Monday, September 29, 2014

Navrati in JC 2014

For the past few days, I celebrated my first normal-human weekend since I began my latest phase of employment. Meaning my first weekend without freelance work.

I did the sort of things most people do, like laundry, grocery shopping, a trip to IKEA, coffee with a friend, some apartment organizing, and then I briefly took a look at the barbecue festival across the street.

The festival was just silly. Is Jersey City known for its heritage of barbecue? Where did all these earnest young men in trucker caps and facial hair come from? Why do people choose to wait in long lines in the sun for the same food they could just go to the barbecue carry-out for on any given day?

The scene, and that is very much what it is, was depressing. I love where I live, but it's evolving, changing into something kind of annoying.

Later that night, a friend of mine—Ed Ward—was visiting from out-of-town. He was staying at a little hotel in India Square, up near Journal Square. I'd walked by it once after dropping off my car at my mechanic's, and sent him the link, and here he was checking it out.

"There's a festival up here. Starts at 7."

I went up on the jitney, the dollar van. We toured the movie palace, walked around Journal Square, and finally, the street party was happening.

Jersey City is still great and one of the most diverse cities in the country. You just have to go a little farther out to find it now.


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