Lunchtime on a Skyscraper

This sculpture, mounted on truck, is frequently displayed in SOHO. Titled Lunchtime on a Skyscraper - A Tribute to American Heroes, this piece was created by sculptor Sergio Furnari, who has a studio in Long Island City (Queens). The men are life size, so the whole thing is quite startling and unexpected when first seen and usually draws the interest of many people passing by. The sculpture was inspired by a well-known photo of iron workers in 1932 taking a lunchtime break while building Rockefeller Center.

Metronome

This huge artwall has been an enigma for myself and most New Yorkers and visitors. The piece, Metronome, was commissioned by the developers of the building at One Union Square South, created by Kristin Jones and Andrew Ginzel (who won a national competition) and inaugurated in 1999. It is an investigation of time containing nine elements - every element has a specific meaning. The photo only shows the central portion, The Vortex, in brick, measuring 100 feet high by 60 feet wide. Smoke is emitted throughout the day through the center (The Infinity) surrounded by gold leaf (The Source). Note the hand (900 pounds) of George Washington at the very top. To the left (not shown) is an element which always generates speculation - The Passage - a digital atomic clock 15 panels long (five feet high). It turns out to be an elaborate countdown of the day's time. The entire piece, it's elements and history is explained in the original press release.

IFC Center

One of the newer venues in the running, the IFC Center (Independent Film Center) aims to be one of the draws for film-geeky New Yorkers. As it says in the interview with the "curator", some New Yorkers lead a life of going to films day and night, it's a phase many pass through in their early twenties. This place shows a mix of "calendar" movies and indies that bridge the range of the audience in the area, covering both the more interesting of commercial releases and the things you will never see anywhere else. At this time we are also in the throes of the Tribeca Film Festival, continuing through the weekend, which has basically taken over most of city's serious movie houses, both downtown and uptown.

Jane Jacobs

This is the house where Jane Jacobs, who died yesterday, wrote the Death and Life of Great American Cities. From those windows she observed the urban life of her West Village neighborhood which she offered as an alternative to the suburban sprawl and car culture taking over the country. Her work became a major influence on urban planning and the appreciation of city life in the US, convincing many Americans that cities were good. She was instrumental in saving the Village and Soho neighborhoods, which were threatened by urban planners who wanted to build the Lower Manhattan Expressway. She was a self taught outsider who criticized and triumphed over very entrenched authorities. More photos here.

Horse Sense

There's been an increase in the use of mounted police in NYC - they can be seen in the parks and neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs. It has been found that each mounted police officer is the equal of ten foot police. 

All the horses ask for in return for their service is hay. On a quiet morning, you can sometimes hear the clip clop of one or more horses, bringing a bit of country to the big city. People who have been mistrustful of police often have a better relationship with mounted police - horses foster a lot of positive feeling and personal relationships are more likely to be established. It is quite common to see people petting the horses with the permission of the officer and approval of the horse. They are very well trained, as you can see here. NYC has been fortunate in that the rate of crime has gone down in recent years to the lowest levels since the early sixties. It is now the safest large city in the USA. The increased use of horses has played a part as has the type of officers that are comfortable working with them. The large drop in crime has certainly given a very different feel to life in the city.

Bond Street Sculpture

Artistic expression is everywhere you look in NYC - street musicians, chalk painters on sidewalks, urban graffiti art, colored glass appliques on lamp posts, photographs and art being sold or exhibited on the street, etc. Sometimes you need to look up. We spotted these sculptures on the second floor fire escape of the six-story residential loft building at 24 Bond Street - a side street off Broadway in NoHo.* The building was also the home of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. The creation is the work of resident sculptor Bruce Williams. The male dancers, covered in gold, have been present since 1998 ...

Note: NoHo (north of Houston as contrasted with SoHo, south of Houston) is an neighborhood between the East and West Village, just north of SoHo.

Anniversary

The Empire State Building is having its 75th anniversary, and we were reminded of that by a wonderful in depth treatment in the New York Times - history, photos, video, audio slide show and the story of Lewis Hines, who took extraordinary photographs of the daredevils who built it, recounting the urban myths and legends that surround the building. Since it was for a long time and now is again the tallest building in the city, it has become New York City's lighthouse. It has an enormous pull to the eye if you are anywhere in the city from which it can be seen, rising above the rest. From street level nearby, it doesn't look like much and the neighborhood in which it is set is not terribly remarkable. When you can see it from a distance, particularly at night, the structure reveals itself, and the interior, with a very art deco feel, gives a strong feeling of those brash days when it was built...

Real? Fake? Why?

