>>The idea that everybody in New York is an unfriendly crank is an obvious fallacy. Every stranger I talked to was very nice and helpful to me. The first person I talked to was the volunteer map expert in JFK who was practically too helpful and wouldn't let me go until I assured him I knew the address of my destination. He hooked it up with one of the awesome subways maps though, which I unfortunately left behind somewhere. Another rando I stopped along Atlantic avenue lead me to the G train stop I needed, out of her way and at night down some dark streets. People were especially friendly and eager to talk to me when I mentioned I lived in New Orleans. So I dropped that in most conversations too. I recommend you play that card if you can. It helped me secure a bucket of paint for free late at night. (Provisions provided with all due Props to the stranger and the One up Tops!)
>>Say what you will about "hipsters" but I think Williamsburg is great place. Of course I don't know what the place was like before all the boutique shops along Bedford ave existed but I can't apologize for that. (I did pick up a good zine a few weeks ago at the Iron Rail all about BK so I'll look around for that later). I had a really cool conversation with a chic, slightly nerdy, well-educated couple on a rooftop beneath the Williamsburg bridge one night about what a shame I thought it was that there weren't more women into graffiti and street art. And then the very next day after breakfast my friend and I turned the corner only to discover this scene:
>>In the Juxtapoz issue where they interviewed Aiko, there is a sweet full page photo of her standing next to a wall somewhere in NY with a JAM throw-up and a JESUS SAVES tag behind. I've always liked those writers and that photo and by association Aiko. That day in Williamsburg I got to meet her and watch her work. Awesome. How she filled her massive stencil was cool to learn.
>>The trip to NY this August had me thinking back to the fact-finding mission I took up to Chicago around this time last year. There I did the same kind of things, hitting up all my friends to show me around and let me crash on their couch. One day my man Patrick T. took me around Wicker Park. On Milwaukee Ave. I took his photo next to a mural of some busty cartoons holding a stereo and spray cans with the words "B GIRLS!" next to it. It's an awesome photo too. That day in BK I watched as another one of these females was formed before my very eyes. Turns out it was the same artist and that too was awesome. Her name is Shiro, She's my hero.
>>I hit up all these ladies to draw in my sketch book and before leaving town I made sure to leave that book behind somewhere. Dang. There is still hope for it coming back to me sometime, somehow though. I took these photos on my way out of town, the day after Nick and I first came across this collection of artists (they didn't call themselves a crew).
>>Check out my busted luggage. I schlepped my stuff in one of those mardi gras bead bags from the female krewe, Muses. The stereo played A Tribe Called Quest and Black Star ("whad'ju do last night?") as I made my way for the Williamsburg bridge to get to the Essex Station which then took me to Penn Station and finally a train out of town. Here's a picture of the Empire State building I took from the Bridge.
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