden from the day I returned.) 

In the diner the waitress I spoke with had no idea what I was asking her, but the guy seated at the counter who was thoughtfully eavesdropping did. He told me, "It's all the way down Bedford, you're gonna go up a hill, then down a hill... Then you'll see trees, and it's there." Some where in between this a Russian guy materialized at the counter with two Poland Spring bottles.

The Russian: "How much?"

Cashier: "$2.50"

The Russian: "If I wanna pay $2.50 I go to Manhattan. I give you $2.00."

The cashier nodded, the Russian handed over $2.00. .... And that is how things happen in the Wild West, I mean in the Bronx.

After the goodbyes I walked the  nine-ish blocks to the Botanical. (Each block equaled two.) But I got there. And when I did I walked the path all the ways to security to find out that the Botanical Gardens are closed on Mondays. (Wow, Jane you're awesome at planning things.)

Yup, I slowly walked back thinking, I guess I wasn't supposed to go to the Botanical gardens today. Then I went on to the next thing. Cupcakes. Someone told me about a place I should check out in Harlem. So off to Harlem it was.

Harlem is just like what people say about it, but better. On the way to cupcakes I passed a lone brick on the side walk, a piece of fried chicken also on the sidewalk, and a black cat lounging against a building. I stopped to say hello to the cat, as I bent down he/she stretched out it's nails as if to say, wanna dance? At that I backed away as I said, "okay Kitty, bye now."

Now onto the "better." While I walked I also had a chance to see some stupendous wall art or graffiti, a small fire hydrant themed block party, which caused me to remember the Brooklyn block parties I participated in back in my day. (I've experienced block parties in the suburbs. Yeah, it isn't the same. It's rather dull. Sigh, how I long for the days when I used to throw tomatoes at passing cars.) And yes I did over hear two separate conversations on the street that were about this person being arrested, then that person being shot. Yet, when that's the norm, it's like discussing anything really. In a whole thought or circle I found the  people friendly, I felt well received.

At the cupcake shop, I sat down to a red velvet cupcake dressed in butter cream icing. It was terrible. The cake was dry, the icing was over-powering, but thank goodness for the over-powering icing otherwise I wouldn't have been able to eat it. (Why did I eat it?)

No, I'm not telling where I had it, cause that isn't what I like to do. Why am I reporting this? Wells, when I do sing about something, there are good reasons for it. And you should know that I'm taking the assignment of finding good eats as a serious matter..... I can't tell you how cranky I become when any amount of money is spent on bad food. But, when the good food is found life is ice cream. So when I write about eats, I mean it with my whole heart.

1 comment:

  1. Jane! Love your blog! Let's catch up soon. Adam told me he saw you downstairs. The girls miss their 'aunt jane' :)

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