Recently, a documentary which I co-created was an official selection at the Albany Film Festival, and I traveled to New York’s state capital to represent the film and partake in a refreshing change of scene. My time in the Capital District, that is, the Albany metropolitan area, followed the cliched pattern of a New York Times “36 Hours” story. I hit a steady succession of high notes within a concentrated amount of time.
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Although the long-term impact of the ongoing pandemic upon cities remains uncertain, one reality remains constant: housing costs continue to tick upward in desirable urban areas. This raises the twin specters of gentrification and displacement. The causes and connections of these processes have been hotly discussed and debated over the past several decades in both academic and popular discourse.
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Recently, I made my fourth consecutive annual appearance on We Need Some Milk, a podcast exploring local politics and urban policy. This episode was the 100th for the program. I was excited and honored to be a part of this milestone.
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Weird fiction author H.P. Lovecraft moved to New York City to marry the stylish milliner Sonia H. Greene and chase after the writer’s life in March 1924. Greene rented a spacious apartment (four rooms!) in the fashionable Brooklyn neighborhood of Flatbush. Lovecraft fancied himself landing a plum writing or editorial position.
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A few months ago when the country appeared to be moving away from pandemic life (or, at least, could realistically hope for such a transition in the foreseeable future), I began to re-introduce myself to New York City. Losing myself in a bookstore. Relaxing outside a cafe. Even braving a sparsely attended movie. After living in cities all my adult life, I found myself needing to learn how to be an urbanite again — the expected aftershock following a year and many months of effective hibernation.
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Another Town on the Hudson 