New-ish Station, at 86th Street

Photo by myself at the 86th Street subway station on the Upper East Side.

At long last, the subway has been expanded along Second Avenue up the Upper East Side. This is kind of old news, but I still have trouble getting over the fact that it was done. The project was talked about for years and years, and I really didn't think it would happen.

The station at 86th Street is quite large, with giant murals here and there. The older stations are cramped and dirty, so this place is a dream. The Second Ave. line allows people to travel from 86th Street all the way to Brooklyn on an express train. If you lived on York or First Avenue, you'd have to walk several long blocks to Lexington, which is no fun in the winter.

This station opened in January, 2017.



A giant Chuck Close self-portrait greets you near the entrance.

Related posts: Subway Conductor, on the Job, Strangers, Below Columbus Circle, and Under the Tracks, in Bensonhurst.

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Before the Walk, on the Upper East Side

Photo by myself around 80th Street and Park Avenue, on the Upper East Side.

A group of at least twenty dogs were prepping for their morning group walk.

Most of them were portable-sized. Some were clothed. All were excited.

Happy Friday everyone!

Related posts: Here's Looking at You, in Washington Square Park, On Dogs and Dogs, and Furry Friends, in Tompkins Square Park.

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Outside 731 Lex, on the Upper East Side

Photo by myself at 58th Street and Lexington Avenue, on the Upper East Side.

The tilted glass facade of Cesar Pelli's building at 731 Lexington Ave, above, surrounds an outdoor atrium for cars and people. The Bloomberg offices are located here, as are some fancy stores and restaurants, and over 100 luxury condominium apartments.

This is a great shopping area, just a couple blocks away from Bloomingdales and other clothing stores. I was here the other day at the A&D Building across the street, which houses tons of showrooms for designer appliances and furniture.

Related posts: Cooling off, in Midtown, The Spray of Summer, in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and Summering in the City.

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Dusk, on West End Avenue

Photo by myself around 77th Street and West End Avenue, on the Upper West Side.

Just a snapshot from West End Avenue. Tall, mostly pre-war apartment buildings line both sides of the street.

Like the buildings on Park Avenue and Fifth Avenue, almost all these apartment buildings have doormen. I've never seen a female doorman, by the way, so the term 'doorman' makes sense. Or you could call them 'porters'.

All the doormen I've met are super nice. They are helpful and genuinely caring people. They say hello to everybody coming and going. They know all the kids and all the dogs. At one building I watched a doorman carry an elderly woman down a short flight of stairs, because she was having trouble walking.

Related posts: Manchester House, on the Upper West Side, Glitzy Glam, Outside the Pierre, and Life on Park Avenue.

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Outside the Peninsula Hotel

Photo by myself on Fifth Avenue, around 55th Street on the Upper East Side.

The Peninsula Hotel on 55th Street is adorned with flags and some gorgeous, ornate architecture.

I took this photo from the back of a cab.

--You might notice that parts of the Peninsula facade project quite a bit over the sidewalk - there are balconies and a rather deep overhang. I'd say the overhang might be 24" deep.

In New York, owners of buildings taller than six floors need to have the exteriors of their buildings professionally inspected every five years. It used to be that the inspectors would look at a building through binoculars, but after several accidents, they now have to go up to inspect facades firsthand.

Related posts: Glitzy Glam, Outside the Pierre, Fancy Living, on the Upper East Side, and Life on Park Avenue.

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Street View, on the Upper East Side

Photo by myself on 85th Street and Third Avenue, on the Upper East Side.

A photo from the recent stash, before the recent snowstorm.

The street view along 85th Street is predictable - apartment buildings with stores on the bottom and residences above. Fire escapes and signs dangle from the building facades. The sidewalk is unusually clean.

Right now, we're covered with snow and it is completely freezing outside. The brisk wind makes it feel like -2(F) or -18(C). Ugh!

Related posts: Thursday Morning on Lex, on the Upper East Side, The World Walks By, on Fifth Avenue, and Night View, Near the Dakota.

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Morning Commute, from Roosevelt Island

Photo by myself around 60th Street and 2nd Avenue, on the Upper East Side.

On Wednesday morning, I was on the Upper East Side near the Queensborough Bridge. The tram was coming over from Roosevelt Island, filled to the hilt with passengers.

