Random Walk Around the Neighborhood

Sunday, November 25th, 2012

Vacant lot on Attorney Street.
It was a gray Sunday afternoon here in NYC. I had no inspiration for a photo destination. So I flipped a coin: heads, I go out, tails I watch Netflix. It was heads. I grabbed my gear and a die. Jiggled it in my pocket a couple of times then looked at it to see which side was up. 1: I go north, 2: go south, 3: go east, 4: go west, 5&6 continue in the direction I was heading. At every intersection I repeated the process. If I was unable to proceed I rolled the die until I could. The process is weighted so that it will take me further afield, by going in the same direction more often. But you can change the rules to suit your taste. For example 5 could be stay in that spot and try to find something interesting to shoot for five minutes. And 6 could be pick your own direction. The idea is to take me to places in my neighborhood that I don’t normally go. These particular rules are ideal for a city street grid, but they can be modified for suburban strolls by substituting: left, right, forward, backwards, etc. If the roll takes you back the direction you came, walk on the other side of the street.
The result today was, the sun came out, and I got a bunch of photos that I would never have found if I didn’t go on a random neighborhood walk.

Looks like this location on Avenue C for the New York City Housing Authority is for rent.

Not sure what to make of this paste-up piece off Avenue C, but maybe it makes cents to you.

I interpret this sidewalk piece on Stanton Street to say I kill you.