On Napping in Bryant Park and Parking in Brooklyn

Photo by myself, in Bryant Park.

A shoeless fellow napped while witting on a cafe chair, in Bryant Park. It must have been perfect napping weather.

This photo is from the stash. Bryant Park is the ideal place to nap, under the cover of tall trees. In the background is the carousel, which runs pretty much all year.

-- Yes, I'm back in New York. I arrived very, very late last night.

One of my first tasks was to wake up early this morning to move the car. Oy. Mark traded our Mini Cooper, Clive, in for a car that I can actually drive. That means I must share in the parking duties.

New York conducts street cleaning, which means a zamboni-like thing crawls along the streets with big brushes to move debris, which means that every few days, you must move your car.

In Manhattan, each side of the street gets cleaned twice a week. In Brooklyn, only once a week. So your car cannot be parked along certain sides of the street on certain days, else you get a ticket. Often, people leave their cars on the street and get tickets because it's cheaper than putting the car in the garage.

Before going to LA, I parked the car on a Tuesday side. That meant finding another spot before 8:30 am today. I stumbled out with very little sleep to find a parking space. Dangerous. Excruciating. But I somehow found a spot, and managed to park without damaging anything.

Only on certain holidays or during heavy snowfall, is this practice suspended. I'm sure there were more than a few Seinfeld episodes about parking? I remember either George or Jerry sitting in a car, ranting. That's exactly what it's like.

Related posts: Crossing Broadway, on Wheels, On Wheels, in the Financial District, and On Skateboard Graphics and Subways in Mid-Air.

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Sailing Above the Sand, on Venice Beach

Photo by myself at the skate park, on Venice Beach.

A large skate board park on Venice Beach, invites skate boarders to practice and perform. Not in view are the railings that surround the large park, protecting the audience from accidents.

There are several different swooping areas to skate here, with varying degrees of difficulty. The most acrobatic skate boarders sailed through the air, doing twisty tricks. It was mildly hypnotic to watch.

Venice Beach is just a short walk south from Santa Monica. It was brightly sunny (as it is most days) but the sea breezes make it very comfortable.

-- My family and I walked along Venice Beach the other day, along with hundreds of others. There were food carts outside and artists selling their work.

I'll be flying back to New York today.

Related posts: Crossing Broadway, on Wheels, On Wheels, in the Financial District, and On Skateboard Graphics and Subways in Mid-Air.

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The View Down Seventh Avenue, in Midtown

Photo by myself around 7th Avenue and 55th Street, in Midtown.

Looking down Seventh Avenue from the back seat of a cab, you can see the taller buildings near Times Square.

If you're ever visiting New York, I recommend getting in a taxi on a nice day and sailing up or down one of the busier avenues. You get a view that is wholly different from the typical pedestrian view. Another alternative is to get on one of the many city buses. The fare is the same as a subway ride ($2.25 per ride).

Because you move faster than on foot, you're not hung up so much on the little details, and see the sweeping view of the street.

-- This photo is from the stash. I'm currently in Los Angeles until Monday.

Looking through tons of photos to post for today, I started getting very homesick. I know it sounds ridiculous to idealize bumpy cab rides while vacationing among sunshine and palm trees!

By the way, when New Yorkers say we're heading 'down Seventh Avenue', it's understood that you're moving south. If you're heading 'up Seventh Avenue', you're moving north.

Traffic on Seventh Avenue runs north to south, however, so if you're in a vehicle, the only way is down.

Related posts: Cabs Galore, on Lexington, Looking Up, at Rockefeller Center, and Night View, Along the East River.

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On the Subway Shuffle, Below Ground

Photo by myself, in a subway car.

A man wearing a highly decorated jacket stood in a subway car.

A photo from the stash, taken when people wore more clothing. Sometimes while sitting on the subway, there will be various body parts or backpacks or purses in front of your face. It's hard to get away from people.

Speaking of subways, there was a short video clip on the front page of the Times website the other day. On subway platforms where an express train is on one side and the local is on the other, riders have to choose between which train to board. You will see people running back and forth between trains.

Sometimes the train that pulls in first leaves first. But not always. It can be a sometimes funny sight to watch riders scamper back and forth in their flip flops.

The Times calls this 'the Subway shuffle'. New Yorkers call it 'commuting'.

 Related posts: Sunset, on the Ride to Brooklyn, Ghoulish Greetings, on the R Train, and All Clear, Below Ground.

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Greetings from Casa del Mar, in Santa Monica

Photo by myself at the beach in Santa Monica, California.

It's blustery and cool near the beach, in Santa Monica, California. The above photo was taken at sunset, next to the fancy hotel next door, 'Shutters on the Beach'.

