Easter Parade 2012, Part 2

The Movie



See my other Easter stories and photo galleries:
Easter Parade 2006
Easter Parade 2007
Easter Parade 2008
Easter Parade 2009

Easter Parade 2012, Part 1

View my photo gallery here. See my other Easter stories and photo galleries:
Easter Parade 2006
Easter Parade 2007
Easter Parade 2008
Easter Parade 2009

Good Friday

A Love/Hate Thing

A mass-marketed candy such as Peeps is certainly not anything that is special to New York City. But, nonetheless, they can be found here, primarily in chain stores, such as Duane Reade.

Looking back on my first postings for this website is interesting. I was fascinated with Peeps, perplexed by the amazing durability of their appeal for nearly 60 years. After hunting for Peeps, not realizing that they were readily available at every Duane Reade, I found them at Dylan's Candy Bar on the Upper East Side and did a story, Peeps, on April 16, 2006.

What more appropriately named company, Just Born, Inc., and town, Bethlehem (Pennsylvania), for the manufacture of an Easter candy. However, Just Born, Inc. has its roots in New York City. The founder, Sam Born, was a candy maker from Russia who emigrated to the U.S. via Brooklyn in 1910. In 1923, Born opened a small candy-making and retail store in Brooklyn, New York. He marketed the freshness of his line of daily-made candy with a sign that declared, “Just Born.” In 1932, they moved operations to an empty printing factory in Bethlehem, PA, and in 1953, Just Born acquired the Rodda Candy Company of Lancaster, PA. Although Rodda was best known for its jelly beans, it also made a small line of marshmallow products, which included a popular Easter Peep that was made by laboriously hand-squeezing marshmallow through pastry tubes.

Inspired by David Letterman's nightly Top Ten lists, I have written two lists: the top ten reasons New Yorkers love and hate Peeps.

Top Ten Reasons New Yorkers Love Peeps

10. Even in New York City, where else will you find blue or pink food?

9. There's a diversity of skin colors

8. You can buy Peeps at Duane Reade

7. You don't need to cook Peeps

6. There are still inexpensive things to be found in New York City

5. Peeps are nonfat

4. Peeps are the perfect food to eat while walking

3. You can celebrate Easter without a trip to St. Patrick's

2. In New York City, we got the little stuff too

1. If left in your car, no one will break in to steal your Peeps


Top Ten Reasons New Yorkers Hate Peeps

10. Peeps are not vegan

9. Peeps are not edgy

8. You can't really serve Peeps in a $1.5 million dollar condo

7. You can buy Peeps at Duane Reade

6. New Yorkers don't eat food that comes in blue or pink

5. You don't have to wait in line for Peeps

4. Peeps are not kosher

3. Peeps are not artisanal

2. Peeps are not made "somewhere in Brooklyn"

1. Peeps don't come in black


Like New York City itself, Peeps are a Love/Hate thing :)

Luck of the Irish

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, and in reviewing my postings going back to the inception of this website, I was surprised to find that I have neither done a St. Patrick's Day feature nor attended the St. Patrick's Day parade.

More surprising was that the very first posting of this website was on March 17, 2006, on Vesuvio Bakery, a New York City icon (closed and reopened as Birdbath Neighborhood Green Bakery). How absolutely bizarre that until today, I never realized that 1) the anniversary date of New York Daily Photo was St. Patrick's Day and 2) the choice of the distinctive green exterior of Vesuvio Bakery for my very first posting was never intended, but entirely accidental. In six years, no comment was ever made about the green color of the bakery's exterior and use of the photo on St. Patrick's Day.

My company also decided to pay tribute this year on our business blog. Our social networking consultant has, on occasion, been theming our product line for various holidays. The bottom photo is his interpretation of the classic Irish shamrock created entirely by selecting green colored juggling props from our product line. Our thanks to Kyle Petersen for his design and execution.

