TAKING A SLICE OF THE "BIG APPLE"

Newark Penn Station

Part of the fun of travel is trying something new. Staying in the heart of a big city is exciting. The action and attractions are right outside your door. Prices though are getting high. A stay in a downtown New York City hotel often costs $300 or more. Not to mention the $75 cab ride each way and the $20 glasses of wine. 

There are other ways to take a “slice of the Big Apple.” On a recent trip to New York, I flew into EWR Newark Liberty International Airport and stayed at the Hilton at Newark Penn Station. Newark is a short 21-minute commuter train ride to Midtown. There you can catch subways to almost any attraction in NYC, such as MOMA, The NY Public Library, 911 Memorial, and The Metropolitan Museum.

Flights to EWR are low cost because it caters to cruise lines, offering volume discounts. The Hilton I stayed at was $118 a night. It is attached by a causeway to Newark Penn Station (the sister station to Penn Station NYC). Trains run every 9 minutes. Better yet, Hilton will pick you up at the airport for no charge with their shuttle.

There are other surprising pluses to staying on the outskirts to big cities. I found Newark to be a very interesting place. It has a strong Portuguese population. There are numerous wonderful ethnic restaurants near the hotel. I ate one night at Don Pepe, just 300 feet from the hotel. It opened in 1981 and is a Newark institution. I was greeted by the owner Don Pepe and his head waiter when I entered. A wonderful menu and tastes followed. 

From an art perspective, Newark has great architecture, a vast array of characters, and urban scenes. A photographer’s feast. The Newark Museum, while not in the league of MOMA in NYC, is a worthwhile stop.

Staying on the outskirts of a big city has many advantages, but has some tradeoffs as well. Transportation systems can be challenging. For instance, there are two in Newark (PATH and NJ Transit). Each require separate tickets. Most of this can be sorted out at the information booth in the station. Ticket purchase is easy. Less easy is the walking inside the stations both in Newark and NYC (many stairs, escalators, elevators). 

On balance though, using this method to take slices from the big city is a solid and low cost choice. A choice with experiences that can surprise and delight. 

David Young

www.studiofour.com

PARKED ART

Tonopah, AZ

I worked in a warehouse summers to help pay for college. It was a sprawling place filled with pallets and crates full of everything you can imagine. Giant trucks with long trailers pulled in and out all day bringing and taking loads. There I met and became friends with Isaiah, a young black man. He worked full time, showing the muscles and toughness of that work. This was his life. 

After work, we would share a beer at a bar nearby, where truckers parked their big rigs and mixed with workers from the warehouse district. Isaiah liked the place and the tales he heard from the truckers about their travels. 

We were from different worlds. Isaiah from the hard scrabble central district where he had a small apartment. Myself from a comfortable middle class family and college life. Still we struck a chord. Maybe it was the hard-sweat work we shared in the warehouse that left you spent at the end of the day. He told me one time he respected how I worked, “not like most part timers.”

I knew not what future I would take after college. Isaiah, though, was sure what he would do someday. He wanted to get a big rig and travel the ribbons of pavement to see all the country. Every detail had been worked-out in his mind. How much it would cost to buy a used 18-wheeler. How he would make the it look artful and grand. How he would bring back road tales of his own someday. I listened to his dreams, played to a back drop of bar sounds and the rough chatter of truck drivers. His dreams seemed far away to me, but I never told him that.

The second summer I worked there, Isaiah was not to be found. No one seemed to know what happened to him. All summer I wondered if he had found his dream or what fate might have befallen him.

Later in life as business took me across country, I would occasionally see a big rig parked that showed a special road art. I always pulled over and waited for a while. Watching to see if Isaiah might climb down from the cab, so I could hear his tales.

David Young

Route 601, Carolinas

Grand Avenue, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Airport Way, Seattle

Studio Four Magazine
www.studiofour.com

JUMP JIVE AND WAIL

"Jump Jive & Wail"

(Acrylic on Canson Board 9 x 12)

Inspired by great song by Louis Prima

Studio Four Magazine
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DEEP IN THE FOREST GREEN

"Deep in the Forest Green"

(Acrylic on Canson Board 9 x 12)

Studio Four Magazine
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ART MUSEUM JOYS

"The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls" - Pablo Picasso

Major city art museums are great destinations. There is far more than just the art to enjoy. The mix of architecture, quietness, surrounding districts, people and the museum's hidden places can take us away from the problems of the world. Maybe it is the timeless nature of art. How it has recorded and reflected the history of mankind. Or maybe it is the well-ordered nature of the museum that takes your mind to another place.

