Spring, in Park Slope, Brooklyn

Photo by myself around 10th Street and Sixth Avenue, in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Pardon me as I get used to this posting thing, again! haha.

It was a drippy rainy day Saturday, a welcome thing for all the flowers and trees. We had a long, long winter this year. It was tough on the psyche. As a result, everyone is relieved that it is finally Spring.

Spring and Fall are typically short-lived in New York. The city thrives on extremes.

Related posts: Roaming Free, in Park Slope, Brooklyn, Sunday Morning, in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and Typical Streetscape, in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

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Warning to Skinny People, in Park Slope

Photo by myself in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Sandwich boards on the sidewalk are a common way of luring people inside restaurants and bars. I appreciate signs that show some originality.

Related posts: Pork is the Answer, on the Lower East Side, Tongue in Cheek, on the Sidewalk and on the Subway, and A Sense of Humor in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

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Wrapped Bike, in Park Slope, Brooklyn

Photo by myself on Fifth Avenue, in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Someone with a lot of energy had tackled a bike on the sidewalk with wrapping paper.

Related posts: Getting Around Traffic, in Midtown, On Custom Bikes, in the Village, and Portrait of a Bike Messenger, in Midtown.

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Neighborhood Dog Show, in Brooklyn

Photo by myself, in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Despite the intense heat and humidity, there was a huge turn out of contestants and onlookers at a dog costume contest, in Park Slope this weekend.

Either there were a lot of female contestants, or when people think of costume, they think of embarrassing tutus. The majority of clothed dogs wore ballerina type things. Above, a black pug was surrounded by a lot of pink, while wearing pink, herself.

It was so insanely hot, I couldn't stick around to see who won.


Dog and owner posed on a raised runway for photos.


One youngster greeted another.


There was a lot of sniffing, drinking, posing and fun.

Related posts: Dogs in Costume, at Tompkins Square Park, Dogs in Fur Coats, on Madison Avenue, and A New York Mascot.

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Fire, in Park Slope Brooklyn

Photo by myself, in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

A fire occurred next door to our apartment building not long ago. Firemen took a ladder up to the roof and broke through a rear window to get inside. They also took a chain saw to parts of the roof.

Mark and I stood watched the whole thing from our apartment and were amazed that the firemen walked around on the roof without any fear of falling through. (I would have been a quivering mess).

Brooklyn is a densely settled area, and any fire has the chance to spread very easily. The owner was home at the time and escaped unharmed.

Related posts: New York's Bravest, on the Upper West Side, On Tenement Life, in the West Village, and Saluting the Flag, Downtown.

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Weiner Bar, in Park Slope, Brooklyn

Photo by myself, in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Der Kommissar is a small weiner-themed bar in Park Slope, Brooklyn. They have a great array of beers and nine different sausages to choose from, including a vegetarian option.

The sausages are delicious. Mark and I visited twice last week. They make some of the sausages themselves from scratch, including one called a 'Pak wurst' that has a curry-influenced filling.

We are in love with this place, which has outdoor seating in the back and a pick-up window in the front for the late-night wurst cravings I see in my future.

Above the chalkboard menu are snippets from local papers about Anthony Weiner, the unfortunately-named politician running for mayor who is renown for his sexting scandals. Recently, he admitted to sexting pictures of himself a year ago, after he had vowed to stop.

I think most New Yorkers smacked their foreheads and groaned when they heard about the last sexting revelation. It was all over the news, and brought down what was once a promising political career. Here is the Wiki entry, if you're interested.

For the Der Kommissar site, including their delicious menu, click here.

Related posts: Outside a Creperie, in Park Slope, Brooklyn, Sausage Guys, in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and On the Price of a Slice, Downtown.

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Antiques Store, in Park Slope, Brooklyn

Photo by myself on Fifth Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

A humorous sign outside an antiques store in Brooklyn. Yes, they have everything, including medieval hatchet thingies to protect yourself with.

We're having a beautiful, unseasonably coolish stretch of days. Hooray!

Related posts: Store Closing, on Fifth Avenue, Outside Mxyplyzyk, in the Village, and A Tour Through the Winter Antiques Show, on the Upper East Side.

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Outside a Deli, in Brooklyn

Photo by myself on Fifth Avenue, in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

A fellow wearing a Yankees cap stood outside a deli in Brooklyn.

This photo was taken from the car from the passenger's seat, while stopped at a red light. I had Mark roll down his window.

I thought I was being stealthy but now I think the guy could see me. So much for my career as an undercover agent!

-- Apologies for the on-again, and very off-again posting. Life has been busy but not crazy, thank goodness. Things have been really good. Clients are strangely happy, which is an odd and welcomed thing. Ha.

