Lani Says

“…I run up on em with the pound and light it, like it’s my block now, alright kid?” Well, not really. But I am staying in Harlem right now. That’s my subway station. Across from the greatest department store on earth, Conway, it’s like a mix between D.E.K.A and The Warehouse but way more shit.

Not sure if you can read the sign, it says Malcolm X Blvd, but I’m told only rookies say ‘the corner of 116 and Malcolm x Blvd’, the locals say, ’116 and Lenox.’ These pictures actually make the neighbourhood look pretty sleepy and quiet, but it’s not.

I think one of the first things I noticed about New York is that it’s normal for people to stand and talk really loudly about super personal business on their phones, like actually shouting to the world their relationship problems as they talk on the street. Shouting in general is pretty in vogue these ways. The food on our block isn’t amazing but we do have Pop-Eyes and the corner-store/bodega makes pretty dece salami rolls for cheap. We’re also right next to Amy Ruth’s Soul Food restaurant which I need to try before I leave.

That’s our front window, bed-intruder-proof-view. I’ve heard all kinds of things from the apartment while I’ve been here, neighbours arguing, dudes having battle-raps in the stair-well, some guy getting beaten up at six in the morning and escaping through the fire-escape, neighbours waking the whole block up with loud sex, and hilarious parties. That’s not to mention the weird noises the building itself makes, the pipes creak so loud you’d swear someone was in the the walls banging the pipes with a hammer. It’s also amazing how quickly the look of a neighbourhood changes just by walking down or up a few blocks.

On a couple of side-notes: Thanks everyone for listening to David Dallas and liking me on facebook haha!! Also, if you haven’t seen the Bill Withers doco, Still Bill, put that on your to-do list, and you know, do it!