In Pictures: 2009 Halloween Brunch Party
Shout out and extra special thanks to everyone at Cafe 50 West for being so kind to our crazy group.
In Pictures: See My Views of New York City
I love New York, but I don’t necessarily see myself growing old here. In later life, I’d like less noise, more money. At the moment, given the current economy, I feel fortunate to have any income streams at all. Things will eventually get better for all of us; eventually, I’d like to build a security blanket of substantial savings, buy a tiny home of my own, take nicer vacations and do other things fairly difficult to accomplish while living in expensive NYC. I’m not saying I’m moving away next week, next year or even a few years from now. Just saying, you know, I’m not 100% convinced Manhattan is my permanent home. For now, I’m OK sandwiched in between the hustle and bustle of Manhattan’s most vibrant, crazy streets. I do my best to take full advantage of everything the city has to offer.
Today, I met up with a friend for mimosas and a deep southern brunch at Bone Lick Park. After, we strolled through quaint tree-lined streets in the West Village, drank freshly brewed coffee at Roasting Plant, gobbled cupcakes at Sweet Revenge and nibbled on stinky cheeses at Murray’s. I LOVE the Village. I snapped pictures the whole day; you can see them on Twitpic. Actually, since it’s time for another Saturday roundup, this time let’s highlight PICTURES.
The beautiful “Manhattan Sunset” above is from photographer Demetrius González. He’s a pro. I’m not. If you’d like to see amateur snapshots of me in goofing off in NY, I’ve got tons of stuff loaded on my Facebook. A few of you (214 to be exact) sent me friend requests. I also owe a some of you emails. Fret not; you are not being ignored. I see you! Sorry for the delay. I’m only one little brown person, and my “To Do” list fills quickly. I’ll get around to it. (For now, other things like “work on my book” and “follow up with student loan deferment/forbearance status” take priority.) Whether we’re already friends on Facebook or not, you can still see how my camera captured the New Island Festival celebrating Holland on the Hudson. There’s also a video of me speaking Dutch while riding a bicycle in a skirt. On Flickr, there are New York-themed pictures from the Harold & Maude at Bryant Park movie night and one of my trips to the The Metropolitan Museum of Art. If you want to see my other Empire State images, type “in pictures” (in quotes) in the search box located on the upper right corner of Funky Brown Chick.
Inside My NYC Apartment: A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Words
I recently wrote about my teeny-tiny New York City apartment. In case you’re into house porn, here’s a little voyeuristic peek at one of my favorite things inside my home. (Yeah, yeah. Ignore all the shit in the background. The snapshot was taken months ago when I still moving in, packing things away and cleaning up.)
In 1992, I sculpted the object above from a hunk of clay, fired it in a kiln and covered it in tinted glaze. As a little girl, I dreamed of being a writer, dancer, world traveler or painter. However, with age, somewhere along the way I began to believe what everyone around me was saying: “growing up” meant choosing things simply because they’re “practical” (read: financially rewarding). I started the first 5 – 6 years of my career working well-paid, prestigious and safe jobs in international affairs. It felt good to support myself and, if I’m honest, impress others with fancy gigs.
When people asked, “So, what do you do?” I boasted: “I work at the American Embassy.” My verbal back pat probably sounded smug and annoying. But, inside, I felt like I was suffocating by following the crowd, doing what I was supposed to do, and behaving in ways I thought others would deem appropriate or impressive. Long story short: September 11 triggered an internal existential crisis that reminded me life moves pretty fast and you never know when your road will run out. It suddenly seemed kind of stupid to do jobs just because I thought others would like them. I wanted to do stuff I liked.
Everyone is wired the way they are for whatever reasons. Words, art and images inspire me more than money. So, I returned to the U.S. to pursue creative endeavors that yielded far less cash, yet were more emotionally fulfilling and rewarding. But, first, making the switch meant I had to become more comfortable with who I was. One of my favorite Pablo Picasso quotes is: “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once [one] grows up.” In 2002 — coincidentally, almost exactly a decade after fashioning the artistic piece above from clay — I came back to the U.S. and eventually moved to New York, finally embarking on my childhood dream of becoming a writer. My company/brand name, FUNKY BROWN CHICK®, reminds me to be true to myself . It’s okay to be funky. I’m comfortable inside my brown skin. I like being a chick.
