140 Comments

And that there is exactly why I never have people in my photos! So glad you took the time to find some people to talk to and that nobody menaced you with a firearm. Great reporting as always!

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Thanks Rob! I'm sure you noticed that I did not venture over to Warnerville to check out the infamous 80 "No Trespassing" signs bungalow. I'm saving that for my final issue!

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Yeah I was surprised you didn't venture to dine at the Bayhouse, "way behind gods back" but I am impressed that you found somewhere dry to eat! Also, I hope you got an onion ring out of the deal.

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Why is that?

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SE, I hope this is what you were asking about, but Mr. Stephenson had published a "bonus" edition of his newsletter with some additional photos from a nearby neighborhood including one plastered with warning signs:

https://theneighborhoods.substack.com/p/meadowmere-bonus

And I'd remarked that I'd love to go knock on that person's door, bc it'd be such a fun way to die.

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“A few readers, meanwhile, wrote to say they’d rather not subscribe through Substack because they don’t like the platform’s content moderation policies”

These people are hypocrites and they should be ashamed of themselves. Sorry. It’s terrible to me that they want to take advantage of the awesome infrastructure of this platform while patting themselves on the back about how “principled” they are. If they hate Substack that much, maybe they should find some other place to read excellent writing like yours.

They’re here because Substack supports great writing. Without the platform, it would be harder to find work like yours (which I enjoy greatly!).

Just my 2¢.

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If that last lady had had a gun your story might've ended with a real bang! Sorry, couldn't resist. Wonderful read!

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LOL so funny!

Glad you enjoyed it Mr. Jensen. Thanks for your kind words!

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I think Amazon filmed the new Fallout series here!

This issue is just peak Cafe Anne. Bravo.

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Thanks Amran! And I don't think Amazon would dare shoot ANYTHING in Meadowmere. But yes, excellent backdrop!

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I once lived in a neighborhood in New Orleans when the series "Treme" by David Simon was being shot. They did a good job hosting block parties for the neighborhood and reaching out to folks and letting them know what was going on. It made me want to watch the series, which I didn't really like too much. That might be an interesting newsletter---people's experiences with shoots in their neighborhoods in NYC, good and bad. Could start with David Simon's "The Deuce," I wonder if he (or his production designer) still does a good job with shoots like this? Looks like they shot a lot of what was supposed to be Times Square in the 1970s in Washington Heights? https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4998350/locations/

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They are shooting TV and movie scenes in my neighborhood like every day and no one seems to care. About ten years ago, I lived in the basement (aka "garden") apartment of a brownstone in Cobble Hill where they shot that movie with Robert DeNiro and Anne Hathaway. The Intern! Which I still haven't seen!

Anyway they used my apartment just to stow some of the production gear and not only did they pay me $10k to disappear for the week, they paid for my hotel in downtown Brooklyn and meals. Boy, was that some fun money!!!

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Was "The Intern" set in Manhattan and filmed in Brooklyn? It's always interesting to me how movies and tv attempt to catch "the old New York" in other parts of New York or other parts of the country. I lived in Cincinnati while they were shooting "Miles Ahead" and the movie "Carol" was out and it was funny to see how they had shot the whole thing in Cincinnati because it looked more like 70's New York than any part of Manhattan currently does.

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Wow, Moo Cat, that is so interesting about Cincinnati looking more like NYC in the 70s than NYC does. I bet I'd love it!

Not sure where "The Intern" was set because I never saw it. But I imagine it was supposed to be in Manhattan because that's where the audiences would expect the Robert De Niro character to live.

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I loved Treme

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me too; definitely Top 10 TV series

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There have actually been. 2 TV shows shot here...one for a sci-fi show on hulu..another for a documentary about hurricane sandy....by the way I am the commercial fisherman that was not home....great read and welcome back anytime...we love people just not criminals ;)

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LOL

Hi Larry! Your brother urged me maybe 1,000 times to interview you instead of him. But I'm glad I got to spend time with Bebop.

Happy to hear you enjoyed the story!

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Thanks Anne for the introduction to https://theneighborhoods.substack.com/. I have subscribed. As for Meadowmere, it’s the people as, with you, it always is.

You do with a pen what an artist does with a brush or a photographer with a camera when it comes to people (the lack of commas is deliberate). And Rob Stephenson might not do people but he can do groundhogs! And there was me thinking they were desert rats, but then I am Englishman living very close to the top of a hill!🐰

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Thanks aka Kevin!

The amazing thing about Rob's photographs is that while they are devoid of humans, they say SO MUCH about the people in the communities he covers. And yes, the groundhog photo! I loved that too. Glad to hear you subscribed!

