FA+
Shop
"Return to New York": Part Nine
8 years ago
Prior to all the activities I took in during the wedding and the reception in East Rockaway, New York, I had made plans to reunite with a second friend of mine - who I had not seen in nearly 24 years...
I'd first met anthroartist/writer Steven F. Scharff (a.k.a.
Unidyne) back in the early 1980s - when both he and I were contributors to "Inside Joke" (an independent publication, whose staff included additional cartoonists such as 
AngelBearOH (creator of "Galen the Saintly") and (the late) John P. Morgan (of "Fission Chicken" fame). We'd all attended a special staff party thrown by "IJ" editor Elayne Wechsler, where we got to know a lot about each other...
At that time, Steven was also a contributor to the 'funny animal' APAzine "Rowrbrazzle" (since Issue #2), and I got to learn all about the material in copies of the publication he'd share with me - whenever I'd visit his (then) home in Union, New Jersey. All of the images (from such talented contributors as
MKaz, 
Frenata, 
SteveGallacci, 
JoeStrike, 
Rabbi-Tom, et al) inspired me to join in by the end of the 1980s. And, subsequently, this led to my discovering various 'furry websites' - most notably "Fur Affinity"...
The last time Steven and I saw each other was during a "going-away party" in the Summer of 1993, when he and his parents planned to relocate from Union, NJ to Henderson, Nevada (just outside of Las Vegas). I'd posted several 'photo-ops' of this special occasion, not too long ago...
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5331138
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/18927125
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/18927753
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/18928321
Since then, Steven had made lots of new friends out on the West Coast for a number of years. And even though the hot (and unpredictable) weather of Nevada was a bit of a bugaboo to him, he tolerated his new home...
However, the ravages of time couldn't forestall the inevitable of Steven's family. His father passed on in 2015, and his mother followed suit in early 2017. Even his favorite pet cat succumbed to time later that year.
Making a bold decision, Scharff decided to finally sell the house in Henderson, and considered moving back to the East Coast.
Fortunately, his brother still resided in New Jersey, so he had someplace to stay, while he chose late June to go exploring in upstate New York for new digs to move into (at a much later date). And, as luck would have it, I just happened to be in New York that same week, to attend the wedding of my niece Corynne and her future husband Hector...
Using the phone number on the "Members Page" of the most recent issue of "Rowrbrazzle", I'd called up Steven and asked him if he had a free day to meet me (during my first trip to the 'Big Apple' in a quarter of a century). I'd already told him about my recent reunion with Joe Strike on Friday, June 23rd, and the impending nuptials on Sunday, June 25th.
We'd agreed to meet outside of Penn Station on Monday, June 26th. Timing was everything, as I had to catch an early L.I.R.R. train from Wantagh, while Steven was dropped off by his brother (who, by coincidence, had a doctor's appointment that morning) at a PATH train station in Newark. Steven got to the rendezvous point (near 34th Street and Eighth Avenue) first, and I'd followed twenty minutes later.
As we'd walked north on Eighth Avenue, we began to regale each other with stories of the past twenty-odd years. Turning right on 42nd Street, we were both amazed by the numerous changes made in midtown Manhattan (such as the lack of XXX porno film houses, and more regular movie and stage theaters).
As we got to Times Square, Steven was astounded by the reorganization of this major thoroughfare (especially the pedestrian walkway on a large stretch of Broadway). At the corner of 42nd Street & Broadway, we saw a very odd site, as kids were seated in very round, rolling seats (which looked like someone spilled a whole bunch of red pushpins onto a very large desk). On a dare, we each took turns sitting in these unorthodox chairs, while one person took a picture of the other. It was a hysterical moment for each of us, as we'd felt like we were going to fall out onto the sidewalk (which didn't occur, thankfully).
