The Hua Mei Bird Garden, Chinatown

Photo by myself at the Hua Mei Bird Garden in Sara Delano Roosevelt Park, at Chrystie and Delancey Streets.

If you're ever in New York during the warmer months, stop by the Hua Mei Bird Garden on your way to Chinatown, Soho or the Lower East Side for a little taste of nature.

A small enclave of cages are suspended around eye level, each containing a tiny song bird. They jumped about very quickly while emitting bright peeps. Other cages were placed on the ground for larger songbirds, which sang more complicated songs. The result is a small cacophony.

The birds, an assortment of white-eyed finches, blue jays, starlings and sparrows, are owned by a group of 20-some Chinese men, who bring their pets during the week and on weekends. While I was there, one gentleman lovingly fed his bird live worms.

The birds were first displayed in the park in the mid-1990's. Since the tradition began, there is a designated area called the Hua Mei Bird Garden.


For an article about the park in the Times, click here.
NPR did a short broadcast about Hua Mei, which includes some of the birdsong:


Related posts: Odd and Colorful Birds, in Bryant Park, On Rupert and the Wild Parrots of Brooklyn and Getting the Goods on Canal Street.

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On a Stoop in Chinatown, and Some Law and Order

Photo by myself just north of Chinatown, around Elizabeth and Broome Streets.

A group of older folks were sitting outside in the warm air. It was very humid on Friday, after a week of cooler temperatures.


I wasn't sure if I preferred the color version or the black and white. What do you think?

--
Well, it had to happen at some point. The 20-year old New York-based television series Law and Order will end this May 24th.

I can't say I've watched a majority of the 450+ episodes. However the show has been dependable entertainment, when not much else is on. You can flip between the classic flavor, SVU and Criminal Intent, often running at the same time.

Each episode followed the same format - a crime is committed somewhere in the city. The address is displayed as a subtitle. Gradually the detectives bring the suspect to trial, before justice is more or less served.

I'll miss seeing the film crews on the streets and the myth of New York as a dangerous city. Not to say there won't be years of reruns in our future. But you know what I mean. It's the end of an era.

Related posts: Case Closed, Nearly Perfect and The Formula.

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Casimir on Avenue B

Photo by myself in Alphabet City, around Avenue C and East 7th Street.

There's no shortage of bars and restaurants in New York. Every neighborhood has its mix of ethnic, chic, dive-y and classic places.

Casimir in Alphabet City serves up a bistro fare, with escargots, duck confit and steak tartare on the menu. Mmmm...good!

I'm sure this place is much more inviting when the gates are open.

For a peek at their tasty menus, click here.

Related posts: Food for Thought, Duane Street, Tribeca and Live Poetry on the Lower East Side.

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Eating on the Run

Photo by myself, somewhere in Midtown.

A fellow who may have been a bike messenger chowed down breakfast.

Gray's Papaya, above, offers all sorts of special deals. This chain is known for its hot dogs and papaya juices. You can also get two eggs on a roll for 99 cents.

Related posts: Lichee Stand, Sunset Park, On the Menu and A La Carte.

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Sunset, Outside Battery Park City

Photo by myself on the West Side Highway, outside Battery Park City.

Here's a photo I took while we were driving on the West Side Highway. The day was ending and we were heading back home to Brooklyn. The buildings to the far right are across the Hudson River, in New Jersey.

Unfortunately all the buildings in Battery Park City were built at once and look very similar to each other. Individually they aren't so interesting and as a group they form an imposing mass of towers.

Perhaps the best part of this area is Battery Park, along the water's edge. The grounds are extremely well kept, and you can walk (or jog or bike or rollerblade) quite a distance, with great views out to New Jersey and the Statue of Liberty.

If you want to have a serious driving experience, take the West Side Highway or FDR Drive along the East River. These are fast, twisty-turny roads, teeming with aggressive drivers and cabbies. Not for the faint of heart!

Related posts: All Abloom, in Battery Park City, Running Along the Edge of Manhattan and On the West Side Highway.

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On Crowds and the Commute, in Midtown

Photo by myself in Midtown.

Most New Yorkers catch a subway or bus home to other parts of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. A select few will then take a ferry over the water to Staten Island or the suspended tram to Roosevelt Island.