I'm visiting my fiance Mark, who is here for a work project. We're staying at a super fancy hotel called Casa del Mar. Situated right on the beach, the rooms are prettily decorated and have ocean views.

Very often, you will see celebrities in the lobby, having brunch or drinks. So far, I haven't see any, but I am on the lookout, haha! I must say Casa del Mar is one of the prettiest hotels I've stayed in. It is a welcome departure from the steamy sidewalks of New York City.

Photos will continue on this blog, while I'm away.

A photo from our well-decorated room at the Casa del Mar.

The walls are a powder blue, and the furniture is whitewashed. It's difficult to remember that you're still in the 21st century.

The spacious lobby at the hotel. A huge double-sided gas fireplace was roaring, even though it's the end of July.

Related posts: Greetings from Santa Monica, The Hotel Shangri-La, in Santa Monica, and More Notes, from the Left Coast.

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The Look, Outside the Flatiron Building

Photo by myself outside the Flatiron Building at 23rd Street and Fifth Avenue.

A tour bus stopped for a nanosecond in front of the detailed facade of the Flatiron Building.

You can see all the gorgeous stonework beyond. Meanwhile, a man gave me 'a look'.

-- More apologies are in order on my part for missing yet another day on this blog.

Yes, it's been insanely busy as usual. I'm also off to LA on Thursday to visit Mark, who is working there on a project. Photos will continue here, as usual!

Related posts: The Look, in Times Square, Mid-Bite at Joe's Pizza, in the Village, and The Look on Greene Street, in Soho.

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Giant Bird, on Broadway

Photo by myself on Broadway and 79th Street, on the Upper West Side.

One of the many whimsical sculptures of animals by artist Peter Woytuk is located on the median strip along Broadway.

A giant raven is balanced on three giant green apples. In front of the sculpture, a typical New Yorker was standing in the pose of the moment, checking his mobile phone. Notice also another fellow in the background checking his phone, while sitting on a bench!

I have to wonder whether sculptures of people will show them in this contemplative pose, just as life-sized Roman emperors were depicted in costume, looking out in the distance at worlds they wish to conquer.

Eighteen of Peter Woytuk's works are displayed along Broadway, from Columbus Circle at 59th Street, all the way up to 168th Street.

For more about the artist and locations where is work can be found, click here. 

-- When New Yorkers talk about being 'on Broadway', we are usually referring to Broadway, the street, that is, the very, very long street that runs north-south.

Only rarely do we mean on stage!

Related posts: Atop the Puck Building, on Houston Street, Mural in Red Hook, Brooklyn, and In the Shadow of the Standard Hotel, on the West Side.

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On Greene Street, in SoHo

Photo by myself at Greene and Spring Streets, in SoHo.

One of the many nice things about SoHo is that some of its streets are still cobblestone.

It makes for a nice texture, though not so great in the winter or when you're wearing high heels.

-- When my mother visited New York long ago for the first time, she thought 'SoHo' was a name in another language.

Nope. 'SoHo' is short for 'South of Houston Street' (pronounced 'Hows-ton').

There is a 'Soho' in London, too. Wikipedia says that city was named 'in the 17th century. Most authorities believe that the name derives from a former hunting cry.'

Related posts: Twilight, in SoHo, After the Snow, in SoHo, and Strung Along, in SoHo.

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Portrait of a Cab Driver, on Fifth Avenue

Photo by myself, on Fifth Avenue.

A cab driver posed for a portrait after taking me on a trip up Fifth Avenue. You can just see the lush foliage of Central Park, in the background, and a little of my reflection in the rear window, haha.

We had just had a long, animated conversation about lots of things, during our 60+ block trip uptown. We took a shortcut by going north through Central Park, avoiding the stop-and-go of traffic lights.

Right now, you can enter the park at 59th Street and exit at 72nd Street on either the east or west side. The park extends all the way up to 110th Street, but the upper portion of the park is closed to thru-traffic.

I don't often talk with cabbies, but after he honked angrily at another driver hogging up two lanes, we commiserated about bad drivers, Mayor Bloomberg, the upcoming city-wide bike share and how surprisingly few accidents take place.

We were both not enthusiastic about the upcoming bike-share, where scores of bikes can be rented and dropped off at various locations. Just imagining loads of cyclists who might not know what they were doing sounded like potential disaster to us, crotchety New Yorkers.

I asked the cabbie if I could take his photo at the end of my trip, and he told me his name, but....by the time my meeting was over, I completely forgot it. Argh!!! He was such a lovely fellow!!

--By the way, most New Yorkers refer to Central Park as 'the Park', just as they refer to Manhattan as 'the City'.