Resuming our stroll, we'd continued through Times Square, stopping briefly at 57th Street, to check out such well-known tourist attractions as Carnegie Hall and the Russian Tea Room (the latter establishment being 'under new management'). Returning to Broadway, we'd crossed Columbus Circle, and headed north on Seventh Avenue, on the west side of Central Park. Passing one of the Trump Tower buildings nearby, Steven and I both shared a disgust of our new "Idiot-In-Chief".
I'd started recognizing other spots on Seventh Avenue - including the church where a scene from "The Out-Of-Towners" (with Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis) was shot, and the Dakota - the home of Yoko Ono and (the late) John Lennon.
After buying a special souvenir T-shirt for my brother Glenn (who couldn't join us that day), Steven and I entered Central Park, and went immediately to Strawberry Fields (with its famous "Imagine" tiled memorial to the rock legend).
We each took photos of the various sights in the park. While I took a snapshot of the famed Bethesda Fountain (featuring in such movies as "Enchanted" and "Stuart Little"), Steven took more pictures of the hansom cab drivers, their passengers, and the horses that pulled the vehicles.
Exiting at the east side on Fifth Avenue (and heading southward), we began to recollect other sights, such as the Central Park Zoo, the Hayden Planetarium, and the Plaza Hotel. We also mourned the loss of other attractions I used to see such as the F.A.O. Schwarz toy store (featured in the Tom Hanks movie "Big").
Then, we came upon a very bizarre sight, as we saw some tourists in front of a building, taking pictures of themselves, standing next to New York City policemen!
"Well, Jed, they are New York's finest," Steven speculated.
"Yeah," I replied. "They did all they could during '9-11'..."
It was only then, that I'd looked up, and saw on the building the real reason why said tourists were posing with the cops. It was summed up in one word: TRUMP!!
We quickly moved along, trying to erase that image from our minds!
Stopping off at a Mom & Pop eatery (instead of the usual chain restaurants), we had a light lunch, as Steven continued to explain to me his future plans...
"After unloading a number of personal artifacts," he said, "I hope to sell the house before the end of the year, and move in with my brother for a short time, before moving to upstate New York."
"Any prospective buyers yet?" I'd asked.
"One neighbor wanted to use the property for his motorcycle collection."
"How interesting."
After our repast, we began to head back towards Penn Station, so that Steven can catch an early afternoon train to reconnect with his sibling in Newark. Along the way, we passed through Rockefeller Center, where the three-story-tall inflatable ballerina (which I saw three days ago with Joe Strike) still sat, overlooking the area of the ice rink (still replaced with chairs and tables for the Summer).
Finally, we'd reached the entrance to Madison Square Garden, where I got a total stranger to take a picture of the two of us. You can check out said picture at this link:
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/25094960/
Going underground, we got to the Penn Station ticket booth. We'd promised to keep in touch with each other, via the Facebook 'Messenger' feature. After one last embrace, we went our separate ways.
I still had a little time to kill in Manhattan, so I walked down to Union Square, where I did a little shopping at two Broadway stores I used to frequent, when I was still a New York resident: Forbidden Planet (an internationally-known comic book emporium) and Strand Books (where I'd picked up a copy of a rare book of stories by famed "New Yorker" writer James Thurber - "Further Fables For Our Times").
After taking a few last-minute snapshots (with my disposable camera), I headed back north to Penn Station, caught an early evening L.I.R.R. train, and headed back to Wantagh - where my sister Rhonda would be waiting for me in her SUV - with more plans for my final day in New York...
"UPDATE": Shortly after posting this journal, I had learned (via "Facebook") that Steven F. Scharff managed to find some temporary lodgings in Suffern, New York - which he will hopefully move into before the end of 2017. He'll be residing there for a year, while seeking employment in (or near) the upstate town. Once he lands a good job, he'll try to find another place that will be his permanent residence...
Of course, in his spare time, he'll continue to contribute his art and written material for future issues of "Rowrbrazzle". BTW, if any of you would like to join the long-running 'funny animal' APAzine, contact its editor Edd Vick at edd[at]speakeasy.net or write to him at 1505 SW Alaska Street, Seattle, Washington 98106.
(To be concluded...)