Those living further away take buses or trains to New Jersey, Connecticut or upstate New York. Some folks commute one or two hours in each direction.

The real minority walks to work. I mean, they walk down streets, across avenues, and not just to a subway stop. They hoof it.

Some do it for the exercise. Some walk because there isn't a convenient subway or bus route. Others walk because it's the least expensive commute of all.

These lucky few are to be envied. They walk, come rain or shine, or even ride their bikes. (I have yet to encounter sled dogs!)

Related posts: People, People, Everywhere, Crowded Sidewalk, Midtown and We the People.

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The Canyon of Heroes, Downtown

Photo by myself along the Canyon of Heroes, around Broadway and Rector Street.

The Canyon of Heroes is the parade route for large tickertape parades in the city, held for New York sports teams and notable figures. The area is named for the parades for New York heroes and the 'canyon' created by the tall buildings and narrow street. Confetti rains down from buildings along lower Broadway between Battery Park and City Hall.

Each parade since 1886, over 200 in all, is commemorated with a granite strip and stainless steel lettering embedded in the sidewalk.

Walking up Broadway, you can read through the history of New York. Click here to read more about the plaques along lower Broadway.

I took a close up photo of one of the granite markers, here.

Related posts: Remembering Memorial Day, Trinity Church at Dusk and The Flatiron Building, in Detail.

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Looking Like a Tourist, in Midtown

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

A man stifles a yawn. It was early morning when I took this photo.

I imagine these folks are European. Funny to think a New Yorker was taking photos of visitors.

--
The dead giveaway that the folks above are tourists is the way the ladies have their bags strapped across their bodies. I can understand the anxiety of going to a new place - you feel vulnerable, even when it's safe. But there's no need to fear of purse-snatching.

Yes, there are crowds, yes there are all types of people. I've heard of break-ins and one completely random car jacking, but I've never heard of a purse being snatched in the many years I've lived here. Perhaps it happens, but it's very rare.

Some New York women walk about half-asleep with their bags wide open and stuff hanging out, while talking on their cell phones. Not to worry, it's perfectly safe here.

Related posts: Passing the Time in Times Square, Lost Near Macy's and Flower Power, Bryant Park.

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On Collecting Cans and a Rupert Update

Photo by myself in Chelsea, around 26th Street and Sixth Avenue.

You can make money from collecting aluminum cans on recycling day. At 5 cents each, I imagine this fellow did all right. A shopping cart with cans is not an uncommon sight.

Most New Yorkers do not return their cans to collect their nickels. Most supermarkets do not accept cans for return, and it's just too much to carry even more stuff when you're walking around without a car.

--
I realize I haven't posted a photo of Rupert in ages. The last one was from the winter, when there was snow on the ground.


After a good time playing, Rupert takes a break. (Pardon his muzzle, he needs a shave!)

Here he is after a good morning of playing. It was a humid last weekend, and he was pooped. His favorite outside toy is a big orange ball with feet.

My fiance Mark has been away for work for two weeks, now. Rupert has adjusted well, though sometimes he'll see someone with a similar silhouette and stop in his tracks. I've been running home everyday after work to feed Rupert dinner; caring for him has been more consuming.

Animals adjust so brilliantly to their situations. I am certain there will be much jumping and going nuts when Mark finally returns in a few days (and I mean both the dog and me!).

Related posts: Searching for a Bargain, at the Strand, Movie in the Making, in Alphabet City and Life Goes On.

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Open Spaces, in Chelsea

Photo by myself in Chelsea, around 26th Street and 7th Avenue.

Unlike the urban sprawl of some cities, New York is an island with limited space. Every square foot has the potential to be something.

Empty lots, the few that exist, are often used for parking. And not just parking, but cars piled on top of one another, in large steel parking contraptions.

Some open lots have been taken over by the city and turned into community gardens. Others host flea markets. The one above is almost non-existent, but there are other decently sized markets in Chelsea, the Upper West Side and Soho.

Related posts: Lost in Translation, Watch Where You're Going in Soho and Crazy Fantasy, Anyone?.

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Snapshot from Koreatown, 32nd Street

Photo by myself in Koreatown, on 32nd Street and Fifth Avenue.

Just a few blocks in Midtown comprise the neighborhood known as Koreatown, affectionately known as 'Ktown'. Stores, restaurants, karaoke bars and supermarkets cater mainly to Koreans.