No, we are not so egotistical that we think there are no other cities or parks on this planet. We are lucky to have many parks to choose from. It's just an easy shorthand for people when speaking.

Happy Friday, everyone!

The Portrait Series is a once-in-a-while installment, featuring New Yorkers encountered on the street.

Related posts: Portrait of a Bike Messenger, in Midtown, Portrait of a Guy on Sixth Avenue, and Portrait of a Dog Owner, in Tompkins Square Park.

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The Empire State Building, Bathed in White

Photo by myself, at 35th Street and Broadway, in Midtown.

The Empire State Building was all lit up in white, the other night.

The lights on the ESB are color-coded for various holidays. White is the default, neutral setting. Red, white and blue marked the July 4th weekend. Red and white honored Canada Day, recently.

As many as three different colors dress up the ESB on any evening. Most of July, the building will remain white. Whenever there is a 'subway series' game (when the Yankees play the Mets), the tower is lit up in white and blue.

For an up-to-date calendar of the lights at the Empire State, click here.

Related posts: The Empire State, at Dusk, All Decked Out, Below the Empire State, and The Empire State, on St. Patrick's Day.

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Riding the Escalator with Groceries, on the Upper West Side

Photo by myself at Trader Joe's, on the Upper West Side.

In cities, floor area is limited. So one option for more space is to go up or down.

At many supermarkets and drugstores, escalators take people and their shopping carts to other levels. The street level might have an entrance and a small display area, but larger lower floors provide more area for shopping.

It's a win-win situation: windows aren't necessary for stores, and buildings can rent out large underground expanses in one fell swoop.

At Trader Joe's on the Upper West Side, an escalator brings shoppers down to a larger basement floor. Their shopping carts ride on a separate escalator alongside. There are two basement levels at this store, one for produce and the checkout lines, another for frozen foods and other items. The store was packed as usual, Tuesday night.

Trader Joe's is known for its grass roots aesthetic, reasonable prices and interesting foodstuffs. There are many grocery store chains here, each with their own personality.

-- By the way, I ran around town Tuesday while carrying: architectural drawings, a 25-foot measuring tape, wallet, pens, tracing paper, a notebook and my big Canon DSL camera. Without exaggeration, my bag must have weighed 15 lbs!

Life has been much busier than usual, with weekends spent at the office, and early mornings at my desk until late at night. I'm working on several things: a townhouse kitchen renovation, a two-part renovation on Central Park South, a small project on the Upper East Side that is just finishing up, and another project on the Upper East Side that just started. Yipes.

I miss walking around the city with my camera. The craziness will end soon, thank goodness!

Related posts: Window Shopping on Elizabeth Street, in Chinatown, All Things Food, at Brooklyn Kitchen, in Williamsburg, and Living in Style at A&G Merch, in Williamsburg.

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Upside Down on the R Train

Photo by myself on the subway, below ground.

A young woman performed some acrobatics on the subway ride home on the R train, Monday.

Young acrobats use the rails in subways that are there for passengers to hold onto. Sometimes you can see footprints on the subway ceiling, haha (!).

This was the first female performer I'd seen. Her performer friends are standing in the background. Meanwhile, a loud soundtrack played on.

Related posts: Enjoying a Fling, on the R Train, Enjoying a Fling, on the R Train, and On the Floor of the Subway and the Recent Quake.

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Dog Days of Summer, at Prospect Park, Brooklyn

Photo by myself in Prospect Park, Brooklyn.

To cool off during the summer, dogs enjoy the cooling waters of the pond, in Prospect Park.

A fence is put up in the pond, to prevent dogs and their toys from going out too far. Ducks and turtles can often be spotted on the the other side.

Sometimes, owners wind up going in, too, at least, up to their knees.

-- Apologies again for sporadic posting, folks! It's been crazy busy at the office.

Related posts: All Ears, in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, Boston Terriers Gone Mad, at the Mad. Dog Run, and Doggy Bag, on the Q Train.

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Manhattanhenge, 2012

Photo by myself in Midtown.

Tuesday night marked one of the days of 'Manhattanhenge', where the location of the sun at sunset aligns with the street grid of Manhattan.

I happened to be walking out of the office, around 8 pm. When I saw people standing on street corners facing west, I knew. It was that time of year again.

Manhattanhenge takes place twice a year, at the end of May and the beginning of July. The exact alignment only lasts a couple days.

For my photo of Manhattanhenge photo in 2010, taken in the same area, click here.

Related posts: Occupy Town Square, in Tompkins Square Park, Occupy Wall Street, One Day at a Time, and Tibetans of the World Unite.

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Thinking Outside the Box, in Union Square

Photo by myself in Union Square.

