Dead Horse Bay is about an hour and a half from lower Manhattan by public transit, but well worth the journey. There is so much glass on the beach that the waves make a soft tinkling sound as they roll in. It’s a scavenger’s dream, and glass isn’t the only thing you’ll find here. There are still plenty of horse bones to remind you where the place gets its name.

It’s photographer Jay Maisel’s studio building on the Bowery. The fact that he hasn’t sold out to the manic gentrification of everything in New York is even cooler. Makes me happy that the whole place is covered in piss stains and graffiti when everything around it is all polished and shiny and expensive. It’s like a giant middle finger raised to those disgusting, bloodthirsty, city-raping real-estate developers. Awesome.

I came alone and walked up an unassuming flight of stairs to the second floor that opened onto a narrow hallway with a reception desk. Before arriving at the Room, I could already sense the rich smell of damp earth that permeated the space.

This place is very good. Korean inspired diner food. Get the Breakfast Burrito with Sausage, Honey Butter Pancakes, Chicken Katsu. The mushroom burger is very good too.

After his guitar class, I would ride the 1 train down and meet him for a movie. That was years ago. Now I continue to come, sometimes alone. It’s one thing I enjoy doing by myself: going to the movies to see independent films that are oftentimes bizarre and somewhat depressing, but I like it all the same.