#east 96th street

[oldguardleatherdog]

The Night Before the Tribute In Light

September 10, 2003

I.

One month ago today, this long-forgotten photo suddenly popped up in the photo app on my laptop. I took this photo with my Sanyo clamshell phone on September 10, 2003, 21 years ago tonight, from Hudson River Park in Manhattan.

Don't ask me how it survived all these years or where it's been stored all this time or how in the world it could have found its way to me from the long-dead storage servers of a long-defunct cell phone carrier. We're in the penumbra of The Anniversary, and time is out of joint.

I had been back in New York for about a month (after getting violently run out of the place I was staying by a fellow who is now one of my closest friends), homeless and living in that roach-infested HIV crack-house shelter at 96th and Broadway that I describe in "The One Decent Thing I Ever Did" (it’s archived on this blog), and you can imagine my state of head and spirit at this moment, the night before the 2nd anniversary of the terror attacks on the World Trade Center that drove me from my home in Lower Manhattan, four blocks east of the site.

I was sitting on a bench in Hudson River Park on the West Side of Manhattan, somewhere near Houston Street, maybe ten or fifteen blocks north of World Trade. I hadn't noticed these beams of light as I walked, and I think they might have just been activated while I was sitting there. As I recall, it was a full moon in Virgo, and I was positioned just right to snap this shot. I had *no* idea what this was all about, as I recall, but I thought the image was so striking and affecting that I wanted to capture it.

As it turns out, this was the tech run-through for the first September 11th installation of the “Tribute In Light”. Here’s Google’s AI summary of this remarkable memorial:

So there I was, just two years after the blast, stunned by this sudden, mysterious apparition rising from just south of what was still a giant, messy hole in the ground. I was still not fully myself at that time and would not regain my full memory or sense of who I was until the following January (therein lies a tale!), and as I recall I was just numbly stunned, not knowing what to make of it.

As I write, I’m getting the physical sense memory of that moment: the dog in me (my medulla oblongata speaking) feels his hackles rise, it’s not what I expect to see filling the hole in the sky, is it another attack? Do I bark at it, sound an alarm, run towards it, away from it, why is there light there, is this some unholy ruse, another trick being played on me from that big smoky hole where nothing but poison has spilled out for the longest time?

My phone rang. It was a fellow that I had met and hung out with in San Francisco while I was stranded there, and I was stunned to hear from him, especially at that moment. “Hi Dave… well, right now I’m on the riverfront looking at the damnedest thing… [I just wanted to make sure you were ok] hey, thanks for checking in… yeah, take care bud.” I closed the phone and started walking south along the riverfront, toward the light beams.

When I got there, I saw the massive banks of klieg lights assembled in their arrays, a strange and unfamiliar (unwelcome) echo of the shapes and the placement and the footprints of the place I loved so well.

The faces of the artists who surrounded the lights were intense, focused, sober. I still didn’t quite know what was going on, but there was profound reverence in the air, on those faces, at that place, as the beams of pure white light soared upwards, past the point of naked-eye discernment, unending, likely petering out tens of thousands of feet off that spoiled piece of ground, perhaps piercing the ionosphere, did they get clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration for this? Are pilots being disoriented by these columns at 45,000 feet? Do they touch the feet of God?

II.

And I kept walking south, my back to the light,

Down to the oldest part of the civilized island,

Past the Battery, the bronze bull, the buttonwood tree,

The Port of New York dead ahead,

The Staten Island Ferry terminal, ramshackle, ancient,

Entry restricted by terror tape and armed sentinels

No two uniforms alike, a panoply of enforcement,

Heavy weapons at the ready, so jarring in my neighborhood,

And the working dogs with the keen snouts, the trained muzzles,

Jumping up to paw at the brown bag in the soldier’s hand

Is that peanut butter? Apple? Hunk of cheese?

Let’s play! You’ve been so serious, so worried,

You smell sad and scared, are you lost? Let’s play!

Even Cerberus needs break time, belly rubs, treats!

For the first time in weeks, I smile to myself

As I round past the ferry, those strange lights at my back.

Hope I can sneak past the turnstile downstairs,

I won’t have to hike back up three hundred blocks

To that awful low place. Did you know roaches bite?

They shit on you too. Try to sleep, fully dressed,

Watch cap pulled low on my head, long sleeved shirt

Buttoned up to the collar, heavy pants tucked in boots,

Gloves on my hands, one more night without food

Half-bag of speed takes my mind off the pain

Sleep comes in fits if at all. – On the train

Dreading the stop: ninety-sixth street and Broadway.