Harking back to the beginning of this post, my 459 sq. ft apartment isn’t large; I can observe almost everything in it regardless where I’m standing. So, I see the pottery above several times a day. It’s not worth much nor it is the most beautiful piece of art ever made, but it makes me happy. To me, that’s priceless.
New York: Concrete Jungle Where Dreams Are Made Of
I’ve been running around like crazy this week and I haven’t posted as much as I’d like to. It’s the city. It’s fast, maddening, weird, fun, exciting and heartbreaking. I’ll be more active on the blog next week. In the meantime … As I mentioned last week, this year’s remaining Saturdays on Funky Brown Chick are dedicated to highlighting your favorite posts. I often forget new people stumble on the site and/or some of the longterm readers may have missed random older stuff. I have nearly 5 years and more than 900+ entries uploaded, and I neatly file everything in categories. Last Saturday’s post linked to readers favorites from the “Dating and Mating” section. Today, in case you missed it, below are a few reader favorite “New York” posts:
In Pictures: Tuesday, November 4, 2008. (Psst! When you vote in New York, you get free condoms.)
Happy New Year, I’m Starting Over!
Greetings from The Empire State!
How To Kiss A Boy and/or a Girl
“A Guide to Embracing Life as a Single …”
Interracial Dating: The Brown Chick Who Sometimes Dates White Dudes
And, because I like it and it’s relevant, here’s the MTV VMA clip from native New Yorkers Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ performance of Empire State of Mind. As a native Midwesterner who moved to the city nearly five years ago, my favorite line from song is: “New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of. There’s nothin’ you can’t do out of New York. These streets will make you feel brand new. Big lights will inspire you.” So true.
Want to See My Tiny New York Apartment?
Come home with me. Peek inside my bedroom, kitchen / dining area, bathroom and living room. It’s tiny, right? I could get a larger place for cheaper rent in the Bronx or Jersey. But, I’m a single woman who goes out a lot and often doesn’t stumble home until well after 1:00am. Manhattan feels convenient and safe. Of course, the choice to live here comes at a cost — literally and figuratively speaking.
My humble abode is approximately 459 square feet. A walkup, I march up what feels like 2,147 stairs to get there. And, it’s a super quiet building, so everyone hears everything. (I pump the volume on my iTunes when I masturbate so my neighbors won’t know. I also tiptoe when I come home late at night because I don’t want to wake anyone.) Because there are no interior walls, when I’m not sleeping, from my bed I have a clear view of my couch, toilet, kitchen chairs and stove. Having said all of that, for me, I still think the place is actually worth the high rent. It’s clean, safe and smack in the middle of a really cute, tree-lined neighborhood. Plus, I’m only inches away from Central Park. What’s more? I’m filling my counters, drawers and open spaces with a few of my favorite things. Like an original Beatles Album I scored ages ago and fun stuff that reminds me of home. New York, similar to life in general, is about compromise. Liking where I live is about learning to be at peace with what I have and what I don’t. Actually, I highly recommend Apartment Therapy as a really helpful resource in this respect. Their mission:
We believe a calm, healthy, beautiful home is a necessary foundation for happiness and success in the world. Creating this home doesn’t require large amounts of money or space. It requires inspiration, connection to resources and motivation to do something about it. The basic elements of good home design can be learned and achieved by all. Simplicity and luxury are not mutually exclusive.
Great, right? Speaking of New York apartments and stuff, I just plopped down $25 to go to a “Live the Life You Love” panel at Saks Fifth Avenue tonight. (I can walk there! Yet another reason I love my place.) I heard about tonight’s event because it’s sponsored by the group that hooked me up with that hiking trip, Single Edition. The panel discussion will supposedly tell me how to maintain a financially secure household as a single person. I can always use more information about that! I’ll let you know how it goes.
