My uncle Simon was born in 1937 and has lived in New York his entire life. He is my mother’s uncle, which makes him my second uncle, but he is more of a grandpa figure to me. I have really only known him as an elderly man and his age is catching up to him. He retired from teaching early and was an avid patron of the arts in New York. After retiring he traveled the world with his friend Marvin and was a frequenter of on and off Broadway shows. He walked every day and went to the gym and saw movies and took the subway into Manhattan to places like The Julliard School, museums, and Jewish centers, and for the past 50 years would go back to the same apartment in the heart of Brooklyn.

Unfortunately, the last few years have been a bit of a tragedy for uncle Simon. With the lockdowns, he was no longer able to go out of the house to his local synagogue, or the gym and certainly not to see any plays in Manhatten or elsewhere. I’m not sure how many friends he had but he told us that Covid took his friends so he has no one left from his past to commiserate with. He still has his family but none of them live on the east coast. He also contracted Covid a while back and since then has had physical problems which means he can’t go very far and is stuck in the apartment watching TV or playing on his iPad most of the time. He has one new friend though. A Doctor who lives next door named Jonathon who he can talk to about his ailments and they go out to eat every so often. He seems like a nice guy.

I haven’t been to New York in a few years but every visit has been a memorable experience. In the past, my uncle would book shows, museum visits, or local plays for nearly every day of the visit. We would all go out to eat at some of New York’s iconic eateries. This visit was not the same but still very fun and a break from my stressful work in Portland. My mom and I flew to New York on Saturday and on Sunday the two of us went to Time’s Square to look around and we were able to watch the very entertaining show Moulin Rouge on Broadway. The show was full of dancing, and great singing and had nearly every recognizable pop song mashed up and delivered magnificently. My mom was ecstatic.

Each day in New York we had breakfast at the Mirage restaurant. It is a Greek-owned diner that has the best food and great customer service. It was our sanctuary in a land with no familiar sights. We spent some time walking the streets of Brooklyn and it was not welcoming at all. The streets were dirty as hell, the people were generally dismissive or highly skeptical, and seemed to be on edge. The place is not meant for outsiders looking for hospitality. We were almost hit by a large black SUV as well. I was uncomfortable walking around with my mom. I was on edge and on the lookout for potential threats. I felt vulnerable but it was still a good experience. It made me want to learn jiujitsu and get some mace. Everything was fine though and it made me think about the crime and poverty in Portland. Different but similar.

On our last night, my uncle was feeling better and was able to come out to dinner at a place he recommended called Liman’s. It is a fancy seafood restaurant in Sheepshead Bay on the water and it had some of the best seafood I have ever had and a great staff. We were celebrating my mother’s birthday and they sang happy birthday to her as they served an amazing tiramisu that we shared. I mostly listened while my uncle and mother spoke about their lives and pasts and enjoyed the experience. It was nice to see my uncle eating a full meal and keeping up with us. It was a great final night in New York.

On our last day, we got food from the Mirage to go and ate lunch in the apartment with uncle Simon. I brought my Zoom H4N with me in the hopes of recording something for my podcast and when lunch was over I hit record and pointed it in the direction of my uncle. My mom and I sat on the couch and talked with him about his life growing up in New York, his military experience, and more. I hope not but I also hope he doesn’t suffer as his health deteriorates. I never had real time with or meaningful relationships with my grandparents so while he is my second uncle he is more like my grandpa and I am grateful to have a chance to learn from Simon. He never married and never had kids and I can tell he values his family and enjoys seeing the younger generations continue on with the Fischer genes.

I took along my Canon G7XMK2 which is a perfect travel camera. It has a larger sensor than my phone, optical zoom, and manual setting. I edited the photos with Lightroom. Check out the photos below!

Click the photo links below of the Canon G7xMkII and Zoom H4N to pick up your new travel camera and recording device! (affiliate links)