The Studio

My apartment isn’t a studio it’s a one bedroom. With two rooms, there’s more space than I really need for daily living. However, if I think of these two large rooms as a blogging and web center, photo workshop, music center, photo gallery and new plant lab, it’s just right. I’ve never lived in a studio or loft and this isn’t Williamsburg but it will do just fine. So, it’s now ‘the studio.’

The entry hallway is le grande entrance. Okay I exaggerate a bit, but it’s a long hall (pun not intended). Someone could live in it. It calls out for artwork on the walls. A circular overhead fluorescent fixture’s not very cool but maybe there’s some way to add auxiliary lighting with some theatrical quality.

There are rolling racks and plant lab paraphernalia that weren’t off loaded at the Ebbets Field Middle School. They’re in my storage space. I was going to leave them there temporarily and move just personal stuff. I’ve now decided to move all of it here into the studio. It belongs here.

There are two large east-facing windows in each room. There will be a rolling rack in front of each of them. Who knows where new plants will come from but I’ll find them. Doing this will give an insight as to where New Yorkers buy indoor plants. A visit to Home Depot is on the agenda. H.D. and Lowe’s are where most of the original lab plants came from.

I also need work space and furniture for a photo workshop. There are a ton of slides to be scanned and uploaded to Flickr. I bought a slide scanner many months ago but did not have time to even try it out before I left San Diego. I have slides going back to those I shot in ’86 during the Statue of Liberty relighting weekend along with lots of digital street photography from my daily walks in Balboa Park last year.

This space isn’t sleek and modern but it has lots of character. As you can see, there are arched doorways and lots of molding including picture rail molding around the upper walls. Pictures will hang from these moldings.

Anyway, think architectural motif and furnishings. I see a drafting table stool and modern IKEA type furniture. I’ll just keep the door to the pink fixture bathroom closed for a while. One day at a time…

A Bed, a Bed at Last

Floor sleepers of the world unite! Rise up and defend yourselves against the overt discrimination that exists, be it your mother, kids or friends. What? You sleep on the floor? Poor you can’t afford a bed? Here, maybe we can help you.

Okay, it’s not for everyone but it works for me and probably more people than you realize. Last night, even with my knees screaming at me like banshees, it was the best night’s sleep I’ve had in a while.

I hauled my bedroll in a black trash bag from my U-Haul storage unit (picture hobo Bob on the subway with his stash bag) down to the ‘studio’. Then it was off to Century 21 Department Store to find something to cushion the hard parquet floor.

The store was a trip. How many people know that discount shopping was born in NYC with the opening of E. J. Korvette? I remember it well. How many who now take discount shopping for granted know about the infamous ‘fair trade’ laws that Korvette defied. Plain and simple, discounts were illegal as in law breaking. Can you believe it?

The spirits of Eugene Ferkauf and Korvette are alive and well at Century 21, the operative word being alive. The store was a beehive of shopping energy to the max. After finding the separate home store building, I located the bedding department. I wandered around looking at bedding stuff and asked a young man in the department for advice. He steered me to a foam mattress pad. Guess what? He turned out to be a floor sleeper having to deal with his mother’s admonishments. Funny…but figures!

Next it was on to the bath department. I found a good quality bath towel for 3 bucks and was looking for a hand towel. There was a rack of I think “zero twist towels”. I had to peer around the rack to read the pricing sign. Shortly a diminutive woman looking like the towel fairy queen floated by and said “three ninety-nine, a dollar ninety-nine” in her lilting Brooklyn Jewish accent as she pointed to each bin with her wand (or whatever it was). I am going to wire myself and blog some of these sounds and conversations. I think they’re priceless!

BFN BB

First Night in Paradise

Here we are in the lap of luxury…well maybe not quite! I’m going to film this and pitch it to Steve Jobs for a Mac commercial. Think PC dolt slowly becoming a Mac hipster.

Here’s the scene. I’m reclined on a makeshift bed made from clothes out of my suitcase The MacBook Pro is on my lap. Of course being ever so Apple user friendly and ultra versatile, it also functions as a night-light and warms my thighs. Does it cook eggs too and did I forget to say it’s intuitive? By the way this freaking thing is heavy enough to press pants.

There is no furniture in the room. The walls are bare white. Light is coming from the overhead ceiling fixture with two unshielded bulbs. It’s a bit garish but functional. If you’re comfortable in a police lineup you’d do fine in this light. MS Word for Apple is set at 200% so the screen is readable at arms length.

Excuse me. Time out for dinner (reaching for turkey club with avocado sandwich from Starbucks).

Okay I’m back after an unsuccessful attempt at sleep. The ‘bed’ unfortunately is unstable because the parquet floor is as slippery as an ice rink. The clothes pads keep moving around like they’re hockey pucks.