Falling into a little slump with taking photos is to be expected, I suppose. Taking photos means finding something special in the everyday. After a while when experiencing the same 'everyday' (the same commute to work, the same project location), it is a challenge to find those special moments.

Anyway, that is the challenge, and though this post sounds like a complaint, it isn't! I am glad for it. With every challenge, one must dig deeper and get on with it. Bear with me!

Related posts: Typical Streetscape, in Park Slope, Brooklyn, Outside a Neighborhood Deli, Downtown, and A Dollar and a Dream.

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Night View on Fourth Avenue, in Park Slope

Photo by myself on Fourth Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

The graffiti, roll down doors and cars in desperate need of a wash. Home sweet home.

It's surprising that parts of Park Slope look this scruffy. Not all of it is filled with gentrified brownstones.

Coming back to the grind from sunny California and daily walks on the beach was not easy. It was a wonderful reunion though, with our little dog, Rupert.

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Related posts: Graff Attack, in the Meatpacking District, The Urban Art Form, Downtown, and Alarmed, in the East Village.

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Merry Xmas, from Park Slope, Brooklyn

Photo by myself in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Colored lights decorated a front lawn in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Santa seems to have left his boots.

Some of the front lawns in Brooklyn are very tiny or non-existant, with concrete slabs and little patches of grass. Occasionally, there is a tree.

Many brownstones don't have driveways or garages, so there isn't a place to keep garbage cans (!). A paved front yard means less upkeep and a place to keep trash cans off the sidewalk during the week.

--Merry Christmas, everyone! It was a sunny and chilly day here. Mark, Rupert and I are staying in town.

We drove into the city briefly to try out my xmas present, a new camera lens! Hip hip, hooray! It is a fantastic zoom lens that I have to get used to.

I wish everyone a safe and lovely holiday.

Related posts: Random Graffiti, on Second Avenue, Graff Attack, in the Meatpacking District, and The Urban Art Form, Downtown.

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Night View, in Park Slope, Brooklyn

Photo by myself in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Parts of Park Slope remind me of parts of Boston, where townhouses have gently curved fronts.

Related posts: The Sky Above Park Slope, Brooklyn, The View from Park Slope, Brooklyn, and Parked in Park Slope.

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After Hurricane Sandy, in Park Slope, Brooklyn

Photo by myself in Prospect Park, Brooklyn.

A large tree lost one of its major limbs as a result of Hurricane Sandy.

Most likely, this tree will need to be put out of its misery. The Parks Department was out first thing in the morning, making sure that tree branches wouldn't injure anyone.

Park Slope, Brooklyn, is breathing a sigh of relief. We were extremely lucky in this devastating storm. We are located very close to Manhattan, but somehow managed to come out without losing power and without any flooding. The aftermath only looks like the result of a bad storm.

Mark, Rupert and I took a very short trip to Prospect Park this morning, since Rupert was going stir crazy. Just a handful of owners and dogs were there, while the chilly wind whipped through the trees.

Like many others, Mark and I are tuned into the news on TV. Seeing familiar places and tunnels underwater is shocking. The power is out in Manhattan south of 39th Street, which means our offices are closed.

I'm not sure how we'd even get to work anyway, since it will take days before the subways are restored. The enormity of the situation is such that it's difficult for our little brains to grasp what it all means.

Our building is fine; one elevator conked out, but windows are intact. 90% of Long Island, just a stone's throw away, does not have electricity (!). Friends living in Manhattan are without power and heat. They say that all they can hear outside is the constant sound of sirens.

Our thoughts are with the rest of New York City. It was a huge comfort to hear Mayor Bloomberg give his status report on television, this morning.

I don't agree with all Bloomberg's ideas but I do feel he is enormously practical. It is good to know that we are in capable hands.


Along the west side of Prospect Park, folks were already coming and going this morning.


A typical street in Park Slope, this morning. It was a miracle to come out of the hurricane virtually unscathed.

Related posts: Goodbye Irene, from Park Slope, Brooklyn, On Taking Snaps, and More on Irene, and An Early Snowfall, in Prospect Park, Brooklyn.

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Evening in Park Slope, Brooklyn

Photo by myself on Seventh Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

An evening photo from Park Slope, Brooklyn, after a rain. Across the street were a diner and a well-stocked liquor store.

As far as neighborhoods go, Park Slope is very nice. There are pretty brownstone townhouses, an eclectic assortment of very good restaurants and sidewalks free of crowds and trash.

Happy Monday, everyone!

Related posts: After the Rain, in Midtown, West 10th Street, at Night, and Night View, from Union Square.

