Strolling Through Hell's Kitchen: A Two-Part Saga

   Whenever I'm in a new place by myself, my automatic tendency is to find a comfort zone, a little bubble of space, and just stay inside it. At the same time, I want to feel like I am taking advantage of new experiences, and so I always look for the motivation to wander, and to seek out destinations outside of my comfort zone. I make goals for myself, saying I'll walk this far down this street, or I'll try to find a bookstore that I know is along a particular block. Manageable goals that push me to get to know my surroundings.
       And then there is the greatest motivator of all: pure obsessive geekiness.
       In the first post I made for this blog I mentioned the mythos of New York City. There are a lot of stories tied to this place, and in particular, a whole lot of superhero stories. There's a reason that I've been referring to my workplace as the Daily Bugle. I take comfort in finding ways to make new locations seem familiar. I am an obsessive reader of superhero comics, and this is New York City. That is therefore the lens through which I tend to view the city, and it makes all of my experiences here seem at least ten times cooler. And it has motivated me to wander.
      I really only had one major wandering goal in mind when I first learned I had gotten this internship. During my time here, if I did nothing else, no matter what it took, I had to take a walk through Hell's Kitchen. This is a neighborhood on the west side- bordered by 40th (ish) and 60th (ish) and 8th and the river- that has a long and colorful history, with the primary color being red. Really, the name speaks for itself. These days it's much more subdued, and you probably won't get shot by mobsters and dumped in the river. There are several reasons why I felt compelled to walk through this random neighborhood, and one tiny reason was the cool name, another tiny reason was the bloody history, and one huge reason was the fact that one of my all-time favorite superheroes lives there.
      My first attempt at strolling through Hell's Kitchen came when I agreed to volunteer at the big BEA/BookCon event in the Javits Center. The Javits Center is a big, glass-adorned convention center. It is also right outside of Hell's Kitchen. And so, my plan was to finish my shift at the con, wander the floor a bit, then go explore a few blocks over. I would, I had decided, walk up Tenth Street, which goes right through the middle of the neighborhood and even seemed, according to the map, to have a park next to it. I like parks.
      The sky was clouding over as I left the convention center and made my way down the street. The area is fairly sparse, with empty lots and big industrial-type buildings, so I was feeling a little nervous about being there, but there were a few other people around, so I figured I'd be fine. I walked until I reached Tenth Street, and I peered down it. It looked empty, and a little sketchy. I decided to go one street over, and try that. Ninth Street, it turned out, looked pretty sketchy too. But that was okay. I would just walk down Eighth, which look slightly less mugger-friendly and a bit more populated.
     The rain started to fall as I turned onto the street, which seemed very poetic and entirely appropriate. According to the comics, it rains pretty much every day in Hell's Kitchen. The buildings seemed particularly old, a little rundown, and before too long I started to pass antique-looking theaters. The crowds got thicker. I figured I had gone far enough, but I was enjoying just walking, so I kept going. Finally, I managed to convince my feet change direction. I walked back, and by the time I reached the convention center once more, it had stopped raining. Feeling very proud of myself, I returned to my dorm.
     Of course, once I finally got back, I took a look at the map, and I realized that I should have paid a bit more attention to where Hell's Kitchen ended and, say, the Theater District began, because it was at Eighth Street. Those sketchy streets that I had decided to skip? Those were Hell's Kitchen. I had managed to avoid the place entirely. Clearly, I'd have to try again.
     I didn't get the opportunity until last Monday, the beginning of my final week, when I realized I would have to go soon if I was going to go at all. I decided to stick to my plan from last time. I would walk up Tenth street. Even if it was only a few steps. Even if it was at a run. My pride demanded that I finish what I had started.
     This time, I didn't approach from the Javits Center. Instead, I walked along 42nd Street, through massive crowds of people. It was a lively walk, and I began to feel optimistic when I neared Tenth Street and saw that the people hadn't vanished entirely. I reached Tenth, and this time I went for it.
     It was a very pleasant walk. I had arrived just around sunset, so the sky along the western streets was a vibrant orange. The area was quiet, but not empty, and consisted of a fairly standard mixture of little restaurants and stores. I found the park. It was a tiny park, with two swing sets teeming with kids, and a bunch of benches lined with parents. I took a picture, and tried not to be creepy about it.
     I walked until I felt like I had gone far enough, and then I turned and strolled back the way I had come, feeling like I had accomplished something huge. I had met my goal. I had expanded my comfort zone. I had walked through Hell's Kitchen, and I hadn't been mugged, jumped by ninjas, or run over by trucks illegally transporting radioactive waste, which, if the comics are anything to go by, is pretty dang impressive.

I did go back yesterday, one final time- not quite to Hell's Kitchen, but to a street corner right outside it. Specifically, this street corner:

          ...Because, ultimately, my geeky obsessions dictate the decisions I make and the ways I choose to experience the world. And I love this panel.