Barack Obama Alley?

Photo by Joe Schumacher.

In his autobiography Barack Obama writes about the first night he spent in New York, prior to attending Columbia. Finding no one home at the apartment he was meant to stay at, he "found a dry spot, propped my luggage beneath me and fell asleep, the sound of drums softly shaping my dreams. I woke up to find a white hen pecking at the garbage near my feet. Across the street, a homeless man was washing himself at an open hydrant and didn't object when I joined him."

The alleyway Obama slept in, pictured, is believed to be adjacent to 200 West 109th Street. Should the unique historical spot be renamed after our new President? Someone get the LPC on this!

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By Jen Carlson in Arts & Entertainment on February 27, 2009 1:29 PM

Comments [rss]

JenChungsBaby

That alley seems like an appropriate spot for a George W. Bush memorial.

jpeditor

Why don't you send your suggestion to the Secret Service?

ANGRYGOD11

I would be proud to urinate on such a memorial, but only if the wait on the line isn't over an hour.

verbal

get over yourselves; if he has his way we'll all be living in alleys soon.

jpeditor

LOL! Hopeychangey!

ixvnyc

Repeat after me: this disaster is not Obama's fault, it's the fault of GWB and the Republican Party. Obama will give it a shot at fixing it, but even if he can't, you still can't pin it on him.

verbal

You've been smoking whatever barry left in that alley; 'give it a shot' - right in the heart.

whitecastlerock

lmao

longacre

By the way, the apartment he actually did live in for awhile when his friend finally came home is at 142 W 109th, a few buildings down on the opposite side of Amsterdam from this alley. Here's a story about the apt and the guy who lives there now: http://www.observer.com/2009/real-estate/obama-slept-here

barryap

Huh, no shit, I've lived down the block for 20 years. If this is true, then it's a nice addition for the neighborhood tour, along with Tom's, St. John's, and...nothing else.

longacre

I lived across the street from there for a month! I'm famous!

Papercutninja

Can i have your autograph?

Mr Mel

I think I'll get a cardboard cutout of President Obama and stand it up in the alley and take pictures of tourists posing with the President.

jpeditor

I'll believe it when he shows his college transcripts.

Rocknrope

I heard George W. had a similar story, except it wasn't an apartment, it was a frat house. And it wasn't an alley, it was a 5-star hotel. And it wasn't a homeless man, it was some chick from Wellesley.

WorksInDUMBO

heh, I love you Rocknrope!

Toby von Meistersinger

But it is not an alley. Alleys are supposed to provide for vehicular access this does not. Just ask the DOT.

Neil Epstein

alley 1 |ˈalē|
noun ( pl. -leys)
a narrow passageway between or behind buildings.

If it's not an alley, then what is it?

NannyState

Sure looks cozy to me.

handsomedevil

Yeah, seriously, read Dreams of my Father, his first book. The man had an incredible (and bizarre) life experience before he became famous.

If anything, Obama's perspective is valuable for cities because he "gets" the urban environment. It would be hard to imagine somebody more different than Bush. (OK, not that hard - just make him female. But still, he's a huge fucking contrast.)