U.S. Road Trip 4 - New York

My brother flew back to New York while I took the overnight train. It's interesting taking the train all the way across America. From LA to Chicago, the passengers felt more relaxed and friendly. Here everyone just minded their own business as if it's all one mundane commute.

It wasn't my first time in Manhattan and I had a couple of friends and relatives there. I knew I would have a great time - which was great because I was going to spend my birthday there too. My brother's place is actually in North Bergen, New Jersey, right by the river where you can see all of Manhattan from the basement laundry.

Almost every night, I was out clubbing in Manhattan. My friend Fudge went with me most of the time. Went to all sorts of places - straight, gay, lesbian. A few times Fudge would head home earlier than me. Once I walked down Broadway alone at around 3am. I walked down the middle of the road where I figured I'm safest from muggers (as long as I don't get run over). There were a few times I had to wait til about 5am for the bus to Jersey from Port Authority - while waiting, I figured it safest to blend in with the guys warming themselves by a fire by the side of the road. Another time I just slept on the floor of the bus station. And once I wound up on the wrong bus and by some miracle made my way from Jersey City to North Bergen in one piece. My brother was always surprised at how I manage to get home every morning.

During the days I did wake up and the sun was still out, I managed to go to Central Park, go Used CD shopping in St. Marks, went to the foot of the Statue of Liberty, dreamt big dreams like Melanie Griffith in "Working Girl" staring at the World Trade Center. It was six months before 9/11. Like the rest of the world, these were some of the last days I was young and free and unconcerned.


Pictured here: Liberty behind the trees, the bench where I greeted myself a happy birthday (after a looong night of partying), the Manhattan skyline as I will always remember it and my rather ominous photo of the World Trade Center in the shadow of a passing cloud.