On Vacation

Hi everyone, I'm heading out today for vacation. Yay, I can't wait!! I'll miss seeing your posts, but I will look forward to catching up on them when I'm back. I'll be back on or around July 1. See you then!

West Side View

This is a photograph of the west side of Manhattan near mid-town. You can see some of the new buildings going up and I believe the structure in the middle is one of the piers where the cruise ships load up and embark on their journeys. (I could be wrong though - so feel free to correct me!)

Tiffany Window

This is a portion of a window by Louis Comfort Tiffany that I saw recently at the New York Historial Society. The New York Historical Society always has wonderful exhibits and this window is on permanent display there. Tiffany was an American artist who specialized in the decorative arts, but who was best known for his stained glass windows. (Unfortunately the window is behind a glass frame, so there is some glare in this photo. But I still love to see the colors in the glass.)

Reflections

You all know that I love a reflection photo. This is a shot of the side of a building on 42nd street, looking south, and in the reflection you can see the Empire State Building and the Radiator Building (which I think is now a hotel). The windows gave them a distorted look, but I thought it was kind of cool.

Trinity Steeple

It's hard to imagine a time when the church steeples were the tallest structures in Manhattan. Now the skyscrapers tower over them. This is a picture of the steeple from Trinity Church, one of the oldest congregations in the city. The church is at Broadway and Wall Street in the midst of what is now the financial district. The following description is from the website of Trinity Church.

There have been three Trinity Church buildings at Broadway and Wall Street. The present Trinity Church, designed by Richard Upjohn and consecrated on Ascension Day in 1846, is considered a classic example of Gothic Revival architecture and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Since its founding by charter of King William III of England in 1697, the Parish of Trinity Church has played a pivotal role in the religious life of this city and nation.

Revolving sneakers

I saw this display in a window in Soho of sneakers that revolve around on a platform. I didn't quite capture the motion of the display, but I still like the reflection and the movement from the street. Not much more to say about this one. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Van Cortlandt House Museum

I was passing by Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx a few weeks ago (coming back from Wave Hill actually) and happened by the Van Cortlandt House Museum. It's not the kind of building you expect to see in the Bronx! Unfortunately it was closed when I was there, because I would have loved to see the inside. It was apparently built in 1748-49 and here is a brief description from their website http://www.vancortlandthouse.org/

Van Cortlandt House is a mid-18th century Georgian dwelling that once served as the focal point of a large and prosperous grain plantation and milling operation. At the peak of its productivity, the plantation contained a variety of livestock, farm buildings, and two mills on Tippett’s Brook.

World Financial Center

This is the structure that was behind me when I took yesterday's photo of the boats. (I think I've shown a picture of the inside before.) It is the Winter Garden at the World Financial Center in Lower Manhattan. The World Financial Center is a combination of office buildings and public spaces where they offer performances and exhibitions. There is a nice place to walk along the water outside the building too, leading towards the southern tip of the island.

On the Water

The people on these boats have the right idea to get out on the water and get some relief from the heat (96 degrees today!) I wish I could borrow one of them. They were setting out from the marina near the World Financial Center in Lower Manhattan. It looks like a nice way to spend an afternoon.

Dunking Booth

It was so hot here yesterday (93 degrees!) that the kids were lined up at this old-fashioned dunking booth at a local school festival. The girl on the right threw a ball and when she hit the target that dunked the other girl into the tank. I was wanting to take a turn myself. Hopefully it's not so hot where you are!

Brooklyn Flea

New York has a new open air market that started in April. Called Brooklyn Flea, it's the City's largest outdoor market and has lots of cool stuff. They've got vendors selling furniture, clothing and antiques and new designs by local artisans who make everything from jewelry to textiles. It was hard to get a good photo of it (it's better to see it in person!) but this gives you a sample. It's a fun place to browse, especially when the weather is nice.

I guess all girls like shoes!

Brooklyn Academy of Music

This is a photo of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, a multicultural performing arts center in the Ft. Greene section of Brooklyn. It is a wonderful place known for their cutting edge programming and annual festivals like the Next Wave Festival which features contemporary music and dance. I haven't seen a performance there in many years but seeing the outside recently made me want to go back again soon. The building was finished in 1908 and BAM has another theater nearby as well. It's a great place to see a performance.

La Tour Eiffel

I couldn't resist taking a photo of this little bit of Paris in New York. This Eiffel Tower was on top of a sign that I passed by recently. I don't know if it lights up at night. It's not nearly as grand as the original, but it makes for a nice old-fashioned neon sign.

Fountains

Here's one more shot from Atlantic City (I didn't take very many photos!) This is from a water show that they do in a shopping area in the pier there. It's a small show but it's very colorful. Water even came down from above! Looks like I didn't choose the right setting on my camera. Oh well it's the memory that counts!

Atlantic City

I'm showing another photo today that is not from NYC. I visited Atlantic City this weekend to celebrate the birthday of two friends. Atlantic City is a little over 2 hours south of New York on the Jersey shore. This is a shot of the boardwalk on what was a rainy and foggy day and unfortunately you can't see the ocean in the background. But a fun time was still had by all!