Photo by myself in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
Sandwich boards on the sidewalk are a common way of luring people inside restaurants and bars. I appreciate signs that show some originality.
Related posts: Pork is the Answer, on the Lower East Side, Tongue in Cheek, on the Sidewalk and on the Subway, and A Sense of Humor in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
Photo by myself, in the Village.
I must say (with a little sarcasm) that New York must have the highest psychic population per capita.
Just about every small neighborhood has one or five psychics. Most of the time, their signs sit in second floor windows. Sometimes there are sandwich boards on the sidewalk.
Once in a while, the psychic herself (invariably psychics are female, I'm not sure why) will sit outside on the sidewalk on a folding chair.
By the way, it was all over the local news recently when a man was scammed out of $700,000 by a psychic in Times Square. The psychic promised to unite him with a woman he was infatuated with.
The story was so dramatic and hard to believe (involving spells that were cast and expensive jewelry that was purchased as offerings to spirits), it made it to the New York Times. One must say though that the fellow deserved to be swindled so much money because the was so very gullible.
Read the Times article about the psychic here.
Related posts: In Neon, on Seventh Avenue, Shining Bright, at Live Bait, and Only in New York.
Photo by myself in Union Square.
A protest was held in Union Square, Tuesday evening in memory of Kalief Browder, a young man who endured three years imprisonment at Riker's Island without having been convicted of any crime.
Kalief spent 400 days in solitary confinement and multiple beatings from prison guards. Kalief was only 16 when he entered the jail, which houses adults. Released in 2013, he committed suicide earlier this month.
Known here simply as 'Rikers', the prison is located in the Bronx and has a long, terrible history of violence and abuse. From many published accounts, Rikers is in dire need of reform. Tuesday's protest is one of a series of events. A march to shut down the prison is scheduled for June 27.
I was very moved by the protest. The sincerity of these strangers for a New Yorker they never knew was touching, and I could not fathom how much senseless pain this young man suffered.
For an article about Kalief in the New Yorker, click here.
For an article in the NY Daily News, click here.
Related posts: Occupy Town Square, in Tompkins Square Park, Women in Black, Against War, and En Route to a Peaceful Protest, Downtown.
Photo by myself, around 57th Street and Park Avenue in Midtown.
For my job, I go up to the Upper East Side and back down Park Avenue in a cab, often. Today I noticed a new billboard outside Turnbull & Asser, a high end mens clothing store, done in the style of a 1930's painted sign.
You see these signs sometimes even still, painted on walls here, though the real painted signs are usually in much worse shape and are sometimes partly covered by new buildings.
The couple standing in the street were trying to hail a cab. It was insanely hot and humid, and traffic was awful. But there was a slight breeze and the view was nice, haha.
For more about the story behind the mural, see the Turnbull & Asser blog, here
Related posts: Larger than Life Mural, in the East Village, Mural in Red Hook, Brooklyn, and On Target, on Houston.
Photo by myself, on 32nd Street and Fifth Avenue in Koreatown.
A very belated Happy New Year from the city! I hope everyone is warm, or at least, warmer than we are. :-)
I was out on lunch break the other day and snapped a photo in Koreatown, the smallest of neighborhoods with the most possible number of signs.
Related posts: Evening, on Sixth Avenue, Outside Sol Moscot, on the Lower East Side, and 32nd and Fifth, in Midtown.
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.
Photo by myself, on Sixth Avenue in Midtown.
A sign outside a jewelry store in Midtown called out the 'Husband's Resting Area'. Below it, some open seats. Ha.
I suppose this could be considered sexist? Or simply honest, since all the jewelry inside is for women.
There are several little jewelry and beading stores on Sixth Avenue, close to the Garment District. This one is fortunate to have some shaded space.
Related posts: Cat Specialists, on the Upper West Side, Outside a Creperie, in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and Vent Your Annoyance, for a Buck.
Photo by myself in Washington Square Park, around West 4th Street.
Here's another photo I took on the way out of the park the other day. A young man offered to tell original jokes, for a dollar apiece.
Money is refunded if you don't laugh. But if you're broke, the joke is on the house.
I was on my way to an appointment, so I couldn't stop to chat with this fellow. Next time!
Related posts: Open Everything That's Closed, on Bowery Street, Thinking Outside the Box, in Union Square, and Death Before Decaf, in Brooklyn.
Photo by myself, around 50th Street and Sixth Avenue, in Midtown.
The large wrap-around sign at Radio City Music Hall stubbornly resists the urge to scroll or flash.
The neon signage is as distinctive as ever. The upcoming shows are displayed in smaller font, below. This view was taken on the side street Thursday night.
The nice thing about this landmark is that its location is very 'current', with tall buildings all around. You might go see the Rockettes one night, a taste of history, but on the way over you'll pass crowds of businessmen and women streaming out of the office.
Happy Friday everyone!
Related posts: Outside Radio City Music hall, on Sixth Avenue, On Radio City, and the Whitney Museum, and The Bright Lights at BAM.
