The Only Living Boy in New York

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In the 20th century,

if you wanted

to know your neighbors,

you moved to the suburbs.

If you wanted

to become an addict,

you moved to New York.

The junkies are in the burbs,

and the building next door

is a f***ing kickball league.

It was art against commerce,

and commerce won.

The kids think the only place

to find art is in a gallery

and the only place

to find romance

is confessing your love

in the rain,

like in the movies.

But it's messier than that.

Well, there's always mess.

It's safe here now,

but there's still urban decay.

It's just migrated

into the dinner parties

of the upper West Side.

The best lack all conviction,

while the worst are filled

with passionate intensity.

Yeats said that,

but so did Lou Reed,

quoting him live

at the bottom line.

Lou Reed's gone,

and so is the bottom line.

It's probably a soulcycle...

the only soul

the city has left.

Everyone's pretending

it's all okay,

but that's a lie.

Something's missing,

and we all feel it.

Including Thomas webb.

He thought he had the answer

and her name was Mimi.

1976. The city was

dirty, crime-ridden and broke.

It was the center

of the creative universe.

New York's lost its soul.

The most vibrant neighborhood

at the moment is Philadelphia.

I like that.

- Yeah?

- Yeah.

Where'd you lift that from?

I didn't. It's mine.

Well, it's good.

So, will you come

with me tonight?

No. Your mom's last dinner

party made me feel invisible.

I know, but we were

invisible together.

If you don't like it,

then you don't go.

I have to go.

My mother's unstable.

Throwing dinner parties

is how she medicates.

Yeah, so what about

the lithium and Xanax?

Not to mention

the nicotine and shiraz.

Semantics.

I have to tell you something.

- Yeah?

- Yeah.

I...

Might be going to zagreb.

- Where?

- Zagreb.

It's in Croatia.

So, Helmut graph,

he runs a workshop there,

and I found out that I can

transfer my credits to nyu.

That's, um...

That's...

Terrible.

Why?

No, why is that terrible?

Because you're the only thing

in my life that I'm settled on.

Thomas, what do you think

is happening?

Between me and you,

what do you think this is?

August 8. August 8.

I think August 8 was real.

It was amazing.

But it was just one night.

I mean, Nick was playing L.A.

I was vulnerable.

We were both on Molly.

I- i thought I was a pirate.

And it was just one night.

Well, I'm crazy about you.

- I'm crazy about you, but...

- But don't say "as friends."

Why? Why is that so bad?

Because pretty girls like

to recruit their rejections

and then call them friends.

Wow.

For Mimi, Thomas was like

the new New York...

no danger, no deliverance.

It made him nurturing

and too boring

to fall in love with.

Mimi thought Thomas

was a boy without mystery.

Thomas agreed.

But all that

was about to change.

Anything worth opening?

Just bills and junk.

W.F.

W.F. Gerald.

I just moved into 2-b.

Thomas webb.

Why so troubled, Thomas?

Excuse me?

I know that color of stress.

It's much brighter

than job issues,

more subdued

than possible disease.

Ah.

Sorry, I'm being rude.

No, I mean...

I'm having a bad day.

Oh.

What's her name?

It's Mimi.

Ah, Mimi.

Derived from williamina.

It means "resolute protector."

There you go.

What, uh...

What is it that you like

about this Mimi?

You a psychiatrist?

No.

You ask psychiatrist questions.

Maybe I can help.

Maybe I can help you

get Mimi to sleep with you.

How do you know

she hasn't already?

It's nice meeting you.

Yeah.

Well, why don't you let a new

neighbor help you out, hmm?

What do you like about Mimi?

I'm in 2-b!

Where did you meet her?

There's this bookstore

called the pale fire.

- Yeah.

- It's named after John sh...

John shade's 999-line poem.

Nabokov.

Right. Well... they sell

rare vintage books in there,

and I'm into that, just

reading off the beaten path,

and Mimi works there.

She gave me

the greatest recommendations.

You know?

She's putting herself

through nyu's writing program.

She reads a book a week.

She's...

Polishing her brain.

Huh.

Beautiful?

Incredibly beautiful.

- Like she's direct from god,

you know? -Mm.

Not second generation,

if that makes sense.

Complete sense.

You know, we get each other.

Problem was...

is... that she has

this boyfriend.

Nick, and he's in that band,

fahrenheit 185.

The exact temperature it takes

to cook heroin.

Properly.

Eh, let's see what we got.

Yeah.

Anyway, so, Nick goes on tour.

Mimi's now available, and

we're hanging out more, and...

We end up spending...

A magical night together.

- Mm.

- August 8.

And then... nothing.

All goes platonic.

How old is Mimi?

She's... 22.

She just turned 22.

She's young, you know?

She's at an age where defense

mechanisms are very strong.

Despite her outer veneer,

she's ruled by fear.

Like so many of us

at that time, you know.

What you need to do,

mm, just make her afraid

of something more

than being with you

in that way.

Which is?

Mm, not being with you.

But how?

How am I supposed to do that?

Mm... let life take over.

Uh, find a window, then pounce.

That's it?

That's your Sage

neighborly advice?

Can I have my money back?

Thomas...

- Is it Thomas or tom?

- It's Thomas.

Not Tommy?

- No, never, never.

- No? Ah, Thomas.

You're not giving life

enough credit.

The unpredictable forces

of humanity.

- My life is not unpredictable.

- Life is as much a dream

- as it is a nightmare.

- My life is conventional.

- My life is boring.

- No.

It's as random

as it is deliberate.

You know, as funny

as it is tragic.

Yours is no exception.

I got to piss.

Dinner parties were

Judith's safety blanket.

A tableful of artists

took her mind off herself.

The swirl of distraction,

seating plans,

gossip, food...

anything

to keep away the dread.

They were the perfect antidote

to her childhood dinners.

The silences,

the drunken outbursts.

Artists came to New York

from all over,

and she always took them in,

clinging to the illusion

of an open, happy family.

Do you miss getting mugged

on central park west

- while walking your dog?

- Exactly. Exactly.

No, but I do miss

the 2nd Avenue deli.

- Uh-huh.

- I miss the lenox lounge.

I mean, do you know what are

in those iconic places now?

Urban outfitters,

- a Starbucks...

- Star...

There's a John Varvatos

where cbgb's used to be.

New York's lost its soul.

What was that, Thomas?

Well, I was just agreeing

with David

that New York

has lost its soul.

Ever since he returned

from three months in Peru,

he's decided to hate

where he's from.

No, it's true.

New York's most vibrant

neighborhood at the moment

is Philadelphia.

That's very funny, Thomas.

So, uh, Ethan, I heard that

you've commissioned Nick bilton

to write the biography

on Evan douriff.

Our mandate at kenta

is very simple...

BIOS on any haircut under 40

as long as they're still

within their 15 minutes.

Self-help, political rants.

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