Tag Archives: manhattan

New York in 2011, the photo version

A little late on this but I posted a few photos I took in NYC this year over at my Tumblr, Eye Heart New York.

This year seemed like my most sheltered, uncreative year yet…even so, according to Flickr’s count, 3/4 of the 3,000+ photos I’ve uploaded in total took place in 2011. I guess when so much just happens next to me (basically, OccupyWallStreet camping out a few blocks away) it’s hard not to snap a few pics. I almost broke the million views mark (for the two years that I’ve been on Flickr) and one of my photos finally made it on someone’s dining room wall, so not too bad a year no matter what it felt.

Here’s a few of the photos; visit Eye Heart New York for the rest:

Pre-Hurricane Irene: Naked Cowboy

WTC, eve of 9/11/2011

Casting Call, New York Fashion Week Spring 2012

Lightning strikes the Empire State Building

OccupyWallSt, day of canceled city cleaning Sit-in, jazz hands! OccupyWallStreet goes to occupy Times Square, 10/15/2011

High Line Park, Art Installation, Section 2

New Museum slide!

See the rest at Eye Heart New York

United/Continental pilots march on Wall Street

New York Fireworks, Fourth of July, from the Top of the Rockefeller Center (with video, too)

I didn’t feel like grilling on the 4th since I leave on a long vacation the next morning, so I thought I’d stop by the Rockefeller Center to see if it was at all crowded for fireworks (I paid for a $75 membership so stopping by is free for me. Also, I have no friends with prime west side viewing decks). I got there ridiculously early, about 5pm, but it was so beautiful that I just sat on a bench and read, and even did a little laptop work (there’s now free wifi there).

Crazy blue skies above Rockefeller Center, July 4th

Crazy blue skies above Rockefeller Center, July 4th

It was surprisingly empty but at around 630ish, people with serious camera gear were staking their claim. So I went to the top deck and picked a spot to lay my camera on and listened to a few episodes of “This American Life” (waiting a few hours for ANYTHING is nothing compared to waiting 6 hours in the cold during my once-and-never-again New Years Eve in Times Square experience).

As the pics and video below should show, the sunset was far more beautiful than the fireworks, which were diminished by the Hudson River’s distance from the Rock, vertically and westwardly. You couldn’t hear any of the music. But one cool benefit to being above the city is that you get to see what seem to be the dozens of fireworks shows across New Jersey and Brooklyn, puny as they are in comparison.

The crowd at the Rockefeller Center, Fourth of July

Sunset over New York before the Fireworks on 4th of July

Sunset before New York's 4th of July

Fireworks in NYC. Red, white...ok, mostly red...

Manhattan skyline, all hazy after 4th of July Fireworks

My sloppy video:

I wouldn’t go again, the fireworks just seem too distant and beneath you, literally, to be as enjoyable at ground level. Still, I didn’t regret finally getting to see a sunset over New York from a skyscraper.

NYFW11: Moncler @ Grand Central Station Flash Mob (New York Fashion Week)

Usually it’s pretty easy to get to your train at Grand Central, unless someone decides to hold a fashion event in the main terminal. I was lucky enough to have been in the front when this fashion event’s organizers started making room for the 150+ dancers, I put a bunch of photos in this Flickr set.

Moncler @ Grand Central Station, New York Fashion Week 2011

Moncler NYFW Flashmob at Grand Central, NYC

NYFW: Boogie Woogie in Grand Central

NYFW: Paparazzi at the Moncler Grand Central station show

Finish to Moncler show at Grand Central

The New York Times wrote about how difficult it was to put together a show in a landmark like Grand Central post-9/11:

“The city was very specific about not mentioning flash mob,” Mr. Coppers said. Still, a flash mob is what it looked like at 7:25 to the unsuspecting travelers scanning the announcement board for their track numbers and reading about ice conditions on the Hudson shutting down the Haverstraw-Ossining Ferry.

They suddenly found themselves infiltrated by a large and highly coordinated group of what appeared to be chic aliens, appearing out of nowhere to take over the terminal. There were 363 of them, 163 wearing goggles and vividly colored ski clothes and another 200 hired to pass as ordinary travelers.

At a signal from Etienne Russo, the Belgian mastermind of the Moncler Grenoble event (and the man who once had a Swedish iceberg cut into pieces and shipped to the Grand Palais in Paris for a Chanel show), the extras began clearing the concourse for what was surely the most ambitious and spectacular event of Fashion Week and the only one impossible to transplant to any other place.

“For months I thought it was not doable, but I was obsessed,” Mr. Russo had said. Six hours before the show began, he was pacing around a rehearsal studio in a warehouse set by the East River in the outer reaches of Brooklyn, as the choreographer Luam put her dancers — some trained but many not — through their paces.

“We wanted to do something in Times Square, but because of what happened, that’s impossible,” Mr. Russo added, referring to the attempted car bombing. “But as soon as we came to Grand Central, I said it has to be here.”

