Naked, in Herald Square

Photo by myself in Herald Square, in Midtown.

Erm...perhaps the oddest thing I've seen yet.

A man and woman stood in the middle of Herald Square, one of the busiest spots in Manhattan. They were naked, but for a layer of paint. Meanwhile, another man was painting lines on the naked man.

This photo makes the area seem empty but there were video cameras, people standing around awkwardly, and the usual crowds crossing the street.  This all took place on a little triangle of space where Broadway and Sixth Avenue cross one another, during lunch hour, one of the busiest times of day.

Yipes!

Related posts: Cooling Off, in Midtown, Jingling and Jogging, in Prospect Park, and Vent Your Annoyance, for a Buck.

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Tuned Out, in Herald Square

Photo by myself at 34th Street and Sixth Avenue, in Herald Square.

A woman crossed the street wearing headphones. It had rained earlier in the day, leaving a nice sheen on the streets.

The above photo is from the stash. It's been much too hot and humid to walk around and take photos. 

Many folks walk down the streets or in the subway wearing headphones or headsets to their phones. The traffic can be noisy, so you have to turn the sound up quite a bit to really hear anything.

Related posts: Sixth Avenue, in the Rain, On the City, in the Rain, and On Rainy Nights and Busy Days.

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Playing Foosball, in Herald Square

Photo by myself around 33rd Street and Sixth Avenue, in Herald Square.

Foosball tables have been installed in Herald Square, along the pedestrian strip. A mother and her son enjoyed a battle earlier this week. By her expression, I'm thinking the son was either winning or cheating.

The median strip in Herald Square is quite large, with seating for people to rest or have lunch. There is lush planting, too. A bit to the left, out of frame, is Macy's department store.

Reading a little about foosball, I was surprised to find out that its roots are European and it's been around since the early 1900s.

Related posts: On Herald Square and Bodega Cats, Get Your Zumba on for Free, in Herald Square, and Windows onto Another World, at Macy's.

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On Herald Square and Bodega Cats

Photo by myself around 34th Street and Sixth Avenue, in Herald Square.

The best time for photos is right around sunset. Just about everyone looks their best.

There's not much going on here in New York. We are all enjoying the last hurrahs of summer. The weather has been strangely good recently, not overly hot.

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The Times is currently honoring a very specific New York animal, the cats that live in and work in bodegas. Bodegas are hispanic/Spanish convenience stores you find on many street corners in New York.

It's not uncommon for bodegas to have cats living there, to ward off mice. The cats sometimes come out to the sidewalk but generally stay indoors.

Readers are encouraged to send in photos and descriptions of bodega cats they know. A slideshow will be compiled from the submissions.


The video from the Times' article.

For the article in the Times, click here.

Related posts: Start Spreading the News, Strolling Down Fifth Avenue, Hand in Hand and Lost in a Crowd, in Midtown.

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Get Your Zumba on for Free, in Herald Square

Photo by myself in Herald Square, at 34th Street and Broadway in Midtown.

Only in New York will you have free exercise classes right outside Macy's, on one of the busiest blocks in Manhattan.

Every Thursday night at 6pm, through September 30th, you can take a free Zumba class outside. The speakers were blaring 'La Vida Loca' and a crowd gathered around to watch.

Zumba is an aerobic workout that combines dance moves from salsa, merengue, mambo and hip-hop. The instructor, above in the blue top, looked very fit.

With the new pedestrian-only blocks, the city has a vibrant, festival atmosphere. We had nice temperatures Thursday too, which made such jumping around okay.





The free classes are sponsored by DanceSport. No pre-registration is required. You just show up.

For a little more about the Zumba classes on Thursdays, click here.



Related posts: Running Along the Edge of Manhattan, Leg Lunges, 9:25 am, Midtown and Running Atop the Brooklyn Bridge.

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Sitting in Herald Square

Photo by myself around 34th Street and Sixth Avenue.

A woman sat outside in Herald Square, Wednesday morning. It wasn't clear to me whether she was completely homeless.

Beside her, a tarp with paint splotches covered her belongings. The tarp reminded me of paintings by Jackson Pollack Pollock (thanks, Robert!).

