Friday, February 29, 2008

John James Audubon

This is a picture today of a boat getting ready to set off on a sightseeing tour in New York Harbor. I see it is named after the naturalist and wildlife artist John James Audubon. The boat ride looks like a fun thing to do, but maybe not when it's so cold! Enjoy your weekend and see you Monday!

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Q-tip plant


Here's another unusual plant I saw at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. I'm not sure what it is called, but the flowers looked just like Q-tips. I have lots of other flower photos, but I'll save those for another time. Enjoy your day!

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

A very old tree

I love bonsai trees. I was at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden recently where they have a greenhouse full of them. The sign next to this one said it was 149 years old in the year 2000. Actually I wasn't sure if it was alive anymore. They way live so long is amazing.

Here is a view of the whole room. I wish I could grow them at home!




Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Snowstorm part 2

Well, I couldn't resist showing one more photo of a snowy Central Park. These benches are usually filled with people on a summer weekend, but all was quiet and pristine last weekend. Of course most of the snow is almost gone already. Oh well, it was pretty while it lasted!

Monday, February 25, 2008

Snow!


Finally we've had some more snow! We had about 6 inches on Friday and it was beautiful. Central Park looks great in the snow. Of course it will all melt very soon, but we can enjoy it for a little while. Have a good week ahead!

Friday, February 22, 2008

Magnolia


I recently discovered that they've opened up a new Magnolia Bakery very near to my office, so I stopped by yesterday to take a look. The first Magnolia Bakery is in Greenwich Village and is very popular. They are especially known for their cupcakes, which are yummy. I think it could be very dangerous having it so close by!

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Big Apple

I came across this statue on my walk in Hudson River Park. I liked the plaque too, and found it very touching. I don't know the story of this artist but it seemed that he loved his city.



Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Fuse

I was walking near Madison Square Garden recently and saw this colorful advertisement for something called Fuse. I looked it up and it seems that Fuse is a music video-oriented cable channel for rock, pop and indie music. I've never seen the channel before on tv, but I liked the
outside of their studio.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Confetti Sea


This little girl was enjoying the heaps of confetti left behind from all of the lions and dragons in Chinatown on Sunday. Actually lots of kids were having fun with the colorful paper in the streets. I wish I'd gotten a better photo of her, but I thought I'd still show you this one anyway. I accidentally had my camera on an odd setting and all my photos came out awfully grainy. Oh well. Have a nice Tuesday!

Monday, February 18, 2008

Dragon Dance

I took a walk this weekend in Chinatown and saw lots of dragons for the end of the lunar new year. It is common for the dragons and lions to visit each store to chase away the evil spirits. They are usually accompanied by people playing cymbals and drums. Actually I'm not sure if this one is a lion or a dragon but it was very colorful. There were lots of people there taking pictures and enjoying the celebration. It was a fun time!

Friday, February 15, 2008

Building in the Clouds

I just love buildings like this where the light is reflected and you can see the passing clouds. As you know, I like shiny buildings too! It was a beautiful sunny day when I took this photo and I loved the way you could see the passing clouds. Nothing more to say about this one. I hope you all have a great weekend. See you Monday!

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Happy Valentine's Day

I guess someone was broken-hearted and decided to get rid of their heart-shaped mattress. Actually, it did look like it was in pretty bad shape! Sorry to be showing you a photo of someone's trash on Valentine's day, but I thought this heart mattress would be appropriate. A Happy Valentine's day to everyone!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Pink Building



I was in the west village recently and walked by this building which is owned by the artist, filmmaker and developer Julian Schnabel. Apparently when the building was first unveiled there was a tremendous outcry in the neighborhood over its color and size. I really like it though. It reminds me of an Italian palazzo. I think it has a lot of character. I'd love to see what it looks like inside!

