Rubin Museum

This weekend I had a visit to a museum that I've never been before called the Rubin Museum. The Rubin Museum, on West 17th Street in Chelsea is a museum of Himalayan art. I'm not very good at describing things, so here is a quote from their website, http://www.rmanyc.org/: "The Rubin Museum of Art (RMA) is home to a comprehensive collection of art from the Himalayas and surrounding regions. The artistic heritage of this vast and culturally varied area of the world remains relatively obscure. Through changing exhibitions and an array of engaging public programs, RMA offers opportunities to explore the artistic legacy of the Himalayan region and to appreciate its place in the context of world cultures." It's a cool place!

Roof Deck

I hope you have a good place to relax this weekend, like this nice roofdeck that I saw in Brooklyn. No, I don't live there, unfortunately. If I did, I'd be up there all the time. I envy people who have their own outdoor space. Have a good weekend and see you Monday!

[Update 8/24: I'm going to take a blog break this last week in August, while I search for more photos and hopefully get some new ones! Have a good week and see you later!]

Governor's Island House

I've been running low on photos so I was glad that someone reminded me I had photos from last summer from Governor's Island (thanks Jay!) Governor's Island is a former Coast Guard base in New York Harbor long accessible only by Coast Guard personnel and their families, and before that it was occupied by the U.S. Army. The Coast Guard left the Island in 1996 and in the last few years it has been open to the public on summer weekends.

This photo is from a section of the island called Nolan Park where the officers and their families were housed. There are 15 beautiful clapboard victorian houses in Nolan Park that have recently been restored and are all in the National Historic Register. They were built between 1857 and 1907. Some of them are open to the public and they are beautiful inside. I'd recommend a visit if you can!

Newsstand

I read somewhere that they've been replacing many of the old newsstands in the city with more modern looking kiosks. I think this is one of the old fashioned ones. With people reading newspapers less these days I hope they don't completely disappear.

Waterpod

This is a photo I took on a floating artistic/living space called the Waterpod, which has been visiting various sites in New York this summer. It's hard for me to describe what it is, so here is a description from their website, http://www.thewaterpod.org/. Waterpod™ is a floating sculptural living structure designed as a new habitat for the global warming epoch. It is currently scheduled to launch in New York in June, 2009, navigate down the East River, explore the waters of New York Harbor, and stopping at each of the five boroughs it will dock at several Manhattan piers on the Hudson River."

Kayaking

Went kayaking along the Hudson River this past weekend and it was great fun! You can rent kayaks in Cold Spring, NY, about an hour north of the city. It was not too hard to learn and was great exercise. I can't wait to try it again!

Naked Cowboy

Probably everyone has seen pictures of this guy before because he's a real fixture around Times Square. This was the first time I've ever seen him in person though, so I snapped a shot. He calls himself the Naked Cowboy and apparently he's even running for mayor this year. I have a feeling he won't be a real contender!

Empire Diner

I love a good diner, though I've never eaten in this one. It seems like the old-style New York diners are disappearing these days. I hope they don't completely dissapear! This one caught my eye with its mock Empire State Building on the top. I think this one is in the Manhattan neighborhood of Chelsea.

Car Park

I've always thought these structures for parking cars (without a parking garage) were kind of interesting. I guess it's an effective way to use less space, which is seriously needed in NYC. I suppose you just can't expect to get your car out in a hurry!

Chrysler building

Nothing special to report about this photo, just another view of the Chrysler Building in midtown at 42nd and Lexington Avenue. According to Wikipedia it was the world's tallest building for 11 months, before it was usurped by the Empire State Building.

Times Square closure

This year they have closed some of the streets right around Times Square so that people can walk more easily or sit and enjoy the area. I'm not sure if it is a permanent change, but it certainly seems to be popular for now. Have a good week.

Rainy Day

This is the last of my photos from the High Line. It's a beautiful place, but you don't want to get caught there in a thunderstorm! There aren't many places to take cover. Have a great weekend and see you Monday!

Sunbathing

The High Line is a great place for getting some sun and also for doing some people watching. It was hard to find a free bench that day!

West 14th Street

The High Line gives you a nice view down west 14th Street at one point, which was strangely devoid of cars when I took this photo. This area has now become trendy and instead of meatpacking plants you now mostly find designer boutiques and fancy restaurants (except you can't really see any of them in this photo!)

Blue windows

This is a picture of an art installation along the High Line and I'm afraid my photo doesn't capture how beautiful the glass is. The name of this work is The River That Flows Both Ways by an artist called Spencer Finch. The panels are laminated glass with film interlayer. It is inspired by a trip on the Hudson River. The title is a translation of the name of the river from Mukkheakantuck, the Native American name for the Hudson and refers to the natural flow of the river in both directions. Wish I had a better shot of it, oh well!

Bridge

I accidentally hit the focal black and white button when I was editing this photo and I liked the effect so I left it that way. I don't know anything about the bridge between two buildings, which I think is in Chelsea. You can see this bridge from the High Line, the park I mentioned on Friday. Have a good week!