Lapa Blah!
You know you have been away from your blog for too long when most of the new comments are spam.
To all you comment spammers out there: All male readers of the Sea are well hung and can keep it up all night long. Thus we have no need for your viagra ads. We are not your optimal target audience. SO PISS OFF.
Went for a good ride today down along the East River and up along the West Side. Twenty plus miles of cycling bliss. The temperature was perfect, the sky was blue, and I was just humming along.
The difference between the West Side of Manhattan and the East Side never ceases to amaze me. It is like riding into two very different worlds.
The East River path is dotted with beat up baseball fields, grungy picnic areas and dirty playgrounds (replete with water fountains) and fishermen. The entire East River path has a gritty “don't want to be down here late at night” feel to it. It is the river way that Manhattan forgot. On nice summer days, there is always something going on at the East River picnic areas; birthday parties, retirement parties, let’s just party parties. There is always a smorgasbord of foodstuffs being cooked; especially on the outdoor grills. People roast all sorts of shit on the grills, from whole pigs to racks of lamb (but no guinea pigs, the "guinea pig on a stick "is a phenomenon limited to Flushing Corona Park). The smells from the food range from the delicious to the vomit inducing. And everyone (and I mean everyone) is boozing up hardcore from plastic cups and paper bags. And there is always music. Latino/indian/rap/rock! The music blasts out of boom boxes that seem to dot every other park bench. It’s nuts. But everyone is having a good time.
The river way on the West Side is completely different. It is well manicured, it has a trapeze school, biking path, batting cages, volleyball court, outdoor billiards tables, a skate park and, towards the West Village, green lawns to lay out on. The West Side river way is populated by the beautiful people and foreign tourists out for a stroll. There are no picnic areas, baseball fields, barbecues or people fishing. It is a place to see and be seen. People even look good here when they are sweating away running, biking or blading.
Unlike the East Side's gritty and chaotic flavor, the West Side is reserved and refined. It is upper crusty and reeks of pent up sexual desire. All these people with their images, designer clothes, sunglasses and health consciousness are just milling about and striking poses. The West Side is not exciting. The people you see appear to be having a good time, but you can't really be sure. They could just be projecting. There is a certain hollowness to it all.
It is hard to say what side I like better. The west side is more amenable to biking since it has its own path. The West Side also has some pretty crazy talent running around in designer work out gear and bikinis. But, for the most part, the West Side is dull. There is a disturbing life sucking sameness to everyone there; the creeping sterility of pop culture. The East Side is more real to me. People there just kind of let it all hang out (sometimes literally, but who am I to tell you that your nuts don’t need some airing out?). From the screaming little kids, the gang members, the junkies and bums, to the pimps, playahs, playboys and professionals that hang out along the East River, everyone is who they appear to be. There is no image consciousness, or, if there is, it is fucked up somehow. Like the people trying to project an image, just don't get it. I don’t know, it’s weird. Ride both river ways and you will see.
Enough of this post. Everything behind me burns.
Posted by Pernicious at August 8, 2004 8:39 PM