traveled with....

poverty last night, as I rode the 19 bus from 149nth and 3rd avenie to 145th and Broadway.
How did this happen? Tutoring lesson in Brooklyn canceled yesterday, with evening totally free, it seemed like a no-brainer to visit  Bronx Documentary Center and see Rubble Kings movie.So I did. I expected less of a mixed crowd, but apparently a large facebook display brought a lot of college kids from the suburbs, in addition to neighborhood residents. (one of them will be the college room mate of Max F at Wesleyan this fall). Full house, maybe too full, but movie strong and fascinating, dealt with taking control of the destiny of the poor kids in the south bronx--how the gangs realized that they were being exploited and banded together to stop the violence. Question and answer session was a little self-congratulatory, nobody referenced today until I brought it up. Positive feeling of the movie does not say how it game way to Guiliani-Bloomberg police offensive and the current state in the poor neighborhoods, where gangs from different projects fight each other. I brought that up (somewhat clumsily, I might add) and it was addressed, but vis-a-vis the other questions it seemed irrelevant (my conclusion). Left right after, said hi to Mike, who seemed happy to see me---I really like going to that place, and should remember to become an (inexpensive) member fairly soon.

For the trip back, decided not to get on 5 or 2 train at local station (149nth and third) but waited for the 19 bus to take me to Broadway and 145th, then a walk to Russell's,  the bar next to Harlem Public. Bus  ride, short in time, seemed long and anxiety making, it is not often I travel with mostly poor and middle class black and Hispanic people, though the neighborhoods we traveled through are gentrifying, it seemed sad that so many of these people seemed poor. Don't expose myself to that a lot, still feel anxious about it. Of course I could have taken a taxi, but we don't do that, remember--too expensive.
Arrived at Broadway and 145th, headed the 3.5 blocks to Russells, to my surprise, the blocks were pretty empty---Russell's semi crowded, had on both baseball games (and, of course, a soccer game). Nice bartender immediately took my offer (frankfurter and a beer) and I sat at the bar, watching the finish of both games---no conversations at all---a racially mixed crowd at the bar, more me than women, wish there was more contact, but still like the place. On the way back to 145th street passed several millenial couples, train
came fairly quickly.
So there you have it---I like being part of Bronx Doc, but understand that it takes me into a different class and race environment than I (who travels around the city a lot) am used to. Still plan to return when the next interesting presentation takes place.