The restaurants here tend to specialize. Some restaurants are known for their tofu casseroles - soups thick with tofu and various goodies like kim chi or seafood. Others are known for barbecue, where you grill your own meat at the table, creating a smoky, hearty meal.

Many restaurants here are open 24/7, since Korean businessmen tend to work hard and party hard. I love this area and can never tire of Korean food. It's much less oily than typical Chinese food, and there is a huge variety to the diet.

Koreans love their beef, but they also love fresh vegetables, tofu, raw fish and anything made from rice. Flavors tend toward spicy, but you can customize it to your liking.

For a good primer on some of the popular restaurants in the Ktown area, click here for a guide in the Times.

Related posts: Lost in Translation, On Broadway and In the Streets with Silly String.

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Looking the Other Way, Below 34th Street

Photo by myself at the subway station below 34th Street, in Midtown.

New York is nothing but a study in contrasts.

Some New Yorkers live in Park Avenue penthouses. They have private gardens, large eat-in kitchens and deliveries ushered in by multiple doormen.

Other New Yorkers struggle to live without permanent shelter. They carry all their belongings in carts and bags. They have zero privacy and few certainties to rely on.

Though New Yorkers can be extremely compassionate, they generally just tolerate those in need. It is difficult to be truly empathetic when you see homeless people every day.

I realize that photographs of the homeless can be seen as unkind. To some, photographs are exploitative or dehumanizing. To me, photographs attempt to illicit compassion. To photograph something is to say 'This is important. Please take a look.'

Related posts: Could You Keep it Down?, Castaways and Homeless Man, in Central Park.

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Hovering Above Park Avenue

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

What a view!? Notice that many penthouses have terraces full of trees and flowers. It's a nice luxury to live so high up and enjoy your own open space and garden.

I always associated Park Avenue with limestone, but as you can see, there is a lot of brick on this street, too. Park Avenue distinguishes itself for a planted divider that separates traffic in each direction. At the moment, purple tulips and leafy trees are in full bloom.

Also, unlike many north-south avenues, Park Avenue north of Midtown is completely residential. No bodegas, no boutiques, no supermarkets. The benefit of this is that there are no distracting signs or lights at night. The drawback, of course, is that you can't just run to the corner store for a gallon of milk.

There are other purely residential avenues in Manhattan, including West End Avenue, Riverside Drive, Columbus Avenue and Fifth Avenue.

Related posts: The View from on High, High Above Bryant Park and The World Above Central Park.

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I *Heart* New York, Downtown

Photo by myself, in Alphabet City.

Mosaics are pasted up on many traffic poles in Alphabet City and the East Village.

Very often, these small art pieces commemorate New York or 9/11. They are moments in the city, hardly noticeable unless you really look.

--
Saturday night, a potential car bomb was found in the Times Square area. Propane tanks, wires and gunpowder were found in a car, and a bomb squad was called in.

I had friends over Sunday and the topic came up. We talked about how the car was found (a street vendor saw smoke coming out of it), where it was parked, how the streets were shut down.

Nothing was said about how we felt. I won't lie. Recently I've felt anxious on the subway for no real reason. Suspicious people and gestures have made me very, very jumpy.

What I want to know is, what is it that New York is guilty of?

Why is New York receiving these threats? I don't quite understand it. We are a symbol of capitalism? Of America?

New Yorkers will wake up Monday morning and slog it out for another week. We'll keep doing what we do, since we know nothing else.

Related posts: On Street Corners in the East Village, What Makes Your Skin Crawl and Grains of Sand, in Union Square.

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Cowboy Dancer, in Midtown

Photo by myself, somewhere in Midtown.

A man in a cowboy hat and face paint was available to perform, for a small fee.

His sign reads, 'Does money make me dance? Or is this the Twilite Zone?'

Related posts: Shall We Dance, 34th Street, Acrobatics Below 34th Street and On Tippy Toe, Union Square.

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From the Rooftops, in Madison Square Park

Photo by myself in Madison Square Park.

Looking very much like people about to jump off buildings, the installation called 'Event Horizon' is attracting attention, skywards.

31 bronze life-sized statues have been placed around Madison Square Park, many looking down from rooftops. One statue placed on the Empire State Building had the fire department rushing to the scene, thinking it was someone about to jump.