I really loved the contours of her face. I know, weird. I hope you get my drift.

Related posts: Society's Trash, Man and Companion on the Sidewalk and Worthy Causes.

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Madge + Macy's = Mayhem

Photo by myself in Herald Square, around 35th Street and Broadway.

About a billion people stood on tiptoe and craned their necks outside Macy's, Wednesday evening, vying for a celebrity sighting.

Madonna and her daughter Lourdes were launching their new fashion line, called 'Material Girl'. Barricades were up, police were swarming, traffic was delayed.

Madonna and Lourdes were surrounded by a mob of cameras, away in the distance. All I could see was a glimmer of blonde hair now and again. The area is typically uncomfortably crowded. This was beyond.

To check out the Material Girl line on the Macy's website, click here.

It was a manic day in the city because President Obama was also in town, giving a speech at the United Nations. Traffic all along the East Side (not pictured) ground to a halt.


In the background, somewhere below the camera outside Macy's, were Madge and her daughter Lourdes.

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On Street Photos in Midtown and Online

Photo by myself in Herald Square, at 34th Street and Sixth Avenue.

A young Korean fellow performs soccer tricks for all to see. A large crowd of people looked on, earlier this summer.

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Mark and I are leaving for Tokyo today. We're all packed and ready!

What will I be doing for the 14 hour trip??

I have a stack of New Yorker magazines to go through, and I have a bunch of podcasts downloaded. One that you may like is called Digital Tips from the Top Floor, a podcast about digital photography.

Chris Marquardt is a talented photographer who travels internationally, teaching workshops on photography in different languages. He is German and speaks perfect English. His candid photos of people are stunning.

Upcoming workshops in San Francisco focus on street photography. You can take his classes in Canada too, or Germany where he teaches in his native language. Workshops focus on everything from food photography to post processing.

Check out Digital Tips, where you can listen to nearly 500 epsiodes. Chris' talks are informal, slightly rambling and entertaining. How amazing is it to get advice from a seasoned photographer, free of charge?

Related posts: Parading Down Fifth Avenue, Midtown, Avalanche of People, Midtown and On the Job.

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Sound the Pipes in Herald Square

Photo by myself in Herald Square, at 34th Street and Sixth Avenue.

Several members of the Newark Firefighters Pipe Band entertained a crowd, Monday evening. The pipe players were all men, dressed in kilts.

I didn't recognize any of the tunes, but believe me when I say these instruments are loud. The sound of bagpipes could be heard several blocks away.

The band's website states that the Newark Firefighters were founded 200 years ago. The pipe band was formed in 2003, in honor of their fallen comrades.

Newark, New Jersey is a city located less than 10 miles west of Manhattan, across the Hudson River.

Related posts: Sound the Horns in Union Square, Music While You Wait and A Message from Beantown.

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Big Red Monster, in Herald Square

Photo by myself in Herald Square, around 34th Street and Seventh Avenue.

Elmo, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, and Sponge Bob Square Pants were just some of the characters populating this busy area near Macy's, last week.

I'm not sure what the occasion was for the people in costume? Maybe they were just enjoying the nice weather, like everyone else.

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Mark is in LA for a few weeks for work, so I'm playing single mom right now to our cat and dog.

I've let myself go a little already. Breakfast this weekend has been Oreo cookies. Gone is the half bag of Doritos I swore I'd never lay hands on. Now I am eyeballing the can of Spaghetti-O's we've stashed in case of alien invasion. Horrible!

The nice thing is that we can video chat. Rupert starts howling when he hears Mark's voice, then cocks his head to each side, trying to figure out what the face on the computer screen is.

Anyway, kudos to those single parents out there. It's not easy!

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All Decked out Below the Empire State

Photo by myself on 34th Street and 7th Avenue, in Midtown.

Sorry for a cliche view of New York, but I just could not resist myself. Monday night, the decorations were up and the sidewalks were packed with people.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a New York tradition. The parade starts on the Upper West Side and winds south, ending at the Macy's store. All sorts of floats, balloons and bands are involved. A huge insignia was painted on the street and bright lights were being tested for the television cameras.

