Eddy's 2nd Derive
March 20, 2018, by Eddy
In contrast to the first derive, I was already comfortable with what needed to be done and focused on while walking through the streets of New York. Instead of going in the afternoon, I decided to traverse the streets at night, more specifically at 8 so I could experience the different kind of commotion that I would have to encounter. I started on 4th and D, a street in an area known as Alphabet City. I started in front of a garden, but could not get in because it was already closed. This street in particular intrigued me because I have friends that live on this exact block, but I had no idea that a garden was at the end of the street, making me reflect on if I am as visually aware as I claim I am. I could not see into the garden because it was dark, but now I am interested about how the park looks and how different of a feeling it could provide during the day. 
The derive app instructed me to cross the street, so I did so and I was pleased to find a church with a donation box on the outside for clothes. It warmed my heart to notice that kind of decency and I was also taken away by the architecture of the church. It looked completely different from the surrounding buildings. 
However, I was confused because directly next door to the church was a public school. I had to question whether or not that was legally allowed, but I continued on with the derive anyways.
I decided to walk down the streets, staying on the east side of Manhattan, trying to stray away from the middle as much as I could. As I walked down Avenue D, I recognized that the streets were not as busy as they were for my first derive. There was an urban feeling instead of a commercial setting. There were project buildings to my left, reminding me of the poverty that was part of this area and people of color that inhabited the apartments. The most “commercial” place I found was a CVS on the corner of Houston and Ave D and it did not feel out of place, but rather it was adapted to the area. There were a lot more people of color than in the first derive, and I felt a sense of familiarity and even compared the people to the neighbors that I share in my part of the Bronx. I felt comfortable as if this was my area.
That comfort immediately disappeared while walking down the avenue, as an old woman in a wheelchair came up to me and asked if she could use my phone to make a call. I just kept on walking, acting as if the music playing on my headphones was too loud to hear. My headphones were not playing any music whatsoever. For some reason, I felt guilt right after I brushed her off, as if I knew her personally and was purposefully ignoring her. Coming from New York, sadly, I have become used to just walking past people that are in need but this time, I felt weird about the interaction and it stuck with me even after the derive.
I arrived at Houston and Avenue D and walked towards the middle of the island. It was quiet—eerily quiet. I was not used to this much lack of noise from the outside, and I was confused because it was a Friday night. It was cold and windy, but I still thought that people would have been roaming the streets of New York City for the beginning of their weekends. Maybe I was in the wrong area and expecting more of a commotion because of the time and day rather than the location, but I still wanted more. The atmosphere of New York was different for this one block, almost unsettling. It made me decide to walk up Manhattan from 2nd and Avenue C.
While I was walking up this block, I found the noise that I was searching for. The derive app told me to walk up north, but since it is not possible to walk true north, I had to stick to north east and stumbled upon a friend’s old apartment on 8th and C. I decided to reflect on the memories of that apartment. The last time I had even been in the area was in the summer and I imagined who were the new inhabitants of the apartment. I hope they treat the place with care and respect. From there, I walked to 9th and C and decided to walk towards Tompkins Square Park, but not inside of the park because I wanted to focus more on the perimeter. On the way to the park, I found a street filled with trinkets attached to a metal fence. These trinkets were scary, but called attention to themselves as if they needed it. 
While walking towards and around Tompkins Square Park, I oddly felt alone even though there were some people walking on the street. It was cold and windy, so everyone was just trying to get to their destination—whether it be a bar, a club, or any other event that they were walking to. However, as I finally passed the park, it was complete pandemonium on the corner of 7th and A. Bars and other eating establishments were finally starting to get busy and it was very different from the past areas and streets that I walked through. Everyone was out and about, either already drunk or just starting to get drunk and it was interesting that as soon as I stepped away from Alphabet City, walking more towards the numbered avenues, there was more commotion and more livelihood to the city. This area was meant for people to come together and have a good time instead of being a residential area for people to live.
Throughout this walk, I went through different facets of New York City night life. I went through memories of walking through the streets alone in the dark and I was also reminded of the nights that I would go out with friends and be one of those drunk patrons wandering throughout the streets. This derive was an opportunity to go through both sides of a New York City night walk with ease.