Sitting in Ditmars Park, waiting for a practice room to open at Astoria Soundworks. Have not been there in a while, maybe a few years. Have not played on a “real” piano since then, I don’t think. Nothing really to say but here is a gift of 20 minutes in which to say it.
This is where Steinway Street starts to peter out. I have not been all the way to the end in a long time but I remember it as just kind of disintegrating into a dirt road. I think there are or used to be art and sculpture studios up there.
I saw this stupid suggestion that all or part of Astoria be called Westoria. That does not even make any sense. the area is named in honor of John Jacob Astor. Is it suggested that we name it in honor of Adam West? Mae West? In my mind I think of the various parts of what I call AsLIC by their old names: Dutch Kills, Astoria Heights, Ravenswood, etc. I don’t say that out loud much, I don’t think.
When I was up at 101st and Broadway I noticed the area has come to be known as Bloomingdale. When did that happen, and who makes these IMPORTANT decisions? Real estate agents, I suppose.
The subway station at 36th Avenue used to have a sign that said Astoria was ahead, with an arrow pointing north. Today that sign is gone, suggesting perhaps that the MTA used to think 36th Avenue was not yet Astoria but that now it is. I wouldn’t know if Broadway or 30th Avenue had signs saying Astoria was thattaway, but I saw the change at the 36th Avenue station from a picture I took maybe 15 years ago.
“Ballhogger.” I have not heard that word probably since grade school. Appropriately enough it was what appears to be a grade schooler who just yelled it. He said it like it was the worst thing you could ever say about another person.
I just noticed an e-mail from Sandra’s mother. Nice of her. As I suspected she took time to reply because she was preoccupied by Irma and its aftermath. Just a thank you e-mail for sending some photos I had of Sandra at the house where Melissa grew up. End of correspondence, I guess. She said she was not able to open the videos but whatev, I’m not going to go all out and convert them to another format or anything.
OK, then, back to the Astoria Soundworks and a real piano.
Astoria Sound Works
