a wasted half hour on the corner of greene and grand

I found myself sitting on a SoHo stoop earlier this weekend, and with a half-hour to kill before my favorite store opened, I figured I'd take a load off and enjoy the city's beating heart. When you live in New York, it's interesting how quickly you move. Whether you're running to catch the next Manhattan-bound L train or dodging delivery trucks in the garment district, you seem to always be in a rush. Stay here long enough and you'll start doing it too, if you haven't already fallen victim to the concrete jungle's unrelenting pace. Today, however, I decided to sit still, watch and listen. As Starbucks-holding, Nike-wearing Manhattanites fluttered past organic, grass-fed Brooklyners in the dance of the day, I quickly scribbled notes in the margin of my journal.

Some sport teal triangle shades while others rock vintage metal frames, all attempting to hide the judgmental gazes and captious stares they not-so-secrelty give to each other. They sip on black iced coffee or savor their $12 protein shakes, equally fueling their bodies and American consumerism. Avoiding the chaos of Broadway, these fashion-forward commuters compete for attention with their loud outfits as they strut down this SoHo bystreet. It's interesting to see the tension that is created by the collision of these edgy individuals, all of whom hope to receive a glance of admiration from one of their lesser-dressed counterparts.

​Perhaps more is to be learned from these observations, but after all, how much can be gained in a wasted half-hour on the corner of Greene and Grand?