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Roar! This past weekend there was an event called the SUPERMOON! A supermoon is when there is a full moon while the moon is at its perigee, or point closest to Earth. It's proper name is perigee-syzygy but SUPERMOON just sounds so much cooler! Roar!
Here I am up on my roof taking a look at the supermoon! Wow! What a moon! It's making me remember the trip I took there back in the fall...
Oh my Ms. Rabbit! What are you doing here! She told me that since the Moon is so close this is one of the few times she can take a trip down to Earth! Talk about a pleasant surprise! Roar!
Ms. Rabbit had never been to NYC before. When she saw the view from my roof she immediately wanted to go out and see all the sights! I guess it's time to be... TOUR GUIDE- REX! Roar!
We headed over to Times Square so Ms. Rabbit could see what all the bright lights were about. I don't come here to often but I guess it's fun to do touristy things once in awhile! Here we are in front of the big Coke Zero sign. It sure is making me thirsty! Roar!
Ms. Rabbit and I were thinking about getting a bite to eat so I asked her if she wanted to get some lite Martian fare over at Mars 2112. She told me she likes Martian food but for some reason its always so much heavier here on Earth. That and everyone she'd ever met from Mars was a real jerk who was clearly in need of a mom! We decided to pass on the Martian food and headed over to the Carnegie Deli instead!
Later in the night we passed by the big Toy R' Us! Ms. Rabbit said she wanted to go inside and check it out. I was reluctant and told that for some reason the idea of stepping inside there just makes me uncomfortable... She didn't ask questions and we continued on our way. Roar!
After that we headed back to my apartment in Bushwick. Ms. Rabbit thanked me for showing here around the Times Square and told me she had a lovely time! Unfortunately she needed to head back to the Moon while it was still at its perigee. I told her she should come visit as often as she can and that I would try to find a way to come visit her on the Moon sometime soon. And at the very least, I'd call. Roar!
Roar! Today I decided to take a visit to part of New York's "forgotten" history. Most people have heard of New York's infamous Five Points seen in big budget, Hollywood movies like Gangs of New York, but few know the "pints" was built on the former site of Collect Pond Park. Collect Pond Park was a small pond in lower Manhattan that during the 18th century was a popular picnic spot and ice skating location. Then once industry took over in the early 19th century it turned into one of New York City's many dumping grounds and quickly became known as one of the most polluted sites in the city. The pond was filled in and though many people said it was daft to build in a swamp the city went right on to develop Collect Pond Park. After several different developments sank into the swamp, they built the Five Points District, and the Five Points stayed up! Roar!
The Five Points was so notorious for being the absolute worst neighborhood in the city that when the city was re-developing downtown the city planners made it a point to built right over where the Five points had been and hopefully erase it from memory, even possibly from history! Roar! Here I am at the current day Collect Pond Park. This small, urban park is one of the few reminders of the old area.
Roar! It's also the most rat infested area in the city! Because the park is still technically below grade it has become a major breeding ground. There are literally hundreds of rats here! Some of them have even broken off into factions! It turns out the Native Rats of Collect Pond Park are fighting with all the rats that are moving there from other parts of the city!
Most of the rats spend there time hiding in all the ivy growing all over the park. It turns out the main immigrant rat group, the Dead Mice, were holing up in the ivy preparing for war with the Native Rats! Things are looking pretty bad down here in Collect Pond Park, someone needs to remind all these rats just whose paws built this park! Roar!
Roar! I was rummaging around my room and realized I still had all the collages I made last October that I failed to sell on Bedford Ave. I figured it would be fun to hang them up in places around Brooklyn as pieces of street art! The collages were all about celebrating the impermament nature of the city so I thought it would be nice to try and contrast some of my old scenes of Brooklyn with their modern day counterparts.
I hung this picture of a Brooklyn rail yard over by the Morgan Ave subway stop. This is the same place I hung some of my previous street art.
I put this scene of old Brooklyn up outside Roberta's over on Moore Street. I figured it would serve as a reminder of more crinoline days! Roar!
This collage of overbuilt, downtown Brooklyn I put up on a shipping warehouse on Johnson Street.
Roar! I put this scene of all the cool Brooklyn kids partying in the 1980's up in front of 3rd Ward. I'm pretty sure this is what goes on in there every night!
This picture of people break dancing downtown I hung up over on Union Street in Williamsburg. I still see this kind of stuff happening all the time over there!
The picture of old McCarren Park Pool I put up outside of the pool, which is currently undergoing renovation. I think it's fun to look at all the different uses this area has had over the years. From ice skating to swimming to concerts, and now, once the construction is done, back to swimming. It really makes you think about the nature of change in the city! Roar!
