New Release from Corporate: HK 4.0

New York is a constantly undulating, breathing, whirlwind of change. We see it, everyday in our respective neighborhoods.. the local dry cleaner can't afford escalating rent; it's replaced by an ominously sparse Capital One Bank, uber-trendy Chipotle, neon-filled American Apparel..

Hell's Kitchen (aka Clinton, if you're in the backseat of a taxi or at a meeting with the Mayor) is no stranger to change. Once a den of violent Irish gangs and playground for prostitutes, Clinton can now safely be called "Gentrification Hill," or "Commerce Bank Gardens."

As one of Hell's Kitchen's newer residents (only 5 years, and counting), I've seen my share of change, and though I try hard to imprint the old hood into the synapses of my cerebral cortex, the laws of biology insist that the memories slowly fade into a somewhat polluted horizon. I just can't remember what Otis on 55th used to look like. And because I'm no memory encoding prodigy, I've begun to document these changes just the way Fujio Mitarai intended - with a Canon.

"This just in!" reads a memo from corporate headquarters: "Hell's Kitchen version 4.0 has been released, and is ready to install. Scaffolding, coming soon to a block near you." Not to say gentrification is all evil. Variety is good - for the economy, new business owners, spicing up a possibly dying block.. but I'm just a nostalgic ol' bugger, and a closet documentarian; with a penchant for reminiscing about the good old days when ATM machines didn't require 2000 square feet of airy space and half a city block.

After all, if we don't remember Esposito & Sons on 38th Street when they're gone, who will?