Although my understanding has always been that my ancestry was entirely French, my first name is Brian, one of the most popular names in Ireland. The choice was never adequately explained by my mother - there was some rumor of a strain of Irish lineage. Perhaps the rather fortuitous occurrences surrounding the inception of this website on St. Patrick's Day, the serendipitous choice of Vesuvio with its bright green facade, and the reopening with Green in the bakery name is somehow all related to the Luck of the Irish :)

Posts on St. Patrick's Day: Little in the Middle, Shrine to Kitsch

Big Big Mistake

Part 3 of 3, Back Inside the Box   (see Part 1 and Part 2 here)

She thanked me and appeared to be pleased, but my heart sank. Regardless of her reaction and appreciation, I knew immediately that I had made a Big, Big Mistake. Additionally, I sensed that she may even had hoped that the smaller box was a more traditional gift, but alas, adding insult to injury, my second gift was a wall mount bracket, neither chocolates nor lingerie. I had made many errors in judgement, and one was classic - buying for yourself, not the recipient. There was no avoiding the obvious - this gift was strictly a GUY THING. Nothing more, nothing less. Which woman really wants electronic hardware for Valentine's Day? What the hell was I thinking?

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Big Big Mistake

 Part 2 of 3 (see Part 1 here)

It was Valentine's Day, and I loaded my car, very excited to make the presentation of what would assuredly come as an unexpected gift. I had not yet, however, made a decision whether to supplement the TV with flowers. I realized that my options were now very limited, and barring a purchase of inexpensive flowers from a green grocer, it was too late, particularly in Manhattan, to buy quality roses from a flower shop. From my story that morning:  

It was Valentine's Day in Manhattan many years ago, and I, like the others, had waited until THE LAST MINUTE. We had made the enormous mistake of attempting to buy flowers from a flower shop during the closing hours on Valentine's Day.

Certainly, I reasoned, a brand new flat screen TV is a more than adequate gift for Valentine's Day. Nonetheless, I had been ruminating from the inception of this gift idea over the prudence of giving no flowers on such a holiday. But there was an option.

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Big, Big Mistake

Part 1 of 3, Thinking Outside the Box

How very fortunate one is in life to have both good and very useful insights. Even better is to articulate these insights online on one's website and have them validated by your readers. Best is to be a man, have insights regarding women and gifts of flowers and chocolates, and have those insights validated by women around the world. And what more opportune time to use these insights than on Valentine's Day, now assured as to exactly what should be done?

However, as I wrote on December 7, 2007 in Foolish Crash, "there are different kinds of fools."  In that story, I discussed a specific type of fool, one who neglects simple, prudent computer procedures that everyone knows well and suffers severely. I was that fool.

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Happy Valentine's Day

Hear this story as a podcast:


A salesman paced back and forth along the line like a drill sergeant who has absolute authority and can fire any hostile words he chooses at will while the men must silently endure or face reprimand of epic proportion. The line of men waited quietly like criminals who feel remorse on execution day. There was no defense - we were all BAD BOYS and we knew it.

It was Valentine's Day in Manhattan many years ago, and I, like the others, had waited until THE LAST MINUTE. We had made the enormous mistake of attempting to buy flowers from a flower shop during the closing hours on Valentine's Day.

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Bergdorf Holiday Windows 2011

The Bergdorf Goodman holiday window display is nothing short of SPECTACULAR. There is absolutely no contest in New York City. I have featured selections from their windows - for a complete gallery of this year's photos, see here. Window displays wrap around three sides of the building - Fifth Avenue, 57th and 58th Streets. The windows must be seen and are a worthwhile destination, even for those who must travel. It is a yearly ritual for me, and I am never disappointed. For those who would like to stroll with me, see the video below. Happy Holidays, and thanks to the staff of Bergdorf's!



Related Posts: Bergdorf Holiday Windows 2010, Bergdorf Windows 2009

Room With A View

I recently attended a community board meeting regarding a very hot-button issue for Village residents: the Parks Department's enforcement of new “expressive matter” rules, created to limit artist vendors in parks in 2010, applied to musicians and artists who take donations. The rules prohibit vending within 50 feet of a monument (includes the fountain) or 5 feet from a park bench, effectively making the park off-limits to performers. The impact of this is huge. Attorneys Norman Siegel (formerly of the ACLU) and Ron Kuby were on hand and poised for litigation.