Oh well, it’s only 10:15 and my mind has been too revved up too sleep this early anyway. Tomorrow I’ll hop on the R train up to my U-Haul storage unit and pick up the big black trash bag with my pillows and bedroll.

I know it will work because I’ve been sleeping on it for the past 10 years. I may need a mat or pad under the quilt but that will get done after my first visit to the Century 21 Department Store on 86th street. From what I understand if you can’t find it on 86th street, they probably don’t make it.

I’ll also call Sambou (formerly from Zimbabwe). He’s the good soul who bailed me out of the U-Haul truck when I finally turned it in. I wouldn’t have gotten off the truck without him. There are boxes of canned goods from my cupboards in San Diego that were piled on to the truck. He can use them far better than I.

Backing up earlier in the day, I arrived here after a car service ride from the HOJO to discover two guys in the middle of the lobby hunched over weird looking elevator parts scattered on the floor. They were pounding and torching the grotesque looking pieces of metal like there was no tomorrow.

Light from their arc welding was dancing on the walls and ceiling. The scene was from Dante’s Inferno or is Kafkaesque more appropriate. They spoke broken English but I got the message that it was going to take at least an hour. They were obviously working under great pressure.

I knew the elevator had a problem the other day when David Todd and I were here. It was no big deal because just the first floor was blanked out and service worked from the second floor. Not today however! Of course, my timing is impeccable. Here I am, finally “at home” with about 2 tons of luggage needing to be hauled up five flights at the very time the elevator is kaput.

No problem. I called David as planned and we were able to exchange favors. Up went the luggage in short order with David’s help.

He dropped me off at the Starbucks where I posted the news about my new apartment. Later, it was a beautiful walk home after dark. The streets are very well lit and more than charming. I passed a church nearby and the beautiful modern library next door to my building was lights ablaze. How cheerful. It will be picture postcard pretty around here during the coming holidays.

I arrived at the door to have it opened by a young man in the lobby who saved me from fumbling for my keys. He had already pressed the elevator button and we both waited and introduced ourselves. He is Brian (or Bryan) from Arizona. After a bit we realized the elevator was not working.

The torch heads were obviously not able to finish the job today. So, up the stairs we went. We walked and talked as we moved up the floors only to arrive at the same floor. Guess what? He is my next-door neighbor. What are the odds of arriving here precisely at the time to meet my next-door neighbor on my first day? This is a six story building with many, many apartments. Go figure. But then again that’s the ordinary on this most unordinary journey.

BFN BB

Bay Ridge Brooklyn Bob…Again!

Bay Ridge is my new home thanks to Bay Ridge neighbor and new friend David Todd of Virtual Real Estate, I moved in to an apartment today on Ridge Boulevard, Bay Ridge. Thanks Heather for steering me to Virtual. How mystical it turned out to be!

We lived here on Bay Ridge Parkway (the street where David lives) a long time ago at age four before we moved to Lakeview, L.I. (Malverne school district).

I’m writing this from a Starbucks near to where I now live. I’m enjoying watching the mixture of people who have been walking in. There’s lots more to write about but I’m just plain tired. I’ve spent most of the week in bed with a UTI. Just what I needed eh what?

I wasn’t able to get to a doctor for an antibiotic, but I think the cranberry juice prescribed by Doc Todd did the trick. I drank a couple of large bottles and this is the best I’ve felt in a good while. I’m sure there’s also some psychosomatic benefit from moving from the HOJO to my own apartment.

There’s been enough material from this odyssey for a Woody Allen movie. If I were younger, I’d try to film it myself. Who know what will come out of all this.

Thanks for all the good thoughts. More later…

Bay Ridge Brooklyn Bob

News From Brooklyn

No, I have not found a place to live and that is a problem. I underestimated the degree of difficulty in relocating here by myself without feet on the ground to help. One price of all learning is time. I’m learning about the ‘territory’ but it takes time and the cost is high in terms of hotel living.

While I may appreciate worry and concern, please don’t send me ‘what’s up’ messages. I don’t have time to respond to them and they are of no value to me. Any constructive suggestions, however, are very much appreciated.

Many of the apartments in my price range are in predominantly black neighborhoods. Some of you can figure out that I’ve been living in an essentially all black neighborhood. That’s not a problem. It’s just not what I’d like for the long term. I don’t like living in a homogeneous society of any kind whether it be old, young, white, or materialistic. A couple of neighborhoods of interest at this point are Bay Ridge and Prospect Heights near BBG, the museum and the park.

I can’t compete with the earning power of young people, so I’m tying to use my financial resources by offering some amount of rent prepayment. Hell, if the situation were right I’d prepay the whole annual lease. One way or another a lease is a financial commitment.

