The Newtown Pentacle

Wednesday

– photo by Mitch Waxman

There were two more old friends whom I wanted to reconnect with – in person – on my recent NYC visit. The first of these individuals and I had breakfast in Forest Hills at the diner pictured above. Recommended.

The outlandish plan for shedding soiled garments along the way had played out well, and after leaving behind yesterday’s t-short, skivvies, and socks in Hank the Elevator Guy’s kitchen garbage pail in Middle Village, I was now down to just the one camera bag instead of multiple bags.

My host (Hank) was bid ‘adieu,’ and one summoned a cab to carry me to that meet up with my buddy Mike at the diner. Afterwards, he walked me to Queens Boulevard, and the nearest subway stop.

The next meetup was over in Queens Plaza.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

The E arrived in minutes, and I was again on my way. This was going to end up being another long, long day. My flight back to Pittsburgh was scheduled for 7 p.m., but would end up getting pushed back due to weather – first to 9, then 10:30, and I finally boarded the plane at 11:41 p.m. Yeah… ‘bah!’

Y’know what – I kind of do miss the subway a bit. Easy Pickens for rail shots, and that air conditioner blast when you get onboard…

– photo by Mitch Waxman

Queens Plaza, and I was about a half hour or so early to meet up with my friend. Couldn’t help but talk a short walk while waiting, and it was startling. Another friend of mine coined the term ‘real estate frenzy’ a while ago to describe what’s been happening here for the last ten to fifteen years, but I have to say that ‘the frenzy’ seems to have turned into ‘a real estate riot’ while I’ve been gone. Wow.

It does seem like the paint isn’t dry on one of these new tower buildings before a massive population of people is moved into it.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

One of several weird things now extant: an enormous population of pedestrians. Used to be that people were just scurrying around to get to and from the train stations in Queens Plaza. Now you’ve got young couples with babies, old people with walkers, all sorts milling about on Jackson Avenue. Shoppers. It’s weird.

I cannot imagine somewhere I’d like to live less than Queens Plaza, but you do you, boo. The noise, man…

– photo by Mitch Waxman

The screeching of steel on steel is omnipresent. Queensboro Bridge allows the transit of tens of thousands of vehicle trips a day, and the Sunnyside Yards (State Superfund Site, and also one of the contributing ‘PRP’s’ to the nearby Newtown Creek Federal Superfund Site) are in your back yard here. I like (from a visual perspective) and have photographed this area for years, but from a purely existential point of view – this would be a challenging place to live due to all the constant tumult and noise.

Not my problem anymore, as I keep reminding myself.

– photo by Mitch Waxman

I met up with my buddy Paul, one of my oldest friends. We went to Junior High School together, and have stayed in touch with each other during good times and bad. We met up, and then headed for mighty Queensboro.

One of the many things that have changed here in the World’s Borough is that the Queensboro Bridge’s southern outer roadway (which used to be a trolley line’s right of way) has been closed to vehicle and bicycle traffic and is now a designated pedestrian path.

The last time I got to walk this one was when I was a Parade Marshal for the bridge’s centennial back in 2009, and I had Borough President Helen Marshall with me.

Back tomorrow.

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