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Jul. 4th, 2005 10:12 amHad a really lovely pre-July 4th evening. Our neighbors across the way have an 11-year-old who is away on a special trip, and this was their last night before they had to pick him up from the airport. They love their kid to pieces, but they've had 10 days of being a couple on their own, and wanted one last evening.
So first we went to an absolutely fabulous barbeque restaurant called the Bar-B-Q on 6th Ave. and 20th St. (this is in Brooklyn, y'all). Great food, wonderful atmosphere, good jazz over the audio system, and not expensive -- generous portions served on paper plates, and really good beer.
Then we decided to go to Coney Island, so we piled into their car and drove over there. Parked in the Aquarium parking lot, took a brief walk through the amusements area, which was absolutely swimming with people. I remember coming over here 10 years or more ago, and everything looked tired and run down, but things have been changing -- it was noisy, tacky as hell, everything lively with bright paints and amplified screams from the funhouses, and people yelling from the rides, and kids eating sticky stuff. Really fun atmosphere.
But we decided to walk along the boardwalk to Brighton Beach, and it was just a lovely, cool evening, and there were fireworks in the distance in several locations, and then we got to Brighton Beach. Several hundred Russians wandering along the boardwalk, sitting at outside cafes, an according player playing a Russian song which I'm ashamed I can't remember the name to but which I've always liked, two young couples in their 20s dancing to it in fake-authentic Russian manner, giggling all the time, lots of yappy little dogs on leashes -- just a real scene. We went into one of the cafes and three of us ordered espresso (which took awhile, since the guy in the net shirt behind the counter couldn't speak English), and my S.O. ordered a vodka, because he felt he had to. We sat outside at a table, and watched the drunk Russians wander in and out of the place, including a guy with a little dog who should have been fluffy, but who had been totally shaved, which he explained to us in careful English, which he obviously wanted to test out on us. "Was shaved," he told us solemnly. "All except head. We took to woman, told her clip him, she shaved him. Looks funny, yes?"
They started closing the cafe up at 11 p.m., so we walked back and went home. Stood around gossiping for another hour, and then went in. Great evening.
So first we went to an absolutely fabulous barbeque restaurant called the Bar-B-Q on 6th Ave. and 20th St. (this is in Brooklyn, y'all). Great food, wonderful atmosphere, good jazz over the audio system, and not expensive -- generous portions served on paper plates, and really good beer.
Then we decided to go to Coney Island, so we piled into their car and drove over there. Parked in the Aquarium parking lot, took a brief walk through the amusements area, which was absolutely swimming with people. I remember coming over here 10 years or more ago, and everything looked tired and run down, but things have been changing -- it was noisy, tacky as hell, everything lively with bright paints and amplified screams from the funhouses, and people yelling from the rides, and kids eating sticky stuff. Really fun atmosphere.
But we decided to walk along the boardwalk to Brighton Beach, and it was just a lovely, cool evening, and there were fireworks in the distance in several locations, and then we got to Brighton Beach. Several hundred Russians wandering along the boardwalk, sitting at outside cafes, an according player playing a Russian song which I'm ashamed I can't remember the name to but which I've always liked, two young couples in their 20s dancing to it in fake-authentic Russian manner, giggling all the time, lots of yappy little dogs on leashes -- just a real scene. We went into one of the cafes and three of us ordered espresso (which took awhile, since the guy in the net shirt behind the counter couldn't speak English), and my S.O. ordered a vodka, because he felt he had to. We sat outside at a table, and watched the drunk Russians wander in and out of the place, including a guy with a little dog who should have been fluffy, but who had been totally shaved, which he explained to us in careful English, which he obviously wanted to test out on us. "Was shaved," he told us solemnly. "All except head. We took to woman, told her clip him, she shaved him. Looks funny, yes?"
They started closing the cafe up at 11 p.m., so we walked back and went home. Stood around gossiping for another hour, and then went in. Great evening.
