Sunday, December 2, 2012
SIXTH BOROUGH STYLE: Napkin Collars
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| Nathan Blamburg, reading the Daily News, napkin in collar, ready for his 11AM Clam Chowder. NOTE: this is his lunch napkin, but ZAG stees see no meal-time imperative when busting a napkin-neck. Plaids, ginghams, lacey intitialed joints, baby bibs. You should see the scene at a company picnic, it's worse than the Easter Parade. |
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| Blamburg pioneered the napkin-in-collar style after seeing Wally Walrus pull it off in a Woody Woodpecker cartoon. Blamburg's co-workers at the Candy Factory all started to follow suit. It caught on as a symbol of lunch, liesure, and a way to show off your napkin collection. "Ties, Shmies," said Blamburg, "I'm more into Apple Pies. And I'm ready to spill some on my shirt." Some Z-people even wear a "dress napkin" but will still rock a utility "meal napkin" over it when it's time to slobber down on some Sloppy Joe. Blamburg, age 103, still works part time at the Candy Factory. |
The Mural at Chow's Laundrette
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| The Mural at Chow's Laundrette is a mystery. To me. Because Mr. Chow, who bought the Laudrette not so long ago, doesn't speak much English and doesn't know anything about the mural. That doesn't mean he doesn't love it. The thing Mr. Chow and I have in common is that when it comes to anthropomorphism, we both put Washing-Machine-Surfer-Dudes at the top of our lists. I also like the Washer-Surfer's tasteful bathing suit. It's not one of those gross super-long ones that became the rage in America like a million years ago already. |
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| Wide on Chow's. |
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| Washing your clothes at Chow's is like going on vacation. |
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| Bubble-Breath. |
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| Sexy legs. |
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| Hello. |
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| Purple Mountain Majesty. This mural does remind me of the comic book illustrator Bob Burden, who created Flaming Carrot. |
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| Chow had to build a shelf over the ski scene to accomodate the bags for his drop-off business. |
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| When business is bad, you can still see the other side of the model. She's pitching. Her wind-up is so extreme, she's losing her hat. |
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| Over in the back, by the detergents, this scrappy little washer is batting. |
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| He's almost got on Nikes. Almost. Plus, he skinned his knee back before this mural was painted, and has this little band-aid on in perpetuity. |
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| Me and Mr. Chow. |
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| Buddhist Shrine in the back. |
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| They always keep oranges and incense on these shrines as offerings to the gods, but -- an open pack of Marlboros? I guess if you're a smoker, this is way more meaningful than a dumb orange. |
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| This Guy seems to like it. I'm not sure if he's a Buddhist God or some sort of middle man. When I asked Mr. Chow, he shrugged. |
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| Chow's off Google Maps. Chow's is located on Broadway and 34th Street in Astoria, Queens., but the back door leads to bathroom in the back of an Indian Restaurant in the 6th Borough. |
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| Good-bye for now! |
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Intern Diaries 11-02-12
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| Luca, my intern, keeps a diary, against his will. He texts the entries to me. He's 17, from Queens, and loves Seinfeld. His leg is busted and he likes to document hood trends. |
People in my Neighborhood: Oty
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| Oty, a man of hard style. Originally from Santo Domingo in the DR, Oty's logged 43 years in New York. |
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| I see Oty almost every day at Lisa Chu's Dream 99¢ and Up spot. Like me, Oty lingers over the merch, choosing very carefully, and often finding gems amongst the poorly manufactured madness. Props to Oty's "England" long sleeve tee, which he scored from Dream. |
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| Oty's beard is one thing, but his XL folded-over hoodie is pure 6TH BOROUGH STYLE. Oty fought in some of the earliest ZAG Rumbles. He now spends time repairing bikes, chilling with his lady, and playing Dominoes. |
SIXTH BOROUGH PHOTOS
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| Shut Down Merry-Go-Round. The Carousel-Keeper lives inside. Notable due to staircase that leads to Manhattan's Chinatown. |
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| Soda Spot. They serve their milkshakes with licorice straws. |
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| Some people say this Green House is the oracle of Zaghaven. When she talks, her front door opens and closes. Every year the kids have Slinky Races down her steps. |
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| SIXTH BOROUGH STYLE |
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| Go-cart Garages. |
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| Trampoline. |
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| Old Car. Interesting angle due to the fact that there's no hood on this car. |
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| Back Alley. Rumble Sight. |
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| Residential end of Sorgum Ave. |
MORE PHONEY DUCKETS
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| Broadway Music Company bought a ream of this stuff, stamped it with their address and then proceeded to litter the community with fake cash. |
FLUSHING: CORONA PARK: 1964 World's Fair
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| Lit up and crispy at night. That shit is falling apart right now. |
My Grandparents' Old House On Google Maps
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| Was looking for my grandparents' old house on Google Maps. It was on 133rd Street in the South Bronx. I didn't know the address so I was on street view, scanning the block. At Willow Ave., I found these guys, in front of a sandwich truck, profiling and throwing gang signs. |
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| Wider. To the left, down to the end of Willow Ave., used to be the old Everlast factory where they made boxing gloves. |
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| The is when the Google Cam Car got closest to them. |
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| And here's the house. 709. Between Willow and Bruckner Blvd, which runs right next to the Triboro Bridge, now the RFK. |
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| Both my parent's grew up in this section of the Bronx. |
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