Some video:

More photos in this Flickr set.

Snowloko: Getting Around in New York’s Blizzard

Subway, car, and foot…the snow drifts conquered it all. I’ve seen snow fall into a subway platform before, but not huge drifts (this photo doesn’t do it justice, but it’s the only one I have that actually caught the train in focus).

I love that mass-transit-dependent New Yorkers won’t hesitate to help push a car out of the snow. It’s so strange to walk through the otherwise traffic-clogged streets that pushing a car through Astor Place is actually a treat.

Pushing a car through Astor Place during New York blizzard 2010

Pushing a Taxi - New York Blizzard Snowstorm Thundersnow Blaaaaagh

I wish I had booties, like my friend’s dog:

Dog walking, the morning after New York's big blizzard

Whoa, slip-sliding down the subway steps - New York Blizzard Snowstorm Blargfest

Snowball fight in Times Square, Snowpocalpyse-Thundersnow 2010

During last night’s blizzard, there was an attempt at a mass snowball fight like last year’s. People spent more time pelting vehicles than each other, since they had to fight across a street, and It petered out after a few minutes.

I think the main difference between this year and last was that last year, the TKTS plaza area was open, providing a much bigger common space to goof around in. That area has been closed to prepare for New Year Eve’s festivities.

Also, the weather was much blustier this year…there was lightning and thunder, not that you could really notice the former in Times Square. See my pics of last year’s snowball fight here.

The Father Duffy Square, where the TKTS stand is, was closed off:

George M. Cohan statue, Times Square - New York Blizzard Snowstorm Blargfest

Last year was more of a big snow flurry. Last night was definitely a blizzard.

Trekking Times Square - New York Blizzard Snowstorm Blargfest

PIX newscast - New York Blizzard Snowstorm Blargfest

Jumping for joy in Times Square - New York Blizzard Snowstorm Blargfest

Signs from WTC Ground Zero Protest of Park51/Cordoba Center/Mosque, Sept. 11, 2010

9/11 "Ground Zero Mosque" Protest/Anti-Protest, Sept. 11, 2010

Caught the tail end of the protest against the proposed Cordoba House and mosque near Ground Zero. Some interesting signs.

Apparently, the amount of stars and stripes patternage is important to your message. This amount of flagginess is hard to argue against.

9/11 "Ground Zero Mosque" Protest/Anti-Protest, Sept. 11, 2010



Yet, Kid Rock makes a good point here:

9/11 "Ground Zero Mosque" Protest/Anti-Protest, Sept. 11, 2010



The top part of the right-sign says “What would Jesus Do?” Lose in a knife fight against Mohammed, apparently? That’s heresy in some circles.

9/11 "Ground Zero Mosque" Protest/Anti-Protest, Sept. 11, 2010



You can tell this lady is old-fashioned by the way she added two spaces after the sentence-ending period. That’s indicative of the typewriter era and monospace fonts. Modern word processors automatically add the correct spacing.

9/11 "Ground Zero Mosque" Protest/Anti-Protest, Sept. 11, 2010



It’s hard to see here, but the woman’s sign says “Cordoba = Conquer” and “NOT HERE!!”. Maybe her message would be more effective she put more effort and production into it than a Crayola marker. The pro-Cordoba (pro-conquest, apparently) used photos and colors to point out that “Islam has been in New York for 400 years”.

9/11 "Ground Zero Mosque" Protest/Anti-Protest, Sept. 11, 2010



If this woman’s posterior were wider, her message (I think it said, “Religion of Peace My ASS”) would be readable. But it still works in a practical sense, as a label of which side of her body is facing you. Efficient!

9/11 "Ground Zero Mosque" Protest/Anti-Protest, Sept. 11, 2010

Hacks/Hackers Meetup on Gawker Rooftop, Sept. 8, 2010

From the “Business and Pleasure” mixer for the news geeks group, Hacks/Hackers on the Gawker Media rooftop in Nolita. There was an open bar, but yet the dance floor was empty, which I’m sure was entirely unrelated to the infrequency of Lady GaGa selections by the DJ.

The Tribute in Light, as seen from the Gawker roof:

Hacks/Hackers Meetup on Gawker Rooftop, Sept. 8, 2010

Béquet Caramels in New York City, Manhattan

Hey, I found Bequet Caramels in New York City!

Do you want to know where to buy Béquet Caramels, hand-made caramels from Montana, in New York/Manhattan? Well if you tried Googling it, you would’ve been very hard-pressed to find a useful result. Luckily, I did find this blog entry from Chelsea Market Baskets which talked about them (they’re sold for $18 a pound, or 50 cents apiece). Why the big deal? My roommate thinks they’re the best caramels ever and it was her birthday, and I spent the better part of my free time trying to find the damn things. Hopefully, the next New Yorker to Google the location will have an easier time. Or maybe Bequet will, in the section of their website where they brag about being sold at 650 stores, will put a damn list of said locations.