I really and truly enjoy the ghetto. (I'm sure I'm not the only one.) I truly find it interesting and always go out of my way to venture into less gentrified neighborhoods.
Living only a few blocks from one of New York City's largest and most feared housing projects, one might think I could have my fill of the ghetto without ever leaving my own backyard, but that is not the case. It's like never wanting to play golf somewhere else because you live near a golf course and it's convenient.
Sure, it's nice to know that my ghetto (or golf course) is there, but we all like variety now and again, right? It's the adventure of finding new ghettos and golf courses and learning how to navigate them that excites me. There are inherent risks in every new situation.
The ghetto in East New York may have more violent crime than the ghetto in Newark, NJ, which may specialize in vehicle theft. It's the same with golf courses. Augusta National has lightning fast undulating greens and rough that is nasty enough to intimidate Tiger Woods. Over at Pebble Beach, the winds from the Pacific whip through the narrow fairways, making a low score very difficult. There are risks everywhere you go. As long as you can go home at the end of the day and tell yourself that you survived, everything is okay.
This past weekend I had the fortune of visiting two cities known for their decay - Baltimore and Washington, D.C. The ghettos down there still look like ghettos, the way they were meant to look. I'm sure Detroit has similar vibes. Baltimore's ghettos sprawl around the city and outside the city. Johns Hopkins University is buying up the ghetto near the college and pushing people into quiet suburbs North and West of town.
Anacostia, D.C.'s "bad" neighborhood, is a ramshackle mix of squat brick rowhouses with dilapidated front porches and three story housing projects adorned in orange brick. Scattered about are the usual mix of Baptist churches, liquor stores and restaurants that serve fried chicken through bulletproof glass. This is only a few blocks from the grandeur and lush greenery of the White House and Capitol Hill.
Since I started driving eight years ago, my car has always pointed itself into the direction of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevards and Marcus Garvey Avenues. This is how I get my thrills. I'm not gonna jump out of a plane or go deep sea diving. I want to see how far I can push my luck driving through questionable neighborhoods in a European car with the windows and sunroof open, blasting Simon and Garfunkel without an incident.
Nothing awful has happened yet. Time will tell.
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4 comments:
Bullshit nothin bad happened.... how many times did you come back lackin shoes?!?!?
Just once...
If you find yourself in Connecticut, take a ride through New Haven across from the port. You may just see someone get pulled from a black SUV and handcuffed. Even better may be East Hartford, where upon exiting the liquor store, you may be greeted by a group of distinguished gentlemen, weilding knives, and fresh up from a crack nap. It will make for a good story. They also have those great little stores where you put your money in the slot and the overly gracious woman behind the glass provides you with your drink of choice. It's something to see.
PJ, why don't u tell these naysayers about our exploits in south scranton as 20 year olds... Constantini's, the "wink", etc.
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