Roosevelt Island is a sliver of land in the East River. There are hospitals, apartment buildings, stores and schools there. One way to commute to and fro is the tram, the other is the subway. Cars are allowed access as well.

As you can see, the sun was out and it was very hot and humid. I had a routine doctor's appointment, then did a little grocery shopping. All the time, the 9/11 remembrance ceremony was being conducted in the background.

Everyone was tuned into the ceremony. Even if you weren't actively watching, you were probably thinking about it.

Related posts: The View from Roosevelt Island, The View from Downstream, and The Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges, at Sunset.

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Handing out the News, on the Upper East Side

Photo by myself around 103rd Street and Lexington, on the Upper East Side.

A fellow was handing out free papers on the street corner, Thursday morning.

The headline can be seen on the paper on the back of his vest - 'Sopranos' Star Dies'. We've been startled by the news of James Gandolfini's sudden passing, while on vacation in Europe. Gandolfini was the star of the hit tv show 'The Sopranos'.

For whatever reason, Gandolfini always struck me as being a nice guy, regardless of the sometimes very violent character he played. My fiance Mark and I saw him once outside a restaurant and kept a respectful distance.

By the way, free papers are often handed out in subway stations or just nearby. This one is called AM New York.

Related posts: Get Your Paper Here, at Union Square, Kiosk at Night, and The Day After.

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The View Above Park Avenue

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

The view high above Park Avenue in the East 70's is an interesting one.

The distinctive layout of the street can be seen, below. Several lanes of traffic are separated by a green swath of plantings. All the yellow cabs were out delivering customers.

Across the street are terraced, pre-war apartment buildings. By zoning requirements, buildings must step back from the street on the upper floors. This allows for private terraces and gardens.

This photo was taken from the 11th Floor. Larger apartments cost tens of millions of dollars (!).

Related posts: Looking Up West End Avenue, Looking Down from the Upper East Side, and Hovering Above Park Avenue.

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Device Valet, on Wheels

Photo by myself around 68th Street and Lexington Avenue, on the Upper East Side.

I heard about this on the radio but seeing it in person made it real. Cell phone 'valets' on wheels.

Kids aren't allowed to have cellphones or other electronic devices in school, so they can 'park' their devices in a truck outside the school. This way, they can waste no time device-less.

Costs for such services vary from fifty cents to a dollar a day. Seriously.

For more about phone valets, read about it in USA Today here.

Related posts: Larger than Life Mural, in the East Village, School is in, at Parsons on 13th Street, and School's Out on the Upper East Side.

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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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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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Outside the Neue Gallery, on the Upper East Side

Photo by myself at 86th Street and Fifth Avenue, on the Upper East Side.

A number of yellow vehicles convened at an intersection outside the Neue Gallery, on the Upper East Side. I took this photo from the rear seat of a similar yellow vehicle ;-)

The Neue Gallery is a small gallery devoted to the decorative art of Germany and Austria from the turn of the 19th Century. They regularly exhibit drawings and paintings by Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka.

The museum is housed in a stunning townhouse built in 1914. The roof is covered with slate tiles and the round attic windows are clad with copper, against the weather.

Related posts: The Whitney Museum, on the Upper East Side, The Getty Villa, in Malibu California, and The New York Historical Society, at Dusk.

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Below Hunter College, on the Upper East Side

Photo by myself below ground at Lexington and 68th Street on the Upper East Side.

There is nothing like commuting on a Monday morning. For some reason, just about everyone was grouchy. Note the subtle agitated body language, above.

The weather has become more Fall-like in the last couple of weeks. The scarves and jackets and high boots have come out of the closet.

Related posts: Bundled Up, on the Way Home, Morning Commute, Underground, and On the Ride Home.

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In the Shade, on Park Avenue

Photo by myself on Park Avenue around 62nd Street, on the Upper East Side.

I took this while passing by in a cab. A woman was using her huge purse to shield herself from the sun.

There is a the token canopy outside a Park Avenue apartment building in the background. A guy in a suit walks by yapping on his cell phone.

There is scaffolding. Every block seems to have scaffolding. Whenever buildings are being cleaned or repaired, scaffolding is put up to protect pedestrians from being hit on the head.

We've been blessed with gorgeous weather these last few days, with low humidity and bright sun. Hooray!