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Santa's Corner

It certainly is spectacular, isn't it?

On Sunday, after my excursion to the Garabedian House on Pelham Parkway North in the Bronx, I decided that I would again go all the way to Bayside* to see what has been said to be the finest example of Christmas illumination and ornamentation of any home in Queens and, to some, the finest in all of New York City. The house is located in Bayside/Whitestone at 166th Street and 23rd Avenue, an intersection sometimes referred to as Santa's Corner.

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Don't We?

After touring Dyker Heights at Christmas time, it is reasonable to feel that one has seen it all regarding holiday light displays, ornamentation, and animation. On Sunday, however, a friend and native New Yorker asked if I was familiar with "the house" in the Bronx. I was not, and she assured me that it was a must see. If this house was how she represented it, I imagined that an online search with only a vague description would return my query, and it did. That research led to an article describing the various top holiday house decorations in the five boroughs in New York City.

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Dyker Heights, 2011

As this website has evolved, I have added more video. I have created a YouTube channel for New York Daily Photo where all the videos can be seen in one place. Looking into the future, I intend to create more videos and short documentary films of New York City.
Recently, I took another excursion to Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, with a friend. Although the displays are relatively the same from year to year, I enjoy the ritual, as I do the Christmas window displays on Fifth Avenue.
This year, I shot and compiled a short video of my tour of 84th Street between 11th and 12th Avenues - see below. This block is literally the show stopper, with bumper-to-bumper car traffic during the holiday season. Recommended to all who have not toured the area. Enjoy Dyker Heights 2011 !



Related Post: Simple, But Effective

Keep It Fresh

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the annual event SantaCon, the sight of groups of Santas, large and small, carousing the streets of New York City, is extremely perplexing.

After rereading a story I wrote on December 10, 2007 called Surly Santas, it is apparent that at that time, I, too, was not aware as to the reason why a group of Santas was walking the streets and being naughty. I certainly was perplexed until 2009, when I finally was told about SantaCon and did a story involving New York City's participation in the event.

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Easy As ABC

New York City prides itself on offering the best, and when it comes to Christmas, it certainly will not be outdone. The Christmas season is one where New York literally shines. Look at the many iconic images known throughout the world:

Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular. the Rockefeller Center Mall, and THE TREE - many consider it to be our national Christmas tree. Macy's, the Miracle on 34th Street, and their Santaland. Fifth Avenue and its neighboring flagship stores with their extraordinary store window displays: Bergdorf Goodman, Tiffany's, Cartier, Saks, B. Altman, Lord and Taylor, FAO Schwartz, Barney's, Bloomingdale's. Ice skating in Central Park, Bryant Park, and Rockefeller Center. The lights of Dyker Heights, Brooklyn. The Nutcracker with the New York City Ballet.

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Business as Usual

Do you trust me? Yes? Good.

I'm going to tell you about a restaurant where you will not be disappointed. This is a place that locals love. There are restaurants that are very good and there are restaurants that are very expensive. But as diners know, unfortunately, expensive does not always equal good. Restaurants tend to be overpriced in New York City, and plenty of places offer the convenience of eating out only with high prices and just average food.

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Looking for an Angel

There's no secret why anyone is at Port Authority Bus Terminal. As far as transportation, this is the home of the last option. Other than the Chinatown bus, the cheapest option. A nexus for people who have no other option, no other options at the time, or are between better options.

Today is Thanksgiving, a day to give thanks. And if you are fortunate enough not to have to travel by bus, you have something to be thankful for. Most New Yorkers have, at one time, arrived by bus at Port Authority and know that there are much better places to be welcomed to New York City.

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Work White Magic

It is Memorial Day weekend, and in New York City that means many things - residents leaving and visitors arriving during what is also Fleet Week, where the streets are abrim with sailors in uniform, particularly in Greenwich Village, which for many is party central. That means lots of sailors looking for fun and lots of civilians looking for Men in Uniform. The allure is obvious and evidence is everywhere.

