One thing I really love about your memoir is how grounded it is in a sense of place. 23rd and 9th is my old stomping grounds. I lived for a decade in the Penn South co-ops, my building being on 24th between 8th and 9th, with FIT on the other side of 8th, and the projects Whoopie Goldberg grew up in on the other side of 9th.

You aren't obvious or overdone with your place descriptions, but they ring with authenticity and help bring the story to life. I love that!

I don't know if your dealer lived in Penn South, there are plenty of other possibilities, but if he did, I can just see my neighbors throwing fits over his business, and him getting paranoid about it.