The human figure is unmistakable, even from such a distance. Seeing these statues in such unlikely areas is striking.



'Event Horizon' coincides with a video installation held in the same area, called 'Surveillance'. Video cameras have been placed around the park and giant tv screens display the live feed. To onlookers, it seems like one massive installation. One could imagine the bronze statues bearing video cameras.


A video installation by Ernie Gehr runs until May 15.



'Event Horizon' continues through the summer until August 15. For an article in the Times, click here.

'Surveillance' ends May 15th. For more about it on the Madison Square Park website, click here.

Related posts: Atop the East Village, Looking Up, in Park Slope and Village People, in Sheridan Square.

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Parading Down Fifth Avenue

Photo by myself on Fifth Avenue around 40th Street.

I've been holding onto this photo for a while, since last year's Veteran's Day Parade.

Boy am I glad it's Friday? TGIF everyone!

Related posts: Fighting the Crowds, in Midtown, Lost in the Crowd and We the People.

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Out to Lunch, in Midtown

Photo by myself, somewhere in Midtown.

Spring has sprung here in the city. Unfortunately, not everyone works near a public park.

Some buildings are designed with public space in mind, offering areas to sit and enjoy the good weather. This bank of steps of various sizes also has planters for trees.

People can perch and eat, relax and have some alone time before slogging off to their desks.

Related posts: On Curvy Walls and Stone Slabs, The Royalton Renovated and Dusk Among Towers.

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Commuting in the Hood, on the Atlantic/Pacific Platform

Photo by myself on the platform of the Atlantic/Pacific subway station.

Just about everyone immerses him or herself in a handheld device during the daily commute. People were reading their Kindles, playing shoot-em-up games and listening to music Tuesday evening.

As you can see, all Brooklynites look like they shop at The Gap. The prevailing aesthetic is 'non-descript comfy'.

Once in a blue moon, you will spot someone in a fashion color or a suit.

Related posts: Waiting for the Train, at Atlantic/Pacific Streets, Passing the Time, Underground and On Shopping on West 4th and My Insider's Guide.

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Toy Shopping in the East Village

Photo by myself, somewhere in the East Village.

A fanciful display outside a toy store downtown, in the East Village.

Many stores welcome dogs and leave bowls of water outside for them in the summer. You can just see the water bowl to the left of Mr. Bear's foot.

Related posts: The Markets in Union Square, Christmas Shopping and On Shopping on West 4th and My Insider's Guide.

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On Visiting New Yorkers, in the Flesh and Online

Photo by myself in Madison Square Park, at 23rd Street and Fifth Avenue.

A musical ensemble charmed onlookers with their pop songs. Just about everyone was walking around outside, enjoying the Spring weather.

A woman smiled after giving the group a tip.

--
Speaking of walking around, there are two very different ways to visit New Yorkers.

If you're in town this summer, Brooklyn opens its doors to lovers of historic architecture.

The Brooklyn House Tour showcases homes each week in various Brooklyn neighborhoods. You can walk through privately owned brownstones in Fort Greene, mansions in Brooklyn Heights and gardens in Clinton Hill.

Tickets are between $20 and $40. For more info, click here.

If you're not in town, join virtual tours of New York apartments at Time Out New York.

In a section dedicated to apartment living, you can visit studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments and their Manhattan and Brooklyn residents. It's real up close and personal.

I think I enjoyed the smaller apartments the most, since it's tough to squeeze variety out of a few rooms. Each photo essay is wonderfully staged, and includes a source list if you like anything you see.

For the virtual apartment tours, click here.

Related posts: Below the Ansonia on the Upper West Side, The Towers Near Riverside Park and An Oasis on Park Avenue.

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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.

--
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!

Related posts: Big Green Monster, in Midtown, Step Lively and Santas on Parade, in Washington Square Park.

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On Fancy Cakes in the Financial District

Photo by myself at Stone Street and Hanover Square, in the Financial District.

I love this part of town near Wall Street, which has an 'ye olde' feeling about it.

Above, Financier is a fancy patisserie. Its name playfully alludes to the name of a French cake, as well as its location in the Financial District.

