Crystal Ball

Here is another photo from my trip to Macy's this week. On the first floor they are displaying the actual ball that drops in Times Square on New Year's Eve. Apparently it is made by Waterford Crystal. It changes all different colors and was quite sparkly in person. I've never been in Times Square on New Year's Eve. I think I'd rather watch it on tv. I hope you all have a great weekend!

New York Mosaic

I was in an office building downtown recently and I saw this great mosaic of lower Manhattan. I love mosaics and I thought this one was kind of cool. Sorry I don't have a better photo of it! Have a good Thursday.

Santa Claus

During my lunch hour yesterday, I had to go to Macy's to buy a toy for a gift. I was walking through the store and I saw there was no one in line to talk to Santa, so I thought what the heck. He was very nice and one of the elves snapped this picture. Santa noticed that I was carrying a book, so he said for Christmas he would bring me a book by Dostoyevsky!

Sak's Window

I have to get out soon and take some more NYC photos. In the meantime, here is another store window I saw recently. This is one from Sak's Fifth Avenue at Fifth Avenue and 50th Street. It's a nice store, and I wish I could afford to shop there!

Lord and Taylor

Now that the Christmas season is here, New York seems to be awash in lights and decorations. I'm going to show some over the next few weeks (as I manage to get photos of them). But don't worry, I'll show other things too! This is the front of the Lord & Taylor department store. I hope you all have a nice week ahead.

Radio City Music Hall

They are celebrating 75 years of the Christmas show at Radio City Music Hall this year and here's a photo of the front of the hall. It's a very popular show here this time of year and features the rockettes dancers along with musicians, ice skaters and a manger scene with live animals. It's sort of over-the-top but I still like it!

Happy Thanksgiving

Hello everyone and happy thanksgiving to my American readers who are celebrating it today! At Christmas time many of the big stores in New York have holiday-themed window displays. This is one of the windows from Lord & Taylor at Fifth Avenue and thirty-eighth street. I think it's actually a Christmas scene, but it looks like a family having thanksgiving dinner, so today it's my thanksgiving post. Enjoy your holiday and happy thanksgiving!

Zabar's

Since most people here are preparing for their thanksgiving feasts tomorrow, I thought I would show a photo from one of New York's great food institutions, Zabar's. It's always worth a stroll through Zabars which has amazing cheese, breads, meats, olives, smoked fish, coffee, etc., etc. This is a picture of their prepared foods counter which has an awesome selection too. I always love to walk through this store!

Hot Chocolate

We had our first snow flurries of the season in New York today and that made me want to stay inside and have a nice hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows. Having a cup of hot chocolate made me remember this photo of cups in a store window. It brought visions of sugary drinks to my mind! Our snow didn't stick around long and now it's getting warmer again, but the winter will be here soon!

Empire State Building

A very recognizable sight today, the Empire State Building. I've never been to the top myself but I'd love to do that some day. The Empire State Building is usually lit in different colors, in celebration of various holidays or special occasions. It was blue and white the night I took this shot. I'm not sure why. I wish everyone a good week ahead.

Skating

They are skating again at the rink at Rockefeller Center. I've never skated there, but it looks like it would be fun. This is right in front of the Christmas tree I showed yesterday. It is a very pretty spot when the tree is all lit up. Have a nice weekend everyone!

Waiting for Christmas

The Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center is in its place and they are getting it ready for its unveiling. I heard that they always choose trees that are nearing the end of their lives, so we don't feel that bad about chopping them down. Hopefully that's true! There will also be some sort of energy efficient lighting this year. I'll have to go back and get another shot after it is officially unveiled!

Chrysanthemum

This is a flower from the Kiku show at the New York Botanical Garden that I mentioned yesterday. (Kiku means chrysanthemum in Japanese.) This is an example of the Ogiku or single blossom chrysanthemum, which grows atop a large stem. According to the brochure from the show these flowers require "expert knowledge and constant attention over a period of six to twelve months." I wish I had a green thumb!

Bamboo Installation

Today I'm showing a photo I took at the Kiku show at The New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx. Kiku are Japanese chrysanthemums, but as part of the exhibition, there was also a giant bamboo sculpture and a bamboo installation designed by Tetsunori Kawana. These pieces of bamboo were part of that installation. They made an interesting noise when they flapped in the wind. It was a beautiful exhibit and tomorrow I'll show you one of the flowers.

Parade

I was in mid-town yesterday and happened by the parade to celebrate Veteran's Day so I thought I'd show a picture of some of the participants. (I wish I had a picture of the marchers, but I was looking right into the sun and the photos were all too dark.) I thought this shot was colorful. It was a nice parade in honor of the veterans. I hope you all have a great week ahead.

Bethesda Fountain

This is one of the most well-known spots in Central Park, which I'm sure many of you have seen before, Bethesda Fountain. I read that this was the only sculpture commissioned as part of the original design of the Park and it was unveiled in 1873. This photo was taken a few weeks ago when things were a little more green. Have a nice weekend!

Dakota

I wish I had a better shot of this (I took this picture from a cab riding by) because it is one of my favorite buildings in New York. It is the the Dakota apartment building and whenever I see it I think of old New York. I love to see old pictures of New York when the Dakota used to stand by itself next to Central Park. I would just love to see inside. Unfortunately I don't know anyone who lives there!

Looking Up

This is a shot I took a few weeks ago while walking on Park Avenue. I believe the building on the right is the famous Lever House, which looks normal to our eyes today (and rather small by today's standards), but it was quite innovative when it was built in 1952. I always enjoy looking up at the skyscrapers.

Lebow Statue

This is a statue that I always pass when I run in Central Park. It is Fred Lebow, one of the founders of the New York City Marathon and the person responsible for having the race run through all five boroughs of the city. He ran in the marathon in 1992, after having been diagnosed with brain cancer and he died in 1994. The statue is usually on the east side of the park, but each year for the marathon they move it next to the finish line. I think it is a touching tribute to this man who meant so much to runners in New York.

Marathon

On Sunday I ran in the New York City Marathon and it was great fun! I'm showing photos today from the start going over the Verezano Narrows Bridge and the finish in Central Park. The marathon in New York is a super race and it's lots of fun, even for slow runners like me. I recommend that everyone try it, at least once!

Blooming Taxi

I was passing through Union Square yesterday and I saw this cab filled with flowers. It turns out it was an event in conjunction with the Garden in Transit project. Garden in Transit is a community service project started in honor of the 100th anniversary of the first metered taxi in New York. School-children from throughout the city painted colorful flowers onto decals that were applied to many taxicabs this fall. Some of these children were handing out flowers yesterday to bring New York to full bloom!

P.S. Ming the Merciless featured some photos of these cabs on his blog a few weeks ago.

Here they are distributing the flowers. Have a nice weekend!

Shadow Tree

I took this picture a few weeks ago along the side of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I'm not sure why I like it, but I find it a peaceful scene. I think it has something to do with the angle of the building and the leaning tree. Pretty soon with the cold weather coming we won't be able to photograph green trees for a while!