No one really knows why people throw up their old sneakers over the lamp posts in NYC (and beyond). People have read a lot into it, projecting fears and leading to urban myths, but now the meaning of sneaker throwing has changed - artists have begun making very realistic wooden replicas of sneakers and throwing them up all over the city and all over the world, for that matter. Apparently, all other forms of street art such as graffiti and stickers have been done, so the only thing left was this gesture (these were at the corner of St. Marks Place and 1st Ave. in the East Village.) So we are left to wonder, are those real sneakers up there, and what does it all really mean, anyway? Probably just further evidence of youthful exuberance...

Time Landscape - A Taste of Nature

In 1965 Alan Sonfist, an artist associated with the Earth or Land art movement, conceived of this living work of art which recreates New York City's forest growth of the 17th century - see a synopsis on the sign here. Finally realized in 1978, it has been landmarked. The 8000 square foot plot stands at Laguardia and Houston St., a busy intersection in the Village/Soho area. One wonders how many actually notice this plot - more likely it is overlooked like so much in life and particularly in a city which provides sensory overload. In the autumn, I can actually grab an apple from the branch of an overhanging tree. One morning I greeted a man eating berries, which I had noticed before but never knew were edible. These are remarkable experiences given the completely urbanized locale. And to get a taste of nature in Manhattan is so uplifting ...

FAO Schwartz

This famous toy store on 59th and Fifth Avenue (their history here) has life size stuffed animals that are very realistic, and expressive, made in collaboration with the American Museum of Natural History. Some are based on endangered species. They also have mechanical toys like child size sportscars. It's worth going in even without a child, just to take in the experience of the myriads of rare types of animals posed around en masse (see more photos here). The big cats are heavily represented and they even have a section devoted to many of the famous dog breeds, also life size, so you could conceivably try having one at home before or instead of having a real one...

Music for 9 Basses and 1 Cello

There was an unexpected musical and visual event this evening - nine acoustic bassists and one cellist rehearsing, forming a long line underneath the Washington Square Arch, which forms a natural outdoor acoustic chamber. A crowd had spontaneously gathered. Among audiences, many higher pitched instruments (such as the violin) typically garner the most attention. However, there are musicians who feel that instruments with a lower range, such as the bass, have a greater visceral impact, yet have been largely seen as a supporting instrument. The lack of repertoire for these instruments reinforces this. All this is what makes such an ensemble a pleasant surprise. As it turns out, the group was the NYU Bass ensemble, which suggests that there is a whole world of music being performed that features predominantly very deep notes...

While It Lasts

The first flowering of spring is on the wane, and the earliest flowering plants - magnolias, tulips and cherry blossoms - were very bright in the sun this morning, but on their way to losing their petals and subsiding into green leaves. The next wave should be hitting us very soon - the lilacs, wisterias, azaleas and lindens. This is a section of Washington Square Park along one of the main entrances, planted for maximum impact on the pedestrians passing by. Spring in NYC is short, and the summers are hot and long, so it's good to enjoy the best of this weather by getting outside, while it lasts.

Dog Run

The dog runs in the city parks are designated places where dogs can be let off the leash. There are a number of them around the city, because owners have banded together to get places to let the dogs run free, in return for policing themselves and picking up after the animals. They love it, especially when many other dogs are there - the more the merrier, because there is nothing dogs like better than socializing with other dogs. This one is in Washington Square Park, and people come to watch them run and twirl around in happiness, from the sidelines, like a spectator sport. There are also certain human social cliques that form among the dog owners, by breed and size and temperament, and city people who do not normally interact with strangers will do so on behalf of their dogs, striking up friendly acquaintances that are built around their pet's interactions. You can see in the photo here, a human tribal gathering forming to mirror the pack gathering that occurs with the pets...

Easter Parade

I had never been to an Easter Parade before, much less the one in New York City along Fifth Ave., which they close from 10AM to 4PM for 8 city blocks. Although it is known for its "excesses", I still was not prepared for what turned out to be quite an outlandlish affair. I got off to a beautiful quiet morning opposite St. Patricks Cathedral, which had Masses all day. The parade is really more of a gathering, with participants and viewers comingling all day. The whole event really became more intense as the day went on. The dress ranged from the elegant to the spectacular. I hope you enjoy the collage - I took so many photos and the displays were so varied, it was impossible to settle on one image.
Brian

Peeps

In the USA, there is a big connection with Easter and candy, especially chocolate in the form of eggs and bunnies, jelly beans, and marshmallow Peeps. This candy store across from Bloomingdales was customizing candy baskets today, and was very crowded with families and children (interior photos here). Peeps are a strange American phenomenon and we hoped to photograph a nice display of them, but even though they were featured prominently in their window display and ads, the shop was nearly sold out, as are most stores just before Easter. So we continued our quest around town to find more in other likely places, but there were very few left to be had. We eventually tracked down a handful of lonely boxes of traditional yellow ones closer to home. So if you want to see them in their full splendor and read about their history, click here.

