My third September in New York
Making friends at Trader Joe’s and feeling 13 again.
I feel at home in Manhattan. I’m hesitant to declare that, but this weekend, I had a few experiences that made me feel like I’ve really planted some roots here.
I’ve always lived in the same five-block radius. For the sake of safety, I won’t reveal which blocks, but IYKYK. I’ve only gone to the same Equinox(es because of classes, but Orchard Street is my home base), on the same subway line, and to the same Trader Joe’s, with short stints at the 14th street and Ave. A location if I was getting off the L.
My experience at Trader Joe’s this week had immense impact on feeling more at home in the LES. A couple of weeks ago, I got recognized by one of the employees. He recalled me from a few weeks ago, and checked in on how my flower bouquet had turned out. It was a very nice interaction that assisted me in my current quest to be nicer and warmer to strangers. I won’t be nice enough to put myself in danger, but I think I’m currently cold to a fault. Now, whenever I see him, we exchange pleasantries. This past Sunday, instead of hiding behind my AirPods, I engaged in yet another conversation about the neighborhood while a separate, just as kind employee was checking me out (professionally), and ended the interaction by formally introducing myself.
Having acquaintances at local businesses is something that feels almost impossible in New York. There are famed bodega merchants that we forge relationships with during drunk nights and early mornings, but this is different. This feels like when a barista remembers your order, or when a store associate acknowledges you with “you’ve been here before, right?”. To stand out beyond the hundreds of thousands of people who pass through the only Trader Joe’s in the Lower East Side—how touching.
My new friend and I were discussing the neighborhood because he complimented my new hat from just-opened Climax Bookstore, which (pictured below) has artwork that states “Books are exciting”. I had told him where I got it, and he asked what book I bought. I had taken home a copy of David Wojnarowicz’s A definitive history of five or six years on the Lower East Side. I’m in a phase of collecting memorabilia about my neighborhood to learn more about it, considering this is my third September here. It’s a fairly provocative book, as is his work, and I’d certainly hide it if any children decided to come to my apartment, but I love it.
On the topic of books, I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was struggling to get through the first book of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. I take that back. I am completely obsessed. As I edit this piece, I’m eager to turn off Industry (more on what I’m watching next week) and dive back into book #3, A Court of Wings and Ruin. I must’ve read 300 pages this weekend. Book #2 has become one of my favorites of all time, and I gave it a rare 5-stars on Goodreads. I won’t give anything away for those who haven’t read them yet, but all I can think is that this must be how you all felt when Twilight and Harry Potter were coming out. I never read those. But now, have a teenage-esque glee while reading, and I’ve never been interested in fantasy in my entire life. I genuinely ship the main characters together and find myself thinking about them throughout the day. I keep up with Reddit fan theories. I search for TikTok edits and discourse. I feel like I’m 13 again.
I’m going to put some of my next paycheck towards the box set, as I promised myself. It will serve as decor, a conversation piece, a collectible, and true literature. Does anyone have a contact in Hollywood? We need to make these into a movie series. They will gross over $1 billion, I’m sure of it. I read that a Hulu development was scrapped, but Variety reports otherwise. Who do I need to call? I don’t have a dream cast because the people I envision while reading surely don’t exist, but maybe this is where AI comes into play.
I feel legally obligated to talk about fashion week. It seems really intense this time around, are you guys okay? Does anyone need anything? Water? A phone charger? Flat shoes for the subway? A Lyft code? I can’t actually provide you any of those because I’m not invited to anything, but just know it looks like a lot from the outside. Shows and parties that enticed me were Sandy Liang (duh), the Eckhaus Latta impromptu dinner-show lead by Kate Berlant and Jemima Kirke, J.Crew at the library celebrating the revival of the catalogue I used as a marker absorber as a child, and Willy Chavarria.
NYFW pop-ups have invaded Lower Manhattan. If Chelsea Parke sells one more sweatshirt, they might have to give her a key to the city. Did you guys know L.L. Bean will embroider your bag online? You don’t have to sleep on Elizabeth Street to go to the Abbode collab. I’m tired just watching everyone. Everyone is keeping their summer momentum surging into the fall, so I guess the rest and relaxation I’ve been desperate for is still in the distance. New Yorkers saw their shadow and refuse to let party-girl summer go.
