People, People, Everywhere, in the Village

Photo by myself at West Eighth Street and Sixth Avenue, in the Village.

Real and un-real people seemed to come together as a crowd the other day, in the Village.

This well-trafficked crossing is distinctive for a convergence of streets from different directions. On the left, Greenwich Avenue veers off and is lined with little stores. The bus was running on West 8th Street. Meanwhile, Sixth Avenue is coming from behind me, on the left.

The castle-like building under scaffolding is one branch of the New York Public Library. Known as the Jefferson Market building, it used to be a womens' prison and also a courthouse.

-- All I can say to those people encountering this area of the city is, bring your iphone. Or a compass. Take note of the sun's position in the sky.

It is confusing. After walking around on a grid all day, when you encounter streets running diagonally... well...you might as well just give up and twirl around in circles. Ha.

Related posts: Faces in a Crowd, At a Standstill, in Midtown, and Looking Up, at Times Square.

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On Playing Numbers and Photography 101, in Midtown

Photo by myself, at 39th Street and Eighth Avenue in Midtown.

The weather has truly been resembling March lately. It's been slightly chilly and blustery, sending everyone running to their long coats and hats.

Also, the Megamillions sweepstakes drawing on Friday for over $550 million dollars turned up three first place winners around the country. Despite that, people are still playing the lottery. Above, the guy on right was playing one of those instant win games, where you scratch off areas to see whether you've won.

-- I experimented a little before deciding to post the photo above.

Usually I don't mess around with the proportion of an image. More often than not, I post using a 4:3 proportion, or 1200 x 900 dpi, as in the photo below:

For some reason, the photo didn't look right. So I changed the cropping proportion to 3:2, or 1200 x 800 dpi. The result is more horizontal and oppressive. The overall layout seemed to reflect the body language of the woman man in the center (!).

Finally, there were some nice shadows on the woman's man's face, so I changed the values to monochrome. The bleak image and monochrome seemed to work well together.



What do you think? Is the flatter image better? Do you prefer the color over black and white? Is using black and white a gimmick?

Let me know. I'm curious!

Related posts: On Chrystie Street and Photography 101, On Stolen Glances and New York Moments, and Bewildered, in Times Square.

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On the Price of a Slice, Downtown

Photo by myself, at 17th and 7th Avenue in Chelsea.

We New Yorkers loves us some pizza.

Some of us are pizza snobs, myself included. I have to admit, after eating pizza in other places and countries, the pizza here is pretty darned good. Even the lowliest, no-name pizza stand will have really good, thin crust pizza served to you within minutes.

The above chap was spotted outside 2 Bros. (Brothers) Pizza, which is a chain here at 11 locations strong, at this writing. I've never eaten here, but like the sign says, slices cost $1 each.

-- Just this weekend, Times published an article about the pizza prices here in the city. Slices have been seen going for less than a dollar each. In the era of $3 cups of coffee, this is unbelievable.

Pizza places are finding themselves next door to each other, and a bidding war has begun for customers. One 2 Bros. location slashed its slice price to 75 cents, and is threatening to go to 50 cents (!).

For the Times article on pizza prices, of all things, click here.

Related posts: Waiting for Pies, Outside Lombardis, Pizza, Pizza, and Pizza Truck, Only a Buck.

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On the Sidewalk and Whole Foods, in Chelsea

Photo by myself around 23rd Street and Seventh Avenue, in Chelsea.

Several people were seen on the sidewalk sporting paper bags from Whole Foods on Saturday, a popular grocery store chain here in the city.

Whole Foods is often referred to as 'Whole Paycheck', because of the high prices. Regardless, people continue to shop there because the stores are huge, stocked with fresh organic produce and loads of prepared foods.

-- I don't have a ton of photos from Chelsea, a neighborhood on the west side, around 16th to 28th Streets.

One reason for this is that I don't know Chelsea too well. I'd drop into the neighborhood to quickly whirl through Bed, Bath and Beyond, a huge housewares store, to get Brita filters. Or I'd swing by to browse at the Housingworks location on 17th Street, a nice used clothing and furniture store.

