Penn's Cave

I had the pleasure to take a tour of Penn's Cave in Centre Hall, Pennsylvania. (Sorry not to have a very good photo, my camera doesn't do very well in low light situations.) According to their website, Penn's Cave is America's only all-water cavern. You go through it in a boat and it was so interesting to see all of the stalagmites, stalactites, and flowstone cascades. I wish I had a close up of some of the formations, but hopefully you can get an idea of what it was like.

Swan

Since Jay spotted and commented on the swans in yesterday's photo (I actually missed them myself in that picture!), I thought I'd show a close up of one of them. They were beautiful but they weren't too happy to see us. I think this one chased our boat. They have such snowy white feathers.

Lake Nita-nee

I'm still away so I thought I'd show you a pastoral scene from Lake Nita-nee in Pennsylvania. It's nice to be away from the city and in the beautiful country like this. I hope you all had a great weekend.

Ice skaters

I hope you enjoyed your holiday yesterday and are relaxing today. This is a photo of some of the ice skaters in Rockefeller Center. I took this photo on a bitter cold day, so that's why there aren't so many people skating. Usually the rink is packed with people. I'm on vacation now, so that's why I'm slow in posting today. Have a great weekend.

Merry Christmas

A very merry Christmas to you and yours today. If you celebrate it, I hope you spend a wonderful day with family and friends. Hope Santa Claus was good to you!

Decorations

I saw these Christmas ornaments gracing the window of a store in mid-town that always has cool windows. I think I have some of the exact same ones at home! They had such a nice colorful variety. Enjoy your last minute holiday preparations.

Reindeer

Okay, if I had a dog I don't think I'd make it wear antlers and little booties, but I did think this little guy looked cute. I wish I could have gotten a better shot before they moved on. I'm still on hunt for some more Christmas photos!

Snowstorm

Yay! I got my camera back. I'm afraid I didn't have time this weekend to take many photos though, other than this shot of a glowing building in the snowstorm. (It wasn't that big of a storm actually, but it was very pretty to see the snow coming down.) I couldn't get a shot without the flakes reflecting in the light. Have a good week!

Wishful thinking!

Since I'm out of photos now, I'm showing another shot from my Maui trip this past summer. We are expecting 6 inches of snow here today so I guess I'm just craving some weather like this! (I'll have a camera again this weekend, so hopefully I'll have some new shots soon.) Enjoy the weekend!!

Reservoir

This shot gives a gloomy, wintry look at the reservoir in Central Park and a soggy running path. A lot of people enjoy running on the path around the reservoir, though I've never tried it. It does give for a beautiful view, even in winter. Since I'm digging up old photos, I'm not sure if I've posted this one before. Sorry if I have!

Up close

I think this plant was amongst the group I showed yesterday. I know it's not such an exciting photo, but I just loved the bright green center. I'm not sure what it's called. Maybe it's one of the hens and chicks. The symmetry in nature is so amazing!

Greenhouse plants

Since I'm digging into the photo archive, I thought I'd show a photo today from one of the greenhouses at the beautiful garden Wave Hill in the Bronx. I believe these plants are succulents. (I'd love to go back to school to become an expert in plants!) Though I don't have much luck with my window plants at home, I love to see them in the gardens. The ones in this greenhouse were gorgeous!

Last year's snow

No, it's not snowy here (just wishful thinking I guess). Since I can only post old photos for the time being, I thought I'd show another picture from last year's big snow. I hope we get another big storm like this soon! Maybe for Christmas...

34th Street

Just a photo of people strolling on 34th street recently.....I'm still without my camera, so I'm afraid I don't have many shots to show you these days! I wish I could show some of the pretty Christmas lights. Oh well, hopefully I'll get it back soon. Have a great weekend and see you Monday!

Water Taxi

Here's a photo of a New York Water Taxi as it makes its way past one of the bridges. The water taxis have many routes now, taking people to New Jersey and the different boroughs of New York. I took one once to New Jersey and it was a very pleasant ride!

Are you listening?

I don't know the origins of this ear statue from the subway. (Maybe it's also by Tom Otterness?) There don't seem to be many stations that feature art works, other than mosaics, so when I do see them I'm very curious about how they came about. I wish they credited the artists! Anyway, still posting older photos until I get my camera back.

Christmas reflections

I really want to get out and take some beautiful New York Christmas photos. But unfortunately I'm without a camera again. (I visited a friend over the weekend and accidentally left my camera there!) So, until I get it back I'll have to show some old photos. This is the one Christmas-y picture I've taken so far this year. This is the lobby of the American Bible Society on the upper west side of Manhattan. I've heard they have a nice museum there. Hopefully I can get more Christmas photos soon!

Christmas Trees

The hunt for Christmas trees begins! This is a picture from a beautiful farm in Pennsylvania that sells them. I haven't gotten mine yet this year, but I'm looking forward to it. Enjoy the week ahead.

