Spiritual Home

I'd arranged to meet Rain after work on Tuesday in Little Italy, because it's really close to where she works at Storefront Gallery in Nolita/Soho area. I am SUCH a subway pro, and only had to quickly double check that the train I was getting on went to Grand Street. The guy I asked wasn't sure but the train doors don't stay open for long so I leaped on regardless, because I was pretty sure I was right and I didn't want him to miss his train because of me. And then, bless him, he went off and had a look and I was completely unaware and he was like, yeah it does, and I was just like awww New Yorkers are so nice!

Anyway, I successfully reached Grand Street and successfully reached Mulberry Street which is the hub of Little Italy and successfully met Rain there. The only flaw in our very successful execution of our very successfully thought out plan was that Rain had, right at the last minute, been asked to return to work at seven, meaning we only had an hour to eat.

But it was fine! We found a lovely little Italian restaurant (not hard, I have to say) and explained that we needed to be quick and they were very helpful. We sat outside on cute rickety wooden furniture and the food was delicious, and very authentically Italian, and the people were lovely. Rain had to dash off but I spent a bit of time wandering about Little Italy. Several old men sat outside an Italian restaurant and yelled amicably at each other in Italian. A beautiful old car, which was properly 'car shaped', like the type that kids draw, and bronze, also sat outside with it's windows down and nobody in it, blaring out old jazz and Latino tunes which really made me feel like I was on the set of Arthur Millers 'A View of The Bridge'. I was once again struck by the crazyness and randomness of the city, and the way that, on every street, there's something different going on; as I returned to Grand Street Subway station and walked through Chinatown I had to weave through pairs of people crouching on the pavement having their palms read and heed a warning of 'HEADS' to avoid a wayward basketball from an impromptu match that had broken out on the corner.

It was still quite early when I got back to 59th Street so I took the scenic route home through the park. I love that the bike hire is open 24 hours a day and that the skateboarders were still showing off by the fountain. The city that never sleeps also never disappoints.