The major reason for the lack of photos, though, is...how shall I say it? Parts of the neighborhood are not so nice looking. Along 7th and 8th Avenues are a motley assortment of large new and old buildings for various superstores, that lack charm.

I'm terribly superficial, I know. But when I was in the neighborhood last month, I was reminded of the lovely side streets lined with pretty, old brownstones. There was no time at all on Saturday, so I'll have to re-visit the neighborhood soon!

Related posts: Fresh on the Upper West Side, Food on the Brain, and Bright Lights and Cured Meats on the Upper West Side.

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Below the Big Chandelier, at the Paramount Hotel

Photo by myself at the Paramount Hotel at 46th Street and Eighth Avenue, in Midtown.

Smack dab in the midst of all the screaming LED signs in Times Square, is the Paramount Hotel.

The hotel was opened by the hotelier Ian Schrager and the lobby was designed by Phillipe Starck. A gigantic chandelier hangs in the middle of the space. When it opened, the bar of this hotel was a destination. Now, not so much.

Visitors should not forget that hotel lobbies are akin to public spaces. If you're ever in need of rest, you can stumble into one of the hundreds of hotel lobbies here, where a big, plush chair awaits you.

Related posts: The Royalton, Renovated, On Hotels and Hype, Along Fifth Avenue and Beyond, and All Lit Up, Outside the Gershwin Hotel.

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Alarmed, in the East Village

Photo by myself on Second Avenue, in the East Village.

Scattered throughout the city, there are alarm boxes that connect you directly with the police or fire department.

All you do is flip a lid and push a button. This one was decorated with graffiti. Under the pink skull sticker is the word 'fire' and a little flame symbol.

I've never seen these things used, but it's nice that they're around. Methinks these were installed when New York was a more dangerous place.

Happy Friday, everyone!

Related posts: Graffiti Gets Physical, on St. Mark's Place, The Urban Art Form, Downtown, and Art, for Public's Sake.

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Juggling Around, in Bryant Park

Photo by myself in Bryant Park.

One of the many scheduled activities in Bryant Park is juggling.

For not a large park, Bryant Park is very busy. Besides fencing, petanque, chess, ping pong, movies and musical performances, you can learn how to juggle every Tuesday evening, free of charge (!).

I met Alex, the instructor (above left), the other day. He was super-friendly and offered to teach me how to juggle. I opted to watch, as Alex and a visitor talked about juggling tricks.

Alex can juggle up to 5 objects and professed the largest thing he ever juggled was a basketball.

Related posts: Night View at the Carousel, Singer and Sax, Below Ground, and Odd and Colorful Birds, Bryant Park.

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Strumming a Tune, Below Ground

Photo by myself, on the R train.

A singer toting a guitar sang on the R train in Brooklyn, Tuesday night.

He was super cheerful, inviting passengers to join in. Not many folks were daring enough to join in, but the tired mood of the subway went up a few notches. How could it not?

Related posts: The King of Song, Below Ground, Singer and Sax, Below Ground, and Singing for Supper, in Washington Square Park.

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A Friendly Wave from the Deli Counter, in Midtown

Photo by myself, in Midtown.

I got a friendly wave from the guy who works in the deli I sometimes go to, the other day.

There's been construction going on nearby, and the deli was flooded with construction workers, who were looking for an early lunch. These fellows usually eat a hearty meal in the mid-morning, just when some of us are waking up (ahem!).

This is one of a couple delis near my office. When we look for lunch, my coworkers and I deliberate on various delis that we've named 'across the street', 'down the street' or 'around the corner'.

As you can tell, we architects are not too creative or daring, ha.

--
Life has been a little nuts, recently. My fiance Mark just left on yet another business trip, this time a long one to LA.

I'll be stopping off in LA on my way to Beijing, in mid-April. This blog will continue, with a mix of pre-scheduled posts and posts that I email to blogger. For whatever reason, Blogger is not accessible in mainland China.

Related posts: Greetings from a New York Pie, in Midtown, A Friendly Wave, in Midtown, and Greetings from Above, in Midtown.

