Photo by myself around 50th Street and Fifth Avenue, in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.
Mark and I drove through Bay Ridge the other day, and a storefront with distinctive lettering caught my eye. I had to take a photo.
Along a strip of eateries and bodegas stood a barber shop from another era. There were the remnants of a tattered awning, rusted roll down doors and a motley assortment in the window - an overgrown plant, an American flag, a couple model ships.
Inside, I was greeted by Tony, the proprietor. Tony told me that he opened his shop fifty years ago. At first I had trouble understanding him and thought he'd said fifteen. No, fifty of course. And the place has remained unchanged.
Haircuts and a shave are ten bucks apiece. Tony soon had a customer. I took my leave, not wanting to distract him. I left, walking on air.
I was so excited by original furnishings and wooden cash register, that I forgot to get out of the photo. Behind me, Tony takes a phone call.
Tony greets his customer with a little kidding around.
Everything gets serious as the master begins work.
The Portrait Series is a once-in-a-while installment, featuring New Yorkers encountered on the street.
Related posts: Portrait of an Entrepreneur, on the Upper East Side, Portrait of a Bike Messenger, in Midtown, and Portrait of a Film Shoot, in Brooklyn Heights.
Monday, August 11, 2014
Portrait of a Barber, in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Crazy for Bubbles, in Washington Square Park
Photo by myself, in Washington Square Park.
We finally had a bona fide Spring-like day, Saturday. Sort of on schedule. Hooray!!!
People walked about, enjoying the air. A couple competitive basketball games were going on at the public courts near West 4th Street, in the Village.
A woman created enormous bubbles in Washington Square Park, to the delight of a gaggle of children. She used two long sticks with string strung up between them. Dipping the string into a soapy mix, she then lifted up the sticks and let the wind do its magic. What a simple yet effective device!
All the grown ups stood around enjoying how excited the kids were, and wishing they could run and jump around, too. It was serious fun.
Huge apologies for my spotty attendance, once again. It's been insanely busy at work. And I've become insanely picky with my photos.
Happy Spring, everyone!
Related posts: Riding Piggyback in Midtown, Last Bit of Summer, in Prospect Park, and Father and Son Serenade.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Sleeping, Below Times Square
Photo by myself on the Times Square subway platform.
The subway platform was sparsely attended and relaxed, Monday evening. This was taken during rush hour, during a brief lull in the crowds.
We've been having heavenly weather this week, with cool autumnal breezes. Hats and long sleeves have come out of the closet.
Fall is a notoriously short season in New York. Blink....and it is over.
Related posts: Stealing a Nap, Below Ground, Napping in Midtown, and A Much Needed Nap.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Making Change, on Fifth Avenue
Photo by myself at 50th Street and Fifth Avenue.
I wish I could say this fellow was presenting me with money, but alas, it was not the case. He was making change for a customer, out of frame.
There are loads of visitors right now in the city, and street food carts on the sidewalks at all hours. This cart sold large pretzels, hot dogs and drinks. In the wintertime, many carts also sell hot chestnuts.
Related posts: All Lit Up on Fifth Avenue, Street Meats on Seventh Avenue, and Pizza Truck, Only a Buck.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Protest, on the Steps of the New York Public Library
Photo by myself, at the main branch of the New York Public Library.
Protesters occupied the steps of the main branch of the public library, Monday night. People held signs and handed out flyers to passersby.
The story I got from the protesters was that budget cuts will mean that some library branches will be eliminated.
Budget cuts also mean job losses, fewer books available for researchers and fewer library branches. At the same time, the buildings that once housed libraries would be available for developers. Developers mean tax money and future hotels or high-end real estate.
Ah yes, it's all about money.
There are many are very happy that New York withstood the recession for the most part. But there are also those who look around at the huge stores and very expensive apartments and long for 'Old New York', a city that was shabbier around the edges but that was filled with unique nooks and crannies.
For more about the libraries from the protesters point of view, visit their Save NYC Libraries website, here.
Related posts: Women in Black, Against War, Portrait of a Picket Line, in Hell's Kitchen, and Occupying Wall Street, One Day at a Time.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Outside a Creperie, in Park Slope, Brooklyn
Photo by myself around 6th Street and 7th Avenue, in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
A patient pug waited outside a creperie in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
Crespella serves up sweet and savory crepes all day. I stopped by for a crepe stuffed with scrambled egg and pancetta the other night. It was de-lish.
I was sorely tempted to have one with strawberry jam and fresh ricotta. Oh, and another with lemon curd and raspberries! Argh!! Decisions, decisions...
