i heart nyc - part one

(in order of first appearance)

1. the boombox guy, near dekalb, brooklyn

are boomboxes anti-technology or a sign of good times? on friday morning, after seeing booka shade at studio b, the boombox guy came around. every time i'm in brooklyn he appears. i usually hear him first and then stop whatever i'm doing to stare. he makes me miss my roller skates. i almost picked the $1.50 egg, cheese and tomato sandwich on a roll with salt & pepper from the corner deli instead of boombox guy, but i have to hand it to a guy that loves music so much he shares it with everyone.

2. abc carpet and home, broadway and 19th


this store makes you wish you had a lot of money. hand-made chandeliers, 1200-count sheets, modern furniture, grandma couches from the 40s, cloth from tibet, whatever you're into it's probably here. six perfectly art directed floors of the most beautiful things.

3. soup dumplings, pell and broadway

don't they look squishy? the waiter showed us how to eat them. first scoop one up in your soup spoon. poke a tiny hole in the dumpling so that the broth drains out. suck up the juice and devour. joe's shanghai.

4. blonde redhead, mccarren park pool


if i were in a band i'd want to sound like blonde redhead. i hope someday to hear them in a small, enclosed place like the troubadour, so that i can feel the sound waves hit my skin without any escape. when kazu sat on her horse chair and played the keyboards i wished earthshine was with me. i stood close to the front of the stage and not a single person pushed or jostled me. is it brooklyn or mccarren park pool? either way that's cool.

5. bunny ears


it goes without saying that bunny ears are cool. who doesn't look cute with bunny ears? number 5 is dedicated to my nephew who at 2 months old already knows how to send me a card. on the cover was a self-portrait of him in his bunny ear hat. i can't wait until he's old enough for a boombox and a guitar.