The last time Su Ming had gone to Greenwich on New York's West Side was in Marvel, when he went to see Tony's birth mother. In that special era, the streets and alleys of the district had been packed with Hippies and junkies, and the lively atmosphere of bars was everywhere.
Perhaps Greenwich on DC's Earth-0 had once enjoyed such glorious days too, but now that they had entered the new century, it had become a much quieter place.
Or rather, the form of art had changed. It had become more Bohemian, to the point that even the windows of roadside bars and cafés were draped with fringed curtains.
Like an American version of the Left Bank of Paris, life moved slowly here. The little shops along the street sold all kinds of coffee, tea, and drinks, along with simple meals and every variety of cake. Buy anything at random, and you could sit on a bench by the path all day.
That was how artsy youths were. Even with only a few coins left in their pockets, they would still stare at leaves by the roadside for an entire day, as though their sorrow and thoughts could shine like diamonds and be sold for some value.
Making art was actually much like running a bar. They needed their own style, atmosphere, and charm, or they could never last.
Deception Magic was also an art, a dark art. That was why the various magic shops on this Greenwich street, aside from the bars and cafés, all had their own distinct traits, allowing them to remain standing.
Do not misunderstand. This was not Diagon Alley in London, nor Huaxi Village at the foot of Kamar-Taj. Most of the magic shops here catered to ordinary people whose hearts were full of fantasy