NYC has an unquestionable romantic allure. This is the city of carriage rides in Central Park, the top of the Empire State Building, and ice skating in Rockefeller Center. I confess I am a romantic, perhaps even of “hopeless” classification. Yet I, and every other single woman (person?) in New York, has considered the chance that romance in Manhattan is dead. Maybe it moved to Brooklyn? No one writes love letters any more and forget about the grand gestures in tales of yore (and by that I mean the romantic comedies of the ’80s and 90’s: see here). These days I consider it a grand gesture if a man calls me instead of texting. It is that bleak.
Who has time for romance in this city? Everyone is so busy. We spend infinitely more time paying attention to our phones than we ever could a significant other. Modern love is dependent on technology, is it not? Constant communication. Now we can even track our love’s whereabouts through the GPS of our phones! Maybe I’m an old soul, but I find nothing about technology romantic. Craigslist’s Missed Connections may be the one exception to that rule. It is the place in cyberspace where the crazies romantics of NYC flock.
This page of the “Personals” section is both notorious and celebrated, a combination not uncommon in Gotham City. It is comprised of fleeting glances, of shared smiles, of conversations that ended abruptly. That cute blonde you passed in the street who you didn’t quite have the balls to speak to? Maybe she’ll read your missed connection post and contact you. The posts are full of opposing forces: hope and regret, romance and lasciviousness, bravery and cowardess.
I have never contributed a missed connection, though I once strongly considered it. Instead I turned off my laptop and went out into the real world to find him. You may remember this wild goose chase as I chronicled it in detail here. But something changed last week. Now I wish I had written a missed connection for every stranger I ever felt the slightest inkling towards. What changed? I discovered Sophie Blackall’s blog Missed Connections.
You may not recognize her name, but if you’ve traveled by subway in the past year, you recognize her art.
When I googled “Sophie Blackall” I was thrilled to discover she is an avid blogger! In 2009 she began to illustrate the missed connections of New York City. Already famous in the world of children’s books, now the grown up world of New York became entranced with her illustrations. Several of them are even featured in her subway art.
[credit: Sophie’s Etsy shop]
Sophie was as charming and clever as you would expect from her illustrations. She gave insight on her inspirations, sharing stories of reactions to her work, and even showed a picture sent to her by the actual man in the bear suit. After the presentation, she was available to meet and sign books (that is what her blog grew into!). She was so sweet and friendly, happily chatting with all her fans. When my turn came and went, over in but a fleeting moment. I didn’t even get to tell her my name! I did tell her about my blog as I complemented her poster. I figure the chance she reads this blog is about on par with the chance that a missed connection becomes a found one…
Missed Connections Book Signing at Grand Central w4w
You were the brilliant and successful illustrator, I was the aspiring blogger. I wore bright pink tights and carried a red coat. You signed my book, the one you wrote, and I told you I didn’t know who to address it to as I was planning to give it away to one of the readers of my blog. You wrote “For you” and then signed your name. It was perfect. Maybe we can read each other’s blogs someday? Maybe I’ll just admire you from afar. Thank you for being inspiring.
Should I post this on craigslist? We know she reads them!
I wasn’t kidding about giving away her book! One of you lucky readers will receive Missed Connections: Love, Lost & Found signed by the author!
To enter:
- Leave a comment on this post (bonus karma points if it’s a good comment)
- Follow this blog in some fashion: Facebook, Twitter, Bloglovin’, WordPress, or e-mail subscription
That’s it!
For an extra entry (doubles your chances!) share newyorkcliche.com on your Facebook or Twitter (mention you did in the comment.)
Thanks and good luck! Winner will be chosen (by random.org) and announced on March 1st and must contact me to collect their prize within 48 hours.
Good luck!
The missed connections in Richmond can get boring after awhile since they mostly center around one main University, so I do look at the ones for NYC or Chicago when I need a laugh.
I’m not laughing at y’all, just a few people.
I’ve analyzed this illustration on the subway almost every day and I never knew it’s source. This is amazing.
Love her children’s books and cannot wait to read Missed Connections:) Thanks so much for sharing – great post! Happy Thursday:)
My lovely NYCliche – I love Blackwell’s subway drawing. It’s also my favorite. In regards to Missed Connections: although I never posted one myself, I did respond to one. Someone was looking for a co-worker of mine when I worked at Barnes and Noble. So I decided to point the guy in the right direction : ) Hope he found his romance.
Every time I see that subway poster, I always want to buy it, its by far my FAVORITE piece of New york city artwork! I wish I knew about the event!!!
That subway art poster has made its way to Massachusetts. A customer brought it into the frame shop where I work a couple of weeks ago. Also, you totally need to post your missed connection on Craig’s List. What do you have to lose?
I peruse missed connections in Toronto regularly. I’m not single or looking, but I find them entertaining, and once and awhile I connect the dots and find posts for people I know. So far three of my friends and my cousin have been the subject of a stranger’s desire!
Great post. I love your blog.
I once read an article about a young man who saw a pretty girl on the train (I think it was in NY), but he didn’t have the nerve to approach her. He put up flyers describing her, and I think one of her friends recognized her from his description and showed it to her. They actually ended up dating for a while, though they eventually broke up. But still, the thought that he pursued a missed connection like that was sweet and romantic. And I’d Tweet/Facebook your blog post if I had a Facebook or Twitter page, cuz your blog’s awesome and I think everyone should read it. 🙂
I loved her Arts for Transit piece, I wrote about it a year ago! http://adventuresinmediocrity-meghansara.blogspot.com/2012/03/things-im-digging-on-lately.html
My mom found your blog and was amazed that people “just like me” live in “that neighborhood”, too. Is that a “good comment” or what?
I think Manhattan isn’t the only place where romance has gone to die. I think the technology plays a huge part which is sad. We are now able to stay in constant contact but the contact we do have is shallow and as meaningful much of the time. I seriously want that Subway art though! It truly does capture the subways of New York but with a little whimsy added.
P.S. Mentioned you on Twitter and I already follow you on Bloglovin ever since I read about your “biker boyfriend” and I cant get enough. I too am a CA girl looking to live in NYC so I love your stories
Wow. I had no idea that poster I loved on the subway so much was drawn by the same Sophie Blackall who wrote “Missed Connections”! I’ve thumbed through the book many times at the bookstore, but never bought it. Totally agree that technology has killed the idea of romance. Everyone is such a zombie, staring down at their phones ad nauseum as if looking someone in the eye and actually having a conversation would kill them. I often find myself thinking about how different some of my favorite rom-com movies would be if facebook or twitter or smartphones had been more prevalent then. Claudette Colbert would just have tweeted her annoyance with Clark Gable’s character in “It Happened One Night” and then called a cab to come get her when the bus had trouble! The movie would have ended!