union square

brooklyn, ny

in a city full of contradictions, there are few that stand more stark yet undetectable as union square. it takes a while for the parallel to sink in, but invariably one who beholds the public space north of 14th street can't help but think of a mall in suburban u.s. america. where else do you have businesses catering to the aspiring bourgeoisie surrounding throngs of loitering skateboarders, exhibitionists, sidewalk poets/musicians/dreamers and the benevolently deranged? to circumambulate the square on the opposite sidewalk would be to pass storefronts for petco, american eagle apparel, two starbucks, staples, vitamin shoppe, and tgi fridays. to walk through the actual square would be to see a multitude of people who would never patronize those businesses.

so then why do so many oddballs and wild cards gather in union square? what intangible pull or process attracts the social lint to this bizarre broadway redoubt? honestly, i have no idea. it is the paris hilton of public spaces: famous for being famous. the subway station hosts several connecting lines, but that is all below ground and the whole point of tranferring from train to train is to stay under ground, no? maybe union square is the poor man's airport lounge, where the unsophisticated traveler bides his time while waiting for his connection from the 4/5/6 to the n/q/r/w. union square is close to several interesting places, but why wouldn't people forsake the hub for the destination? i leave these questions for those wiser than myself.

so i marvel at union square, if incredulously. i am also enthusiastic about its existence. for those who have never been, 14th street serves as the mason-dixon line of new york city. below the line (we will consider brooklyn to be geographically south for our purposes), the restaurants, bars, clubs, and people have that extra little extra pinch of paprika, that chopped existential jalapeno that piques our human interest. above 14th street, the city is a heartless grid teeming with duane reade's, office supply stores, and the offices that need those supplies. maybe i exaggerate. maybe.

so it is perfect that our 38th parallel [14th parallel?] has a space that is so weird and defiant of explanation as union square. it is the city's bold announcement to the southern wayfarer of just what they're in for if they continue their travels. our way to freak out the squares, as it were.








at the hottest hour of a hot day
she was coming in the opposite direction on the same sidewalk through brooklyn's chinatown. i was the white man looking for dumplings, she was a white girl looking for god knows what. in and around us, a near majority of chinese pedestrians hid from the sun's wrath beneath decorous umbrellas. i made eye contact with the white girl, who then boldly announced in a brioche-thick long island accent, 'i love the sun! why are they all hiding from the sun?!' as if we were the only people in a room.

to my two (maybe three) followers
sorry for the delay. this blog is not on its dying legs, but the blogger has sought as much of a technology detox as possible. the exploration has not ceased, nor will it ever.