Even before you enter the museum, the grounds and architecture offer their own art to be enjoyed and savored. Small and large features beg for attention. Even unique curios can be found near the entrances. Museums often reside in interesting city districts that have great finds, coffee shops, and waysides. They are wonderful wandering.

People watching is fascinating. You observe interesting reactions and reflection in their poses and positions. You will see people just looking at the art, doing sketches, sharing private moments, or just contemplating life.

Be sure and Take a camera. Ask where you can take photos and where not. Views out the windows of the museum or across the broad expanses of the building are great, not to mention the people shots.

It's always good to Visit the museums website before you go to note key exhibits on display and special programs that may be happening. Follow that, by asking for a map of the museum at the front desk when you enter.

The art library is usually buried in one of the less traveled spaces. Here a world of art in books awaits, along with an always helpful librarian who is glad for you stopping by.

I often find that the smaller exhibits, around the corner or in the side rooms from the featured art, the most interesting. Some are local artists or a special interest of the museum staff or board. 

Most museums have a headliner dining spot. However, some have a hidden one. Here you might find art staff to visit with or other seasoned museum goers.

Wonderful social experiences can be gained by becoming a museum member.  Opening events offer the best of mixing and scrumptious snacks. Education opportunities also abound.

Museums will leave you with a sense of peace, the ageless beauty of art, and a feeling that there is more in the world to enjoy. And given the times we live in, who could not say these are good things.

David Young

Studio Four Magazine
www.studiofour.com

A good book on the basics of Art Museum visits is “How to Visit a Museum: Tips for a rewarding visit” by Johan Idea

OLD FRIENDS

OLD FRIENDS

A bevy of forgotten books

Like old friends found,

In some backroom of life.

All out of order,

Some on shelves

Others just in boxes.

Filled with mystery, art,

Philosophy and the poetry of life.

Waiting a touch or turning of a cover again.

All Like old  friends found...

DTY '17

Studio Four Magazine

www.studiofour.com

IMPROVISED SELF SUFFICIENCY

In Bill Gates and Warren Buffett’s recent interview on The Charlie Rose PBS show, talk turned to the challenges of the future. High on the list was their concern that an increasing number of people were going to be left behind by today’s global and specialized business market. People who cannot be retrained or re-employed in a traditional way. Buffett felt that how society deals with and supports these people remains a giant question mark?

There may be solutions at hand. You can never discount human ability to deal with adversity and find a way to survive. It might be called "Improvised Self Sufficiency." Much of that survival takes place in what has been called the Underground Economy. Here you will find a patch work of social services and non profits that form a foundation for people. But, that's not the entire story. People share housing, food, transportation and even payment of bills. This market has its own repair team, often individuals working for cash. They keep cars running, fix leaking roofs and sell you the used tire.

More and more displaced workers in the middle class are finding themselves slipping into this world. So it is good to study this market and find ways of making it work better for people. 

A combination of governmental, non profit and private enterprises could meet this emerging challenge. Governmental programs need to be vetted, retooling them to work more efficiently for both society and the people served. Fostering Non-profit organizations dedicated to helping people stay self sufficient might fill many gaps. They play an important role, because as hard as some people try to be self supporting, unexpected events (i.e. Medical bills, accidents) require emergency financial help. 

Those providing services in the underground market on a cash basis could be helped to form small businesses. The availability of credit on a fair basis (non predatory)needs to be developed. For those who do have a chance to re-enter the work force, greater help with job preparation and finding jobs is needed. Non profits could look for opportunities to expand into business segments. More than 200 of these L3C’s and B Corporations have been formed since 2000. A good example of this is Green City Growers in Cleveland. Affordable housing needs to be woven into the urban landscape. Ways to finance this housing also needs to be expanded. Basic services such as grocery stores need to be lured to low income areas with incentives.

The irony is that this left out market may offer new opportunities for our economy and business. On the one hand, you have a market that is overrun by the likes of dozens of smart phones and other high end products. On the other hand, a market of needs waiting to be met.

David Young

Studio Four Magazine
www.studiofour.com