The Company You Keep | Part 1
Beware of those you associate with
Several years back I was a somewhat regular partaker in the NYC nightlife scene. Now I know when I say that, people may automatically think of what they have seen in the movies. However, I can assure you this was far from my experience. Well, kind of. It is a special city after all. And magical things can happen there.
Like the time I was given tickets to a fashion week after party held by a Russian fashion magazine. In a somewhat similar story, my brother hilariously missed out on a date with two high fashion models after they were done with a Calvin Klein photo shoot.
Then there was the occurrence of partying in a room at a hotel located at Times Square…on New Year's Eve. The fact that this was two years after 9/11, with security on super high alert, makes the story that much more interesting. Oh, and this was a few years after rejecting a similar offer from a friend.
Or the time I found myself in a very swanky apartment with the most amazing view of the city skyline (that was like something from a movie actually).
Seeing the finance dudes at clubs and their money clips filled with hundos.
Seeing the older wealthy dudes trying to manifest a sugar baby situation. Or better yet, seeing the sugar daddies out and about with said sugar babies.
Or the time myself and a friend turned away from a meat packing district club after we learned the cover charge was $30. Then watching the news the next day to find out that a member of the New York Knicks (NBA team) took two blonde women home, from the same club… Only to be robbed by them of $50k worth in jewelry in the wee hours.
The lyrics of the following song really come to mind when I remember these days.
Here is the original version plus video from the eighties.
Which begs to mention the celebrity sightings for sure.
Then there is the gritty side I saw. The rats, roaches. Cocaine dealers following me and my friend looking to score. Homeless dudes doin the most. The smells. The grit. The grime. Times Square prior to Giuliani. This is the NYC I know and love.
All in all, these are only a few of the things I can remember. I have many more stories, dating back to childhood. Other than what I mentioned, hanging out in Manhattan is just like your local town.
This next story is not necessarily an only in NYC story. But, one in which exists a valuable lesson. Think of it as a near miss of guilt by association.
Most of the time, my Manhattan NYC sojourns were with a good friend of mine. I can't believe I am about to write the following words. But, for the sake of the story we will call him Hayden. Hayden had a friend of his from high school named Karl (also not his real name). And since Karl had a penchant for cocaine, I always heard of him referred to as crackhead Karl.
End of Part 1.
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