For the Crespella website, which includes a current menu, click here.
Related posts: Pork is the Answer, on the Lower East Side, Brunch at Barbuto, in the West Village, and Colorful Eats, at Kelley and Ping, Soho.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
In Love, Near 59th Street
Photo by myself at 59th Street and Fifth Avenue.
A couple sat on a bench near the Plaza Hotel, Wednesday.
They were completely immersed in each other, while the world whirled around them.
Related posts: Sharing a Moment, in Times Square, Love is in the Air, in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, and Holding Hands, in Midtown.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Daylight, on the B Train to Manhattan
Just a typical view of my morning commute from Brooklyn to Manhattan.
The B, D and Q trains are bathed in light while crossing the Manhattan Bridge. The contrast can be striking after traveling through a dark subway tunnel.
During the minute or two in mid-air, people refresh their phones for email. Some might make a quick call to work or home. You hear a lot of hurried conversations, since at the moment, cell phones don't work in the subway tunnels.
As you can see, one fellow brought a bike on the train. On a busy day, you might be smushed next to a baby carriage, a cello, luggage or a bouquet of roses. I once brought a large raccoon trap on the train (!) when I helped rescue a cat from the city streets.
I have yet to see someone carrying a live chicken, but that doesn't mean it will never happen! Haha.
Related posts: Sunset, on the Ride to Brooklyn, 9:45am on the B Train, Below Brooklyn, and All Lit Up, on the D Train.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Sunset, on the Upper West Side
The sun was setting Tuesday, as it does every day. All the buildings were in shadow and the sky looked brilliant. The delicate silhouette of a water tower was poised in the background.
Along the right, the different heights and outcroppings of the buildings (townhouses standing side-by-side) make an irregular wall.
I used to live in this neighborhood, and I much-preferred having sunsets over sunrises. ;-)
Related posts: A Sunset View, from Battery Park, Sunset, along the West Side Highway, and Sunset, from Brooklyn Bridge Beach.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Street Meats, on Seventh Avenue
The street carts are always great photo opportunities, with the lights, scrolling LED signs and steam. This cart was selling grilled meats on skewers, pretzels and drinks.
We've been having steamy, uncomfy weather here in New York. It's this time of year when you realize how unnatural it is to go underground (to ride the subway) when it's so darned hot.
Of course, all eyes are turned toward London, at the Olympics. The latest updates are broadcast in the elevator cabs of our office building.
TGIF everyone!
Related posts: Pork is the Answer, on the Lower East Side, Outside Zucco, on the Lower East Side, and A Glimpse into the Orchard Corset Center, on the Lower East Side.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Sweatshop, in the Garment District
You'd think there weren't any sweatshops left the Garment District, but not so.
Buried on various floors of older high rise buildings are work rooms, filled with sewing machines and thread. There, samples are made for fashion designers for fittings and photoshoots.
One of my hobbies is sewing, and I was looking for a fabric store on Monday. Only I had wandered onto the wrong floor of the wrong building.
But for a split second after getting of the elevator, I looked through an open door. There was a treadle-operated sewing machine straight ahead (that black thing on the table) - a sewing machine run by a peddle that an operator pumps up and down with her foot.
Spools of different colored thread dangled precariously. A general mess. A fire waiting to happen. A step backwards in time.
Related posts: Tailor Made, in the Garment District, Over the Shoulder in the Garment District, and Fashionably Late.
Monday, June 18, 2012
A Four-Legged Co-pilot, on Flatbush Avenue
While stopped in traffic Sunday afternoon, we found ourselves next to a guy on a motorcycle and his little jack russell terrier, who was wearing pink goggles.
The little dog was standing on the bike, helped by a wooden contraption. She was shaking but obviously loving the ride.
'A little girl dog?' I asked the biker, while we waited for the light to change. He nodded and gave us a smile.
Flatbush Avenue is the main drag in Brooklyn, right after you get off the Manhattan Bridge. It runs through Downtown Brooklyn and Fort Greene. It's riddled with potholes and terrible, aggressive Brooklyn drivers.
Related posts: Along for the Ride, in Columbus Circle, All Ears in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and In Thought, in Washington Square Park.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
A Big Wave Hello on Fifth Avenue
While stopped at a light on Fifth Avenue, Monday afternoon, I stuck my camera out the window. The driver of the cab next door rolled down his window and gave me a big, goofy hello.
And I mean big. Like many New Yorkers, this fellow was not shy.
He yelled to me that I should enter the photo in a contest, and I might win some money. Like a million dollars.