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bebop is an icon

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Yes! I'd love to write a whole feature just a day in the life of Bebop, Molly. But his brother Larry is the bigger legend. As Rob note in his piece, the NYT profiled him and number of other old school "eelmen" back in 1997:

https://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/20/nyregion/last-days-of-the-baymen.html?unlocked_article_code=1.d00.UunA.rd8-8phi2V7B&smid=url-share

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this newsletter is *the* most delightful corner of the internet. thank you!

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Awwww wow, thank you Leonor! Your comment just made my day!

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Your post is a perfect companion piece to Rob Stephenson's visual essay of Meadowmere. He gave us the history, the lay-of-the-land, stories of eels and other curiosities; you provide the colourful dialogue with the local residents. I'll call them the "tidal people." Instead of waving you off with their shotguns, they opened up to you in such interesting ways. I'm not sure I'd like to live there, but getting to visit Meadowmere through your post is just fine. You are so good at what you do, Anne.

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Renato, I know you are a "Neighborhoods" regular, and yes, Mr. Stephenson's account and photos for sure tells a side of the story that my style of doing reporting can't convey in zillion years. Glad you enjoyed the double tour!

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It’s wild that I’ve been here this long without a hint this neighborhood existed. It’s time to expand my world a few steps beyond “campus and skatepark.” Especially when the skatepark’s next to campus.

It seems lightly haunted, which has appeal to my crossed wires. There are hints of a Lovecraft panic attack.

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It makes me wonder, DD, how many other neighborhoods there are like this in the city that we've never heard of. Maybe there's like, dozens and dozens. Wouldn't that be great?

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Always a great Monday morning read, Anne. Thank you for being consistently curious.

Also, your "friend" is a great source of "wisdom" and "wit."

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Thanks Drew! And yes, viva Aharon! He is the best.

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There's a sentence in "The Ambassadors" where James explains that a tiny, barely noticeable change in someone's feelings almost happens, but doesn't actually happen. I'd try to find it but it would require rereading the whole book and I can't face that.

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LOL

Jeff, it's curious there are a few James novels I managed to enjoy quite a bit including "Portrait of Lady." But I keep trying others, including most recently "The Ambassadors," and manage to wade through a few chapters before I realize I just can't.

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I finished Ambassadors on my second try. But I think reading late James a few times a week might be good therapy for internet addiction, sort of like eating leafy green vegetables to lower your cholesterol.

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shit i sped-read this on cell and missed ahoron sighting now scrambling back with fingers....

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Bebop has the most huggable face I've ever seen 🤗

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Great way to characterize his look Emily. I agree. Despite his fightin' words, Bebop indeed struck me as very huggable.

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Woo! This looks like New Orleans to me! I saw the puddle photo and thought, Oh--home :) Living on moontime and watertime can be so rewarding -- akin to living on a boat which I have done. I am so glad you investigated this little bit of NYC, Anne. And Aharon, thank you, thank you--how tickled I was to see a Henry James joke as there are not too many out there. I'm gonna have a happy Monday now--thanks!

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Thanks A!

Now I want to spend more time in New Orleans. I was just there once for a biz trip but I loved it so much. What a great vibe.

Shall we all collab on a Henry James joke book?

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My dear departed uncle was a James scholar and we often had lively Jamesian ha-ha's at the dinner table so I am all in for a joint joke venture. :). NOLA life on the lake is very diff than NOLA life in its standard neighborhoods -- lake life is so very much like Meadowmere, including crabbing off the side of your boat for dinner...motor oil and pollution. yum.

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Yet another neighborhood l’ve never heard of!

Ps my favorite part of the eclipse was watching New Yorkers watching it🌗

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Jillian—me too. Who cares about the eclipse? I totally went out to people watch!

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My toon came out moments before that guy posted his t-shirt in the window. New Yorkers... ya gotta admire the hustle ---> https://www.newyorkcartoons.com/p/380-i-survived-the-2024-nyc-tremor

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Oh that's so funny, Jason. I was wondering which came first!

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I always loved "odd", including the numbers. Thank you, Anne, for taking us to this decidedly peculiar place, describing it so illuminatingly that one is right there with you. Bebop had me LOL, a 76-year-old worried that hippies and yuppies would scout out his house so they could loot it later.

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Thanks Jessica! We had an interesting discussion about the difference between hippies and yuppies but I'm still not clear on his classification system.

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Maybe he's worried about gentrification

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Now I know for sure you lived on dog food for a week. You have these adventures so the rest of us don’t have to. From my couch, I entered another world and could make out every precious piece of junk.

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Haha that's great to hear Rona! I DO want folks to feel they are coming along with me. Because I feel you are all with me when I have my adventures!

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