Related posts: The Woman with a Cat on her Back, Stick Em Up, in Madison Square Park, and Leg Lunges, Midtown 9:25 am.

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Looking South, Over Central Park

Photo by myself around Fifth Avenue and 76th Street, on the Upper East Side.

The view south over Central Park is a nice one, in the height of summer.

The street below is Fifth Avenue, running north-south. The white, square-ish building near the left is the Plaza Hotel, and the two glass towers is the Time Warner Building at Columbus Circle.

Related posts: City Portraits - Central Park, Fall From Above, and On the View from the Upper East Side.

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Thursday Morning on Lex, on the Upper East Side

Photo by myself on Lexington Avenue around 64th Street, on the Upper East Side.

A man stood in the doorway of Donohue's Steak House on Lexington Avenue, Thursday morning. He enjoyed a quiet moment.

Usually, Lexington Avenue is hustling and busy. The street is lined with stores and restaurants. Offices and apartments occupy the floors above street level.

New Yorkers refer to this street as 'Lex', as in 'take me to 53rd and Lex', when speaking to a cab driver. We don't have time for the additional syllables! We have people to see, things to do!

The 'A' rating in the window refers to cleanliness, only. All the restaurants in New York are inspected by the city and graded an 'A', 'B' or 'C'.

If you have plans to dine out, you can look up the grade of the restaurant online, but this has nothing to do with what the food tastes like or the decor. Click here for the city website.

I'm still recovering from the jetlag. I wish everyone a wonderful Friday.

Related posts: Behind the Curtain, Death Before Decaf, in Brooklyn, and Signs of Attitude, on the West Side.

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Outside the Met, on the Upper East Side

Photo by myself outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The steps at the Met were nearly clear of people, earlier this summer.

We're at the height of tourist season and now, the steps are flooded with people. Most people sit on the steps, hanging out. It's a nice place to congregate after a visit to the museum. Often, musicians perform at the bottom of the steps.

Related posts: High Above the Metropolitan Museum, East Side Versus West Side, and How to Get From Here to There.

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The View from the Met and One Last Thing about Japan...

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

The view from the rooftop of the Metropolitan Museum of Art is a scenic one.

This is a popular place to take a date. There is a bar and sculpture garden. From here, you can watch the sunset and lights of the city come on.

-- I know, I know. Why am I mentioning Japan again?

I didn't think I had more to say after returning from our 12-day trip. But tonight, while very jet-lagged, my fiance Mark switched on a documentary that was highly recommended to him, called Jiro Dreams of Sushi.

The movie is divine. It tells of an 85-year old sushi chef, Jiro Ono, whose restaurant was awarded three Michelin stars, and his relentless, daily devotion to his craft.

Jiro left home at the age of seven. His two sons are also sushi chefs, working alongside their father.

The movie is beautifully shot. Anyone who appreciates color photography will appreciate this film. At the beginning of the movie, Mark said 'Oh, I wish we'd seen this earlier...we could have gone to the restaurant.'

Um...no. The tasting menu costs 30,000 yen per person, or about $375 USD (!!!). The movie was filmed in 2011 and opened in New York in March, 2012.

Here's the trailer:

 

For the Times review of this movie, click here.

Related posts: From the Rooftop of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, On Japanese Food and Fish, and Serving Up Sushi, at 15 East 15th.

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Fancy Living on the Upper East Side

Photo by myself at Fifth Avenue and 73rd Street, on the Upper East Side.

The lobby of 912 Fifth Avenue is lofty and gorgeous, with polished stone floors and floor-to-ceiling marble walls.

Antique furnishings decorate the space. In the corner to the right is a small cabinet below the house phone. Further into the lobby where I was sitting, were a couple elegant sofas and lamp tables.

The steps off to either side lead to offices that occupy the first floor. This is a common feature in large apartment buildings. The first floor spaces are not so desirable in terms of privacy from the sidewalk.

When people say 'white glove building', they're referring to the uniformed doormen who hold the door open for you and hail you cabs. And announce your visitors, call the elevators, and receive your packages and dry cleaning.

Most of the buildings along Fifth Avenue north of 59th Street have such lobbies, each beautifully decorated in its own way. There are also many large fancy buildings lining Park Avenue and Central Park West.

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

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