MOMA Exhibit

I passed by the Museum of Modern Art this weekend and peeked at part of an exhibit taking place outside their building. I haven't gone into the exhibit yet so I can't tell you about it, but here is a description from the website. "Home Delivery: Fabricating the Modern Dwelling is both a survey of the past, present and future of the prefabricated home and a building project on the Museum's vacant west lot. Not since the mid-century House in the Garden series has MoMA built occupiable model buildings to demonstrate contemporary issues to the public."

Since I didn't visit the exhibit (I took this photo outside the fence!) I'm not sure who designed this one. I must go back and pay the admission next time!

Giant Balloons

I came across this giant bouquet of balloons in Central Park last week and couldn't help taking a picture. I'm not sure why they were there. Maybe an over-the-top birthday party. I never did find out the reason. They were colorful to see anyway. I wish you a good week!

Flagpole

Well, the flagpole didn't look tilted when I took this shot, I guess it must have been me. The flagpoles in the New York City parks have this masthead shape, with the City of New York flag on the left, and the Parks Department flag on the right (the Parks Department flag displays the leaf of a London Plane Tree.) I think it may be the P.O.W. flag under the American one. This was in Fort Tryon Park in Washington Heights.

Tidal River

Okay, this is the last photo from Maine. This is a tidal river, which means that its ebbs and flows are controlled by the tides. The water would disappear twice a day and get higher twice a day. It was really a gorgeous spot. Back to New York photos tomorrow!

Alpaca

This is another shot from Maine taken at the Common Ground Fair in Unity, Maine. This is a fair that features organic products and things grown in Maine. This cute face belongs to an alpaca (although I don't think those are native to Maine!) I've heard that alpacas are always happiest in pairs and there was another alpaca with this one and they looked exactly alike. They were very cute and curious too.

Port Clyde

I spent a few days last week in Maine, so I thought I'd show you a photo or two from the trip. This is a shot of the water in Port Clyde, Maine. There are lots of lobsterman in Port Clyde and it's also the place where you can take the ferry to Monhegan Island. This was the view from a restaurant, the Dip Net. They kept lobsters in that bathtub. It is such a beautiful place, especially this time of year.

Train tracks

Sorry I don't have much to say about the photo today. I took this shot near the U.S.T.A. Tennis center in Flushing Meadows, Queens, which you can see a bit in the background. I liked the convergence of the train tracks in the photo. I believe it's the end of the number 7 line. That's all for today!

Super Sweet

I think everyone who visits my blog is super sweet! At least as sweet as this watermelon from a street fair stand. It looks delicious, doesn't it? A good weekend to everyone and see you Monday!!

Boat Race

Were they having a boat race? It certainly looked like it, though I don't think the Staten Island Ferry stood a change against that smaller boat. I think it was some type of sightseeing boat, but it looked fast. Looks like a nice way to get around on a hot day.

Hearst lobby

I've always wanted to take a look inside the Hearst building, one of New York's "greenest" office buildings. You may recall that I showed the outside last year some time (can't find it now!) and recently I had a chance to peek into the lobby. I don't know if there's anything especially green about this escalator, but I liked the cool angle to it. I looks like some ghosts were walking through the front too!

Montauk Club

I've often passed an unusual looking building in Brooklyn (near Grand Army Plaza) that always made me wonder about its origins. It is very ornate on the outside with gargoyles and a lot of stone carving. I took a photo recently and decided to look into it. It turns out it is a social club called the Montauk Club. Here is a description from their website www.montaukclub.com

The Montauk Club has been a private club since it was founded in 1889. The magnificent Club House was designed by architect Francis H. Kimball, who was inspired by a palace on Venice’s Grand Canal. The Club House was completed in 1891 and its Venetian gothic architecture, carved mahogany woodwork and beautiful stained glass windows remain its signature features. Today, the Club is a vibrant part of its Park Slope, Brooklyn neighborhood. Members organize a variety of events year-round.

Now I just have to get inside sometime!

Kite flying

Though the weather still feels like summer, there won't be many days left for kite flying before the fall. This man was using the open space on Governor's Island to practice flying his kite. He had a fancy looking one actually, with two different sets of strings to control it. It was fun to watch him trying to master it. Here's to a good week ahead!

Another outfit

Here's another interesting outfit I saw at Union Square. This person was part of a musical group performing in the Union Square subway station. There are some very good performers in the subways these days. I believe they have to audition and be approved to be "official" performers in the subway system. She has one of the official MTA Arts for Transit signs, so I guess she passed the audition. (Sorry for the quality of the photo, the light was terrible.) Enjoy the weekend!

Union Square outfit

You see the most interesting outfits in Union Square. Union Square (at 14th Street) is home to a great greenmarket on the weekends and is also a gathering place for all kinds of artists and people selling interesting things. People tend to gather here for protests and demonstrations too. I loved the bodice on this woman's dress. She was getting lots of attention that day.

Twelfth Night

Last weekend I got to see a performance of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night on Governor's Island. It is such a nice thing to see a play outdoors and have a lovely picnic at the same time. It's one of the joys of summer in New York, and I'm sure many other places too. I'm already looking forward to doing it again next year!

Reflections

On the rooftop terrace at the Met Museum right now they are showing some works by the artist Jeff Koons. They happen to be made out of a shiny material and this was a photo taken in the reflection of one of them. You can see two of his works in the background of this photo. Taking a self portrait in the reflections seemed to be the favorite activity of all the visitors to the exhibit that day!

U.S. Open

I'm back from my week off from blogging. Last week I was lucky enough to go to the U.S. Open for a night session. Here is a view of the Arthur Ashe Stadium and the little dots down on the court are Serena and Venus Williams. It was a great match! I will enjoy catching up on all of your photos today!