I'd first met anthroartist/writer Steven F. Scharff (a.k.a.
Unidyne) back in the early 1980s - when both he and I were contributors to "Inside Joke" (an independent publication, whose staff included additional cartoonists such as 
AngelBearOH (creator of "Galen the Saintly") and (the late) John P. Morgan (of "Fission Chicken" fame). We'd all attended a special staff party thrown by "IJ" editor Elayne Wechsler, where we got to know a lot about each other... At that time, Steven was also a contributor to the 'funny animal' APAzine "Rowrbrazzle" (since Issue #2), and I got to learn all about the material in copies of the publication he'd share with me - whenever I'd visit his (then) home in Union, New Jersey. All of the images (from such talented contributors as
MKaz, 
Frenata, 
SteveGallacci, 
JoeStrike, 
Rabbi-Tom, et al) inspired me to join in by the end of the 1980s. And, subsequently, this led to my discovering various 'furry websites' - most notably "Fur Affinity"... The last time Steven and I saw each other was during a "going-away party" in the Summer of 1993, when he and his parents planned to relocate from Union, NJ to Henderson, Nevada (just outside of Las Vegas). I'd posted several 'photo-ops' of this special occasion, not too long ago...
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5331138
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/18927125
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/18927753
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/18928321
Since then, Steven had made lots of new friends out on the West Coast for a number of years. And even though the hot (and unpredictable) weather of Nevada was a bit of a bugaboo to him, he tolerated his new home...
However, the ravages of time couldn't forestall the inevitable of Steven's family. His father passed on in 2015, and his mother followed suit in early 2017. Even his favorite pet cat succumbed to time later that year.
Making a bold decision, Scharff decided to finally sell the house in Henderson, and considered moving back to the East Coast.
Fortunately, his brother still resided in New Jersey, so he had someplace to stay, while he chose late June to go exploring in upstate New York for new digs to move into (at a much later date). And, as luck would have it, I just happened to be in New York that same week, to attend the wedding of my niece Corynne and her future husband Hector...
Using the phone number on the "Members Page" of the most recent issue of "Rowrbrazzle", I'd called up Steven and asked him if he had a free day to meet me (during my first trip to the 'Big Apple' in a quarter of a century). I'd already told him about my recent reunion with Joe Strike on Friday, June 23rd, and the impending nuptials on Sunday, June 25th.
We'd agreed to meet outside of Penn Station on Monday, June 26th. Timing was everything, as I had to catch an early L.I.R.R. train from Wantagh, while Steven was dropped off by his brother (who, by coincidence, had a doctor's appointment that morning) at a PATH train station in Newark. Steven got to the rendezvous point (near 34th Street and Eighth Avenue) first, and I'd followed twenty minutes later.
As we'd walked north on Eighth Avenue, we began to regale each other with stories of the past twenty-odd years. Turning right on 42nd Street, we were both amazed by the numerous changes made in midtown Manhattan (such as the lack of XXX porno film houses, and more regular movie and stage theaters).
As we got to Times Square, Steven was astounded by the reorganization of this major thoroughfare (especially the pedestrian walkway on a large stretch of Broadway). At the corner of 42nd Street & Broadway, we saw a very odd site, as kids were seated in very round, rolling seats (which looked like someone spilled a whole bunch of red pushpins onto a very large desk). On a dare, we each took turns sitting in these unorthodox chairs, while one person took a picture of the other. It was a hysterical moment for each of us, as we'd felt like we were going to fall out onto the sidewalk (which didn't occur, thankfully).
Resuming our stroll, we'd continued through Times Square, stopping briefly at 57th Street, to check out such well-known tourist attractions as Carnegie Hall and the Russian Tea Room (the latter establishment being 'under new management'). Returning to Broadway, we'd crossed Columbus Circle, and headed north on Seventh Avenue, on the west side of Central Park. Passing one of the Trump Tower buildings nearby, Steven and I both shared a disgust of our new "Idiot-In-Chief".
