New York Daily Photo Analytics

Monday, December 12, 2011

ATM $10 Bills


This was somewhat a replay of my experience in Harlem visiting the churches known for gospel singing. People, places, and things are not zoo specimens for the voyeur. I always feel conflicted when visiting areas where I am clearly the outsider. Worse with a camera. I am sure that even my sincerest efforts to be part of another's world for a short time is perceived as slumming. And to some extent, it is.

However, I was curious about Canarsie. For no reason, except that in all the years I have lived in New York City, I had never been there. I had one friend who had lived there for some time, and he painted a much less than glamorous picture. Slumming is not admirable either for the curious or photojournalist, but I went anyway to see what I could see. I thought I would combine the outing with a meal and found Armando's Pizzeria to be highly recommended. Some said it was the best in Brooklyn.

I was chasing the sun as one does this time of year, and by the time I got to Canarsie, it was already dark. Bad for photography and bad to really get a feel for a new place. And bad neighborhoods just look worse at night. Before heading north into the center of the neighborhood, I saw a turnoff for Canarsie Pier. I was right there, so no big investment of time to explore this little waterside park. I was blessed with one of the most spectacular moons I have ever seen. So much so that I was going to call this story Moonrise Over Canarsie (see Ansel Adams Moonrise Over Hernandez). I ran out of my car. The night was frigid, and my hurried snapshot does not do the moon justice.

From there, I headed north on one of Canarsie's main thoroughfares, Rockaway Parkway, where Armando's Pizza was located. Initially, the bungalows and smaller homes just spoke of a neighborhood that appeared to be modest but tidy. When I arrived to the main shopping area, the gritty reality of Canarsie made itself abundantly clear. Dollar stores and discount shops dotted the main avenue. I drove to Armando's, at 1413 Rockaway Avenue. This was not at all how I had envisioned the place. It was essentially a slices-to-go type of operation with a few seats. I was clearly the interloper.

In a flagging economy with 10% unemployment, visiting neighborhoods like Canarsie is not going to lift one's spirits. Slapped over their menu specials, as if it were more important, a sign in the greasy windows said it all: ATM $10 Bills…

Related Posts: Moonrise Over Hernandez, Dot My I, Back to Our Main Feature

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I too would have run from the car in the frigid air to capture that shot of the moon - but, did you purchase a slice-to-go from Armandos (and run from there into the frigid night) or, did you exit with suitable 'slumming' dignity?
Great post Brian, very human....
Country NSW
Rose from Oz

Brian Dubé said...

Anonymous - I exited. I will go back to Canarsie during the day and have a slice as a snack and not as a sitdown dinner.

Kendigram said...

I actually grew up in a Canarsie/East Flatbush neighborhood - on Rockaway Parkway and Linden Blvd. But in 1963 when the area started changing my family moved us to Long Island. I loved living in Brooklyn at the time and I had a great childhood there. Long Island was a bit of a culture shock for me when we moved. However, complain as I did, about 8 years after I moved, my best friend from the old Brooklyn neighborhood died of a heroin overdose. It had changed, quite a bit. I recently took my parents back there to see where they grew up - Hopkinson Avenue and also Newport Street. I found it to be very clean, actually. The homes were well kept. But gone were the children playing outside on the sidewalks. The teenage boys hanging outside the local candystore, watching for girls. I spoke to some locals. Shared some stories. The corner store where my grandfather had a kosher butcher shop was gone. Thanks for the memories, Brian. If you ever want a local tour, let me know!

Anonymous said...

I was driving in Toronto on the highway and saw the same moonlight, I really do wish I had a good camera to capture it. My cell phone couldn't capture it. It was golden like the sun! Amazing.

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