New Yawk Effing City!

[j44ke]

Monday the transformer blew at the end of the block. In NYC, the transformers are underground. I heard it - blumph! Then the smoke started pouring out of all the manhole covers on our block. ConEd shows up, and the guy says, "Wire went." It is about the size of my leg, so they have to chop it up and get it out, then they have to put in the new one. So tonight they are jackhammering my street and the next one over, because the wires went on both streets.

A couple hours ago, I saw a light flashing in my living room, so I went to the window. The guys from ConEd were all looking up at my building. Then this ziplock bag full of water flies by and hits one of the guys right in the face. So they all point their flashlights over up at the building next door, and someone pelts them with like 5 or more bags in rapid succession. One of the big guys from ConEd starts shouting, "What the f()k you doin', huh?" And the guy next door is yelling some crazy (I mean crazy) string of obscenities and throwing more water filled zip-locks down on the street. Then the big guy is ripping off his tool belt like he is going to climb the wall and beat the crap out of this bag throwing guy. Lots of words. Someone calls the cops. The cops come and haul the bag throwing guy off still screaming about the noise, etc. ConEd goes back to work.

It is 11PM. Still with the jackhammers. I think I just saw the bag throwing guy get out of a taxi and go into his building.

[Sean in CA]

Way to make me homesick, thanks! ;)

[vertical_doug]

City was more entertaining in the 80's. It is so tame now, like a neutered dog.

[Saab2000]

At first i thought this was gonna be another uppity thread about how great NYC is. Then it saw that its just a normal thread about how great NYC is! Love it.

[Bob Ross]

Attachment 40018

[j44ke]

This morning? More jackhammers. Evidently two transformers blew and then the surge burned up a couple of the big feeder lines. So first they have to get the old stuff out and then they have to put the new stuff in. And since there was some melting involved, lots of stuff has to come out of the ground. Amazing that we have not yet lost power (knock on wood.)

So far no ziplock bags though. Someone may have remembered to take their meds.

[taylorj]

I will be in New York City for the weekend! Great Story!

[j44ke]

Cool - avoid 16th & 15th St!

Go here instead.

[the bottle ride]

Cool - avoid 16th & 15th St!

Go here instead.

Preach it brother! To paraphrase the Clash- It is the only shop that matters.

[chasea]

Thanks for this thread.

It really is the salty and the sweet here. I just walked into my living room, with 4 giant windows overlooking the East River. They're filled with skyline from Delancey to the upper 70's. The city lights my place at night. In the morning, I see the seagulls and boats. I see the traffic down 34th street. Its a view that smacks me in the face every once in a while. "Whoa. I live here." And then, sometimes, I look at it and think "Knock it all down. Start over."

[j44ke]

Preach it brother! To paraphrase the Clash- It is the only shop that matters.

They have Pegoretti frames you can touch.

[0nelove]

.........cool story Hansel.

[the bottle ride]

they have pegoretti frames you can touch.

amen!

[fvracer72]

so... will I be seeing you guys at 5boro and the fondo?

[j44ke]

I'm in the Fondo. The 5Boro is now a must-miss for me. Too much walking.

[fvracer72]

I was there really, really, early, early..... like on the 5 o-clock ferry last year....rode the whole thing straight through. We had enough room to go as hard as we wanted to. Hopefully, this year will be the same.

[lukasz]

Well to be fair, construction noise is the new face of NYC. Crap pisses me off. There are enough condos. Soon I'm going to have one across the street. At least the place directly across from me is a little art gallery that will never give up its space and the stuff behind it is now zoned with no air rights so I still have a view of the Empire State Building and the water from my windows. Envious of your unobstructed view, Chase.

[chasea]

Well to be fair, construction noise is the new face of NYC. Crap pisses me off. There are enough condos. Soon I'm going to have one across the street. At least the place directly across from me is a little art gallery that will never give up its space and the stuff behind it is now zoned with no air rights so I still have a view of the Empire State Building and the water from my windows. Envious of your unobstructed view, Chase.

Across the street from the MTA emergency rescue unit. Think they'll be there a while. Then again, we are on the top floor of a building in the process of becoming legal. My roommate has been in our place going on ten years. Up until this year, we had virtually no heat, original windows that were too weak to hold an AC, and a roof that would leak and leave bit of ceiling everywhere, rendering the kitchen pretty much useless.

All that is fixed now (only took 10 years and the off chance that we might leave and the landlord would be able to raise the rent). But we're still working off of 40 amps of electricity; 20 for each side of the loft.

The view is only sometimes worth it.

How often do you shoulder your bike and climb 4 flights in cleats? 25lbs of dogfood. 40 lbs of laundry. Fuggedaboutit.

home.jpg

[maunahaole]

Monday the transformer blew at the end of the block. In NYC, the transformers are underground. I heard it - blumph! Then the smoke started pouring out of all the manhole covers on our block. ConEd shows up, and the guy says, "Wire went." It is about the size of my leg, so they have to chop it up and get it out, then they have to put in the new one. So tonight they are jackhammering my street and the next one over, because the wires went on both streets.

A couple hours ago, I saw a light flashing in my living room, so I went to the window. The guys from ConEd were all looking up at my building. Then this ziplock bag full of water flies by and hits one of the guys right in the face. So they all point their flashlights over up at the building next door, and someone pelts them with like 5 or more bags in rapid succession. One of the big guys from ConEd starts shouting, "What the f()k you doin', huh?" And the guy next door is yelling some crazy (I mean crazy) string of obscenities and throwing more water filled zip-locks down on the street. Then the big guy is ripping off his tool belt like he is going to climb the wall and beat the crap out of this bag throwing guy. Lots of words. Someone calls the cops. The cops come and haul the bag throwing guy off still screaming about the noise, etc. ConEd goes back to work.

It is 11PM. Still with the jackhammers. I think I just saw the bag throwing guy get out of a taxi and go into his building.

I call BS. If he was really angry, the bags would have been filled with urine that had been archived in case of such an event happening.

[lukasz]

Across the street from the MTA emergency rescue unit. Think they'll be there a while. Then again, we are on the top floor of a building in the process of becoming legal. My roommate has been in our place going on ten years. Up until this year, we had virtually no heat, original windows that were too weak to hold an AC, and a roof that would leak and leave bit of ceiling everywhere, rendering the kitchen pretty much useless.

All that is fixed now (only took 10 years and the off chance that we might leave and the landlord would be able to raise the rent). But we're still working off of 40 amps of electricity; 20 for each side of the loft.

The view is only sometimes worth it.

How often do you shoulder your bike and climb 4 flights in cleats? 25lbs of dogfood. 40 lbs of laundry. Fuggedaboutit.

home.jpg

I'm on the third floor, but for the past few months I've gotten less paranoid and have been storing my bikes in the basement. I don't think any of the old Polish people in the building are going to take them. It feels so civilized! Shouldering my bikes (including the heavy-ass commuter) up the stairs for years was good practice for cross, though.