Run 96

I'm a sucker for old world charm.  Turning a cornering and happening upon a cobblestone street is always a pleasure in my eyes.  The unmaintained rough road is extremely difficult to run on, even just to walk on, especially in heels, but the look and and feel is worth it in my eyes.  There is only approximately 15 miles of cobblestone streets left in all 5 boroughs.  (Technically it's not even cobblestone, it's actually "Belgian Block".  Cobblestones are of irregular shapes and sizes.  But even now that I know it's wrong, I still plan on calling it cobblestone) 
Asphalt and cement are far less expensive, much easier and quicker to install and requires much less man power.  So with the amount of traffic, volume, time restraints, budget, etc in NYC it makes more sense to go the modern route.  Hopefully some will be preserved and protected.  
I mention cobblestone today, because I went on a run in Soho.  It was a fairly long run, 6.75 miles.  I saw many things along long the route, but the moment that sticks out, the moment that makes this whole adventure worth while is what happened at the very end of the run.  As I planned my route, there was a small one block street that I had not run yet, near enough to include in my run.  So I rounded the corner of Franklin Street and was met with a visually stunning sight.  Franklin Street ended up being a run down alley.  It was paved with old work cobblestone, it was artistically decorated with graffiti, it was filled with scaffolding, unique lighting, garage doors, signs of construction, moped and bicycle parking and a homeless man's bed for the night.  The world's best set designer could probably not create such an eclectic yet beautiful sight.  With out this adventure, I would most likely never wandering into this alley, never experiencing rounding that corning and the euphoric feeling that came with it. 
  

Time: 10 pm
Distance: 6.75 miles
Time: 53:55
Music: Lisa Loeb