Stopped Mid-Song, on the Subway Platform

Photo by myself, on the subway platform at Times Square.

A musician caught me red-handed, taking his photo. He had been playing a keyboard and singing a jazzy tune into a microphone.

All was well a split second later, after I gave him a dollar donation.

-- At first glance, all the subway platforms look exactly the same.

Whether it's below Columbus Circle, Herald Square or Times Square, the platforms look very similar - there is quarry tile on the floor, some signage showing which trains stop at the platform, and a yellow stripe along the edge, with warning bumps.

All the support columns have large rivets and are painted green. There are signs showing the station name.

If you're in the city long enough, you start noticing some subtle differences among the stations. The art is unique to each station. Some stations have very wide platforms, with benches or newsstands in the middle. Other stations have platforms that seem dangerously narrow, especially at rush hour.

Times Square is a large station with many train lines. The station is a maze of tunnels, ramps and walkways. If you know where you're going it's pretty simple but it can be confusing for the first-time visitor.

Related posts: Jazz Players, on the Subway Platform, String Duet, Below Brooklyn, and The Morning Serenade.

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The Empire State in Green and Blue

Photo by myself in Bryant Park, in Midtown.

Monday night, the Empire State Building was all lit up in green and blue. This photo was taken in Bryant Park, about seven blocks north.

During the winter, there is a raised area for seating and an ice rink. People were out skating while 'Grease' was being shown on a giant movie screen.

The colors for the Empire State Building are scheduled well in advance, and the colors often have symbolic meaning. These are LED lights, so technically, the color selection is limitless.

According to the ESB website, Monday's green and blue symbolized 'the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy and International Corporate Philanthropy Day'.

Ha.

For the schedule of light colors, click here.

Related posts: The Empire State Building, Bathed in White, The View from Bryant Park, at Dusk, and Under the Canopies, in Bryant Park.

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Selling Snacks, Below Ground

Photo by myself at the subway station of Atlantic/Pacific Street, in Brooklyn.

A woman named Maria sells homemade fried pastries on the subway platform in Brooklyn. She allowed me to take her photo, but for some reason, did not look at the camera.

I see Maria standing here often, during the evening rush hour. She also sells chocolate bars.

-- Apologies for the blip in posts. Mark has been away, it's been super busy and I've been sick, etc. etc.

Related posts: The Empire State Building, Bathed in White, The View from Bryant Park, at Dusk, and Under the Canopies, in Bryant Park.

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The Steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Photo by myself outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art, on the Upper East Side.

The steps of the Met are often crowded with people standing, taking photos or sitting during a break.

There are blocks of stone above the columns, for whatever reason. This was part of the original design, and have always struck me as looking unfinished. It might be a reference to archaeology, but I'm not sure.

Happy Friday, everyone!

Related posts: From the Rooftop of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Whitney Museum, on the Upper East Side, and The New York Historical Society, at Dusk.

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Bayard and Mott Streets, in Chinatown

Photo by myself at Bayard and Mott Streets, in Chinatown.

In the middle of Chinatown, you would never know you were in Manhattan.

Mott Street is a long street that runs north-south. Along its length you can find stores selling Chinese herbs, lichee ice cream, soup dumplings and roast pork buns.

Related posts: On Line for Cream Cakes, Outside, En Masse on Canal Street, and From Under the Banner, in Chinatown.

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Serenade, Below 59th Street

Photo by myself, below 59th Street, Columbus Circle.

A musician serenaded the subway platform, Tuesday night.

Sitting on a suitcase, with his guitar plugged into an amp, the singer also used his left foot to operate a drum. A one-man band!

Related posts: Drum Circle, in Tompkins Square Park, Busking, Below Union Square, and Folk Singers, in the Village.

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Outside Academy Records, in Williamsburg

Photo by myself, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

A snapshot from Williamsburg Brooklyn, land of fashion-conscious hipsters, graffiti and stickers.

Williamsburg has become very developed of late, with tons of new condominium buildings near the water. Prices are expensive, since the commute into the city is so quick. It's only one stop away on the L train.

It's President's Day today in the US. Banks are closed, and most people have the day off.

Related posts: Hipsters in their Natural Habitat, The Hipster Olympics, and The Three Pete's.

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Spiderman, Below Times Square

Photo by myself, below Times Square.

Spiderman had a talk with a man about the Bible, the other day.

For whatever reason, many superheroes are associated with New York. I guess because we've historically been riddled with crime? Spidey is no exception.

There have also been regular sightings of people with literature about the Bible in the larger subway stations. I see them almost every time I pass through Times Square.

Happy Friday everyone!!

Related posts: On the Sidewalk, in the Flatiron District, Ghoulish Greetings, on the R Train, and Green Man, in Washington Square Park.

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The Manhattan Bridge, from the FDR

Photo by myself on the FDR near the East River.

Above, the view of the Manhattan Bridge in the morning, from the FDR.