An Occupy Wall Street demonstration was held some weeks ago in Union Square.

The Occupy movement has dispersed from its original location in Zuccati Park, near the World Trade Center. The mayor had the park cleared out when businesses started to be affected by the crowds and news cameras.

You now see smaller, transient groups of people with signs of protest in various locations, including Union Square and Tompkins Square Park.

Related posts: Occupy Town Square, in Tompkins Square Park, Occupy Wall Street, One Day at a Time, and Tibetans of the World Unite.

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Watching for Rain, in Washington Square Park

Photo by myself in Washington Square Park.

A few visitors sat in Washington Park during a light rain. They snacked on what looked like fancy pastries.

Related posts: On Rainy Steamy Streets, in Midtown, Sixth Avenue, in the Rain, and Under Cover, in Midtown.

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Outside Bleecker Bob's Records, in the Village

Photo by myself on West 3rd and MacDougal Streets, in the Village.

Bleecker Bob's Records, a vinyl record store in operation since 1968, will be closing soon.

When I was in the neighborhood a couple weeks ago, the store was open, though the awning was in tatters and a 'For Rent' sign was displayed in front. Bins of old records stood patiently outside.

According to the Times, Jimmy Page, the lead-guitarist for Led Zepplin, and Frank Zappa were friends of the store's owner, and once worked the cash register.

Rumors were abound that yet another Starbucks would be moving in, but the a new tenant has not been found. As of this writing, the store is still open.

Related posts: Outside Strider Records, on Jones Street, Outside All Saints, on 13th Street, and All Aglow, on 57th Street.

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Remembrance, at The World Trade Center Memorial

Photo by myself at the World Trade Center Memorial.

Names of all those who perished from the destruction of 9/11 adorn bronze panels at the World Trade Center Memorial, downtown. The names encircle the footprints of two reflecting pools, where the north and south towers once stood.

I visited the site yesterday, along with hundreds of other visitors, wandering around the memorial in the summer heat. Around us were the glass towers of the complex, still under construction.

Each name is cut into the metal, so that you can see through to a shallow pool of water, below. At night, light shines through the openings, which must be an incredible sight.

Overall, I was impressed by the simplicity of the memorial. All the details were well-conceived, from the mechanism that controls the waterfalls to the street lights. And of course, the sheer number of names is overwhelming.
  Water plunges thirty feet, then drops again within the center of each pool. The bronze panels are climate controlled, so they can be touched at all times of the year.

In the background, you can see the stainless steel panels of the future World Trade Center Museum.

Young oak trees are planted throughout the space, to soften the spare aesthetic of the memorial. Over time, they will grow to form a canopy around the pools. Simple stone benches are scattered throughout.

Tickets to visit the memorial are free to the public. You must go through airport security to enter, but once the memorial is completed, the barricades and security will be taken down.

To read more about the memorial and to reserve visitor passes, click here.

Related posts: Salvaged from the World Trade Center, Night View, at the World Trade Center, and Remembrance, at the World Trade Center.

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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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Hot and Humid Days, in Chinatown

Photo by myself on Canal and Lafayette Streets, in Chinatown.

We've been having a very hot June, with bright sun and high humidity. Yesterday we had very little cloud cover. The sun beat the street relentlessly, and everyone on it.

Most people who live in Manhattan do not own cars. Parking on the street is not reliable, and parking garages are expensive. As a result, you combat the elements every (freaking) day.

I've seen people carrying double basses, trash bags full of stuff, dogs and cats on the subway. For larger or more complicated trips, you can always hail a cab or rent a car.

Zip cars, the cars that you can rent for just a couple hours or a full day, are also very popular. Many folks rent a zip car for large grocery purchases, though most grocery stores deliver for no surcharge.

Related posts: Bright Lights, at the Beacon Theater, Twinkly Lights, at the Breslin, and What's Playing Around Town and at Home.

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The Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges, at Sunset

Photo by myself from the East River.

This photo is from the stash, from a boat ride around Manhattan. Above is the Manhattan Bridge around sunset, with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background.

It was a slightly cloudy night, with a storm lurking. The clouds had just parted, showing white highlights in the sky.

If you're ever visiting New York, a boat ride around the island is a worthwhile treat. There are tours available that travel up the Hudson on the West Side, cross over to the west side up near the George Washington Bridge, then travel down the East River toward the Statue of Liberty.

This was taken last summer during our office party, on a private boat.

-- Happy July 4th!

We all have the day off today, in celebration of America's independence. Most people spend the day lounging at barbeques and picnics. Since the 4th falls on a Wednesday, a lot of folks are taking half the week off out of sheer laziness.