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Monday, June 22, 2015

Rupert as Usual, Ready to Play

Boston Terrier, with ball
Photo by myself in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

A little bit of a palate cleanser for a Monday. Our dog, Rupert, poses with his well-worn ball, ready for action.

Some dogs are people-oriented, others dog-oriented. Rupert is decidedly fetch-oriented, to the point of OCD. We will take him outside to play fetch with a big blue ball, then he'll come inside and play fetch with a little blue ball. For some reason, the game does not get boring to him.

This ball has seen better days. It once had feet and a sponge in the middle that made a squeaky sound. Now it is in shreds but Rupert prefers it over a newer one.

Happy Monday, everyone!

Related posts: On Hipsters and Rupert, Downtown, An Update on NYC and Rupert, and On Gotham City and a Rupert Update.

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Thursday, June 18, 2015

Architecture Underfoot, in Midtown

Pan Am Building, nyc
Photo by myself around 40th Street and Park Avenue, in Midtown.

Embedded in the ground at an urban plaza, display engravings of buildings in the neighboring area. Above, a plaque showing the Pan Am Building roosting above the sculpture at Grand Central, just a couple blocks north.

The plaques were installed in 1996, as part of the Grand Central Partnership. Most NYC neighborhoods belong to 'partnerships', where businesses contribute money, used toward creating a neighborhood identity. Special signage, art or trash bins might be commissioned, for instance.

The plaques were created by Gregg LeFevre, a New York City sculptor. To check out more of his work, click here.

NY Daily News Building, nyc
Above, the entrance to the New York Daily News building, on 42nd Street.

Related posts: Remembering Memorial Day, I *Heart* New York, on the Sidewalk, and En Route to a Peaceful Protest, Downtown.'

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Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Protest for Kalief Browder, in Union Square

Union Square protest
Photo by myself in Union Square.

A protest was held in Union Square, Tuesday evening in memory of Kalief Browder, a young man who endured three years imprisonment at Riker's Island without having been convicted of any crime.

Kalief spent 400 days in solitary confinement and multiple beatings from prison guards. Kalief was only 16 when he entered the jail, which houses adults. Released in 2013, he committed suicide earlier this month.

Known here simply as 'Rikers', the prison is located in the Bronx and has a long, terrible history of violence and abuse. From many published accounts, Rikers is in dire need of reform. Tuesday's protest is one of a series of events. A march to shut down the prison is scheduled for June 27.

I was very moved by the protest. The sincerity of these strangers for a New Yorker they never knew was touching, and I could not fathom how much senseless pain this young man suffered.

Union Square protest

For an article about Kalief in the New Yorker, click here.
For an article in the NY Daily News, click here.

Related posts: Occupy Town Square, in Tompkins Square Park, Women in Black, Against War, and En Route to a Peaceful Protest, Downtown.

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Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Grilling Guinea Pigs, in Prospect Park

Roast guinea pig, nyc
Photo by myself in Prospect Park, Brooklyn.

A man grilled one of several guinea pigs this weekend, in Prospect Park.

He was a very sweet man, actually, and when I approached him, he said 'cuy' (pronounced 'quee'). I asked whether he was from Ecuador, and he said yes.

Later, Mark saw that someone had called the police, thinking the man was 'mistreating a squirrel'. The police call made it to several internet news sites, including the New York Daily News.

Guinea pigs are popular pets for children here, hence the surprise.

For the NY Daily News article, click here.
For the DNAinfo post, click here.

Related posts: Pork is the Answer, on the Lower East Side, Visions of a Cheeseburger, in Midtown, and Cow Appreciation Day, on Fifth Avenue.'

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Friday, June 12, 2015

Beam Me Up, from Madison Square Park

Mad Sq Park, nyc
Photo by myself in Madison Square Park, at 23rd Street and Fifth Avenue.

A group of people looking like they were communicating with outer space were actually communicating with their inner space, via meditation (!)

A placard nearby explained that they were members of Falun Dafa, also called Falun Gong.

Related posts: Yoga, in the Rain, Balancing Act, Below 42nd Street, and Sun Salutation, East Village.

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Thursday, June 11, 2015

Eighteenth and Fifth, at Dusk

Fifth Ave, nyc
Photo by myself on Fifth Avenue around 18th Street.

This stretch of Fifth Avenue, between Union Square and Washington Square Park is lined with tall, stately buildings. On the ground floor are larger stores, mostly higher-end clothing. On the upper floors are office spaces.

Above, the view west down 18th Street, toward the sunset.