Tomorrow, this city will jack itself off

In performative weeping and gnashing and cursing

Oh, how we loved them! I snort in derision,

You didn’t lose nothin', you pieces of shit!

Let the dead bury the dead. Beams of light

Don’t feed this refugee reeking of ashes -

What, do I smell bad? So sorry to stink up

The place where you’ve laid out the feast for your friends

Who still have their jobs, their high homes in the towers

Behind the glass doors where your larders are stocked

With the food that you bought with your government money

That flooded your midtown Manhattan apartment

With all the new clothes, electronics, the sausages

Fresh from Enrico’s, Zabar’s, D’agostino’s,

Bought with the Victim’s Fund money you stole

When you filed your claim. “OMG, it was awful!

“I couldn’t get up to the fifty-fourth floor,

“I had to find shelter on Upper Park Avenue.

“Power was out. I was homeless that night!

“So glad that my friend who was shopping in Gramercy

“Gave me the number to call for my claim

“September 11th was horrid! I told them

“I couldn’t go home for two nights! Oh, thank God

“The claim got approved with a wink and a nod

“And no one’s the wiser – I’ve never been south

“Of the Plaza Hotel! That all happened on Wall Street,

“Who goes down there? Jesus Christ, are you kidding?

“That’s four miles away! Christopher, are you coming

“Or what? Reservations at Nobu won’t wait

“For you or for me, so quit primping!”

The pain

In my stomach, relentless. My gorge won’t stop heaving.

Am I gonna make it? Damn, *ouch!* What the fuck…

The tooth that I hoped would hold out just gave way,

Fuck me. Another huge hole in my grille.

When I made six figures and lived in a high-rise,

Fuck buddies laughing on Saturday night,

Nobody told me that one hundred minutes

And two hijacked jet planes would make such a difference.

No one will laugh with me now – my best friends

Are yelling and angry, how dare I show up

Sweaty and toothless, a walking reminder

Of September tenth. No, I’m not gonna feed you.

III.

Now, twenty years later, they’ve retooled their memory:

“Animal! Damn, dog! We’ve missed you, you know,

“Wow, you’re alive! You look fabulous! Listen,

“I never gave up on you. Give a call

“When you come to the City. I want you to meet

“My beautiful husband – he remembers you too!”

IV.

Twin beams of light where the Towers were anchored,

Okay, not exactly precisely those spots,

But who’s gonna criticize? Look and recall

How majestic they were. Yeah, the new One World Trade

Is cool, I suppose – no one mentions the absence

Of Two World Trade Center. Insurance, you know.

Not enough money or civic ambition,

And Bloomberg discouraged it. Why add a target?

“Don’t you think sixty or seventy stories

“Are more than enough? Hell, let’s just get it done.

“The sooner we finish construction, the better.”

V.

*There will never be lumens of adequate volume

Sufficient to seal that hole in the sky,

But the hole in my heart I will finish, I tell you.

Walk with me as I go forward. Tomorrow

I’m back in the studio. Tonight, we can play!

You smell like apples and – damn, is that chocolate?

(our light beams shine upward forever)

"Good boy!"

Animal J. Smith

San Francisco, California

September 10, 2024

[world-beauty]

The East 96th Street Moon

Credits: Stan Honda

[manhattanstepbystep]

Streets of El Barrio: Fifth Ave between East 97th Street and East 96th Street in Spanish Harlem, upper Manhattan

And this concludes the very large neighborhood of Spanish Harlem, El Barrio! Now, onto the west side...

[newyorkthegoldenage]

Looking out of a store window on the east side of Madison Avenue between 96th and 97th Streets, ca. 1956.

Photo: John Albok via MCNY

[raisab332012]

Manhattan’s 96th Street gets 24/7 bus lanes and pedestrian safety upgrades

Source: Gothamist

Manhattan’s 96th Street gets 24/7 bus lanes and pedestrian safety upgrades

Source: Gothamist

[pleasantavenue116thstreet]

Pleasant Avenue is the real little Italy, not the movie and tourist area in lower Manhattan known as Mulberry Street. The real little Italy is East Harlem, especially the areas east of Lexington Avenue between 96th and 116th Streets and east of Madison Avenue between 116th and 125th Streets. Italian immigrants started to populate this area in 1870 and by 1930, there were over 100,000 Italian American living on Pleasant Avenue.

