A Different World... At 4:30 In The Morning

As one who simply loathes putting myself to bed—staying up until 3 and 4 in the morning at least once during the week and every weekend—it was still an odd feeling to be out as late in the city, particularly alone. I was dropped off at the Path station in Hoboken, New Jersey, around 3:30 a.m. after a grand night in Atlantic City, and made it back into Manhattan within 20 minutes... a slightly uncomfortable walk up Christopher Street, gently littered with drunk queens; then a snap decision to attempt the subway over a cab, if only for the adventure of the habits of the city late into the night.

The 1 train quickly came to the Christopher Street station—what an odd feeling to be alone in the car. And admittedly, I didn't feel wholly safe. I sat toward the end of the car, so that if anything shady appeared as I made my way down five stops to the express train at Chambers Street, I could handily relocate... Once there, a handful of late-night partiers (or night-shift workers) eased my mind. The 2 train came within 10 minutes as I read the January Vanity Fair cover story on Tina Fey...

Once safely out at Clark Street in Brooklyn Heights, I saw the New York Times truck dropping off the Sunday paper at a nabe bodega... continued walking along a street with no cars, no people, just a breeze and a chill in the air.In the highrise across the street, there were no signs of life, save for one penthouse dweller with the lights on...
And then, alas, some 30 minutes later, there remains only one lone idiot, drinking Diet Coke (hey, it's caffeine-free) and smoking cigarettes, who still won't put himself to bed... insisting instead on posting matters of little importance on his blog.