Spiderman

The Sony Building on 550 Madison has a giant cold air inflated, very realistic Spiderman in the act of crawling on the glass enclosed atrium. This is a public space inside their corporate building, but also feeds into their SonyWonder Technology Lab site, geared mostly for kids, where they showcase computer games and other technology that Sony intends to debut in the near future, interactively. Sony did very well with the Spiderman films, and many feel that they are the best comic book superhero films made so far. They had very serious writers, such as Michael Chabon, and some Oscar award winners on the screenplay, and of course how can you miss with Spiderman as the main character. They plan to do a total of five or six, so it seems that Spidey will be in place for the foreseeable future - here's a link to the next one, Spiderman 3 - which is sure to have a lot more good shots of NYC from the viewpoint of someone scaling skycrapers as necessary.

Chili Pepper Lights Meet Christmas Lights

There are two Indian restaurants, Milon Bangladesh, and Panna II on 1st Avenue in the East Village, around the corner from the Sixth Street Indian row of restaurants. They share the same address and are virtual mirrors of each other. They have very aggressive tactics to get you inside and are intensely rivalrous with two guys vying with each other in front, shouting deals to the passersby (which are not always to be taken too seriously). Usually we just keep our heads down and hurry by, but decided to go upstairs to look inside this evening and found a festival of lights in the shape of chili peppers and Christmas lights and a packed house full of birthday parties - an incredibly festive atmosphere. See here for more photos...

The Sun Never Sets

The sun never set on the British Empire - what this handsome golden fellow symbolizes. He is an intaglio carving by Lee Laurie, cut into the face of the British Empire Building (which is across the long garden concourse from the French Building which has its own beauties) over the doorways of 620 Fifth Avenue, one of the four main buildings in Rockefeller Center. Mercury is the god of commerce, speed, a messenger and even the patron of thievery. When built in the thirties this building served as the off shore center for British commerce and trade while they were under tremendous siege at home. His appearance of forward movement is a reminder, if we need one, to hurry about our business....

Washington Square North

One of doorways of "the Row" on Washington Square North, once a center of gentility in NYC in the 1830s -- a good example of one of our best eras for architecture and decorative arts, now remains one of the last survivors of that era and is still in constant use. It is considered one of the finest rows of Greek Revival houses in the country. Romanticized in novels like "Washington Square" by Henry James, and "Age of Innocence" by Edith Wharton, this Row started out as the home of the wealthiest and later became inhabited by Village bohemians and many legendary artists, such as Edward Hopper and Albert Pinkham Ryder who were inspired by the environs. In 1939 the row of townhouses numbered 7-13 were gutted and converted to an apartment house, retaining the facades, with a common entrance on Fifth Avenue around the corner. They are now NYU residences. Number 8 in the photo was once the former residence of the mayor. You can see these doorways from the Park, and it is peaceful to look on such a strong reminder of the past still vibrant in the present.

Migration

There were very large demonstrations across the country today, which seem to have taken everyone by surprise, about the status of the illegal aliens and immigrants. This has come to a head because there have been proposals for federal laws that would make life much harsher for such people and counter proposals which would have the opposite effect. NYC has benefited greatly from newcomers and is very supportive of them. However, many across the country feel that not enough is being done to stop illegal immigration and that it makes for unfair competition between citizens and illegal workers. The march in NYC had a very diverse flavor, sometimes party like in atmosphere. There was music and food and the local government representatives came out and spoke in support of their quest for legitimization. Since most who live in NYC (and most Americans) have immigrant roots, it would be surprising if we were not supportive. It's the first time people from this group have done anything publicly or politically because generally they have been afraid to call attention to themselves, for obvious reasons.

You Don't Say

Ironically, while on my way to a juggling festival in Brooklyn, I caught this massive assemblage of mimes in a fenced playground out of the corner of my eye. I was inclined to just keep driving - after all, this kind of unpredictable insanity is not uncommon in the city. But then it occurred to me that hundreds of mimes gathered at 11:15 on a Sunday morning was a VERY uncommon site and that I should share it. So, I made a split second decision to circle the block, park illegally in a bus stop and snap a few quick photos through the openings in the fence, hoping I would get something usable (more photos here). I had no time to make inquiries so I have no idea what this mysterious silent event was about - audition, filming ?
Brian

New York Survivor

This young Planetree was so green with new bark this cold, wet, spring day, we thought it deserved the honor of being featured as a posting. The London Planetree is a naturally occurring hybrid between the Chinese and America Sycamore. It is one of the hardiest trees and very resistant to pollution, adapting well to New York, where it borders the streets, is rampant in Central Park (one of them is believed to be the oldest tree in the city), is our tallest tree and is the most numerous tree in Brooklyn. We are surrounded by them almost everywhere we go. They grow very quickly and shed their bark in a decorative way - when they expand, the older tan and grey bark peels off, revealing the new green bark. It stands out vividly against other trees even in wooded areas of the parks for it's bark, rather than its flowering or unusual fruit. This one is obviously experiencing an intense spurt of new growth.