The collage of the pigeon at the owl bar on Barry Street I actually ended up hanging up over on Wythe Street across from a building that looked pretty similar. I was trying to find a place on Barry but it's mostly ugly condos now. Roar...
I tried to put this old scene of the Williamsburg Bridge in a place where it would be at the same viewing angle but that's pretty much impossible thanks to the BQE. It sure is crazy to see how this area has been transformed by the highway system.
I put this collage of the construction of the Williamsburg Savings Bank Tower, now One Hanson Place, over on Schermerhorn street where there is a nice view of the tower!
The picture of the old Fulton Street Rocket Train I hung up right on the corner of Fulton and Adams in downtown Brookyln. It's crazy to see what a mess of overhead tracks this neighborhood used to be. While it's a lot more open now it would still be nice if there were actually trains that ran here from other parts of Brooklyn. Especially rocket trains!
I put the diptych I made of the cockfight between Williamsburg and DUMBO up on the wall of a warehouse underneath the Manhattan Bridge in DUMBO. It looked great up on the wall and should help serve as a reminder to how this area used to be before it became so hip. Roar!
I had a lot of fun putting all these pictures up around north Brooklyn. I know they won't be up for long but I feel that they really embrace the impermanent nature of street art. When you've been around as long as I have you learn you just need to enjoy it while it lasts! Roar!
Roar! Today was so crazy! First, I went up to visit Gracie Mansion in the Upper East Side and visit my last Key to the City location in Manhattan. Then I went over to Patsy's Pizza on 117th Street to celebrate their anniversary. And then after that, the afternoon got a little weird but I'll get to that later.
Here I am in front of Gracie Mansion. It was originally the home of Archibald Gracie, a wealthy Revolutionary-era shipping magnate, who was later bankrupted in the War of 1812. The home then went through a bunch of different owners before becoming the property of the Parks Department where it now serves as the home for the Mayor of New York City. Though, strangely, Mayor Bloomberg chose not to live here, he decided to stay in his five story townhouse by Central Park. Go figure?
My key opened a closet in the master bedroom of the mansion. I wonder what will be inside?!
Why, it's a photo of Archibald Gracie and a framed check that he once issued! How fascinating! The rest of the tour of the mansion was also really cool. They have a lot of great Federal period furniture, portraits, and etchings. It was also cool to see all the books that Bloomberg is reading!
Gracie Mansion sure was cool but I was getting pretty hungry. Luckily for me Patsy's was celebrating its 77th anniversary!
Roar! Every year when Patsy's celebrates its anniversary it rolls its menu back to original 1933 prices. That means a whole pizza is 60 cents, a steak dinner is 90 cents, a Caesar salad is 35 cents, and drinks are 10 cents! That's crazy!
There were even these sweet Ford Model A's out front. Some guys had driven them over to get their 1933-priced pizza. I like the way the color of the car complements my skin! Roar!
The firemen of the 26th Battalion showed up to take part in the annual Patsy's pizza eating contest. The record is apparently 14 slices. That's nothing for me! I tried to sign up to compete but the folks at Patsy's said it wouldn't be fair for a dinosaur to compete! Why does everyone say that when I want to enter an eating contest?!
After waiting in line for 4 hours I finally got inside to eat. I ordered mussels, an anchovy pizza, a Caesar salad, a tomato and mozzerella salad, a veal parmesan dinner, and 4 drinks! My total for everything came to just over 2 dollars! What a great deal! Next year I'll be sure to get here earlier!
After all that food I was feeling pretty stuffed but I could still go for some dessert.
Strangely, I ran into this bear who said he knew where I could get some dessert on the cheap!
Roar! Turns out he was trying to sell me drugs! Luckily we were right near the Crack is Wack Playground so I could set him straight!
Thanks Keith Haring! Because of you I was able to help get a poor lost bear back on track! What a strange end to a strangely awesome day! Roar!
Roar! This afternoon I found myself up in the Upper West Side so I decided to stop by and visit the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, another of the Key to the City Locations. The cathedral is such a neat place and is the seat of the Bishop for the Epicopal Diocese of New York.
They have this really amazing sculpture of Good overcoming Evil in the garden next to the cathedral. I hesitate to to say it but this sculpture is pretty... epic.
Here I am inside the cathedral. It's really somber and beautiful inside. I love all the stained glass! Now let's go see what my key opens!
My key opens this gate to the Baptismal Area. Hmm... let's go take a look inside.
Roar! There isn't any water in there! I guess there aren't any baptisms being performed today. This is a neat little area but I was disappointed to find that anyone could walk into the area by just going around through another room. Oh well, I guess every key location can't be completely exclusive!
I'm back outside the cathedral. It's such a beautiful building and a wonderful addition to the architecture of this area! Be sure to visit if you ever find yourself up here!
