2004-09-13 - 11:51 p.m. The web is falling, the web is falling! Is it wrong to be infatuated with...a neighborhood? I've been looking at apartments in Bay Ridge for the past few days, and I have fallen in deep like with the area. For those in other lands, Bay Ridge (and neighboring Bensonhurst) is the 'hood featured in this classic film, and it hasn't changed too much. Still deeply Italian (read: ornate statuary in lobbies, good fresh mozzarella), the place has amazing views of the most stunning bridge in NYC, and a lovely, leafy park that runs all along the bay shore. There are lots of big single-family houses, many featuring huge bay windows--without security bars--and so far, every studio apartment I've seen has been in the $750-900 range, which is good for New York. For fun I looked at some spacious one-bedrooms from $1000-1200 that would be perfectly comfortable for a couple. Why all my friends don't want to live here is a mystery to me. Yes, it's a bit of a haul from Manhattan, but we're talking an extra 10-15 minutes on the train past Park Slope--that's three more tracks on yr iPod, or the Word Jumble. And in other news, there is some kinda weird scene unfolding right in front of my house tonight...a group of guys are having what appears to be an impromptu prayer meeting or exorcism or something--one guy is down on his knees and the others are in a circle around him with bowed heads, murmuring. One guy is droning on liturgically, his rap sounding like utter gibberish or speaking in tongues. It's been going on for at least an hour. Why are they doing this on the sidewalk at 12:45? I have no idea if I should call the cops, throw water on 'em like a bunch of alley cats, or just shrug my shoulders and go to bed. thoughts? (5 comments so far) previous - next blog archive contact