Sunday, March 30, 2008

33rd Street, Sunset Park, Brooklyn - a fab place





After the premiere event at the new micro-cinema, Light Industry, one finds the neighborhood of Sunset Park to be fabulous, dark, large in every way. Big experiences just walking down the street.
Light Industry is at http://www.lightindustry.org
Check it out!

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Meanwhile on 4th Ave. in Brooklyn...

The Williamsburg Savings Bank at Atlantic and Flatbush, as seen from near the Dept. of Social Services office on 4th Ave. The once lavish bank building has been converted to condos.

A Day in Manhattan

Urban symmetry at Hudson and W. 14th Street. I always liked this building. I took a writing class here once with the fabulous Laurie Weeks.

W. 14th Street Meat Packing, MePa for all you shoppers out there.
W. 14th Street is becoming gentrified in a scary way - designer shops replace streets that felt safe to certain street-roaming types. Now they just feel expensive, i.e. not so safe.

Further uptown a bit, on W. 21st St. in Chelsea, there is a curious building that has many balconies, all closed in with wire fencing and bamboo-looking shades. Altogether unattractive, but attractive just the same.

Sometimes one feels the urge for complete symmetry. In that situation, go to Grand Central Terminal.



A busker at the Delancey Street F subway stop. I should've caught more of the performance, but got just enough to give you an idea of how calming his playing was on the crowd waiting for the train.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Ground Zero, then off to Bklyn - Washington Avenue and Grand Avenue

Went one day looking for the old tourist marker - the pre-9/11 marker - but it had just been removed for safe-keeping. Being there was strange. I felt like crying, which I didn't anticipate. There's nothing much to see at ground zero.

Back to civilized Brooklyn, and a laundrymat (that is OPEN) with a curious display of plant life in the window.

This favorite building on Washington Ave. posted on February 5, but the rock's been moved from the front of the building to the side. Wonder what's going on with the rock?

Found along Grand Avenue near Gates - a square trash can with a round lid.

The pedicab from previous post March 9, now parked on Bergen Street at Grand.

A block away from my favorite giant yellow storage place at Atlantic and Washington is this orange and blue one, at Atlantic and Grand. I somehow like it a lot less than the yellow one. It's less enthusiastically emblazoned with signage. More business-like, less cartoon-like.

Prospect Park, Brooklyn

It's officially springtime in Prospect Park. One blooming bush and many more to come.

For all you folks who love to compose shots with tree branches. More like a nervous system.

A pathway through Prospect Park, somewhat littered with condoms, but puddles and mud promise a spring thaw.

The perfect tree. Prospect Park Great Lawn.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Along Grand Avenue, Brooklyn...a new favorite street

Looking southward on Grand from just past Atlantic Avenue...

in yesterday's fog and rain.

On a earlier excursion up Grand Ave., just beginning
to find its charm.


Two big trucks waiting to be bought, each like a large consciousness
held back by a chain link fence. Fears of abandonment!

Just off Grand, on Pacific Street, two tenements left standing,
and a pedicab parked outside.

This gem can be found in a doorway as one approaches Dean Street.

Foggy Day at the Pratt Institute and in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn


Heading into Clinton Hill, Brooklyn's
famous brownstones looking like a movie set.

St. John's Place in the foggy rain.
The fog seemed to be holding some warmer air.

On the Pratt campus, looking southward
into the fog at the apartments across DeKalb Ave.

Downing Street, a corner of Clinton Hill, Brooklyn

I saw this building from the No.48 bus
as it passed by a side street one day, and found it
yesterday on my walk home from the Pratt Institute.

At first I thought there was an area of factories
tucked away behind the brownstones.

Instead there was this building, with an architectural
folly on the roof and an elaborately
jerry-rigged entrance. One gets the feeling
that the construction scaffolding never comes down.

Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn

The final snowfall? We haven't had much...
This was Feb 22, around 5PM.
My favorite Storage place.

Monday, March 3, 2008

All in a day's and evening's observation. . .

The recent lunar eclipse as viewed from the fire escape.

Looking inside. Washington Avenue, Brooklyn


What's on offer, sandwich-wise, Washington Ave. near Sterling Place


Bedford Zion Church of the Nazarene, Washington Ave. near Gates

Vendors, mid-town Manhattan



Saturday, March 1, 2008

The Metro North Train Coming Into Harlem - a movie



The Metro North train going through Pelham,
and then past Fordham U. and through
the Bronx, down into Manhattan to
just past the 125th St. Station in Harlem