Related posts: Looking Up, at 240 Centre Street, Living Large, on the Upper East Side, and All Aglow, on 57th Street.

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Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Drinks on 16th Street

16th Street, nyc
Photo by myself on 16th Street and Fifth Avenue.

We're having some coolish, nice weather now, interspersed with some rainy days. It is the ideal time of year to dine and drink on the sidewalk, even with the occasional trash.

Related posts: In Neon, on Seventh Avenue, Evening, on Sixth Avenue, and Under Lamplight, in Park Slope.

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Tuesday, June 9, 2015

A Restful Moment, on Fifth Avenue

First Pres. Church, nyc
Photo by myself at Fifth Avenue and 12th Street, in the Village.

The courtyard of the First Presbyterian Church is just steps away from Fifth Avenue, but it is its own little quiet world. I'm sure people come here to reflect or just rest their weary feet.

This is not a noisy neighborhood, but it is jam packed with large pre-war apartment buildings and smaller stores. The church dates back to the mid-1800s and is done up in the Gothic Revival style.

Related posts: Sunday, in Brooklyn Heights, Rainy Day, Outside Trinity Church, and All Lit Up, on the Upper West Side.

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Monday, June 8, 2015

The View into the Moonsheen Tattoo Parlour

Moonsheen Tattoo, nyc
Photo by myself on West 4th Street, in the Village.

The storefront of Moonsheen Tattoo puts their clients on display; passersby on the sidewalk have front row seats to tattoos in progress. This fellow was getting an elaborate design done on his right bicep.

Moonsheen does piercings as well and is open until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. You have to wonder if they make people take blood-alcohol readings before any work is done (!).

I took the above photo on Sunday, around dusk. Apologies for the reflection in the glass, since I wasn't using a polarizing lens. There, you can sort of make out the pretty brick townhouses in the neighborhood.

For the Moonsheen Tattoo website, click here.

Related posts: Getting Inked, in the Village, Working Under Bright Lights, at the Wooster Street Social Club, and Tattooed Man, in Herald Square.

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Thursday, June 4, 2015

Witnessing Manhattanhenge, from Sixth Avenue

Manhattanhenge 2015
Photo by myself on Sixth Avenue, around 35th Street in Midtown.

Technically this year, Manhattanhenge fell on May 30th and 31st, and will occur again on July 12th. But generally around this time, the sun will look as if it's in line with the New York City street grid.

Believe it or not, people notice the event, even if they don't hear about it in the news. Like many occasions in a crowded area, it just takes one person to turn and look, and then another, and suddenly a whole bunch of people waiting for the streetlight to change will be looking west down a street toward the sunset and New Jersey.

There is something nice about seeing a relationship between nature and the city. I suppose it's the meeting of complete opposites.

Related posts: Manhattanhenge, in Midtown, Sunset, on the Upper West Side, and Sunset, on the Ride to Brooklyn.

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Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Snapshot of a Street Artist

EQNYC
Photo by myself around Fifth Avenue and 10th Street, in the Village.

An artist who calls himself EQNYC posed for me the other day, with his cart. The cart is used to display his work, which is held in place with binder clips. When you turn the cart around, there is a desk space that is used for drawing.

I think I've seen him and his cart around the city, mainly in Union Square. On earlier occasions, I've asked for a photograph but have been denied (!). This time, I was granted about one tenth of a nanosecond to snap a photo, after he spun the cart around.

The top illustration reads 'A NY State of Mind'. Most of his graffit-inspired artwork is done on NYC subway maps. For the best representation of his work, I was told to check out his Instagram feed.

Check out EQ's Instagram here.
For his Etsy shop, click here.

Related posts: Graffiti, in Alphabet City, Cost was Here, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and Graffiti, Williamsburg.

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Monday, June 1, 2015

Outside the Lockwood de Forest House, in the Village

NYU Center for Jewish life
Photo by myself on East 10th Street and Fifth Avenue, in the Village.

A gorgeous brick building with intricate hand carvings was once a private residence for a wealthy shipping family. It is now the Center for Jewish Life for New York University students.

All the wood is teak, a hard wood that can withstand our terrible winters. With its beautiful detail that hails not just another time but another world, this building dates back to the late 1800's. Wowee!!!

NYU purchased the building for a mere 2.5 million back in 1994. I can't imagine what the cost would be now, with real estate prices as crazy as they are.

For an article about the building's history, see this article in the New York Times, here.

Related posts: A Dash of Color, Below Union Square, A Dash of Charm, in the Village, and Taking Stock, on Wall Street.

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