Me + Saatchi Building = Rock Legends

As I was leaving work one night in December, I ran into Michael Stipe and Patti Smith on their way to an event happening in my building.

As if that wasn't cool or random enough, I now have a new musical sighting by the Saatchi building. Last Monday I stepped out to get some fruit around 3pm. Just as soon as I left the building heading down Hudson Street--there she was. Yoko Ono.

With her was a younger woman wearing a matching hat and a few other men who I assume were her bodyguards. Because there were so many others, I didn't think it appropriate to stop them all. I did, however, flash her a big smile which she returned to me.

I pretty much melted.

So I don't know who is putting these rock heroes in my path, but whoever you are, could you please send Wayne Coyne next? Thanks.

Revisionist History for those who voted for the Pope

My dad sent me this lovely picture in an email the other day.

For the rest of you who are also disappointed that I chose to see a pop star over a pope, allow me to explain myself. Had I gone to see Pope Benedict, I would have been one of many thousands of New Yorkers packed into a stretch of only a few blocks hoping for a mere glimpse of the man as he rode by.

As for the Regina Spektor concert, I was one of only several hundreds of New Yorkers trying to pack into a tiny club. As it turned out, I didn't even make it inside to see her while she played. (But she sure sounded great from right outside the open door.) Lucky for me I was able to squeeze my way in after her performance to meet her, thus validating the choice I made to pass up the Papacy.

I think the patron saints will forgive me.

The Winner

Sorry to keep you all in suspense like that. It was a tough fight with the pope, but Regina came out on top. She put on a great show. And Sasha was right--she's the most humble rock star I think I've ever met.

Support your local independent record store today.

Click on the picture to find out more.

A Night in Tribeca

I'm having a hard time deciding.

Next Saturday there are two free events going on at the same time. I can either see Regina Spektor or Pope Benedict XVI.

Decisions, decisions.

See this.

Katie wuz here

We had a great time together. I'm not sure what was more magical--winning front-row center-stage tickets to In The Heights, or running into Mandy Gonzalez, one of the lead actors from the show later that night in Williamsburg.

The Armory on Park

is amazing.

Exploring after Pete's Tavern

Favorite things we saw: Washington Mews and Will Smith's house in I Am Legend

Chatter

Here

Not so super blocks

Today I walked home from church through a neighborhood I know very little about. It's the area between the Upper East Side and Spanish Harlem. While I still found the place to be interesting and wonderful, I got a strange feeling while walking through. The area seems to have almost completely embraced the "super block," which isn't so conducive to foot traffic or community building in my opinion. I'll refrain from criticizing as I struggle to form an official opinion. I would love to have seen what the place looked like before it was gutted though.

Los jovenes emo

This report is fascinating on so many levels.

Meatpacking

We all know The Meatpacking District is well past it's prime, but it's still got some charm to it. AND. It's still got meatpacking. (I checked.) There's not a lot of things to do there unless you have thousands of dollars to go clothes shopping, but I found the remaining decay of what once was there to be still quite enthralling.

A couple of finds along my walk:

The corner of Washington St. and Bank St.

Westbeth artists housing complex

an old hotel sign along the West Side Highway

an old restaurant in ruins that appears to have been called Shak

Automatic Slims

Weehawken St.

Gavin Brown's enterprise

Just an old building in New York

On the left is Joanne Hendricks Cookbooks. It's located in an amazing old 2-story building on Greenwich Street. The lady in the store told me there is nothing special about the building's history. But I think just about anything that old surviving in Manhattan is special.