I regret not stepping inside, though I'm probably slimmer for it. Their assortment of elegant cakes and French pastries is impressive. Chocolate mousse cakes, sacher tortes, berry tarts and petit fours are just some of their decadent concoctions.

They also serve a large menu for breakfast and lunch, cater parties and create one-of-a-kind wedding cakes.

Lucky for everyone, they accept online orders, for pick up, only. (I doubt their perfect cakes would travel well in the US Mail).

For their website, which includes photos of their creations and menus, click here.

Related posts: On the Market, Trinity Church, at Dusk and Window Dressing, at the Little Pie.

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Outside The Sunburnt Cow, Avenue C

Photo by myself in Alphabet City, at Avenue C and 9th Street.

A playful sign hangs outside The Sunburnt Cow, an Australian-themed restaurant.

What is Australian cuisine, you ask? Well, the menu lists fresh shark, mutton stew, wild boar and a 'kangaroo shepherd's pie'. (No telling whether there is real kangaroo in the pie).

Their offshoot, called The Sunburnt Calf, is located on the Upper West Side. Both gastropubs feature fancy brunches for $18, with all the 'moomosas', 'moo marys', or screwdrivers you like.

--
Thanks everyone for the comments on yesterday's photo! I'm absolutely tickled that people enjoyed it.

Thursday, I left my camera at home. Naturally, the best moments eluded me - two visitors with enormous backpacks crammed in the subway during rush hour, one girl walking in knee highs and tiny skirt, a woman sitting next to two giant teddy bears on a bench, street vendors and a man singing in the subway station wearing a tin foil crown.

Related posts: Cow Appreciation Day, Fifth Avenue, Now on Sale, in Midtown and Signs of Hope.

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Leg Lunges, Midtown 9:25 am

Photo by myself, somewhere in Midtown.

I took this photo Wednesday morning from a cab, on the way to a job site. I was somewhere around 27th Street, (I think?) trying to make it crosstown for a meeting.

A woman was doing leg lunges down the sidewalk. A man was walking his little dog. Daily life in Manhattan. Pretty ordinary. You can see my taxi in the reflection of the building.

The cab driver turned around and asked what country I was from.

'Brooklyn,' I said, and not being sarcastic. We really are a land of our own!



Related posts: Playing Ball in the Public Courts, Running Along the Brooklyn Bridge and Playing Ball, in Red Hook Brooklyn.

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Community Garden, on 7th Street

Photo by myself at 9th Street and Avenue C.

La Plaza Cultural is a community garden and open air performance space in Alphabet City. It's been there since 1976, when this neighborhood was very, very sketchy.

This is just one of many community gardens in this neighborhood. Some are tiny, others substantial, with seating and shady areas.

Members pay a $25 annual fee to share garden plots. Easter Egg hunts, birthday parties, weddings and performances are held here during the nice months.

If you're a tin can or an odd whirlygig in this area, beware! You might just end up on top of this fence.

Related posts: Shooting (Film) in the Park, The Getty Villa, in Malibu California and Community Garden, an Urban Oasis.

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New York's Finest, on the Hudson River

Photo by myself in Battery Park, along the Hudson River.

I'm not sure what was being discussed among the above fellows.

The weather? How many drug busts had taken place that morning? Dead body count? The latest Nicks game?

Good to know that our waters are being patrolled as often as our streets and subways.

--
Ever wonder what happens to all the merchandise seized by the NYPD?

Rolex watches, cars, jewelry, electronics...you name it, are auctioned off to the public online, at propertyroom.com.

I have to say that getting jewelry or other valuables at this site is better than shopping on ebay, for example. On the Property Room site, you know the goods are real, since they've been verified by authorities.

In case you're wondering, there is photographic equipment up for grabs, too. Lenses, SLRs and digital cameras are available, though many items are untested and are sold 'as is'.

Last but not least, winners get bragging rights that their goods were 'hot'!

Related posts: NYPD Blues, NYPD in Action, Underground and Policing the Subway, Midtown.

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On the Steps of St. Stainislaus, 7th Street

Photo by myself at the steps of St. Stanislaus, on East 7th Street and First Avenue.

A small shrine for the late president Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria, on the steps of St. Stanislaus in the East Village. The President, his wife and many other high officials perished in a tragic plane crash last week.

