April 2, 2009

Diminishing Returns



What could you do with $4000? Probably alot. You know what I do with it? I give it to the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority every year for the privilege of riding their public commuting system. Did I mention that my 35 mile commute takes me three and a half hours round trip every day? And did I mention that they are increasing rates and decreasing service?

Every day, the reasons for living in New York diminish. I can't wait to leave.

Fuck it.

It's Baseball Season!

The Nomad clan travelled to the opening of the New York Mets new Citifield (aka- Tax Payers Field- as we just gave Citibank billions of dollars) to take in the opening. Here are some pictures. It's a beautiful stadium. However, what a waste of money!


The view of the new Citifield from the ruins of the old Shea Stadium

A shot from the first level.

A shot from the Upper Deck. Still a great view.


Toonage:
Mc5 - Train Music
Jimmy Rodgers - Train Whistle Blues
New York Dolls - Subway Train
White Stripes - Stop Breakin' Down



----------------
Now playing: D.O.A. - Slumlord
via FoxyTunes





9 comments:

AC'63 said...

Great shots ... Some of my clients worked on building that field, looks pretty good. We in Ontario are still paying for Sky Dome, sorry it's now called Rogers Centre after the gov't sold it at a loss.

It takes you 1.45 hrs to get to work, and then home again. Where in hell do you work and where do you live. I'm a 20minute drive from work, if I took transit it would take a hour.

Nish said...

Sweet!
Yeah,I'm gonna miss Shea :(
Your so lucky....Mets are my fav.

Hope you have a great time.

Nazz Nomad said...

I live out on Long Island... which means I have to:
a: drive to train station
b: walk a half mile to train platform
c: commuter train into Manhattan
d: subway cross town

driving would take longer and cost around $90 per day for tolls, gas and parking

I (do not) love New York

AC'63 said...

so your not as far as Deer Park then>

b said...

Yeah, this price increase is making me seriously rethink my commute style... UGH! I'm going to be ending school and also finding a new job soon. . . hope it's in walking distance. Which is fine in the summer but not the winter. .. It's getting ridiculous. Shouldn't complain compared to your commute though! Good luck with that one.

Thank god baseball's back. Can't wait to go to a game.

heh heh "stop breakin down." word.

Your driver said...

Jesus, Make me feel older why dontcha. When I was a kid, I became a Mets fan because Shea Stadium, which had just been built, was so new and shiny. Yankee Stadium was in serious decline. It didn't have any venerable patina. It was just old and smelly.

We in the transit industry appreciate your thinking of us. When I got into this business it was expanding. Lots of federal dough from the Nixon administration. Nowadays it's embarrassing to be held responsible for the crummy service we occasionally provide.

Finally, I republished one of your poems at my site. Hope that's OK. I liked it.

Nazz Nomad said...

The new stadiums are beautiful, but it's disgusting that they were built using public money.

Your driver said...

Hey, if they can use public money to build the Metropolitan Opera House they can use public money to build a ball park. The both contribute to the life of the city. I wish AT&T park in SF didn't have that gigantic Coke bottle looming over the waterfront, but otherwise I like seeing the ball park right downtown. It's as nice and as useful a building as Davies Symphony Hall. I'll admit, nobody's making a profit off the symphony while the ball park is a big profit maker.

Nazz Nomad said...

The amount of money that the Yankees and the Mets rake in is obscene. Box seats at a Yankees game will be going for over $2000 per seat this year. If they were non-profit, than I would be open to public funding (like the symphony and most arts).