so, the party at Bushwick Starr for my friend Sarah's theater project (which has a space at the Starr for spring 2020! No kidding) was a lot of fun. As I expected, there were many people there whom I knew, and some really good conversations. A group of terrific actresses (and one or two actors) read Julia J's plays, all of which are female takes on five great plays from the canon. For me, only the last one, based on All My Sons, was successful., but these were works in progress so it is not a good idea for me to be too critical. A good conversation with my friend Jenn, who posts on facebook, about the good and bad things that that and other social media accomplishes. All in all, a really nice afternoon and early evening.
Jumped on the L right after and took it to Bedford,,then walked south to the last Saturday at South fourth---the place was packed, the atmosphere was hot (weather wise) and only a fan kept the space very muggy. Kathy, my friend made an amazing chocolate fudge cake, which I should not have had, but I did; a little entertainment but hard to hear. The nice thing was that many old timers, particularly Lana and her husband Andrew---they were there from the very beginning twelve years ago, came around. I spent a decent amount of time outside, on the perimeter of the bar, and had a few nice conversations with friends and friends of friends. What will life be like without that place? Will I be able to keep up with the friends (good) and the friends (casual) that I have made? I guess you just have to wait and see, cityboy. Meanwhile, there is a BAN meeting tonight from 7 to 9, then it will be off to Brooklyn and South fourth for the last night of the bar's existence. What will it be like, how long will I stay? Not sure, but I am definitely going.
Yesterday, I began the Sunday at Cobra, a nice time there, then off to South fourth--it was mellow, but by 4:30 I was restless, and needed to move on. A movie? Well, the weather was so nice, it seemed a shame to go indoors. Then a trip? Yes! Boarded the B 44 at its first stop and voyaged on it south past Bed-Stuy and passed Prospect Heights. Finally I got off about 5 blocks north of Nostrand and Church, then began my great "walk journey" south on Nostrand, then west on Church to Ocean Avenue, the south again to Cortelyou and finally west to the Q stop on Cortelyou and East 18th street.
Cityboy loves these walks! Why? At that point the streets of Brooklyn seem totally saturated with the old art deco apartment houses, very similar to the one that I was raised in in the Bronx. And I feel their history, I can envision a time when that world of endless apartment houses were all white and mostly Jewish. If my parents had taught in Brooklyn I could have been raised there. And then I ask, when did the change happen, how was the transition from an all white Jewish area to an almost completely black and West Indian population accomplished, Who were the first and last to go?
Questions, question, cityboy will always be haunted by his hunger to know the history of this transition. No answers at the present.
That is all for now--will report on South fourth's last evening tomorrow...
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