Hi there. 2022, January; I was in NYC pretty much from august 2020 to December 2021. Long months in the city, pros and cons, of course as everywhere. Unless I end up finding a place with just cons or pros. I will keep you posted and you can do the same in the comments. Always curious!
I had a good start in august 2020, I had been living off the pandemic unemployment and even if at the time we were not aware, we would get it for another year. So I was able to get a place in Harlem, then the east village, with a February 2021 month stop in LA in between places, I was focused enough and ready to get back to my acting, music career. Of course I ran into some bumps mostly people, relationships, so called friends, roomies related that threw me off as usual, I get very touchy when my life and stability are jeopardize by selfish, clueless pointless freaks. Is there so much jealousy and vindication in the world? I was not aware, i thought it was just my fault.
By summer 2021, i was a mess, because not being vaccinated my relentless goals in the creative industry got put to rest, on top of that I was sort of seeing a guy who was fucking right and left, a coke head, dealer I learned later, with an immaturity on an emotional level out of my world. The worse was to have no work/activity outlets that excited me and promised me with some new meetings or interest. By the end of the summer, I managed to find work, and renewed my being. But by the end of the fall I had fallen back into a boredom and a wounded heart. Enough was enough, NYC was not giving me anything, so I decided to go to Miami and it filled me with new inspiration, a rediscovery of my past, way past, as I had come here back 1992 and had set foot for the first time in America in 1986, when a kid.
I took a plane for new years eve, no desire to go to another celebration I could not celebrate, plus I tend to celebrate every other day, so what is it to me? My plane was delayed, it made me doubt of my choice for a minute but there I was in the airport with no desire to go back, very broke, only a couple hundred dollars to my name. But I liked the challenge, the emergency challenge is the one that I manage to handle best and manifest what I need in a flash. So I spent my night at the airport emailing restaurants in Miami and was called a few hours later by a French restaurant. I interviewed that day and was hired that day. I worked with them a couple weeks no more, the money was pretty good but the staff was so competitive, cruel and argumentative. I quit and got fired simultaneously.
What about Miami? Well when it is 20F in NYC in January it is 75 in Miami. It is the tropics. Plants are fantastic, palm trees, avocado trees, coconut trees, lizards, iguanas, I had never seen one, they are like 5 feet long, vultures, ???, makes senses, doves, doves, doves, roosters at every corner street, just wild, chickens, ducks, baby ducks, cats, perokeet… the beach in Miami beach has a perfect temperature, the water is turquoise, sun shines, architecture is a mix of modern and art nouveau in some neighborhood and Spanish colonial in others. Neighborhood are very distinctive. Little Haiti, just like being in Haiti, Little Havana, just like being in Cuba, Coconut grove just like being in NY, well in any white wealthy mall. Same as Coral Gables. Miami Beach was most certainly fun until the 90’s, now it is a pig show.
Wynwood, another fake artsy scene catered to the lost not so creative but craving for creativity types, among a very poor African American part of town, whom are the coolest if you ask me. I managed to have some spontaneous friendly conversations with random folks, a Lyft driver that was from here, he took a break and we shared a glass of wine, some pot, a nice talk in the middle of the night. A grill man on his grill truck, sharing our thoughts on human rights and exploitation. Found a cool clothing donation and a fantastic goodwill.
Pot is not legal, they sale Delta 8, must have to do with the delta variant. Not so great, doesn’t really get you fully high, and the point of weed has been removed.
I got a bike not long after I got here, from craigslist, the tire busted 2 days later, I should have known. Met a nice young guy from Barcelona, extremely cute but he stopped getting in touch, nothing more on his part, he must have thought I wanted to fuck him but not really I just wanted to gather and meet the world with a pal. I hopped from airbnb from the start, not a bad way to explore hoods. The first one was near the airport in Brownsville, a bit of a sketchy neighborhood but not so bad, it was fun, I enjoyed talking to all the mates. Then was in a pretty much all Spanish men one in little Haiti, my roommate complained right away about my snoring and I felt I was going to be thrown out for that reason. Then was suspected of being a whore by some who couldn’t figure out who what or how the heck was I there for? I like adventure you all, that’s all. I’m eclectic. Period, I like getting out of the box. Then inhabited little Havana, it’s safe but family, dog, car orientated.
I still have a bunch of bars to explore, it’s better to have a car, Ubers are decent, biking is cool, buses are horrific, metro is small but fine.
Travels Revels 