Photo by myself at Lincoln Center, on the Upper West Side.
The fountain at Lincoln Center is the ideal place to sit, watch people and take a break. People enjoyed the cooling effects of the water, Tuesday night.
We've been having some awfully hot and humid weather the last few days, following a whole week of rain. The people in the photo above look very composed and relaxed, but don't be fooled. It was oppressively muggy.
The stone bench surrounding the central fountain looks as if it's floating in air. In actuality, it is supported by a few well-placed legs. You can just barely see one on the far left in the photo below.
Lincoln Center is the headquarters for the New York City Ballet, Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera. Also located in the area are the Film Society, Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Julliard School of Music.
For the Lincoln Center website including links to tickets, click here.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Around the Fountain, at Lincoln Center and Humans of New York
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Something for Everyone at the Food Truck Rally, in Brooklyn
Photo by myself at Grand Army Plaza, in Brooklyn.
Food trucks representing various cuisines congregated Sunday in Grand Army Plaza, in Brooklyn. Folks can sample everything from artisanal ice cream to Korean-inspired tacos to angus burgers on a brioche bun.
Fortunately, we had a very sunny afternoon for this. Early in the morning there were thunderstorms and purple clouds hung ominously above. Mark and I shared a Philly cheesesteak and some pork and chive dumplings with a soy dipping sauce.
Luckily for all of us, the food truck rallies will continue on the third Sunday of each month, through October!
Farmer's Markets and other venues are held regularly at Grand Army Plaza.
For the wiki entry of this public space, click here.
For a link to the Food Truck Rally, including participating food trucks, click here.
Waiting in line at the Frites 'n Meats truck, known for sumptuous burgers made to order.
Related posts: Brunch at Barbuto, in the West Village, 'I'll Have What She's Having, at Katz's Deli, and The Oyster Bar, at Grand Central Station.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
City Portraits - The High Line, Part Two
Photo by myself on the High Line, somewhere around 24th Street and 10th Avenue, in Chelsea.
The second section is open on the High Line, the elevated pedestrian park in Chelsea.
The park now runs from Gansevoort Street in the West Village, all the way up to West 30th Street. It makes use of an abandoned elevated railroad trestle.
The elevated views are pretty incredible. At times, you are winding around the back sides of old tenement buildings or along billboards.
The plantings have filled out quite a bit since this park opened. Above, the Standard Hotel.
A new water feature allows visitors to cool their tired feet. Water skims the surface of several rows of stone. The row where people have left their shoes are open grates for drainage.
At times, the walkway juts out as platforms overlooking the street.
The view north. There is a final undeveloped portion ahead between 30th and 34th Street that includes the rail yards.
The view west toward the Hudson River.
The view east toward Chelsea.
I definitely recommend visiting on a day that is not too sunny. The light colored concrete becomes a reflective surface in the summer, radiating all the heat up at you. It is really, really hot.
For the official High Line site, including its history and a calendar of events, click here.
For an interactive map, click here.
For a look at my first tour of the High Line, click here.
City Portraits is an ongoing, once-in-a-while installment featuring parts of New York.
Related posts: City Portraits - Shelter Island, City Portraits - Central Park and City Portraits - Coney Island, Brooklyn.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Communing with Public Figures, in Midtown
Photo by myself, in Midtown.
Sitting outside the Polish Consulate in Midtown, a woman shared a bench with a polite dude. I caught her while doing her nails, and she caught me taking her photo. She does not look pleased.
The sculpture depicts Jan Karski, a Polish hero from the Second World War. Apparently he liked chess, so there's a chess board beside him. I assume he's winning the game.
Read more about the sculpture here, at a site dedicated to the public sculptures in New York City. There are over 150 statues listed within the five boroughs.
When I showed this photo to Mark he groaned. It triggered his 'I-hate-when-people-do-their-nails-in-public' reflex.
Honestly though, we NYers have seen it all - guys shaving with battery-powered razors on the sidewalk, women applying make up on the subway, men clipping their fingernails, people brushing their teeth on the outside. Yeeeeeesh.
In a city, the line between personal and public space is blurred. You gotta put up with a lot, sometimes.
Related posts: Surprise, Surprise, Life in High Contrast and Village People, in Sheridan Square.
Read more...