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I Heart NY for Sale, on Fifth Avenue

Photo by myself on Fifth Avenue, around 36th Street in Midtown.

The stretch near the Empire State Building on Fifth Avenue is littered with stores selling all kinds of New York memorabilia.

You can get everything from Statue of Liberty headbands to t-shirts and all else.

Related posts: Taking a Break, at the Statue of Liberty, I Heart NY, in Midtown, and On T-Shirt Slogans and the New Yorker Festival.

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On Sixth Avenue and the Starbucks Challenge

Photo by myself on Sixth Avenue, in Midtown.

The drug of choice here in New York is without a doubt, coffee.

Whether with a ton of milk, a ton of sugar, or black, we *loves* our caffeine. Loves, loves, loves. What other beverage gets our edge on, makes us more productive and talk quickly? Delis on every street corner serve coffee and iced coffee (in the summer), and of course there are Starbucks locations everywhere.

Above, two women sported hot coffees and one had an iced coffee, last week. Already. I know, it's only March, but it was obscenely sunny last week, the perfect weather for an iced cuppa joe to go.

--
Thanks to my fiance Mark for finding a very funny video on the matter of coffee. Below, a comedian named Mark Malkoff visited all 171 Starbucks locations in one, very long day.

This video was done way back in 2007, when there were only 171 Starbucks locations in Manhattan. At this writing, there are 255. Enjoy!



Related posts: On the Mud Truck and Hotel Gramercy Park, Cuppa Joe to Go, and On Line, in Midtown.

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On Chinatown and a Trip to Beijing

Photo by myself at Centre and Canal Streets, in Chinatown.

The streets were a-buzz the other night as people were shopping for fruit in Chinatown.

For whatever reason, vendors seem to use orange-colored plastic bags a lot in this neighborhood. You can always tell if someone has just come from Chinatown for supplies.

We've been having some misty mornings and evenings. In the background, you can just make out some of the taller courthouse buildings in lower Manhattan.

--
So the news is, I'll be visiting my brother in Beijing, in mid-April! HOLY COW. He was transferred some time ago by his law firm in LA, and I haven't gotten around to visit him until now. I'll be traveling with my dad, and it should be an incredible trip.

In the meantime, I've been trying to figure out how to keep posting on this blog. A number of websites are not accessible there, including Blogger, but you can post to Blogger via email. The only issue is having control of image sizes and quality.

I've blogged before from other places, like Mexico, Puerto Rico and Japan. Censorship hasn't been an issue until now.

Stay tuned. More later!

Related posts: The Dragon Parade, on Mott Street, All Lit Up, on Canal Street, and On Chrystie Street and Photography 101.

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Sharing a Moment, in Times Square

Photo by myself in Times Square.

A couple lounged in some of the chairs scattered about in the pedestrian area of Times Square. There were crowds milling about, gawking at the billboards and LED screens.

The seating areas and closed off streets are a recent phenomenon. Under Mayor Bloomberg, portions of Broadway have been closed around Times Square and Madison Square Park. There hasn't been much of an affect on traffic, though.

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We've been having unseasonably warm weather here. Thursday was slightly humid and brightly sunny, with highs near 73F (that's 22C). All the flowering trees are abloom, much to the dismay of those with allergies.

Usually March is a cool and clammy month.

Related posts: Times Square, NYC, On Broadway, and Reasons to be Pretty, in Times Square.

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Outside Memphis, on Broadway

Photo by myself at 44th and Broadway, on the West Side.

Memphis, the musical, has been playing at the Schubert Theater in the Theater District since October, 2009. The marquis and signs outside the theater were covered with words.

A show is officially 'on Broadway' when it plays at a theater with more than 500 seats. There are many shows performing on Broadway at the moment, including The Lion King, Evita, Chicago and Porgy and Bess.

Related posts: Get on with the Show, on Broadway, Now Playing at the Booth Theater, and Street Theater for the New City, in the East Village.

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The Chrysler Building, at Night

Photo by myself at Madison Avenue and 42nd Street, in Midtown.

Ah, the view down 42nd Street at night is a sparkly one.

Apologies for not posting yesterday. It's been crazy busy hereabouts.

