Mellow Yellow Monday

This is the lovely and talented Adam, who
provides music (and vocals-to-follow of a
vast repertoire of Broadway show tunes)
at Marie's Crisis, in the Village. I was
there a couple of weeks ago for a private
party for my young friend Brian, who was
turning 30 (I've known him since he and my
daughter Lila started kindergarten together!).
Gotta say: best b-day party ever! Who doesn't
love joining voices with another 100 (or more)
folks in a rousing rendition of "One," from
A Chorus Line?
[Catch more Mellow Yellow here.]

Shadow Shot Sunday

We're back up Fifth Avenue at the Met.
This amazing work is Roxy Paine's
"Maelstrom," installed on the roof
garden. It was supposed to be there
only until the end of October, but was
extended until today. Hope it has a
permanent home somewhere.
[You can find lots more shadow shots here.]

Photo Hunter — "technology"

Here at NYC's main Apple store on 5th
Avenue they've set up a table for the pre-K
customers—who look right at home with the
newest Mac, don't they? Just hope they didn't
ask Santa for an iPhone. Hey, kids, FAO Schwartz
is right next door!
[See more Photo Hunter shots here.]

Skywatch Friday

I don't care what shape the market is in,
this is always high-end real estate—
the 23 blocks along Fifth Avenue from
82nd Street south to 59th (seen here
from the roof of the Metropolitan
Museum of Art).
[Check out more Skywatch here.]

Happy Thanksgiving

And Happy B-day to my brother David!
Off to bro Chris's house for a delicious
dinner. God bless my sister-in-law for
taking us all on—she even makes this
turkey-day fave. Looks downright
bizarre here, but, aaah, when it comes
out of the oven all ooey and gooey . . .
So what's your favorite Thanksgiving
(or any) food?

abc wednesday - S is for "snow leopard"

Finally got a look at one of the new
snow leopards in her million-dollar
habitat at the Central Park Zoo. Isn't
she beautiful? I know that here she
looks like a real pussycat (so to speak)—
but although these cats are not that
big, they are very fierce! Check it out.

[See more ABC Wednesday here.]

New York at Night (3)

This is Herald Square, named for the the NY
Herald newspaper (on the negative side, the
paper was anti-Semitic and racist; on the other
hand, it did introduce the gossip column).
The clock and statuary in the background came
from the old Herald Building, which was just north
of here. It was sculpted in 1895 by Jean-Antoine Carles.
That's Minerva and her trusty owls. The bellringers
are nicknamed Stuff and Gruff (but I don't know why).
This is the spot (directly in front of Macy's) where
the parade will end up on Thursday.
[See more of That's My World here.]

Mellow Yellow Monday

They're fading—and falling—fast, but I found
this beauty hanging on valiantly in my Brooklyn
neighborhood. Maybe that's because this is the
"Tree of Heaven," the ailanthus, the tree that
grows in Brooklyn. How is (or was) the leaf-
peeping where you are?
[See more Mellow Yellow here.]

Shadow Shot Sunday

I'm sure you can guess where I took this one.
Can't believe how many times I visited Venice
without ever going out to Burano! If you go
to Venice, don't make that mistake yourself.
And be sure to go early, so you can enjoy the
quiet beauty of this place and won't have to be
just one of the invading tourist hordes.
[See more shadow shots here.]

photo hunter - "birds"

Saw this woman walking around the Union
Square greenmarket this summer with her
two feathered friends. I'm hoping she has
specific "bird clothes" and then some that
remain unpecked. P.S.—those birds
were LOUD.
[See more PhotoHunter shots here.]

Skywatch Friday

Some people think that these water towers
are no longer in use—not so! Found some info,
and—go figure—the one they picture is the same
one I shot! BTW, the silver-and-blue building
on the left is used as NYU housing (daughter
Lila lived there for part of her sophomore year).
Imagine a dorm room (more like a studio
apartment) that's this close to the
Brooklyn Bridge!
[Find more Skywatch here.]

smart bird

Personally, I wouldn't dream of feeding
one of these lousy (as in pigeon lice)
birds, but this one knows that the sign
won't keep any self-respecting New
Yorker from tossing him a piece of their
bagel if they really want to. P.S., NYC is
full of pretty little pocket parks like this
one—Jackson Square, in the West Village.

abc wednesday - R is for "Roman rooftops"

Here's a little tip: If you're in Rome,
go up to the rooftop bar of the Hotel
Raphael. You'll pay a premium for
your drink, but you'll also get some
lovely pre-dinner snacks on the casa
(just don't let the overly aggressive
Roman pigeons get them) and a view
that can't be beat—and it's great in
every direction.
[Find more abc Wednesday here.]

stack 'em high

I get it: the stacks descend into the ground
so all the cars are accessible. But doesn't
that look like concrete under the stack in
the foreground? Guess that's not possible,
but . . . oh, whatever. You know, I'm actually
glad I don't have a car!
[This post is part of That's My World Tuesday.
See more here.]

Mellow Yellow Monday

Here's another shot I took at Staten Island's
Snug Harbor Cultural Center, which includes
a first-class museum. This sculpture really
caught my eye—it's one of those things you
look at and think, "I could do that." But I'm
willing to bet money I don't even have that
you absolutely could not! So sorry, but I
didn't have my notebook with me, and can't
find the scrap of paper with the name of the
sculptor (and Google has failed me).
[See more Mellow Yellow here.]

Shadow Shot Sunday

From way up in the campanile in Venice,
I saw small people casting small shadows
over the Piazzetta at high noon. Wish you
were here. For that matter, wish I were
here too!
[And you can find more shadow shots here.]

