GUYS I WENT TO MAMOUN'S!!!

Guys! I went to Mamoun’s!

My friend Sam and I went down there before we went to the dorm’s a few days ago, to pick up more clothes and necessities.

The falafel was different. I was a little heartbroken. It was still the best falafel ever, but it wasn’t the usual Mamoun’s falafel.

Sam’s explanation was the best: “Maybe the flooding made them clean everything, and this is what clean falafel tastes like? Maybe we’ve just never had clean falafel before.”

Gross, but probably very accurate.

This was the first time I’d been back to St. Marks’ after the storm. And my first reaction was: wow, this place is clean!

Once again, Sam has a gift with one-liners: “Well yeah. The streets basically got a powerwashing.”

I don’t think I’ve talked at length about St. Marks yet.  Which is really weird, since the vast majority of the time I spend out and about in the city is done there. So, St. Marks is a lovely little area in the Lower East side. The main attraction is all the crazy stores and all the food. It is a little bit sketchy- but the good kind of sketchy.

Plus, the people watching is really excellent. There are plenty of people panhandling on the streets. Rather than just begging, these guys attempted to convince me that because they’re keeping the neighborhood shady, my rent is lower. Seemed like a good reason to give them a dollar.

The really cool part is the history of St. Marks. It’s almost bittersweet, because there are all these cute little shops – that are in places that even cuter little shops and bars used to be.

Best example is of the St. Mark’s Market. It’s a grocery store in the basement level of the building that spans #19-24. It’s a grocery store, and a Red Mango in the basement, the first floor is a Chipotle, a Chinese food place, and a Supercuts. Above that are apartments. (When I looked up the numbers for the building, I found out the rent of the penthouse apartment – $17,000. A MONTH. For anyone who doesn’t believe me: http://evgrieve.com/2010/01/live-on-st-marks-place-for-only-17000.html)

This building used to have bars in its basement, just like most buildings on St. Marks. But this building is special because it used to hold the Electric Circus. The Electric Circus is famous as the location where the Velvet Underground played. And why is the Velvet Underground famous?? Because ANDY WARHOL MANAGED THEM. He and a friend owned the Electric Circus, and he organized a multimedia show that was based on their music.

My life is amazing. I hang out where Andy Warhol did.