Pleasant Avenue: The Way It Was" by Daniel Golio tells the story of Italian immigrants surviving in the slums of Pleasant Avenue on New York City's East side in the 1930’s and the origins of the real Italian mob in NYC. – Read the book - Click Here

or get the E book Free – Click Here

[mccordsvilleeyespecialist]

Discover Clear Vision: Eye Specialist Near Me in McCordsville, IN

Experience expert eye care at VisionQuest Eyecare. Your trusted eye specialist near you in McCordsville, IN. Call (317) 593-2865 today!

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[mccordsvilleeyecare]

Elevate Your Vision: Eye Care in McCordsville, IN!

Discover exceptional eye care services at VisionQuest Eye Care in McCordsville, IN. Call (317) 593-2865 for an appointment today!

VisionQuest Eye Care 13840 East 96th Street McCordsville, IN 46055 (317) 593-2865

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[optometristmccordsville]

Book your optometrist at VisionQuest Eyecare!

VisionQuest Eyecare provides excellent vision care services in the Fishers area. Our optometrists are dedicated to improving your visual health and making sure that your vision is clear, and they provide a comprehensive range of treatments to do so.

VisionQuest Eyecare - Fishers 13840 East 96th Street McCordsville, IN 46055 (317) 593-2865

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[eyeexamservicest]

Schedule your eye exam at VisionQuest Eyecare!

Excellent eye exam are provided in the Fishers region by VisionQuest Eyecare. Our optometrists offer a wide range of therapies with the goal of enhancing your visual health and ensuring that your vision is clear.

VisionQuest Eyecare - Fishers 13840 East 96th Street McCordsville, IN 46055 (317) 593-2865

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[vqfisherseyedoc]

Make an Appointment with Eye Doctor in Fishers, IN

Welcome to VisionQuest Eyecare, where our dedicated Eye Doctor is here to ensure your vision stays crystal clear. With a commitment to top-notch eye care, our experienced professional provides comprehensive eye exams that go beyond prescriptions. From detecting early issues to crafting personalized treatment plans, we're your partners in optimal eye health. Discover a wide range of eyewear options to suit your style and visual needs. Whether it's fashionable frames or modern contact lenses, our Eye Doctor at VisionQuest Eyecare in Fishers has you covered. Ready to see the world more clearly? Schedule your appointment today!

VisionQuest Eyecare 13840 East 96th Street, McCordsville, IN 46055 (317) 593-2865

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[manhattanstepbystep]

Streets of El Barrio: Madison Ave between East 96th Street and East 97th Street in Spanish Harlem, upper Manhattan

[vqeyecarefishers]

Book VisionQuest Eyecare in Fishers, IN Today!

VisionQuest Eyecare is your trusted destination for comprehensive eye care services in Fishers, IN. Our dedicated team is committed to providing you with top-notch care for your precious eyesight. With state-of-the-art technology and a warm, welcoming atmosphere, we make sure you receive the best possible eye care experience. At VisionQuest Eyecare in Fishers, we offer a range of services, including thorough eye examinations, prescription updates, and a wide selection of stylish eyewear. Your vision is our priority, and we're here to help you see the world with clarity and confidence. Contact us today!

VisionQuest Eyecare 13840 East 96th Street, McCordsville, IN 46055 (317) 593-2865

https://visionquesteyecare.com/ Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Google Maps YouTube Yelp MapQuest WebMD Tiktok Vitals

[citylifeorg]

NYC DOT to Begin Construction on Third Avenue ‘Complete Street’ Redesign in Midtown & Upper East Side with New Bicycle & Bus Lanes

Transformative project will add roughly 1.9 miles of bike and bus lanes across nearly 40 blocks from East 59th Street to 96th Street, new intersection safety redesigns Design will include wider bike lane segments to create more welcoming, comfortable riding experience for micromobility users New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced today that…

[nycreligion]

Part 11: The Making of the Postsecular City. The reasons it happened

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com After visiting so many new evangelical churches, Tammy Wong’s question is, how did this tremendous change come about? In 1975 there were only ten or so evangelical churches in Manhattan Center City (below 96th Street on the East Side and 125th Street on the West Side) that served English-speaking professionals like her. By 2010 there were over 200 evangelical…

[italiangenealogyblog]

Little Italy -- Italian Harlem

In 1878, Italians from Salerno first arrived and made their homes on East 115th Street. Over the next twenty years, Italians from Southern Italy and Sicily moved into the area between 96th Street and 116th Street east of Lexington Ave., and between 116th Street and 125th Street east of Madison Ave. Originally it was known as Italian Harlem and later referred to as the first “Little Italy” in New…