63 Carmine Street

So, I lived at 63 Carmine Street for many years. Willem De Kooning lived in the apartment just above mine in the 1950s. I know this because I recently read a biography about the artist and they called the apartment a cold water flat. No improvements were made in the building from the time he lived there till the time I did, so you can only imagine what it was like. It did have sunlight, wasn’t tiny, was fabulous on location and had a shower in the kitchen.  It was rather boho in keeping with the creative life I was living.  

I did comedy at the time and some of my characters required props, which people generously donated to me. Several people gave me toy rifles. I can’t recall what character I was doing that required a rifle but I had quite the collection. Carmine Street was not as gentrified as it is now and I had a window overlooking the street with a fire escape.  So I placed one of the toy rifles diagonally in the window.  It prevented the window from being opened and I wanted a potential bad person to think the gun might go off. It worked.  It also served as a marker, everyone knew my apartment. Many adventures and hilarity occurred at 63 Carmine but for now I shall tell of one tale.

When I first moved in I decided to throw a party. I handed out invitations to all. At the time, I was in a comedy group called Premises, Premises. We had a Tuesday night gig for years at the Bitter End. We were doing well and kept getting better and bigger gigs.

And low and behold we got a good gig on the night of my party. I was furious at first, surely the date of the gig could be changed.  No one wanted to try. Okay, I thought, the gig was close by and I will only be gone for an 1½ hours. The night of the party people came and it was really starting to happen and was great fun. When the time arrived for us to leave for the gig, I told my neighbor to try and keep people from leaving. Maybe people wouldn’t notice I wasn’t there. We went to the gig and time stood still. Everything was delayed and in slow motion.

Finally, I returned to my apartment. A smattering of people remained, apparently they did notice.  I was  upset.  Then low and behold the doorbell rang and kept ringing. Part 2 had begun. The late night folk arrived and went straight into late night.  The party was a success!   

This was the kick off of my time at 63 Carmine Street. The adventures were many and more stories will be told.