I don't go into the cool parts of Manhattan as often as I used to and today I made a trek to ChinaTown to see some art and Printed Matter for a book launch. Things that occurred to me in no particular order: 1) Chinatown remains one of my favorite places. It manages to retain its gritty soul as almost every other neighborhood becomes a shinier, glossier, lesser version of itself. My views about China are as low as they've ever been while the opposite is true of Chinatown. 2) The art on walls and in galleries is on another level. I miss popping into galleries and finding a thing I never imagined being created - like patterns carved into broadloom carpeting. Also, the nicer galleries may be free but the price you pay is being made to feel worthless by the gallery assistant who won't bother looking up from what she's doing because she knows it isn't worth her precious time. 3) Public bathrooms get kind of gross. 4) You'll pass girls on the street and the two words you overhear will inevitably be "like, literally. (This actually happened. Literally) 5) About 25-30-% of the people you walk past seem really excited to be there and show it. Whether it's the frat bros in Rangers shirts, girls dressed to the nines going out for drinks, tourists gawking at the sites, or the young gay couples holding hands comfortable that no one will bat an eye at them. The other side of that excitement is how drained you feel after a day in the city taking in a hyper-sensory experience. But it's a good kind of tired.