St. Stanislaus is a Roman Catholic church that conducts its masses in Polish. The Polish community has long populated the East Village as well as Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Related posts: What's New and Old in the East Village, Life Goes On, Almost and The Beginning of the End.

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Cluttered Sidewalks in the East Village

Photo by myself, somewhere in the East Village.

The sidewalks are narrow in most of the older neighborhoods in Manhattan. On trash pick-up days, there is little room for pedestrians to pass by.

New York is tidier than it used to be, but it still has a long way to go. Unfortunately, litter is a way of life. The sidewalks and subway tracks are often the place where wrappers, coffee cups, gum and other stuff winds up on a daily basis.

--
In my early days as a New Yorker, I went through a personal crusade against littering (I wrote about it here in an earlier post). It's still shocking to see people, often kids, casually toss stuff on the street when there are trash cans everywhere.

As a dog owner, I really notice what's on the streets. Rupert will come very close to eating paper bags, jujubees and discarded chicken bones. Actually the quantity of chicken bones bewildered me. How is it that we eat so many chicken wings outside?

So when you see the litter in New York, please know that only a fraction of us treat our city poorly. The rest of us are completely disgusted.

Related posts: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, The View of Liberty and Tonight's Winning Numbers, in Sunset Park.

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Sunset Along the West Side Highway

Photo by myself from a car, along the West Side Highway around Pier 54.

There are all sorts of things along the West Side Highway.

Piers and old boats jut into the water. There is also an enormous sports complex, Chelsea Piers, which contains a running track, bowling alley, golf driving range, and courts for soccer, basketball and handball.

In the daytime, a paved walkway running along the water is visible. Runners, rollerbladers and strollers use the parks that runs along the west side, spanning from Riverside Park in the Upper West Side, all the way down to Battery Park City.

Related posts: Subway Sunset, on the Ride Home, Sunrise, Sunset and Strange Skies, Above Sunset Park.

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City Portraits - The Williamburgh Bank, Brooklyn

Photo by myself at the Brooklyn Flea Market, at One Hanson Place.

This past weekend Mark and I visited the Brooklyn Flea Market at the Williamsburgh Bank Building.

The Williamsburgh Bank is the tallest building in Brooklyn. You can see the building from just about everywhere. The exterior was recently restored, and the upper floors converted into fancy condo apartments. The interiors on the first floor are just incredible.




Light streams through one of the large windows on the mezzanine level.


A starry mosaic covers the arched ceiling of the lobby. Note the delicate iron work in the background.



Many of the original elements are still in the lobby, including tellers windows, light fixtures and the vault door.

Vendors were selling quality vintage clothing, art and furniture. Outside in the parking lot, you can get a host of different foods. There was a roaring pizza oven (!), handmade chocolate and ice cream.

Mark oogled at some of the vintage lamps offered, while I was just astounded by the building. Fortunately for us all, the Brooklyn Flea Market is open every weekend.

For the Brooklyn Flea website, click here.
The Williamsburgh Bank building is located just steps away from the Atlantic/Pacific subway stop in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

City Portraits is an ongoing, once-in-a-while installment featuring parts of New York.

Related posts: City Portraits - The High Line, Chelsea, City Portraits - Washington Square Park and City Portraits - Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn.

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Passing By, in Sunset Park

Photo by myself in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

Sunset Park is the equivalent of Chinatown in Brooklyn. Stores and restaurants are crowded around Eighth Avenue, since the word 'eight' in Mandarin sounds similar to the word meaning 'good fortune'.

As in Chinatown in Manhattan, many storefronts open directly to the street. This makes walking down the sidewalk slow, as people cannot help but look into each store.

I took this photo last year and it's one of my favorites. The blue light of the tv contrasts nicely with the store interior.

Related posts: Night View, Canal Street, Soap Bubbles, Chinatown and Fish Market, Chinatown.

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Beautiful People, the East Village

Photo by myself around St. Mark's Place and 1st Avenue, in the East Village.

For some reason, all the customers brunching outdoors this weekend were young, fashionable and female.

Brunch is a meal dear to the heart. As usual, New Yorkers are over the top with their menus. All the mimosas you can drink? Gigantic omelet with a side of home fries? Cheesy grits? Why, of course.

Above, at Cafe Mogador on St. Mark's Place, brunch is served between 9am and 4pm, Saturdays and Sundays. That's some window of time.