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Cowboy, in Park Slope, Brooklyn

Photo by myself in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

A cowboy ornament attached to a car antenna caught my eye, Sunday afternoon.

In the background, a typical street in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Like many older walk-up buildings, the fire escapes are afterthoughts and attached to the front side.

Most of the lower floor windows have bars on them, but this is a relatively safe neighborhood.

Related posts: Parked, in Park Slope, The Camera Van, in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and Old-Fashioned Knife Sharpening, in Park Slope.

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The Sky Above Park Slope, Brooklyn

Photo by myself in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

A gorgeous sunset in the neighborhood turned the sky a shade of magenta.

The brick walk-up buildings are typical of this neighborhood. Each building has a tiny yard in front and a larger yard in back. Very few buildings have driveways.

Those who watched the US Open over the weekend know that New York had tons of rain. We had a tiny tornado (!) on Saturday, which turned the sky a dark grey and brought down sheets of rain. Tornados are not typical in our area.

Mark, Rupert and I were in Prospect Park at the time and we managed to run home before the rain came down, thank goodness.

Happy Monday, everyone!

Related posts: Sunset, from the Upper West Side, Sunset, on the Ride to Brooklyn, and Sunset at the Boat Basin, on the Upper West Side.

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Summer Ice, in Park Slope, Brooklyn

Photo by myself in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Ice cream and flavored ice is a welcomed relief to the horribly humid weather we've been having. Some children had a hard time deciding on a flavor Saturday, in Park Slope.

It seemed much too unhealthy to even be outside, with 90% humidity (!). Rain was in the forecast, but it never came about. Today is thankfully much, much better.

Related posts: A Sunset View, from Battery Park, Sunset, along the West Side Highway, and Sunset, from Brooklyn Bridge Beach.

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Sausage Guys, in Park Slope, Brooklyn

Photo by myself on 7th Avenue, in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Street fairs are a regular occurrence in the summer months. Above, a guy at a sausage kiosk gave me a friendly wave.

Streets are shut down to car traffic, allowing pedestrians to wander from booth to booth. Booths sell all sorts of food and handicrafts, including t-shirts, jewelry and hand-painted art.

The only trouble with street fairs is that they interrupt traffic patterns, and you're not allowed to park on that street. On every single day of every weekend, there is a street fair taking place somewhere.

For a comprehensive schedule of the street fairs in the city and some parts of New Jersey, click here.

Related posts: Yet Another Street Fair, Bleecker Street, Mad. Sq. Eats, in the Flatiron District, and Buon Gusto.

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Street Art by Russell King, in Park Slope, Brooklyn

Photo by myself, at 9th Street and Fifth Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

A piece of street art was hung innocently on a busy corner in Park Slope. Written in a red scribble was the sentence 'My least favorite actor - Russell King.'

Russell King turns out to be the artist behind this and many other evocative images that can be found around Brooklyn and the Lower East Side.

This an other King images seem much too pretty to be classified as traditional 'street art', which is often grungy and much less nicely framed. Not much is known about King, and I must admit that I hadn't noticed his work until Monday night. I'll keep my eyes peeled from now on.

For some interviews with Russell King, which include images of his other work, click here and here.

Related posts: Mural in Red Hook, Brooklyn, Big Wampum Poster, on Houston Street, and Cereal Killers Mural, in Williamsburg.

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Congregating Outside, in Park Slope, Brooklyn

Photo by myself at Fourth Avenue and Ninth Street, in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

A procession with hundreds of followers wound their way through Park Slope on Friday. Many people were in attendance, bearing crosses.

The procession ended just outside St. Thomas of Aquinas Roman Catholic Church. Yesterday was Good Friday. Most businesses were closed in observance.

Related posts: Salvaged from the World Trade Center, Grace Church, in Color, and St. Thomas Church, on Fifth Avenue.

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All Gussied Up, in Park Slope, Brooklyn

Photo by myself, in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

A well-dressed fellow in Brooklyn wore a fedora and a coat with a fake fur collar. He looked as if from another era, Saturday afternoon.

I took this photo while stopped at a streetlight. It looked like he was in the midst of moving to or from the neighborhood.

Update: Thanks to Antjas from Sudbury Daily Photo, who suggests that this fellow had just returned from Costco, haha.

--
Gah, I'm sorry for the sporadic posting. My stash of photos is in such a sorry state, where nothing seems worth sharing, if you know what I mean?

Thankfully, today is President's Day in the US. Most people have the day off. Hooray!

Related posts: Stoopside, in Brooklyn, Funky Chicken, in Park Slope, and Back in Time, in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

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