Photo Hunter — "music"

And (of course) here's my fave band, Gene
Casey and the Lone Sharks. From left
to right that's Tony on bass, Paul on sax,
my brother Chris on drums, and Gene on
guitar and vocals (though Chris is singing
here). You pretty much have to get up
and dance!
[See more Photo Hunter shots here.]

Skywatch Friday

Time to get out and pick six bushels of
beautiful apples, so you can make more
pies than you could ever possibly need
for your Thanksgiving feast, then try to
figure out what to do with the rest of your
harvest. Just kidding. Apple picking is
such a treat on a gorgeous autumn day,
especially for us city dwellers. Go for it—
you can always share the bounty with your
local food bank or soup kitchen. [This photo
is compliments of my daughter Lila. I'm
pretty sure she'll be baking us an awesome
apple pie on Thanksgiving!]
See more skywatch pix here.

Veteran's Day parade

I actually forgot this parade was taking place yesterday.
Then I went to a yoga class at my fave studio, which
overlooks 5th Ave., and snapped these shots before
and after class. It's interesting to do yoga to the strains
of "The Marine Hymn" playing in the background.
In the first shot: the biggest flag I've ever seen. In the
second: front and center, our once and future mayor
—the guy who bypassed term limits and spent $100
million on his effort to be (successfully) reelected. (Do
you need to ask me what I think??)

abc wednesday - Q is for "quintessential"

And for me, a kir at the Flore is the
quintessential Paris cafe experience.
I know, I know—the Flore is overpriced
and full of tourists. But when I first
went there, it still managed to be
the neighborhood cafe (even with Sartre
at one table and Marlene Dietrich at
another)—and so it's still dear to my heart.
Besides, I can nurse a drink for a very, very
loooong time!
[See more ABC shots here.]

In Central Park

After you pass through this short tunnel
(and admire the ceiling), walk up the stairs
to the Mall. There's a bandshell there, where
there are free performances during the warm
seasons. Last thing I saw there was a troupe
of Spanish flamenco dancers. Olé!
This one was taken by my daughter Lila.
[This is part of That's My World Tuesday.
See more /here.]

Mellow Yellow Monday

There was a big street fair here in Brooklyn
a month or so ago. Some of the local celebs
were there (well, Keri Russell and her son,
River, were spotted).
This little guy was so excited to get one of
these balloons—he opted for SpongeBob
(appropriately, also yellow).
[See more Mellow yellow here.]

Shadow Shot Sunday

This is the Scholar's Garden, part of the
Snug Harbor Cultural Center, on Staten
Island—totally worth the short (and free)
ride on the ferry. Staten Island is way
off most folks' NYC radar except as a
cliché (as in the movie "Working Girl").
Shame, since it has a thriving art scene,
some decent restaurants, and this place.
[You can find lots of cool shadow shots here.]

Photo Hunter — "military"

This one was a challenge. Finally decided
to post this shot of Italian soldiers at the
Vatican. The Pope was about to leave for
a ceremony elsewhere in Rome (it was the
feast of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint
of all Italy). The road was lined with Romans,
tourists, and these young soldiers—who
remained just as they were when the skies
opened up a few minutes later. Wouldn't
it be nice if getting drenched while protecting
a man from people who (as far as I could tell
from looking around me) revere him was
the most dangerous duty any young soldier
anywhere in the world ever had to perform?
[See more Photo Hunter pics here.]

Skywatch Friday

I'm happy to report that this photo
was taken from a safe, dry place.
I do love a great stormy sky, though,
don't you? You're looking northeast
from 6th Ave., over some Greenwich
Village rooftops.
[See more Skywatch photos here.]

Where Am I?

To me, this looks more like some watering
hole in Texas or Arkansas than smack in
the middle of Manhattan. In fact, it's the
Hog Pit, where the ribs are juicy and the
collard greens are sweet. If you didn't
know it, New Yorkers love their BBQ!

abc wednesday - P is for "polar ice cap"

And this is my daughter Katie, who had just
been sitting on it! (And, no, I wasn't there in
Greenland with her, so thanks to whoever took
this photo.) I may have thought about it once
or twice, and if I did I'm sure I pictured the polar
ice cap as being very smooth. Go figure! Just
hope it lasts for my (and Katie's) lifetime!
[Check out more abc Wednesday here.]

Did he or didn't he?

Well, of course he didn't get on the bus!
But I would have liked to see him try—
and I have seen people on the subway
with huge bunches of balloons like this.
Not during rush hour, of course—
can you imagine? They'd all be popped
by irate commuters.
[See more of That's My World Tuesday here.]

Mellow Yellow Monday

This beautiful stained glass was originally
installed in the Sainte Chapelle in Paris.
Now it can be seen (up close and personal)
in the wonderful Cluny Museum,
my favorite museum in Paris (if it's possible
to choose a favorite!). Not 100% sure but I'll
go out on a limb and guess that it depicts
St. Luke (whose symbol is an ox).
[Find more mellow yellow here.]

Shadow Shot Sunday

Little bit of a challenge here. Had to have
a shadow or two, and my friend Lily wanted
a shot of our famous Halloween parade (for
which I have front row seats—though 10 flights
up, in the nosebleed section, which makes it a
bit harder to get a clear picture in the dark).
Think this qualifies on both counts—and every
year there are a few folks who go this route.
Why not? All you need is a body suit, a hot-glue
gun and a bunch of glo-stix. Easy and effective.
[You can find more shadow shots here.]