TRI(p) BE(fore) CA(anada)

The best time for me in NYC is the early morning – not so much to see the people readying the city but because there is no one about.

This place is too crowded and even out of the way streets are overpopulated once the business day starts.

There is this balance though as it is nearly impossible to use windows in most shops before they open as they are shuttered with metal. As I see it the window of opportunity is about an hour.

Nevertheless I was up and out and about at 7 to wander. TriBeCa is made for this as it is only barely rectilinear.

Surprised at how focussed I was. While I headed up with the leiquinhas and the point and shoot digital. Most was due to having to photograph Davis’s graduation. I soon ditched everything but a leiquinha with a pocket full of black and white film. Cannot recall the last time I went out like this – no courier bag simply camera an film – no I am not getting all romantic here but I did like not being burdened down.

I was to stay in TriBeCa and was heading west before I realised my mistake I have wandered the west side great deal as my sister has always lived there. I know the east river side hardly at all.

I wasn’t turning back it was wander no destination usual method make it to a corner see what looks interesting go there. Took to the alleys which are good for formalism but not as socially oriented as others I have walked through. Photographed what was left, Remarked on how nice the trendy taverns looked when they were empty and shuttered – but this could have been due to yet another geographically challenged new yawker who either kept saying that Chicago was in Wisconsin – actually the other way around – when hearing that I live in Wisconsin saying well that’s Chicago. Then in the next breath startled at how far it was, then contradicting herself by then not realising how close they were. If I were in a less generous mood… instead I simply answered her inanities with obtuseness.

West side circle and because it was more successful than I thought – places saved from the night before for those workers who will be out on the street I a couple of hours, Desk chairs in alleys by freight entrances, bedding rolled up for the day. I needed more film back before the east side walk.

Walking east couldn’t have been different. It could have been that it was later but where oh so trendy western TriBeCa was still dormant. The east side and Chinatown were already functioning. The stands were up, the restaurants were open, people were doing their buying for the day.

Note to self, avoid bean sprouts as I see them left outside every restaurant in leaky plastic bags.

In comparison to the west side this wasn’t as cleaned up and thus had nicer juxtapositions. Fell into the formal but hope that it was tinged by the odd.

The usual method, deciding at a intersection and ended up under Manhattan Bridge at East Broadway and wanted to continue east but thought that even my vampirish relatives would be up by now and started winding my way back.

A bit of street theatre as I try to photograph a block where it seems that there are a lot of shopping carts with possessions in them, I back up and back up only to fall up some stoop much to the amusement of a parking attendant.

Everyone – but my mother - was still catatonic as I entered.