I was heading north on the FDR Expressway when I took this photo. In the background is the Brooklyn waterfront.

--I had a meeting on Wednesday at 8:30am on the Upper East Side.

A meeting at 8:30am uptown means leaving from Brooklyn at 7:30am at the latest. I wound up finding a yellow cab by sheer luck in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and hailing it.

We raced across the East River, then up the FDR Expressway, up the east side. Then across to 85th and Fifth Avenue. The cost? About $45.

Usually I'd take the subway, but for various reasons, I was cutting it close, hence the cab. There was a small traffic jam on the FDR which gave me heart palpitations and the sweats.

If you're ever trying to get somewhere quickly, it's usually much, much more cost effective and faster to take the subway.

Related posts: From the Edge of DUMBO, The View from the Brooklyn Bridge, and Sunset, from Brooklyn Bridge Beach.

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Strolling down Sixth Avenue, in Midtown

Photo by myself on Sixth Avenue, in Midtown.

Just a snapshot from a short walk down Sixth Avenue, in Midtown.

As you can see, all the snow has disappeared. First, it quickly turned to filthy slush, which was then washed away with rain.

Related posts: Evening, on Sixth Avenue, This Way to Subway, in Midtown, and Back to the Grind, in Midtown.

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Yellow Cab, Under Snow

Photo by myself in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

We're climbing out from under a bunch of snow, in New York. Overnight, about 8 inches or so came down in our neighborhood. The entire northeast was snowed under and we escaped the worst of the storm.

You rarely see cabs parked overnight, since the medallions cost hundreds of thousands of dollars each. Recently, medallions have been sold for over a million dollars (!!). The cars are driven almost 24/7, as a result.

This cab is a hybrid. I've been told by cabbies that hybrids are better on fuel usage but the repair costs are very expensive. And since the cars are driven constantly, it's not a good thing to own a hybrid cab.

I've been in a hybrid cab before and immediately knew it was a hybrid because it didn't vibrate when we stopped for a red light. At slower speeds, hybrid vehicles run on electric energy generated by their own movement, rather than gasoline.

Happy Sunday, everyone!

Related posts: Portrait of a Cab Driver, on Fifth Avenue, The View, from the Back of a Cab, and Cabs Galore, on Lexington.

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Ruff Ride, in the East Village

Photo by myself, somewhere in the East Village.

A dog in a hand-painted mural declared it was a 'ruff ride' to his owner.

Get it? Ruff. A ruff ride.

I think this was the side of a painted van? You can see the wheel below.

Related posts: Graffiti, Soho, Graff Attack, in the Meatpacking District, and Paste-Ups, on the Lower East Side.

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Art and Furnishings at the Winter Antiques Show, Uptown

Photo by myself at the Park Avenue Armory, on the Upper East Side.

This weekend, we went to the Amory on the Upper East Side to the annual winter Antiques Show.

There were loads of booths showing furniture, artwork, tapestries and even autographs. This was our second year seeing the show. It was a treat.

I'm not sure whether it's because I love older American art and furnishings, or whether there were lots of booths showing Americana?

I came away from the show thinking there is tons of American art out there. And that they all use the color red.

If you have a chance to see this show, I'd say, try it out. Many of the items are much too expensive for the regular person. Mark fell in love with a painting with a $900k price tag (!). But it was just fun to walk around and ooh and aah at it all.







Related posts: Now on Display at the Annual Winter Antiques Show, Handcrafted Objects at the Architectural Digest Design Show, and Store Closing, on Fifth Avenue.

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Passing By on Mott Street, Chinatown

Photo by myself, somewhere on Mott Street, in Chinatown.

Despite the chilly winds, it was all a-bustle on Mott Street, in Chinatown.

Stalls were up selling festive decorations for Chinese New Year. This year, the New Year falls on February 10th, next weekend.

-- Ed Koch, the mayor of New York from 1978 to 1989, passed away on Friday. His funeral will be held Monday.

Koch was a feisty and well-loved leader during a turbulent time. If you have time, check out a great video interview with him, now newly released by the New York Times.

Related posts: Mark of the Quel Beast, near Bowery Street, New Museum, the Bowery, and Getting the Goods on Canal Street.

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Crossing Bowery, in the East Village

Photo by myself, near Bowery Street in the East Village.

A glimpse of Bowery Street.

Actually, you rarely hear New Yorkers say 'Bowery Street'. We usually just say 'Bowery', as in, 'It's south, just beyond Bowery'.

The street is a little rough around the edges, with restaurant supply stores, graffiti, some restaurants and bars. Several years ago, the New Museum opened on this street, near Prince Street, making the area more of a destination.

Bowery is a wide street with a divider in the middle. It is a continuation of Third Avenue, which stops at Astor Place.

Related posts: Mark of the Quel Beast, near Bowery Street, New Museum, the Bowery, and Outside 190 Bowery, Soho.

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