Bluejake

It was cold today, but I missed out on skating last weekend due to rain, so I wanted to hit the streets anyway. Despite the temperature, there was a nice blue sky, and after a few minutes I stopped feeling cold. The Manhattan Bridge was empty, as usual, except for one couple getting down and dirty against one of the columns half-way across. I had already planned to skate around the Brooklyn Navy Yard, so instead of heading for the Brooklyn Bridge like usual I headed down Sands Street. At the Hudson Street entrance to the yard, I tried to talk my way past the guard, but he was pretty firm about not letting me in. Instead, I skated down to Flushing Avenue, and headed East. After a few blocks it became eerily quiet and strangely beautiful. On one side, the abandoned and crumbling Victorian houses sat behind the Navy Yard's rusting fence. On the other, old factories and strange burnt out buildings loomed above the cracked sidewalks. Lots of Yeshiva school buses and one or two trucks on the street. Peaceful- not like Vinegar Hill- more like the edge of Red Hook.

After taking it all in, I turned Northwest on Kent Avenue. A beautiful little neighborhood of these pre-fab houses, with lots of Orthodox Jews walking around on the streets. About halfway to Broadway, I stopped at Jacob's Ladder Playground and thought about the neighborhood. It's such a strange place- vibrant and devout, but also strangely removed from the world. Maybe just from my world. After a little while I skated up under the Williamsburg Bridge and made my way down Bedford to Greenpoint. The usual hipsters were out, this time showing their Spring colors and costumes.

Up Lorimer and Manhattan Avenue, and then over the Pulaski to Queens. I was feeling pretty good, so I decided to do a little exploring in Long Island City. My major discovery: the part west of the rail tracks is nice, but the rest of the neighborhood feels sort of sad and empty. I've met a lot of people who like living down that way, but it's not for me. No matter how bohemian or how hip or how affordable the area is, it's just not a place I'd want to spend a lot of time. After meditating on that for a few minutes, I swung by PS1 and MOMA Queens and then returned to the city via the Queensboro Bridge.

Pretty winded, I skated down First Avenue and along the East River path until Fifth Street, and then made my way West towards the apartment. Somewhere on Third Street I was nearly attacked by a vicious dog that had been let off its leash by one of the twentysomething models who were sitting nearby. I think it was a Bichon Frise, but it seemed kind of small- sort of like a large gerbil. Anyway, it just went crazy when I skated past and I ended up nearly doing a cartwheel trying to avoid crushing it to death. As I was turning around to see if the dog was alright, I heard one of the models say "oh my god! are you okay?" and of course, I started to say I was, but then I realized that she was talking to the dog. Feeling weirded out, I skated back home.

Skating