I'd started recognizing other spots on Seventh Avenue - including the church where a scene from "The Out-Of-Towners" (with Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis) was shot, and the Dakota - the home of Yoko Ono and (the late) John Lennon.
After buying a special souvenir T-shirt for my brother Glenn (who couldn't join us that day), Steven and I entered Central Park, and went immediately to Strawberry Fields (with its famous "Imagine" tiled memorial to the rock legend).
We each took photos of the various sights in the park. While I took a snapshot of the famed Bethesda Fountain (featuring in such movies as "Enchanted" and "Stuart Little"), Steven took more pictures of the hansom cab drivers, their passengers, and the horses that pulled the vehicles.
Exiting at the east side on Fifth Avenue (and heading southward), we began to recollect other sights, such as the Central Park Zoo, the Hayden Planetarium, and the Plaza Hotel. We also mourned the loss of other attractions I used to see such as the F.A.O. Schwarz toy store (featured in the Tom Hanks movie "Big").
Then, we came upon a very bizarre sight, as we saw some tourists in front of a building, taking pictures of themselves, standing next to New York City policemen!
"Well, Jed, they are New York's finest," Steven speculated.
"Yeah," I replied. "They did all they could during '9-11'..."
It was only then, that I'd looked up, and saw on the building the real reason why said tourists were posing with the cops. It was summed up in one word: TRUMP!!
We quickly moved along, trying to erase that image from our minds!
Stopping off at a Mom & Pop eatery (instead of the usual chain restaurants), we had a light lunch, as Steven continued to explain to me his future plans...
"After unloading a number of personal artifacts," he said, "I hope to sell the house before the end of the year, and move in with my brother for a short time, before moving to upstate New York."
"Any prospective buyers yet?" I'd asked.
"One neighbor wanted to use the property for his motorcycle collection."
"How interesting."
After our repast, we began to head back towards Penn Station, so that Steven can catch an early afternoon train to reconnect with his sibling in Newark. Along the way, we passed through Rockefeller Center, where the three-story-tall inflatable ballerina (which I saw three days ago with Joe Strike) still sat, overlooking the area of the ice rink (still replaced with chairs and tables for the Summer).
Finally, we'd reached the entrance to Madison Square Garden, where I got a total stranger to take a picture of the two of us. You can check out said picture at this link:
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/25094960/
Going underground, we got to the Penn Station ticket booth. We'd promised to keep in touch with each other, via the Facebook 'Messenger' feature. After one last embrace, we went our separate ways.
I still had a little time to kill in Manhattan, so I walked down to Union Square, where I did a little shopping at two Broadway stores I used to frequent, when I was still a New York resident: Forbidden Planet (an internationally-known comic book emporium) and Strand Books (where I'd picked up a copy of a rare book of stories by famed "New Yorker" writer James Thurber - "Further Fables For Our Times").
After taking a few last-minute snapshots (with my disposable camera), I headed back north to Penn Station, caught an early evening L.I.R.R. train, and headed back to Wantagh - where my sister Rhonda would be waiting for me in her SUV - with more plans for my final day in New York...
- - - - - - - - - - "UPDATE": Shortly after posting this journal, I had learned (via "Facebook") that Steven F. Scharff managed to find some temporary lodgings in Suffern, New York - which he will hopefully move into before the end of 2017. He'll be residing there for a year, while seeking employment in (or near) the upstate town. Once he lands a good job, he'll try to find another place that will be his permanent residence...
Of course, in his spare time, he'll continue to contribute his art and written material for future issues of "Rowrbrazzle". BTW, if any of you would like to join the long-running 'funny animal' APAzine, contact its editor Edd Vick at edd[at]speakeasy.net or write to him at 1505 SW Alaska Street, Seattle, Washington 98106.
(To be concluded...)
Tebby1988
~tebby1988
did you find yourself
RobCat
~robcat
OP
Hey! Don't forget that New York is such a big city, it's easy to lose yourself in it! So, I guess you could say I did find myself!