For those looking for a quick tryst, there are both the streets of New York and now, the Internet, with a new world of options, a virtual smorgasbord.
Grindr, a gay cruising iPhone app, ranks prospects based on proximity.

Some sailors and those desiring them whether male, female, straight or gay, use the Close Encounters section of Craigslist for their brief time on shore leave.

Sexual encounters via Craigslist may be better called personal permutations, because if you are going to meet someone this way, you need to know what you want from a menu of 21 categories: w4m m4m m4w w4w t4m m4t mw4mw mw4w mw4m w4mw m4mw w4ww m4mm mm4m ww4w ww4m mm4w m4ww w4mm t4mw mw4t.

This may look rather daunting until you know the simple code: w- woman, m- man, t-tranny. A pair of letters together means a couple, straight or gay. So, we go from the basic m4w (man for woman) to the more exotic like mw4mw (straight couple for straight couple) or ww4m (lesbian couple for man).

Of course there are also logistics to work out - I was always curious about where sexual encounters with sailors might take place because although I witnessed a number of PDAs (see story here), I am sure these couples would be more than happy to oblige to take their meetings private and Get a Room. Since sailors cannot bring these women back to the ship, the classic line of the one-night stand, Your place or mine? becomes something more like Your place or thine? A hotel would be a pricey option. Some city residents have offered their apartments as a patriotic gesture to these men in service.

I am sure being a sailor is a trying lifestyle. The sexual frustration of men (and women*) at sea has resulted in innumerable troubles and solutions. I was fascinated to learn of Dames de Voyage, which date back to the 17th century. These fornicatory antecedents to the modern day party doll, were made of sewn cloth or old clothes and used by French and Spanish sailors while at sea.

But now we have Craigslist or for those who prefer the more traditional approach, the streets of New York City, where sailors have only to stand and let their uniforms work white magic :)

*Nearly 20% of active-duty members of the Navy are women.

Related Posts: Respect, Fleet Week 2009

Christ Is Risen

It was suggested by a friend that I may want to attend, photograph and write about the Eastern Orthodox Pascha Vigil at the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Protection located at 59 East Second Street in the East Village. He assured me it would be quite the fete and it was. The celebration begins at about 11:30 PM and typically goes on into the wee hours of the morning. I stayed only until 1AM, forgoing the later festivities.

To see a procession of an Orthodox religious group in a neighborhood that historically has been the epicenter of the counterculture for such a long time is one of New York City's great juxtapositions. However, from a much longer historical perspective, this congregation comes as a lesser surprise. Prior to the 1960s, this area was essentially the northern reaches of the Lower East Side, inhabited by a number of immigrant groups, notably Germans, Poles and Ukrainians. There are still remnants of these cultures in the populace and architecture - see Lone Voice here.

The Eastern Orthodox Easter celebration begins on Holy Saturday, i.e. the night before Pascha (Easter), where the Midnight Office is served just before midnight in darkness. At midnight, the priest censes the Holy Table and all exit the church to the streets for a crucession around one city block. In the ultimate contrast, the group passes the NYC Hell's Angels clubhouse. I understand the church stands in good stead with the Angels - one of the club members has a girlfriend who belongs to the church.

The procession returned to the front doors of the church where the chief celebrant gave the blessing for the beginning of Matins (early morning prayer). The Paschal Troparian is sung and everyone reenters the church, where all is brightly lit and exultant, with singing and plenty of Paschal greetings, Christ is risen!

The entire celebration was extremely ritualistic and formal, quite a departure from the iconoclasm and unorthodoxy found in this part of the city. The prevalence of organized religion in New York City, particularly the various orthodox sects, always comes as such a surprise. In light of urban cynicism, the large numbers of New Yorkers who are members of religious faiths is remarkable. I wrote of this in We Got Religion and Come Together.

People of all walks of life were in attendance. I put aside any critical thoughts and theological meanderings and let the good feelings of celebration wash over me as I reflected on the power of words, symbols and what it means to the men and women of this faith to say or hear Christ is Risen …