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Along Came a Spiderman, at the Sony Plaza
Photo by myself in the Sony Plaza, an interior public space at Madison Avenue and 56th Street.
A gigantic inflatable Spiderman is poised above one of the exits of the Sony Plaza.
The large atrium space is open to the public and filled with tables and chairs. The Sony Playstation Store and coffee shops are within easy reach, so you can while away an entire afternoon.
Superman, Spiderman, Batman...did the good guys decide to move to Gotham because there were so many bad guys here? Or did the illustrators at Marvel Comics find it easier to draw the city outside their windows?
Oh, and King Kong found his home in NYC, too. There's a whole tradition of New York figuring as a character in these American stories, as a place of romance, suspense, danger and possibility.
Related posts: Public Art and Other Freebies, Summering in the City and One Really Big Fountain. Read more...
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Tailor Made in the Garment District
Photo by myself in the Garment District, around 38th Street and Seventh Avenue.
Fashion Week may be over, but this bronze statue lives outside year-round, a tribute to those in the 'rag trade'.
Fashion showrooms are located in this neighborhood on Seventh Avenue, and there still some stores selling fabric and notions. The majority of manufacturers have moved out of Manhattan, however, since rents are high.
The statue sits in an outdoor plaza with zero public seating. People use what they can find.
Related posts: Taking a Break at the Statue of Liberty, Union Square in Black and White and The View of Liberty.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Summering in the City
Photo by myself near the Flatiron Building, at 23rd Street and Fifth Avenue.
Recent changes in New York include carving out public spaces in the middle of streets.
Here, Fifth Avenue and Broadway intersect briefly, forming huge triangle. Part of the triangle is taken up by the Flatiron Building, which takes on a triangular shape.
What was once asphalt has been repaved and covered with public seating and tall planters. Broadway has been made slightly narrower, too. The result is a pretty place to sit against an urban backdrop.
Greetings from Shelter Island!
Friday was overcast and muggy. We drove in with Rupert and hit traffic along the way. The Long Island Expressway is notorious for summer traffic, so we'll be leaving early Sunday to get back to Brooklyn.
Our hotel is by the water, with a pretty view. Rupert is staying at a doggie place nearby, so we can visit him. He was in the car during the ferry ride and had no idea he was on a boat.
I'll post some photos tomorrow of Shelter Island.
Related posts: What's Swinging in Bryant Park, One Really Big Fountain and Out to Lunch.
Read more...
Monday, July 6, 2009
City Portraits - The High Line, Chelsea
Photo by myself from the High Line, at Gansevoort and Washington Streets in Chelsea. The new elevated park gives views of existing warehouses in the area.
A couple weeks ago I paid a visit to the newest addition to NYC landmarks - the High Line, a public park in Chelsea.
I'd heard vaguely about the project several years ago - something about old elevated railroad tracks being turned into a park. Now I know what the hubbub was about.
This public space is wonderfully designed, using modern materials that manage to refer to the structure's history. Precast concrete pavers are shaped to resemble train tracks, with grass growing in crevices.
At some points, rusty rail tracks are scattered casually on the ground. There are the typical things you expect in a park - plants, paths, benches and water fountains. The difference here is that you're on an old elevated structure, raised above street level.
If you're interested in visiting, I suggest starting at the entrance near Gansevoort Street, where a modern stair literally hangs from the old structure. Travel north, and encounter events along the way - piers that jut out for a view of the Hudson River, an outdoor theater space, and scattered seating areas.
The entrance to the park, at Gansevoort Street. Walking up the stair, you ask yourself - am I inside or outside?
At times, the park traverses below buildings sharing the same aesthetic.
Parts of the concrete flooring rise up to become benches.
The park meanders much like a landscape, allowing for views of self-referential views along the way.
The glassed-in space is an open-air theater that looks out onto the street below.
Dozens of people were sitting on the steps, enjoying the weather. It looked as if something were about to happen.
Large reclining chairs on wheels can be moved along train tracks.
Be aware, though, that besides the buildings, there is little shade along the path. On summer afternoon, it can be hot up there.
Said one European in passing: 'We are closer to the sun!'
Related posts: City Portrait - Washington Square Park, City Portrait - BBQ Block Party, Madison Square Park and Warehousing Art in Chelsea.