Mogador serves up various concoctions of organic poached eggs, with fresh orange juice, along with cappucino or tea. There is always, always a line of people waiting on the sidewalk. Often, customers resemble movie stars.

Time Out New York devotes a whole section to brunching in New York. Their lists include 'Outdoor Brunch Spots', 'Best Rooftop Brunches' and 'Best Brunch Deals'.

In NY-ese, 'brunch' means 'wake-up-late-because-you-spent-last-night-drinking-much-too-much'.

Related posts: Brunching on St. Mark's Place, Sharing a Moment and Summering in the City.

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On Blooming Trees and New York Apps

Photo by myself in Tompkins Square Park, in Alphabet City.

It seems like every tree is fully in bloom right now, a mass of yellow or pink. If you have any allergies at all, be sure to bring kleenex.

--
This week in the Times, there is an article about new apps (application for the iphone) made just for New Yorkers.

Parking spaces are scarce in certain neighborhoods. Park Slope, where Mark and I live, is drastically short on parking space. (As a result, a high percentage of Mini Cooper owners live here).

StreetParkNYC and Roadify allow New York drivers to communicate when they're leaving their precious parking spaces. Meters cost 50 cents per hour and garage parking costs anywhere up to twenty bucks an hour. I'm sure New York will be one of many cities for such applications. I'm sure this will be a default part of navigation devices in the future.

Related posts: Happy Summer, Fall Foliage, in Prospect Park and Tell me about the Rabbits.

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The Writing on the Wall, on Avenue A

Photo by myself in Alphabet City, around 6th Street and Avenue A.

A large mural was going up in Alphabet City announcing a new comedy show with actor John Reilly. Below, some large illustration dedicated to the motorcyclists who frequent this area.

I walked by the crane later when it was closer to the ground. The workers were on their lunch break. I noticed they paint the murals the old fashioned way, working from a small copy of the image.

In the close up photo, you can see the framed image held by one of the artists. Pretty incredible!



Related posts: The Rat Pack, on Avenue C, Ninja Assassins, in the East Village and Painting by Numbers.

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Graffiti Gets Physical, on St. Mark's Place

Photo by myself in the East Village, around St. Mark's Place and 1st Avenue.

It's been a beautiful Spring weekend here in New York. People crowded the sidewalks Saturday for brunch and strolling about. Birdsong was in the air. Every street was graced with many green and pink flowering trees, and sneezing people.

St. Mark's Place is a street that runs east-west through the East Village. It is incredibly rich in content. Different restaurants and stores are located there, with the most touristy strip between Second and Third Avenue. This street was the first to show 'graffiti art' in a gallery setting. It has also been home to many artists and musicians.

The tiny vintage clothing store pictured above was featured on an old Led Zeppelin album called Physical Graffiti. It is just one of the colorful nooks and crannies on this popular street.

It seems that each building on this block has a story. For a detailed run down, click here.

Related posts: City Portraits - The East Village, Shopping on St. Mark's Place and On Eight Million Stories and St. Mark's Place.

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Flipping Out in Park Slope and on TV

Photo by myself in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

There are many beautiful historic brownstone buildings in Park Slope Brooklyn, located several subway stops outside Manhattan. The building above has stained glass windows, lovely brickwork and painted wood carvings.

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Have you seen the Bravo show Flipping Out, about the decorator Jeff Lewis? Lewis renovates homes in LA before selling them, and is neurotic and hilarious. He makes people move furniture by the inch, fusses over paint colors, and drives his employees mad.

Well, the show comes very close to what it's like in the profession of high end architecture and design. If you have neurotic tendencies, architecture and decorating are for you. I have seriously woken up in the middle of the night wondering if I specified the right type of closet light, or the right height for a closet rod.

For any project, architects list every single thing that will be built or installed, in detailed charts. Every recessed waterproof light in the showers, every LED undercabinet strip light and every closet light that turns on when you open the closet door is given a number and described in detail.

Cabinet knobs, door stops, door knobs and hinges, door types, appliances, paint colors, toilets and faucets are all listed. Everything about everything you can think of, short of the nails, so that the Contractor can determine an accurate price.

Jeff Lewis? He's the voice in my head!

Related posts: Details, Details, On the Market and The Flatiron Building, in Detail.

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