We laughed about it. Then the light changed, and off we went.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Waiting Together, along Fifth Avenue
An older couple stood patiently, waiting for the light to change.
For some reason, this photo has been languishing in my stash for a while. I would quickly pass it by, judging it solely on whether the image shows enough action, variety, New York interest, etc.
But last night, I had some time, and I flipped through images with more thoughtfulness. I'm glad I did.
The sidewalks in New York can be terribly uneven. Fortunately in recent years, the city has taken to shaving down uneven parts. It's still best to walk with care, if you're in a crowd or if you're older.
Related posts: Older Birds, on Fifth Avenue, Tough Times, on the Sidewalk, and Old Friends, in Alphabet City.
Friday, April 6, 2012
The View from Bryant Park, at Dusk
We had a gorgeous Spring-like day earlier in the week, and it seemed quite magical at dusk.
Bryant Park is not a large park, surrounded by tall office buildings. A lawn is circled by paved terraces and plantings. In the summertime during lunch hour, the lawn is usually packed with people, in various stages of undress.
A large fountain is located at the western end, out of view. On the eastern end, behind and to my right, is the main branch of the New York Public Library.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
9:45 am on the B Train, Below Brooklyn
Photo by myself on the B train, below ground.
A wee snippet from the commute, yesterday morning.
All the passengers on the morning train were tuned out on devices small and large, or they were asleep. One fellow leaned against the center pole in his own world, practicing the drums against his leg.
It was all a little surreal, but this was a typical morning.
Some riders read books and newspapers, though, just not in this view. And at times, people do talk to one another. Many couples, families or neighbors make the morning commute together.
Related posts: A New York Frame of Mind, The Subway Platform, 59th Street, and On the Ride Home.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
On Tenement Life, in the West Village
Photo by myself on West 10th Street, in the West Village.
In older walk-up buildings in New York, there are typically two sets of doors.
The first set of doors, just off the sidewalk, stays unlocked. Just inside is a small vestibule, where the mailboxes are located. The mailman drops off mail for each apartment without having to have a door key. All he or she needs is a one key that unlocks all the mailboxes.
The floor of the vestibule is usually littered with flyers, take out menus, business cards for locksmiths and phone books. I remember phone books sitting the vestibule when I lived in on the Upper West Side, for months on end. The last thing anyone wanted to do was lug a phone book up to their apartment along with groceries, gym clothes, their mail, perhaps a child in a stroller, and themselves.
The second door stays locked. You'd stumble home at night, get into the vestibule, and dig around for your keys. If you were street smart, you had your key out well before getting home. The vestibule was not a good place to linger, with your back turned to the street.
The stoop is usually up a few steps up from the sidewalk. It's the perfect place to sit and hang out during the summer. You can just barely see the drop-down ladder of the fire escape, to the upper left of the door.
Related posts: On Tenement Life and Cable TV, The Apthorp, the Upper West Side, and The Low-Down on Walk-Ups.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Eyes Wide Shut, on Fifth Avenue
Photo by myself, around 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue.
As usual, there was a ton of people. For a brief moment, everyone was looking the other way, or not at all.
Related posts: Avalanche of People, in Midtown, On Crowds and the Commute, in Midtown, and The Crowds on Lower Broadway.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Jazz Players, on the Subway Platform
Photo by myself on the L train platform, at Union Square.
A group of musicians performed some squirrely jazz to commuters, Wednesday night.
The platform for the L train is usually packed with young people going to and fro between Manhattan and Williamsburg. I went there with the intent to take photos of the kids waiting for the train.
I felt strangely conspicuous, though, perhaps because the platform is relatively narrow. The inbound trains stop along one side of the platform, and the outbound trains stop along the other side. There are no other platforms of people to look at, that is, few distractions to occupy people. I found it easier to take a photo of the musicians.
Related posts: Father and Son Serenade, On Street Music and the Polar Bear Swim, and The King of Song, Below Ground.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
All Wrapped Up, in Soho
Photo by myself on Broome and Mercer Streets, in Soho.
It was rather cold on Saturday, with temperatures around freezing. The winter wind made it seem 10 degrees colder.
I was in the neighborhood wandering through all the post-holiday sales, terribly underdressed. When I got home, a hot bath and mug of hot tea was in order.
By the way, this weekend is a 3-day weekend. Monday is Martin Luther King Day and many offices have the day off!
Related posts: Brrrrrrrrr, All A-Shiver on the Streets, and It's Chilly in Midtown and Prospect Park.
