Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Newark, New Jersey

I traveled by car from New Hampshire through Connecticut on Sunday, arriving in Brooklyn at night. Then I rode the subway to the PATH and my friend picked me up at Penn Station in Newark.
Here's what I've learned so far:
1. Friendly's is Denny's nasty cousin, reeking of table slop water and just as overpriced. However, I'd never heard of "Fribble" or "Fribblecino" before, so the visit was worth something.
2. Jeffrey Lewis is AWESOME.
3. People in New Jersey use the presence of rail as an excuse to move to the suburbs, which is one reason why Newark is so blighted. This goes against my utopian idea that if more white people used public transit there would be more integration. In this case, the rail system enables segregation.
4. Hoboken is lovely, with block after block of old apartments. And the view of Manhattan is superb. However, parking in Hoboken requires tremendous patience and ample time to waste. Here's to trains!
And, I saw lightning bugs in New Hampshire on Thursday night, so my primary objective for the summer (to see fireflies) has been achieved. Hooray!
I forgot to bring the cord that connects my camera to computers with me, so I don't know if I'll be able to put up pictures.
The loose goose made it to Manchester airport mysteriously, since it was supposed to go to Portland, Maine, but who knows what goes on in the minds of bicycles. It's intact, that's what counts.