Photo by myself, around 76th Street and Broadway, on the Upper West Side.
After 51 years, Big Nick's, the scruffy burger joint on Broadway, shuttered its doors.
A large sign explained their predicament - their rent was raised from $42k to $60k per month. There was absolutely no way to survive.
In the reflection of the glass you can see the new high rise building across the street, a symptom of luxury living that precipitated Big Nick's demise. Below, a photo from an earlier visit. The array of signs gave the place a certain something something.
I've posted a few other photos of Big Nick's in the past. There were always a few tables on the sidewalk outside, neon signs in the windows and a warm vibe. I will miss this place and its charm.
For a look at Nick's in its heyday, click here and here.
Related posts: Store Closing, on Fifth Avenue, Signs on Third Avenue, and Now on Sale, in Midtown.
Photo by myself, somewhere in Sixth Avenue, Midtown.
It hasn't been cool enough for wearing sweaters yet but it hasn't been insanely hot, either. This photo is from the stash. We're happily enjoying some gorgeous days.
As you can see, there aren't too many trees or soft surfaces in Midtown. Just signs, asphalt and glass.
Related posts: String Duet, Below Brooklyn, Commuting in the Hood, on the Atlantic/Pacific Platform, and Wednesday Morning, Below Brooklyn.
Photo by myself on Fifth Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
A humorous sign outside an antiques store in Brooklyn. Yes, they have everything, including medieval hatchet thingies to protect yourself with.
We're having a beautiful, unseasonably coolish stretch of days. Hooray!
Related posts: Store Closing, on Fifth Avenue, Outside Mxyplyzyk, in the Village, and A Tour Through the Winter Antiques Show, on the Upper East Side.
Photo by myself in the Garment District, around 39th Street and Seventh Avenue.
The Garment District has been reduced to a few streets around 37th to 40th Streets, between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. Stores sell fabric, thread, ribbon, elastic and the like on the ground floor. Above, are showrooms.
Often you will see guys pushing racks full of clothing samples. Some of the buildings are older, and if you go up in the elevators, the doors will open and you'll see rows of garment workers and sewing machines. It is less expensive to have garments mass-produced overseas, but designers need workrooms nearby to have one-off samples made.
Steinlauf and Stoller, straight ahead, is an older establishment known for its sewing notions. There you can get all sorts of tailoring supplies.
For an earlier photo of a supercool sweatshop space, click here.
Related posts: Moving and Shaking, in Midtown, A Snapshot from Midtown, and Peeking into Paron's Fabrics, in the Garment District.
Photo by myself, below Times Square.
Big posters about the musical 'Kinky Boots' decorated the walls below Times Square.
Most of the time, this space is packed to the gills with people. Very often, the posters here have people in them, so you get the effect of there being...even MORE people here.
Photo by myself, around 35th Street and Broadway, in Midtown.
A fellow representing the Robibero Winery beckoned passersby to try free samples of their wine during lunch hour. He wore a funny shirt decorated with wine bottles at an outdoor market, in Midtown.
The Robibero family vineyards are located in New Paltz, New York, 85 miles north of Manhattan. They produce many different white and red wines.
As with any business, please do some research first. I had serious work to do in the afternoon, so I sadly could not enjoy a taste.
For the Robibero website, click here.
Related posts: Outside a Creperie, in Park Slope, Brooklyn, Outside Pinisi Bakery, on East 4th Street, and On the Price of a Slice, Downtown.
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.
Photo by myself, around 76th Street and Broadway, on the Upper West Side.
Yes, there are cat specialists here.
Manhattan Cat Specialists focus on everything cat - they board cats, groom cats, and look to their special medical needs. They even make house calls and had a couple brand new (adorable) kittens in their window for adoption.
I'm not sure whether New Yorkers own more cats than dogs. Some apartments don't allow pets at all, but they are the exception rather than the norm.
As with any business, please check them out before using them. By the way, the free pick and delivery canopy was for a dry cleaners next door, not for the cats!
Related posts: Cat on a Leash, in Midtown, Beware of Cat, East Village, and Cats on Leashes.
Photo by myself, around 17th Street and Third Avenue, near Union Square.
Signs and old storefronts make up a lot of each street. Not everything is brand-spanking new here, thank goodness. You can get free newspapers in the colored plastic bins on the sidewalk.
Third Avenue is crowded with dry cleaners, grocery stores, specialty stores and the like. Most of the time, there are apartments on the upper floors.
Stores are usually located on the north-south running avenues, and the majority of brownstones and apartments are located on the narrower streets.
Related posts: Death Before Decaf, in Brooklyn, Seeking Help, on the Upper East Side, and Lit Up on Fifth Avenue.
Photo by myself, around Sixth Avenue and 50th Street, in Midtown.
The old-fashioned neon lights at Radio City Music Hall are lit every night, showing coming attractions.
This stretch of midtown is empty at night, save people strolling around. Most of the buildings are very tall and business-oriented. At street level, there are few stores or restaurants, so not much is open at this hour.
For a daytime view of this corner, click here.
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