When I moved into my new neighborhood last year, which actually was once my old neighborhood about six years ago, I didn’t do much exploring. I really haven’t done much of anything this past year, other than work and then come home and either shutdown or do more work. I guess you could call it a funk. But right now, I’m sitting on a park bench, on the water with a mocha frappuccino, and I’m only five minutes from my apartment. So, I’ve learned that there’s a Starbucks a few blocks away and a decent waterfront promenade just beyond that. I need to explore more. Actually I just need to do anything other than working more.

This place isn’t as nice as the park I had been going to in the past, but it’s a lot more convenient. It’s also quieter, which is fine right now because I’m not really in the people watching mood anyway. For some reason I’ve really been disliking humans lately – I’ll probably write more on that later. There are six people here now, spread out over three blocks, which is the perfect amount. There aren’t any boom boxes blasting, or kids screaming – not that those sounds are always unpleasant or unwanted, but right now the sounds I’m listening to are enough. There’s the little clicking sound a ten-speed bike makes when you’re coasting. The waves are making that lapping sound as the water licks at the pier. Occasionally there’s a car driving past. The sailboats in the marina are making dinging sounds as little boat parts bang against the masts in the breeze. And there are the helicopters. I’m across from Chelsea right now… But what this really means is that I’m at just the point on the Hudson where the helicopters taking off from the midtown heliport swing out to start their approach or liftoff. I don’t mind actually, I love the sound of helicopters but I’m wondering if it drives people away. Yet another reason to love helicopters?