Author: Stacy Horn

I went uptown to look for a haunted house, but ended up taking a million pictures of my future fantasy retirement home. There’s too many for one post so I’ll split them up. I found a pocket of houses along Spuyten Duyvil Creek, just east of the Spuyten Duvil Bridge, along Edsall Avenue I believe it was.

Some were in good shape.

This was a shack that I ‘m guessing belongs to the MTA, (it was not far from a train stop) but I’d love to fix it up and live there. It was right smack dab on the river, and I like small, simple spaces.

I climbed down through the woods to the train tracks. This is a shot from the Bronx looking towards Manhattan. Oh yeah. That’s Manhattan. Sigh. I want to live here. Or have a second home here. More to come.

I was having lunch on Bedford Street and I took a quick picture of the inside of Chumleys. Man. The place is completely gutted. Chumley’s is a bar and former speakeasy. From Wikipedia: “It was established in 1926 by the socialist activist Leland Stanford Chumley, who converted a former blacksmith’s shop near the corner of Bedford and Barrow Streets into the Prohibition-era drinking establishment. The speakeasy became a favorite spot for influential writers, poets, journalists, and activists, including members of the Lost Generation and the Beat Generation movements.”

I didn’t love it because it always smelled like cat urine (back in the 80’s). And we know how much I love cats.

I read this 2005 New Yorker article about Einstein and Godel. I really enjoyed it so I wanted to post a link to it in case others missed it, too.

I also keep meaning to publicly thank this place: Ashburns Engravers. After 9/11 I bought them a couple of crosses made from WTC steel that had been given to me, along with a piece of glass from the towers. I wanted the piece of glass mounted in some way, and the crosses engraved to note who gave them to me and when. They did the work and when I went to pick everything up they refused to charge me for it. It was done with such a spirit of kindness and respect. Their office was right near the towers, that’s how I found them.

So if you ever need engraving work done, these are your guys.

(The picture if from one of my many walks.)

There’s been some mixup about my availability and the Census Bureau has assigned me to a different place, for three hours total. Period. No more.

I’m going to call and make sure I’m still in the running for an enumerator job. That’s the one who goes out and knocks on people’s doors. Sounds a little scary, but potentially fun.

Today I’m going to try to do what I’ve been unable to do this week—enjoy this gorgeous weather. Oh! I could go back up to Inwood today! There’s another spot I want to check to find an old haunted house. Even if I don’t find it, this is potentially a beautiful, relatively unknown spot.

I’ve looked at a map and it looks a little tricky to walk to however. Okay, I just checked google maps. There doesn’t look like there’s any houses left that fit the haunted house description in the part I wanted to check. Hmmm. I still want to explore that area though. It’s west of Marble Hill, running along Spuyten Duyvil Creek into the Hudson.

I’m pretty close, but I want to be right up on a river.  I want to be able to see it from the porch (and I want a porch).  I can’t wait to go back up to Inwood to check another spot for this haunted house I’m looking for.  But I’ve got interviews and my new Census job and I’m not sure when I can get back up there. Actually, maybe this weekend.  I think I might find the house of my dreams while I’m at it.  Not that I can afford it, but it will be something to dream for.