Editor’s Note: Marlow is on a roll, celebrating a trip that incorporates rails and rambling up the major East Coast thoroughfare to fabled New York City. The other ‘role’ in the equation is the nature of life in what was our American Century. To give that matter some holiday treatment, in accordance with the Chairman’s edict that we will honor the history and the immeasurable luck in which we share- living in one of the great places and times in human history. So, take this as a start to a day best devoted to friendship, gratitude for those who came before, and best wishes to those who will have to live the consequences left our astonishing time on the planet.

– Vic

Our New York State of Mind
Part III
Honkytonking, Little Italy & Chinatown

Well, we painted the town
And all that jazz
Didn’t need a car, we knew the trains go to the whoopee spots
Where the whiskey is cold and the piano’s hot
They’re more than a noisy hall, but there’s no nightly brawl
And all that jazz
No slicked down hair nor buckle shoes
And all that jazz
We heard that Chris Botti was gonna blow the blues
And all that jazz
Hold on folks, we bought hangover drugs
Down at Walgreen’s Drug
In case we need a brand new start
To do that jazz
Got a flask, we’re playin’ fast and loose
And all that jazz
In our room is where we store the juice
And all that jazz
Damn we brushed the skies
As kids we never flew so high
‘Cause in NYC stratosphere, how could we lend an ear
To all that jazz?

-Tip of the hat to All That Jazz’s songwriters John Kander & Fred Ebb

Tuesday was an odds-n-ends day of shopping and chilling in Little Italy and Chinatown and Little Italy and honkytonking in Greenwich Village at night.

Left to right: Little Italy welcome sign; wine and superb veal, pork & beef meatballs

A five-minute-long Chinatown street stare down drama between a well-fed
fish market resident pet cat & an uptown dog hair-parlor’d frou-frou puppy:
Dog: “Play with me, small dog-like creature.
Cat: “Not gonna happen.”
Dog: “Ah, come on.”
Cat: Beat it or I’m gonna slash and bite you.”
Dog: “Play with me, puleeeze.”
Cat: “Homey don’t play that, sissy boy. Not gonna happen.”
Dog: “Master says it’s time from my fresh raw beef meal. Want some?”
Cat: “Dumbass. I live and eat in this fresh fish market. Sigh.”
Dog and master then left. Cat de-puffed herself and was then given some fish by her monger.

Best spice shop ever — Kalustyan’s a Lexington Avenue landmark

Irish dive bar on 72nd street

Chris Botti’s 19th annual Christmas jazz all-star special at the original Blue Note
in Greenwich Village where we heard the first chair violinist from the St Louis
philharmonic orchestra absolutely shred Led Zepplin’s Kashmir – the joint went nuts.

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