SWIMMERS!
James has been swimming with a group of Brooklyn swimmers since the mid-1990s. James has a crew in Williamsburg at the Metropolitan pool on Bedford Avenue. After a few years of living in the city with painting studios obtained through grants or shares with friends, James found a studio in Williamsburg on Berry Street and it became part of his routine to ride his bike from Manhattan to Williamsburg to swim at the pool before heading to the studio (we called it the reverse commute since most people headed into Manhattan to start their day at work). I liked to joke that it was not necessarily the swimming that was important but the meeting up with all the swimmers afterward for a cup of coffee.
James swam summers outside at the Hamilton Fish pool in lower Manhattan--most of the Brooklyn crew would ride over the bridge to swim at Ham Fish. We even commuted with Imogen as a baby in her car seat and later, she graduated to the back of James's bike--she would play in the playground by the outdoor pool while James and I switched out--I swam first, then he finished out with the group. There were additional Manhattan friends that widened the "swimmer group" because of the outdoor pool. After swimming, we took showers under a canopy of trees and headed off to work or if it was Friday, to a cafe in the lower east side, 7A, and take it over to share breakfast together.
The swimmers are a diverse array of people from various professions--artists, musicians, actors, teachers, film producers, graphic designers, model makers--on and on. I would say most are a little nutty for being passionate swimmers in NYC and the lengths they would have to go to satisfy their need to swim. The Ham Fish crowd in particular were so much fun--we would make signs for the intercity pool competition that occurred at the end of the public outdoor pool season. Imogen had a onesie with a Ham Fish insignia printed on it, created by one of the swimmers inspired by the designs of the city ward regalia displayed during the horse race, Palio di Siena, in Italy.
I found that the swimmer group were the most dedicated and steadfast of friends. When we finally moved out of Manhattan to Greenpoint, Brooklyn, we had two friends help us pack the truck on the Manhattan side. Once the truck was parked on the street in front of the house we now live in, I swear, it was like a choreographed dance piece the way suddenly, one by one, the swimmers arrived on the street to move all our belongings into our apartment. It was done so quickly, I think at one point, I was actually laughing. The swimmers threw our baby shower for Imogen in that same magical fashion of the entire community coming together to share our excitement and anticipation.
Those crazy swimmers also branched out to open water swimming in the river and ocean. What joy it was to see their bobbing heads in the water as cruise ships passed them on the Hudson River!
I adore the swimmers.
These are just a handful of swimmer photos that were forwarded to me today.
LOVE OUT TO YOU SWIMMERS. JAMES LOVES YOU.
James swam summers outside at the Hamilton Fish pool in lower Manhattan--most of the Brooklyn crew would ride over the bridge to swim at Ham Fish. We even commuted with Imogen as a baby in her car seat and later, she graduated to the back of James's bike--she would play in the playground by the outdoor pool while James and I switched out--I swam first, then he finished out with the group. There were additional Manhattan friends that widened the "swimmer group" because of the outdoor pool. After swimming, we took showers under a canopy of trees and headed off to work or if it was Friday, to a cafe in the lower east side, 7A, and take it over to share breakfast together.
The swimmers are a diverse array of people from various professions--artists, musicians, actors, teachers, film producers, graphic designers, model makers--on and on. I would say most are a little nutty for being passionate swimmers in NYC and the lengths they would have to go to satisfy their need to swim. The Ham Fish crowd in particular were so much fun--we would make signs for the intercity pool competition that occurred at the end of the public outdoor pool season. Imogen had a onesie with a Ham Fish insignia printed on it, created by one of the swimmers inspired by the designs of the city ward regalia displayed during the horse race, Palio di Siena, in Italy.
I found that the swimmer group were the most dedicated and steadfast of friends. When we finally moved out of Manhattan to Greenpoint, Brooklyn, we had two friends help us pack the truck on the Manhattan side. Once the truck was parked on the street in front of the house we now live in, I swear, it was like a choreographed dance piece the way suddenly, one by one, the swimmers arrived on the street to move all our belongings into our apartment. It was done so quickly, I think at one point, I was actually laughing. The swimmers threw our baby shower for Imogen in that same magical fashion of the entire community coming together to share our excitement and anticipation.
Those crazy swimmers also branched out to open water swimming in the river and ocean. What joy it was to see their bobbing heads in the water as cruise ships passed them on the Hudson River!
I adore the swimmers.
These are just a handful of swimmer photos that were forwarded to me today.
LOVE OUT TO YOU SWIMMERS. JAMES LOVES YOU.
And we love James! Jennie please let us know when James is set up for visits in rehab. Catherine and I would love to come and infuse some swimmer energy into his day. Hope to see you both soon.
ReplyDeleteThat last picture is a fantastic pic . So much love and happiness conveyed in one shot .
ReplyDeleteSo true! Reading all of this doesn’t surprise me—swimmers are dedicated and nutty for sure! When I left New York, the swimmer group was, and still is, what I missed the most! Such comraderie and fun that doesn’t exist anywhere else! And James was such a key player in it all. And such an amazing swimmer!
ReplyDelete