By the way, the pictures above and others on Flickr are “before” images taken three months ago. I’ve made quite a bit of progress, so I’ll post “after” pictures in the weeks and months ahead. I’m still working on my place. So, if you know any other resources for setting up small apartments, please use the comments section below to share!! :)
I’m Back
Whenever I asked people, “How was your vacation” and they responded “It was nice, but it’s good to be home” I thought it meant they didn’t like their vacation. I figured, you know, if you liked your travels, you never wanted to come back, right? That’s certainly the way I felt when I lived in Chicago. Back then, I took trips to Greece, Hawai’i and elsewhere. Each time I left I’d think, “I wish I could’ve stayed there.” But, here’s the funny thing … Since, I moved to New York almost five years ago, I’ve been away to Vegas, London, Belfast, Austin, Barbados and (most recently) Utah. With each return to Manhattan, I stick my key in my apartment’s front door, plop my bags on the floor, curl up in my bed and think, “It’s so good to be back.” I think I get it now. When you actually LIKE where you live, you don’t want to abandon it for someplace else. Utah was fabulous. But, still, New York is home.
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Photo credit: Image by Eric Ortner.
My Social Calendar: Fun, Free Things to Do in NYC
Lately, I’ve been beating myself up about my finances because I feel like I’m spinning my wheels. It’s like I’m precariously perked in this weird space where I’m not dangerously struggling anymore (I remember and hated those days), but I’m not extremely financially secure either. I don’t have, like, six to nine months of savings in the bank. Any longterm, unexpected medical, financial or whatever blow could send me under. Unfortunately, that’s probably the case for a lot of New York City dwellers — many who, like me, pay at least or more than 1/2 their monthly income toward rent. I often think of leaving this city for good in 3 – 5 years’ time. But, then I remember, “Shit, you don’t have to live in NY to feel financially strapped!” Lots of friends living elsewhere in the country say the same things about money that I do. So, for better or worse, richer or poorer, I’m staying put. For now. New York — picture above by Marina Nisi — is still a great city. Anyway. As I mentioned on Twitter, I was out of town for the weekend visiting Dia:Beacon and other art galleries with Tess. I had a GREAT time. Plus, leaving New York reminds me why I choose to live here. Today’s reason: Tons of stuff to do at all hours of the day & night, and much of it’s free. If you’re in the city, here’s a list of a few things a few friends, strangers and others are hosting this week:
TODAY: Big Gay Spelling Bee. (7pm at Nowhere. 322 E 14th St between 1st & 2nd). “Tobly McSmith and Miss Sunday host this monthly spelling bee for all orthographic queers [...] plus prizes by Babeland.” I don’t think I know the organizers, but who doesn’t like free toys? :)
WEDNESDAY: Speed Shrinking Book Party and Free Headshrinking. (7:00 PM at Housing Works Bookstore Café – 126 Crosby Street.) Housing Works’ write up about one of my writer teachers: “Celebrate Susan Shapiro’s new novel Speed Shrinking and ’speed date’ with actual mental health pros— while your regular psychiatrist is away for the summer!”
THURSDAY: Gabriel Alegría Afro-Peruvian Sextet (8pm at Tutuma Social Club, 164 E 56th St at Third Ave) Time Out New York says the sextet “grapples with the challenge of jazz harmony and form while delighting in Peruvian lando and festejo rhythms [...] alongside the standard trumpet, tenor sax, bass and drums.” Good music at a great price. Cant’ beat it.
FRIDAY: WINE LIBRARY TV NYC Week Grand Finale and Summer of Social Good after party. “Gary Vaynerchuk performs Wine Library TV live at Roger Smith Hotel Lab Gallery – corner of 47th St & Lexington Ave, NYC. Watch from the street or taste along live!” I adore Gary. This event is not only for a good cause, it looks like fun!
In Pictures: Monday, July 20, 2009
Teresa, Aline, Tess, Gene, Elsie and I gobbled cheese, chocolate-dipped strawberries and steak tacos … then guzzled rum punch, white white and (eventually) margaritas while watching Harold and Maude at HBO’s Bryant Park Film Festival. THANK YOU to Ro for arriving early to secure seats. And thanks to Bro for being honest about her distaste for NY’ers penchant for sitting in dirt and to Pete for showing up in a freakin’ tie!!! ;)
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