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There's an old
cliché about how many stories there are in New York. But
cliché or not, our keen New York observers would like to add a
few more. Hotel Chelsea— definitely grows on you. New York City
is filled with millions of voices, each with its own story to
tell. If there is a grain of truth at the root of this legend,
which has bedeviled New York City for the better part of a
century, it's the documented capture of an eight-foot alligator
down an East Harlem manhole in 1935. Since it was discovered
near the river, the best theory anyone could come up with at the
time was that the creature had tumbled off a steamer "from the
mysterious Everglades, or thereabouts." No one assumed it was a
denizen of the sewer system. Pay attention to everyone! Talk to
the people who wait on you in restaurants. Many are performers
working to get their break on Broadway or are already performing
in plays, comedy clubs and in TV commercials. And then there are
street musicians. Some play paint buckets while others perform
with full sound systems. Hang around. Show your respect by
sharing your cash and applause. Then, if it's appropriate, talk
to them during their break to learn about their background and
what it's like to play on the street. Look for interesting
people, but don't make assumptions about who they may be. One of
our columnists once met a psychologist who used to play the
comedy clubs and a luggage salesman who regularly appears in TV
commercials. Then there are writers of all types, people who
have numerous sideline businesses, plus people born in New York
who can tell you about all the changes they've seen. With a
population of 7.3 million and more than 24 million visitors
every year, New York has quite a bit to say... And at UPBEAT
Entertainment News Syndicate, we've given it a "voice".
Column Frequency: Weekly |