Heather made a good suggestion about relocating to a cheaper hotel close to the PATH in NJ. I’m thinking about moving over to the HOJO at Newark Airport and see how long it takes to get to and from Brooklyn. I’ll probably do it in the next day or so.

The other unplanned factor is my knees. The pain is not relievable at the end of the day after I’ve been out apartment hunting even with my Darvon prescription. I’ve stopped carrying my laptop and will buy a backpack. Hopefully that will help to some degree.

I have no regret about being here but I’ll surely be glad to look back at this time when it’s a dim memory. There’s no doubt in my mind that there’s NYC DNA in my soul. I believe it was implanted at a very early age (before 5) when we lived in Brooklyn. I always liked working in NYC even when the commute time was outrageous from Farmingdale, LI and then from Princeton/East Windsor NJ.

Incidentally, I do not know the status of the plants at this time. I’m attempting to arrange an appointment or phone conversation with Principal Margie Baker.

Thank you to those of you who have been contributing supportive and constructive suggestions. They are very much appreciated.

BFN, Almost Brooklyn Bob

News From the Trenches

This is how I often feel. This is no place for wimps.

I went to my storage unit yesterday to get some warmer clothes (1 bus, 2 subway trains & 2 hrs round trip). I feel akin to a WWII G.I. when I’m walking these mean streets hauling luggage.

Before embarking on this crazy adventure, I speculated on how my creaky old knees would hold up to lots of city walking. What I didn’t foresee was subway stairs down and back up. Stairs are the worst for my osteoarthritic knees, that’s for sure. I’ll be glad to be in my own apartment and free of luggage. I’ll buy a good carry bag for my laptop and stuff. This combo shoulder/back pack looks like a cool solution.

On the advice of good friend, I’m a hosteller for the first time in my life. I checked out of the HOJO and took a long subway ride to the historic Hostelling International New York building on Amsterdam Ave & 103rd St.

I’m checked in to a 6-bed male room and I’m now camped out in the lounge with my laptop. The furniture is quite interesting. The ‘couches’ are about a foot off the floor. This stuff is obviously made for young people, the main occupants of the room right now. The room is abuzz with young voices (mostly female). I may not be able to get up but it’s great for my knees, which are stretched out in front of me. My laptop battery is warming my aching legs. Maybe I’ll stay here all night. It’s a lot nicer than my room.

Yesterday I checked out a couple of apartment shares and met some nice people but have decided to look for a single occupancy studio. Stairs are one of the issues driving the decision. I can manage maybe one flight of stairs with railings but a ground floor or elevator apartment would be far better.

Who knows I may be living in Bay Ridge where we lived (age 5) before moving to Malverne, L.I. I’ve seen studios there on Craigslist that are within my budget.

Hey Heather, if you’ve got time I’d welcome your offer to help comb through Craigslist.

The plant lab story has really just begun rather than ending. Apparently the temporary storage in her science lab created some heartburn for Ebbets Field Middle school principal Margie Baker. Even though I now understand the reasons it’s unfortunate. She certainly did a good deed for me that I’ll long remember.

The complicating issues are that I am not certified by the NYC Board of Education to be in contact with city school children. Nor do I have any kind of agreement or contract with the D.O.E.

Principal Baker is working with her superintendent on getting the ‘mini-labs’ (individual plant racks) distributed to 9 other schools in their district. There is also a possibility of me becoming a “Learning Leader”. It would involve a background check and some classes. The program is designed for parents however, so we’ll see what happens. I would welcome doing whatever necessary to become a badge credentialed volunteer.

At present I’m not able to even get in to the lab and water the plants. I’ve spent some time with science teacher Sherlyne Gilles explaining about sub-irrigation, etc. She gets it of course but is now stuck with the job of watering the plants. I say ‘stuck’ because it was never my intention that anyone other than me would have the chore of watering all of the plants. It’s no problem, however, for a science teacher and students to maintain the plants contained in one ‘mini-lab’. Oh what a tangled web we weave.

This room which was becoming uncomfortably loud just emptied. It was not a cross section of world travelers. I realized they were all college age, asked and found out that the group was from Ryerson University in Toronto. They just left for their flight home. I know about Ryerson because of their green roof work. Toronto is a culturally rich city I’d like to visit one day. Pete Kaiser, a Malverne H.S. classmate, lives there.

Time to get something to eat.

BFN BB

Toto, I’ve a Feeling We’re Not in Kansas Anymore

This was my view while eating a MacDonalds grilled chicken sandwich close by to the Ebbets Field Middle School. There’s an SUV burning behind the fire engine. Look just below the Ladder 113 sign and you can see the flames. At one point they were shooting up higher than the truck.

I sat there wondering about the shock the owner would have retuning and seeing this.

After a while another SUV made a u-turn and parked behind the burned out one. It’s difficult to see that the men are wearing yarmulkes. It’s obviously their car.