Washington Square Park - Winter View

I was on my way to meet a friend for brunch in the Village recently and I snapped this photo as I walked by Washington Square Park. The park is undergoing a major renovation right now, so I had to crop out the ugly fence and the piles of dirt from the bottom of the picture. I'm sure it will be beautiful again next summer though and people will be able to enjoy the fountains and the cultural events that happen there. In the meantime, the arch still looks nice. Have a nice weekend!

Grace Court Alley

One of the most beautiful places to go for a stroll in Brooklyn is the neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights with its lovely brownstones and quiet streets. It's also nice to see the old carriage houses like these in Grace Court Alley. Here's a description from http://www.forgotten-ny.com/:

Both Grace Court Alley and its Henry Street partner, Hunts Lane were originally true mews, in that they were little lanes off the main streets where horses were stabled. After the horseless carriage gained popularity in the first years of the 20th Century, the stables were converted to residences. The legacy is these little blind alleys that attract strolling tourists and residents alike.

It would be nice to live in one of these!

More Otterness Sculptures

Here are some more of the Tom Otterness sculptures I saw in the subway at 14th Street and Eighth Avenue. These guys are sneaking in under the gate and are being caught by a policman.

And there are also some more in various places along the platforms. There are quite a few in the station in places you wouldn't expect to see them.

How Sweet it is

I saw the phrase "How Sweet it is" on a welcome to Brooklyn sign and couldn't remember who used to say it. Well I googled it and it turns out that it was Brooklyn entertainer Jackie Gleason who was well known for saying that. According to the website http://www.brooklyn-usa.org/ this is one example of the "Welcome to Brooklyn" signs unveiled by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz which welcome motorists with a variety of greetings that were chosen after soliciting suggestions from Brooklynites from across the Borough. The signs were placed at 11 major entry points across the borough.

Empire State Building

To start the week here is a photo of the Empire State Building and midtown Manhattan taken during my walk over the Brooklyn Bridge. It's the tallest building in New York state and takes it's name from the state nickname. I must get to the top one of these days. I think that's a seagull flying in the middle of the picture, but we can pretend it's a more exotic bird!

Brooklyn Bridge

Okay, I know that everyone who has been to New York has taken this exact same photo, but I think the Brooklyn Bridge is so beautiful. Whenever anyone visits I always take them on a walk across the bridge and I can't help taking pictures every time. It's such a nice walk and there is lots to see on the other side. Enjoy your weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I wish you a happy thanksgiving today! I hope you have some delicious treats like these great looking pies I saw in a window in Brooklyn. Enjoy the holiday (if you are in the U.S. and are celebrating it!)

Subway Sculpture

At the subway station at 14th Street and 8th Avenue there are some great sculptures by Tom Otterness, an American artist who is known for displaying his works in public spaces like plazas, parks, etc. The ones in the subway are actually quite small and you might miss them if you aren't paying attention! I'll show you more of them some time. The exhibit is called Life Underground.

Chrysler Building

Here's a misty nighttime shot of the Chrysler building on East 42nd Street. I've never managed to get a very good shot of that building. Here's a little info from Wikipedia:

Standing at 319 metres (1,047 ft), it was the world's tallest building for 11 months before it was surpassed by the Empire State Building in 1931. However, the Chrysler Building remains the world's tallest brick building. After the destruction of the World Trade Center, it was again the second-tallest building in New York City until December 2007, when the spire was raised on the 365.8-metre (1,200 ft) Bank of America building, pushing the Chrysler Building into third position. In addition, the New York Times Building, which opened in 2007, is exactly level with the Chrysler Building in height. The Chrysler Building is a classic example of Art Deco architecture and considered by many contemporary architects to be one of the finest buildings in New York City

Super Heroes

I saw this lineup of super heroes outside the Midtown Comics Grand Central store. Not knowing much about the super heroes myself, I don't really recognize any of them (except Super man and Wonder Woman!) but I thought it made for a colorful photo. Happy Monday!

Young Frankenstein

I haven't seen a Broadway show in years, but I guess Young Frankenstein is one of the shows playing now. I came across the theater walking down 42nd Street. If the show is as good as the movie I'm sure it must be fun. I'll have to look for a review. Enjoy the weekend!!

Midtown Skyline

I had dinner at the apartment of some friends last weekend and took this photo from their window. Don't they have a nice view! I wanted to move in with them!!

Spoon Sculpture

I mentioned a while back that I had visited the newly opened Museum of Arts and Design at Columbus Circle in New York. Well, this is one example of a work they had on display. This is "Pyramid" by the artist Jill Townsley. I had to sneak this photo, so I didn't really capture the angles of the work very well, but you get the idea. This is completely made up of plastic spoons and rubber bands. I thought it was really cool, but you can tell me what you think of it!

Brides Galore

These brides and grooms were posing for their wedding photos at the Fulton Ferry Landing in Brooklyn. It wasn't a bad setting, given the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan skyline in the background. I took this photo on a Monday morning, so I'm not sure why that was such a popular time for wedding pictures. There were at least five couples there. It was a nice day for it though, even though the brides were freezing!