Too Many Choices?

Not really. This is NYC, so it has to be three in one to really hit you and draw you in. Nationwide fast food chains have restaurants clustered in certain parts of the city, mostly near tourist and some office areas, evidence that we have more than our share of bad restaurants along with the rest of the country. American out of towners can feel more comfortable visiting or working here - they can get a meal with no surprises and not have to deal with scarier, authentic ethnic foods available all over the city. Around the corner from this place is a row of Korean restaurants that are very reasonably priced but probably way too unfamiliar in taste for people who want to keep one foot out the door while they are in this cosmopolitan city.

Lights, Camera, Action!

In the past few years, the filming of television and movies has turned NYC into a giant set. This has become big industry for New York, and although it can be somewhat disruptive, basically we all enjoy it, especially seeing our neighborhoods on the big screen when it comes out. I am fortunate to live in the Washington Square area, which, with its extraordinary row houses, makes it one of the most used sets. Filming in the city is so common, that one can be strolling about and unexpectedly come upon the making of a major film, which is what happened to me this evening. The actual filming was being done on the roofs of Washington Square North (see photo). This film will be called "August Rush," starring Robin Williams, Keri Russell and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. You can find a synopsis of the plot here.
Brian

Go for a ride?

There are parts of the city that have not been completely gentrified, and there you will find pockets of detritus, the things that people can't really bring themselves to throw away completely, that have grown themselves into inexplicable constructions. Here an empty lot is sheltering an abandoned car, on Delancey Street on the Lower East Side, a residential neighborhood which has both vestiges of its bohemian and economic refugee past living side by side with it's renovated upmarket present in very close quarters. Someone has placed some rather unsuccessful potted house plants on the car, it seems they can't quite bear to throw them away either, and as the ground rises up to bury the car, the plants and the surrounding weeds are taking root and adding an ornamental touch, turning it all into some kind of archeological ruin/garden furniture of the neighborhood. See this view of the chicken wire window treatment.

Metal Ferns

More on Rockefeller Center, the Art Deco extravaganza. Here is a detail of a bronze statue, one of a symmetrically placed pair, which have giant fern fronds graciously presenting the central area in front of the main building, presently occupied by an ice skating rink . Must be the last few days for the skaters, winter came back today for a little while, but it's fighting a losing battle. Very soon, as every spring, the ice thaws and then there are cafe tables with umbrellas to protect us from the sun...

Rock Floor

The 30 Rockefeller Center lobby has very highly polished black terrazzo floors inlaid with brass designs and dramatically lit sepia murals that go on for acres throughout a number of interconnected buildings. It is the ultimate NYC Art Deco atmosphere and is meticulously maintained - the golden lighting reflects off the black floors. I often feel like I am an extra in a film set as I rush across these dark polished surfaces, with Ira Gershwin playing the background score, "Rhapsody in Blue". You can walk quite a distance underground to avoid bad weather, and there are also many shops and restaurants, and a TV station. We are looking forward to getting up to the recently reopened and restored observatory on the top floor, which is said to have the best views of the city. We will be doing more postings about this quintessentially glamourous part of midtown Manhattan. Here's a link to a lot more about this landmark...

Extreme Cadillac

The great weather today brought crowds of people out to the streets, and everyone was showing off what they had, especially the owner of this customized Cadillac parked in front of a Mexican restaurant (with its themed taxicab) in the West Village. Many stopped, looked, and took photos but no one seemed to know the who the owner was or anything about it. No luxury was spared. When something so garish is executed with such care, it sometimes achieves a certain beauty. Note the fur covered dashboard!

Gandhi in Union Square

It was appropriate on this magnificent spring day that someone had placed a flower in Gandhi's left hand. This bronze of Mohandas Gandhi by Kantilal B. Patel was installed on a traffic island on the southwest corner of Union Square Park in 1986, one year after a major renovation of the park. I have always been moved by Gandhi and this statue always brings his life to mind. A reminder of his calm and resolve in the face of adversity is perfect for one of the busiest areas in New York City. Visit this small sanctuary should you get a chance...

The Naked Cowboy

Have you heard of the Naked Cowboy? He certainly doesn't need any more promotion - Robert John Burck now has an international career. He has been a fixture for some time as a New York City street performer, working Times Square, as seen above, earning as much as $1000 per day. His routine consists of playing guitar dressed only in briefs and cowboy boots. Read an interview here. What's next, a Naked Cowgirl? Too late - I understand someone is already doing it.