Soon the NYPD arrived on the scene. Was this a hate crime of some sort? Cars don’t usually ignite by spontaneous combustion. I’d love to read the police report on this since I couldn’t hear the conversation. Wadda ya think?

So here’s an example of photo journalism while sitting in a MacDonalds. Only in New York! These photos are a good example of why NYC is the street photography capital of the world. Go on Flickr and you’ll see. There are a flock of talented photographers walking the streets with their cameras at the ready.

Incidentally, my truck was parked only a few spaces away last Saturday.

Finally Out of the Truck

The big boy eagle is in its nest.

The truck is finally back to U-Haul (14 days late) and my stuff is in their mini-storage facility. I’m at the Larchmont Hotel near NYU. Without a cancellation, I’ll have to move again tomorrow. I’ve stayed here before and like the neighborhood, but unfortunately they’re booked solid.

The important news is really back there rather than here. Please post (anyone) what’s happening with the fire. It sounds really bad.

The Eagle Has Landed at Ebbets Field

Okay, it’s been said before…but this trip felt like a lunar excursion.

What a wonderful ending to this odyssey. Well, not quite the end. I’ve still got to get my personal stuff in to a storage place and turn the truck in. Plus, I’ve got to go back to Ebbets Field and water the plants! BTW, this is the hallowed ground of Ebbets Field and the school is filled with Dodger memorabilia. How cool to see one of Jackie Robinson’s uniforms in a showcase.

Guess what? Most of the plants are going to live! There’ll be a few that won’t make it but what a testimonial to sub-irrigation and hydroculture container plant irrigation. I’d like to drag a few horticulturists (by their ears) from Brooklyn Botanic Garden over to the school. It’s just a stones throw away. Maybe I will!

On with the story. Of course I got lost getting there. Do not ever use Google or Mapquest for a truck trip. Their mapping is for cars!

I finally turned onto McKeever Place…just enough room for my truck but no room for oncoming traffic. I pulled up to a building that looked like the school and called on my cell phone. I was in the right place and Celeste Walker came out. She got the “plant donation” assignment from Margie Baker. Small problem, I needed to do a U-turn to park by the entrance. A friendly hard-hat guy became my hand-gesture navigator and we were finally ready for the grand entrance.

We couldn’t roll the racks off the truck as originally planned. The science lab is on the 3rd floor with no elevator. Soon, a parade of boys under Ms. Walker’s direction appeared outside. BTW, there was now a light drizzle falling. Into the truck I went, found a hand saw and started cutting stretch wrap, cords and ropes. Matt Wood did a fantastic job. These plants would not have made it without his work.

The boys got in line and hand carried all the plants up stairs. Enrique (SF Forty-niners jersey) was the lead, point man of the plant bucket brigade. It seemed every time I looked there were more boys lined up.

I wish I could have seen them, but I was in the truck drenched with sweat cutting my way to access the plants. We were all like an ant colony, if you get the picture. This all had to be done under time pressure before the bell rang for them to go home. What a scene! There definitely should have been a TV news crew there. I’ll never forget it.

Finally, all the plants were off the truck and I could go upstairs and see their new home. Remember the bad day at Bush Terminal. Well, this was the good day at Ebbets Field. The science lab room easily housed all the plants. The room has both windows and overhead fluorescent lights, which are now on all night. These plants have a neat new home, that’s for sure.

While I was checking things, a young woman came in. It was science teacher Sherlyne Gilles. It’s her lab. This young lady is a plant lover and a pleasure to talk with. I will do everything I can to help her. She attempted to build an indoor greenhouse in a section of the lab. Unfortunately this is not the neighborhood for an outdoor greenhouse.

I met a number of other teachers before I left for the day. What a joy to communicate with some bright-eyed young people who don’t see me as “the enemy”. I’m sure there were a number of them who were wondering who this honkie geezer was, but I’m going to make some good friends here.

I want to mention that Ms Walker and another teacher whose name I don’t remember were going the same route as the way to this HOJO. They never let me out of their sight. It seemed each time I was apprehensive about the directions they miraculously appeared to guide me. They did, right to the hotel door. That was much appreciated. This is not an easy place to be driving a 26′ truck.

Okay, what a day, I’m wired and it’s getting late. Gotta get up and finish the job. Then, I get to back to a normal life even if it’s in a hotel room…but without a truck filled with plants in jeopardy parked outside. I’ve got to admit, there were many times when I did not think there would be a happy ending to this story…but it couldn’t have been happier, that’s for sure!

BFN BB

On my way to Ebbets Field

I’m checking out and on my way to Ebbets Field.

A sheet of paper has been folded into my laptop the whole way. It says

“If you keep asking, eventually someone will say yes.”

Alan Cohen