Another Green-Wood photo

Here's one last photo from Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. As I mentioned before, the leaves are so beautiful there in the fall and, oddly enough, it's a very nice place to take a walk. Here is some history from Wikipedia:

"Located in Greenwood Heights, Brooklyn, it lies several blocks southwest of Prospect Park. In The New York Times, it was said that "it is the ambition of the New Yorker to live upon the Fifth Avenue, to take his airings in the Park, and to sleep with his fathers in Green-Wood". Inspired by Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where a cemetery in a naturalistic park-like landscape in the English manner was first established, Green-Wood was able to take advantage of the varied topography provided by glacial moraines. Battle Hill, the highest point in Brooklyn, is on cemetery grounds, rising approximately 200 feet above sea level."

Green-Wood

This is the entrance to Green-Wood Cemetery, a National Historic Landmark in Brooklyn and the final resting place to some famous New Yorkers. It's a beautiful place to visit, especially in the fall when the leaves are changing. More than a century ago it was a big tourist attraction and people used to drive through the wandering paths in their horse-drawn carriages. The entrance is also the roosting place for some exotic birds which escaped from a shipment at Kennedy airport many years ago.

Here you can see some of them. They make quite a noise with their chirping.

Minerva Statue

This statue of the goddess Minerva stands at the highest point in Brooklyn, overlooking New York Harbor. She is supposedly saluting the Statue of Liberty which you can see to the right in the photo. There was quite a lot of controversy in recent years over the construction of the building you can see in front of the statue. Afraid that the new building would obstruct Minervaʼs famous view, there was an outcry from neighborhood residents. Eventually there was an agreement that the building would be constructed in such as way as to not block the view from this famous statue. She really does have a nice view.

Heading South

I guess these geese were taking a break from their trip down south for the winter. The geese are often seen as a nuisance in the parks here nowadays since there are so many of them, but I still like to see them floating in the water. They make for a pretty fall picture.

Thank You

Today on Veteran's Day we recognize all of the sacrifices of our veterans and their families. To honor the day, this is a photo from the Civil War section of Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. You can see more about it here. http://video.nytimes.com/video/2007/05/25/nyregion/1194817114247/green-wood-remembers-civil-war-dead.html

Gloomy Times Square

It was so gloomy and rainy on Saturday in Times Square that it made the lights look all the more bright. This picture was taken in the middle of the afternoon. Luckily it was just one day of heavy rain and then Sunday was beautiful. Times Square got its name when the New York Times Building was built in this area around the turn of the 20th century. Times Square is also the start of the Lincoln Highway, which begins here and goes across the country.

Have a good week ahead!

Booksellers

Whenever I see these book stalls along Fifth Avenue they remind me of the bouquinistes in Paris. (Maybe they are modelled after them?) I wish we had more here because it's always fun to browse. I think they are only there in the warmer months. Enjoy your weekend and see you Monday!

Soaring Building

I took this photo at the beginning of the summer when this building on 42nd Street was still being finished. You can see some of the windows were still boarded up. I tried to find more information about it, with no luck. It's probably another office building, but I like the architecture and the way it looks in the full sun.

Hail to the Chief!

Stike up the band, we have a new President!!! Soon they will be playing hail to the chief for President Barack Obama! It was an exciting night watching the election returns. President Obama has a lot to tackle when he takes over, but here's hoping for good things ahead!! Congratulations Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States!

Election Day

It's a big day here on election day and I was trying to find an appropriate photo for it, that would show both sides. I saw this McCain supporter making his case recently in front of an Obama sign. So I figured that would work for my picture today. Everybody make sure to go out and vote!

Marathon 2008

I didn't get very many good photos from the marathon this year. I forgot to take out my camera after the beginning! But here are a few....this is arriving at the start in Staten Island super early in the morning.

Crossing the Verrazano Narrows bridge from Staten Island to Brooklyn....

... and one of the fireboats celebrating the start as the runners crossed over the bridge. It was a lovley sight. I hope you have a great week ahead!

Happy Halloween!

This was sort of a mistake photo but I thought it would make a good post for Halloween. It's kind of spooky I guess. I hope you have a spooky Halloween and have more treats than tricks!

Another Baker

Continuing on the theme of bakers at work from last week...this time it's not at the Chelsea Market but at the Buttercup Cafe on West 72nd Street. They have lots of yummy treats there and some cute Halloween themed sweets. I guess this birthday cake was for a someone who loves the color purple. This guy was completely unfazed by all the people watching him work!

Guggenheim unwrapped

I was walking by the Guggenheim museum the other day and see that they have finally finished the renovation of the outside of the building. It has been covered in scaffolding for the longest time and it was nice to see it looking like new again. It is such an interesting structure.

...and an extra photo for today....Some of us had the great pleasure of meeting Eric Tenin from the Paris Daily Photo blog last night. Eric started the very first city daily photo blog (or at least one of the very first) and he's got quite a big following of fans. He organized a very nice meet up in New York for the bloggers and people who follow his blog. I hope he doesn't mind my posting his photo!