Monday, February 11, 2008

Hudson River Park

This picture was taken during a very cold and windy walk along Hudson River Park last weekend. (I don't know how that runner was managing to keep going!) According to the website, Hudson River Park is the largest open space development in Manhattan since the completion of Central Park. It extends for five miles along the Manhattan shoreline from Battery Place to West 59th Street. It's a great addition to the west side.

Washington Square North


On the northern side of Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village is a row of Greek Revival houses on a street called Washington Square North. There was a time when people moved there to escape the hustle and bustle of lower Manhattan, but as New York expanded north they were no longer on the outskirts. The artists Edward Hopper and his wife lived in one of the townhouses on Washington Square North for many years. Now most (if not all) of them are owned by New York University and are part of its campus.

Friday, February 8, 2008

Crossroads


In recent years it seems that many streets and avenues in New York have been given second names. Here's a photo of a sign for 7th Avenue, which is also apparently being called Fashion Avenue. I suppose this is because it runs through the garment district. (I think those names are just for show though, since mostly they are known by their original names. ) I'm not sure why I like this photo, maybe it's because it is one of the few night shots I've taken that is not all fuzzy!

Thursday, February 7, 2008

L'impasse


I'm not sure what kind of store this was, but the window certainly caught my eye as I passed by! I found this in the west village, where you can see all sorts of interesting shops. I didn't make it inside though. Somehow I don't think those are the outfits for me! But it makes for an interesting window display.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Unfinished Painting


I would have liked to have hung around for a while to watch this guy finish his work on this building in the west village. Actually he wasn't painting at all when I happened by this building. I suppose it's some sort of advertisement, though I'm not sure for what. I must make a trip back to see what it looks like now.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

St. Mark's Place Saturday Morning


Here is a daytime shot of a street usually associated with its nightlife. This is St. Mark's place in the East Village in Manhattan on a recent Saturday morning. It's been a while since I've been there at night, but I think it is known for its record stores, unusual boutiques and restaurants - and from the looks of it, its tattoo and piercing shops. It is also a popular spot for Japanese restaurants now. Things looked pretty quiet there that morning.

Monday, February 4, 2008

Invisible Images Post

Last week John from My Viewfinder challenged me to the "Invisible Images Post." (I often run out of time and don't get to these challenges, but I thought I'd give it a try!) As explained in his post, here are the rules:

What is an Invisible Image?

As bloggers we tend to collect images on our computer for later use. They could be any type of image that you had intended to use somehow. Often they are photos headed for the family site, or quirky images that get sent to friends via email, they could have been intended to be part of a blog post, or, they are images that have been sent to or found by you on the internet, with no real purpose in mind. The point is, for whatever reason, we all tend to have quite a stash of images.And despite our best intentions, many of these images just hang around on our c drive collecting dust. For whatever reason, it’s these forgotten and never used images that we are referring to here as Invisible Images.


This is the basic assignment:

Take 5 images that you have stored on your computer and post them, each with a title and/or a single line description of what the image is, or represents, or means to you. Any image used for this post must never have been used for any purpose by you before.

It was hard for me to find some images due to technical difficulties (I can't get my images off of my old computer!) So I had to use only fairly recent ones. But here are mine.



Sunflower at an organic farm in Blooming Grove, New York, Fall 2007



Bank Building (soon to be courthouse annex), Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, Fall 2007




Shiny building (unknown), New York, NY, 2008




Blue Rocks, Nova Scotia, Summer 2007




Beautiful walk in Massachusetts, summer 2007

Instead of tagging particular people, I challenge any and all readers who feel like it to try the Invisible Images challenge on their blogs. A good Monday to all!


Friday, February 1, 2008

Central Park Stroll



Sometimes I have a lot of trouble finding inspiration for taking photos for this blog. Lately it's been one of those times. I took this picture on a walk through the park during lunchtime. Usually I can find something in the park that makes me want to take a picture. Hopefully as spring comes and things get greener I'll find lots more to show you. I hope you all have a great weekend. See you Monday!