Mongolia | USA | Gunj and Friends
Just had an interesting video chat with International Adventuress Gunj and her friend Denise Zabalaga, a photo-journalist who has Worked in Afghanistan and many other places. They were in Gunj’s luxurious penthouse apartment near Union Square in downtown Manhattan, just a stone’s throw from the Strand Bookstore, and I was in my hovel in Zaisan Tolgoi. Talk about inequality! Anyhow, Denise related how she had been searching on the internet for information about Central Asia and came across my blog, which she had never seen before. Checking a few posts she was flabbergasted to see a photo of her friend, who we know of as Gunj, but who she knows of under a different alias. She contacted Gunj and confirmed that it was indeed her in the photos on my blog. Now Denise was staying in Gunj’s apartment during a whirlwind visit to NYC and I was able to link up with both of them via video-chat. Small world!
Gunj and Denise via Video-Chat
posted by Don at
8:32 AM
3 Comments:
Hey, how are doing Don? I've still got some 1$ pre-owned novels I purchased a long ago at Union Square. And I am still sure Union Square is not in downtown. Anyways, it just so happens that I was listening to this song while visiting your blog. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8N6u1a9AHU&feature=related You might like it, since you are so fond of camels.
Gunj lives on 14th Street: 14th Street opens on Union Square as I recall. According to one source:
“Lower Manhattan ("LoMa") is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York. Lower Manhattan or "downtown" is defined most commonly as the area delineated on the north by 14th Street, on the west by the Hudson River, on the east by the East River, and on the south by New York Harbor (also known as Upper New York Bay).”
Another source adds:
“Downtown in the context of Manhattan, and of New York City generally, has different meanings to different people, especially depending on where in the city they reside. Residents of the island or of The Bronx generally speak of going "downtown" to refer to any southbound excursion to any Manhattan destination. A declaration that one is going to be "downtown" may indicate a plan to be anywhere south of 14th Street—the definition of downtown according to the city's official tourism marketing organization—or even 23rd Street.”
While Gunj lives on 14th Avenue, her apartment is on the north side of the street, so technically she is not a downtown girl, unless we use the 23rd St. definition given above. I know from experience, however, that when she goes out on the town she also goes “downtown”; i.e., south of 14th Street.
Anyhow, if you bought your “pre-owned” books at the Strand Book Store, reputed by some to be the largest used bookstore in the world, you were for sure Downtown at 12th and Broadway. I cannot imagine a Downtown Guy like yourself ever venturing north of 14th Street. It’s like going to Sansar! And thanks for the link. I do love camels!
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