Steal the Show
If you are uncomfortable with the gay community, I would not suggest taking up residence in New York City, particularly in the West Village. New York has some of the largest communities in the United States for individuals whose sexual orientation is other than heterosexual. And there are many orientations, as seen in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center at 281 West 13th Street. You can read about them here.
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Insult to Injury
Let’s try to create the most inhospitable outdoor dining situation imaginable and see if anyone comes. First, let’s pick the largest city in the United States, New York, to make sure we have potential for congestion. Second, pick one of the busiest thoroughfares in Manhattan - Houston Street, so it’s like eating on a super highway. Third, we make sure we choose a really crowded area to insure opportunity for the
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View of the World
I hate to use the phrase de rigueur again, but if there ever was a need for it, this is a prime example. Because familiarity with this image, View of the World from 9th Avenue, is de rigueur for every New Yorker and anyone who wants to understand this city’s people. This really is how many
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Sea of Yellow
What was most remarkable about my journey in this vehicle was the comment my friend Joey made while driving me uptown - he referred to what we saw as a “sea of yellow” - that is exactly the phrase I have used many times and what was in my mind as we crept through slow moving traffic. I shot a number of photos “blind” by raising the camera through his open sunroof. The evening light really enhanced the already yellow hue of the taxis.
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No Salga Afuera
I used to know a Puerto Rican woman who roared when I used to demonstrate my limited command of the Spanish language, defined by the NYC experience. My favorite was the recitation of a sign which appeared in the subway cars for as long as I can remember. I used to just recite two lines:
“La via del tren subterraneo es peligrosa. …. No salga afuera.” This warning alerted passengers to many dangers, including the the electrified third rail. See full wording and translation below.
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Bagels
When i first moved to new york city to attend college, I had never heard of a bagel or deli. Hard to believe? Not at all. Before the internet or cable television, life was much more insular and information much more local. Growing up in a small bluecollar town in New England I was exposed to very little. Cappucino was unheard of.
But it was only minutes after arriving in the Big Apple, however, that I sampled
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Cult Meets Attitude
The cult like phenomenon surrounding Apple Mac users is well known. In fact, Guy Kawasaki wrote of it in his book, The Macintosh Way. He advances the concept of marketing a business by creating an evangelical customer base. This may sound far fetched, but only if you haven’t met some hardcore Mac users.
But we have a small problem. Even with the tremendous success of
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Wake Up Call
Wow is all I could say as I stood at Times Square looking west along 42nd Street into one of the most amazing sunsets I have seen. This stretch of 42nd Street is already quite dramatic at dusk or at night. But this sunset was remarkable with the heavily stratified clouds and beautiful color gradation of orange to deep blue. One could have easily seen the sky as part of the artificial spectacle. Drama added to drama.
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Privileges
I am fortunate to have friends with an extraordinary view of the city and was able to capture a series of photos in the evening sunset light - see more here.
These rooftop turbine ventilators make a very visual accent the city’s skyline. They can be seen everywhere in New York, along with the ubiquitous water tanks, which I have previously posted on - see here.
In this photo, the ventilators are directly
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When Worlds Collide
There are things one never tires of and for me, Central Park is one of them. What is there to get tired of in this idyllic urban oasis? I place it at the pinnacle of any must see list for visitors.
Given the lack of outdoor space for city residents, parks take on a much greater significance - they effectively become our backyards and recreational playgrounds. So, the reason for my bias is obvious.
I can
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