Related posts: Grand Central and Tall Tales, The View Down 42nd Street, Midtown, and From the East Bank.

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Back to the Grind, in Midtown

Photo by myself at 35th Street and Sixth Avenue, in Midtown.

A fellow pushed a cart for Karen Miller, a company that designs formal dresses. I have a feeling he saw me and was trying to avoid being in the photo.

In Midtown and around Seventh Avenue, you still often see carts loaded with clothing and bolts of fabric.

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I used to post black and white photos more often, but now I feel more comfortable with color. Black and white can be more striking, but you lose some nice contrasts - a bright white LED light next to a fluorescent storefront, for example.

These days I post in black and white when the color doesn't look so good - the camera might be focused to be in one area, and there is a distracting swatch of red in the background. I've learned from experience that black and white photos are best when taken on overcast days, so the sky looks white in the image.

In today's photo, I just thought the black and white was a nice change of pace.

Related posts: On Crossing the Street and Living Dangerously, Under Cover, Midtown, and Street Corner, in Midtown.

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Under the Tracks, in Bensonhurst

Photo by myself around New Utrecht Avenue and 64th Street in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.

In some parts of Brooklyn, the subway is raised up from the street. This is the 'N' line, in Bensonhurst. We made a special trip for Sicilian pizza, when I took this photo.

I don't know too much about Bensonhurst, except that its name still connotes some danger. It has a history of some racial conflict in the 90's and was a location for the mafia. In recent years, this neighborhood has kept a low profile.

For the wiki entry on Bensonhurst, click here.

Related posts: Welcome to Bensonhurst, The Elevated Tracks, in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and Under the Overpass, in Harlem.

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Saturday Morning, in Prospect Park, Brooklyn

Photo by myself in Prospect Park, Brooklyn.

It was a gorgeous Spring morning in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. The sun was out and a morning mist hugged the ground.

We are due for some really beautiful weather this week. Typically there is almost no Spring in New York. We'll see how long this lasts!

The park was very busy this morning with runners, dogs off-leash (til 9 am) and a bike race in progress. I was at the park to play fetch with Rupert, our Boston Terrier.

--
Recently, fellow photo-blogger and dog owner Rose from Oz asked how Rupert was. I haven't posted a photo of him in a while. Rup and I went to the park by ourselves. My fiance Mark is in Miami for a work project.

Rupert was much too busy prancing and fetching to pose for me. I was nearly doing summersaults to get him to stand still. When in fetch mode, he is very pushy!



Related posts: Roaming Free, in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, An Update on NYC and Rupert, and Gone Swimmin' in Prospect Park, Brooklyn.

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Twilight, in Soho

Photo by myself, in Soho.

There is a fine line between daytime and night, when stores roll down their doors, people stagger home from the subway, and the bars open up for business.

There are still some cobblestone streets in this neighborhood. Here, you can just barely see the texture of the stones.

--
The Times continues to offer more tidbits on its website, like photo essays and video. They are all wonderfully shot and edited.

The Metro section has snippets of video on regular New Yorkers. There's a food critic who eats her first dirty water hot dog, a high school student who taught himself over a dozen languages, and a fellow who tap dances on the subway to pay his tuition.

I haven't seen the tap dancer before in real life (yet). He supposedly sticks to the #2 and #3 subway lines and is pretty darned good with his feet:



Related posts: Down Broadway, All Aglow, in Soho, and After the Snow, in Soho.

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Looking Up at Rockefeller Center

Photo by myself around 50th Street and Fifth Avenue, in Midtown.

Three guys were looking up at Rockefeller Center, towering above. You can see the vertical windows of the tower, reflected in the background.

I was passing by in a cab. The weather was so nice Wednesday, that I could roll down the window without feeling guilty for making the cab driver cold.

My camera focused on the guy behind the three guys looking up. At first I didn't like how that turned out, but my fiance Mark said it was fine. I pass all photos for this blog in front of his eyeballs for final approval.

Related posts: Faces in a Crowd, Moving and Shaking, the Diamond District, and Looking Up, on Fifth Avenue.

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