The sky was cloudy, reflecting a halo of light around the building.

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Well folks, Mark and I are headed to Puerto Rico, Thursday. We'll be back very late Monday night. Of course, the blog will continue with a new photo, every day.

I hope everyone who is celebrating Thanksgiving is sharing the day with their families. Don't eat too much!

Related posts: Skating Under the Empire State, Working it Out and Different Vistas.

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Fighting the Crowds, in Midtown

Photo by myself in Midtown, around 34th Street and 6th Avenue.

Above, a rather tame crosswalk in Midtown. Usually, crosswalks are a blur of people traveling in either direction.

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Ah, I'm back in New York. My flight arrived at 10pm Sunday and I'm back to work tomorrow morning, battling crowds like the one pictured above.

California was as gorgeous as ever. I have to say that my parents' house freaked me out, as usual.

Yes, I've become so accustomed to living with people squashed above, below and to the side of me. Being in a free-standing house (at night, with no noise outside) frightens the dickens out of me.

Mark's fascination with ghost shows on tv might be partly to blame for my paranoia. He is addicted to Ghost Adventures, that show where three guys visit haunted places.

Anyhow, I am just glad to be home, tucked alongside my 8 million New York neighbors.

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Tis the Season, from Herald Square

Photo by myself in front of Macy's, at 34th Street and 6th Avenue.

Here's a photo that marks the season. I took this one earlier this winter, when the sidewalks weren't covered in slush.

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Well, we're roaring down the home stretch toward the holidays. It's hard to believe.

Happy Monday everyone!

Related posts: Happy Thanksgiving at Macy's, The Markets in Union Square and Holiday Displays, Fifth Avenue.

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Slowing Down to See the Details

Photo by myself of one of the bronze statues near Herald Square.

Owls supposedly scare away pigeons, so you see a lot of them around the city in the attempt to curb pigeon droppings. In the olden days, stone masons carved them into building facades.

There are several bronze owl statues in a little park near Macy's. They're hard to see if you're in a rush.

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There was a cute little blurb in The New Yorker magazine last week about some cross-pollination between Italy and New York.

A small group of Italians who call themselves L’Arte del Vivere con Lentezza, or The Art of Living Slowly, visited New York recently. They attempted to persuade New Yorkers to slow down and not compete so much.

I'm not sure how far they got, but their intentions were wonderful. Why kill yourself for first place, when you can settle for third place, or even last?

I have to say there's something to the Italian lifestyle that is eternally appealing. The idea of walking around the city after a late dinner, chatting with a loved one is brilliant.

Who needs the rat race?

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There's a Moon Out Tonight

Photo by myself in Herald Square at 34th Street and Broadway.

This area is especially hectic, loaded with tourists and shoppers. Macy's is just out of view on the right. Commuters using the subway and the Long Island Railroad flood the sidewalks during rush hour.

The kiosk in the middle ground bears the logo of 'witchcraft, one of Tom Colicchio's restaurants in the Flatiron District, known for its sandwich fare. There are 'witchcraft kiosks as well in Tribeca and Bryant Park.

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After work today and a happy hour with old coworkers, Mark and I traveled home for dinner.

En route, we mulled things over. 'I'm annoyed and I don't know why,' I said. It was nice to see old faces (well, not that old. I just left the my old office a couple weeks ago), and chit chat over drinks.

Still for whatever reason, I wasn't feeling right. 'It's the full moon,' Mark said. 'I feel antsy too, and I swear every time there's a full moon, I feel like this.'

'Oh? Like what?'

'This, this,' he said. 'Yknow, not right.'

According to Wikipedia though, there is no correlation between the full moon and peoples' behavior. Still it seemed that today, more people were walking haphazardly and aggressively on the streets than usual.

I'll just blame it on the stars.

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Cold Reality

Photo by myself in Herald Square.

This area is packed heavy foot traffic. With Macy's and other large stores located here, the sidewalks are rarely empty.

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This morning I got out of the plane to 12 degree weather (not counting frigid wind chill). Oh my god. So cold!!

I don't have much to write today, since I spent most of it nodding off!

I hope everyone is warm tonight. It is chilly outside.

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