Grand Central Station Plaque

This plaque is located by an elevator/lift inside the subway station at Grand Central Station. It also has braille characters to help those who are blind to navigate their way around the station. However most of these elevators/lifts are frequently broken or not working. Unfortunately, the New York City subway system is not very disabled people friendly.

How well does your work place or city accommodate people with disability?

N.B.: I have been invited to contribute some of my photos to this amazing site called, New York Street Shots. The site is a collaborative photography project focused on creating a visual time capsule of New York City. Please stop by and check out the amazing photos there.

Sausages

These sausages were from the Koglin German Hams store at the Grand Central Market. The store specializes in sausages and cured meats from around the world. Although I have not tried the sausages here, I have gotten some deli meats and some breads and cheeses from other vendors at the market for an impromptu picnic at Bryant Park.

So do you like processed meat products like sausages and deli meats?

Happy Hallloween

This photo was taken at the Halloween Party at Grand Central Station on Sunday afternoon. The event called NYC Goes Orange was held to raise money and awareness of the one million New Yorkers who rely on emergency food from the Food Bank of New York City to feed their families during the holiday seasons every year. People who attended the Halloween Party were asked to donate $5 and all proceeds will go towards the Food Bank, which is a major provider of food items to over 1,000 emergency and community food programs across the city.

Who or what would you dress as if you were going to a Halloween party?

Manhole Cover Doormat

I posted a photo of a manhole cover on Saturday and incidentally, Eliane of NYC posted a great interpretation of it on her blog. Over the weekend, I found this manhole cover doormat at the Posman Books at the Grand Central Station. Apparently, manhole covers are quite the thing in NYC. Who would have guessed?

Do you have a doormat outside your house? What does it say?

Wooden Chandelier

This beautiful chandelier made of wooden branches covered with crystal drops and a deer antler base hangs above one of the exits at the Grand Central Station. I have tried many times to photograph this light fixture but can never capture the essense of its beauty. For some reason, this is one object that looks better in real life than in photographs.

So has this ever happened to you where you cannot seem to capture the beauty of a scenery or object on film (or digital format)?

Chrysler Building

Here is a zoomed in (or zoomed up) photo of the Chrysler Building -- as far as my little point-and-shoot camera can zoom. Isn't it a gorgeous building? I had to admit, it is one of my favorite architectural structures in New York City.

But I have a confession; I have never been inside the Chrysler Building. Midtown east, as this area is commonly called, is not a very interesting place to visit. There are mostly foreign embassies, corporate hotels and big office buildings in the area. So unless you have a business meeting to attend or are using the Grand Central Station, which is across the street from the Chrysler Building, you won't necessarily want to come to this area.

So how was your weekend? Did you do anything interesting?

Cheese Aisle at Grand Central Station Market

This is the cheese aisle at the Grand Central Station market where I like to shop when I'm invited to dinner. Since I don't cook, I usually offer to bring a selection of cheeses and fruits for the host/hostess.

Next to the cheese aisle are the sausages and deli meat section and the bread and dessert section. Last summer, some friends and I stopped by here to get some cheeses, sausages and bread before heading to Bryant Park for an inpromtu picnic. Oh and there is a wine section at the market too.

For me, cheese was an acquired taste. I didn't grow up eating them so I don't like stinky cheeses until I went to France in 1996 where my friend introduced me to them. Since then, I love all kinds of cheeses. My favorites are Greek feta and chèvre (fresh goat cheese).

So what are your favorite cheeses?

Mistress Row or Park Avenue South

This is Park Avenue South, which is a stretch of street south of 42nd Street near Grand Central Station. The area is sometimes called Mistress Row because of the number of apartments (those colorful buildings in the background) that are rented out to pretty young girls and paid for by their gentleman friends. The reason Park Avenue South is a popular spot for that purpose is its proximity to Grand Central Station. New York Times did a story on this phenomenon entitled, Dangerous Liaison: the Perils of Pied-Affaire. It is a fun read if you are really in the mood for some NYC gossips.

In the photo, you can see the ramp going up to the bridge that was in yesterday's photo. You can also see part of the Pershing Square Restaurant on the lower right corner.

I am NOT going to ask if you ever had an affair so maybe you can tell me (and the readers) something interesting about yourself that is PG-rated.

Pershing Square Restaurant

Here is the Pershing Square Restaurant that is under the bridge in yesterday's photo and located across 42nd Street from Grand Central Station. The front of the restaurant (in this photo) may look like a greasy diner from the outside but there is a beautiful dining space inside. But if you prefer to hang out and get something to drink, it has great outdoor seatings at the corner too.

I used to work on Park Avenue and this was a favorite place to meet up with friends after work. A lot of New York commuters who work in city and live in the suburbs of Long Island or upstate New York come here to relax before taking the trian home at the Grand Central Station. Here is another photo of the restaurant under the bridge.

Do you have a place to meet for drinks with coworkers before heading home?

Pershing Square at Grand Central Station

Pershing Square is small section of space outside the Grand Central Station on East 42nd Street (below) and Park Avenue (overpass bridge). Under the bridge is a restaurant called Pershing Square Restaurant where many commuters stop to relax before getting on the trian home.

Tomorrow, I will post the photo of the Pershing Square Restaurant under the bridge.

Step Sisters on 42nd Street

The Chrysler Building (1930) is only half a block away from the Grand Central Station (1903) on 42nd Street. The buildings were built only 27 years apart but they couldn't be any more different. The Chrysler Building was made of steel and glass in the Art Deco style while the Grand Central Station is mostly concrete and bricks built in the Beaux Arts style. Here is a photo of both buildings. They are like step-sisters, both from the same family but from different pedigrees.

Do you have any siblings? How different are you from him/her/them?

Junior's Cheesecake

Almost everyone who has tasted Junior's cheesecake says it is the best cheesecake in world. The company, started by Harry Rosen, began as a humble diner in downtown Brooklyn in 1929. The name of the diner was changed to Junior's in 1950 after Harry's children, Walter and Marvin, took over the business. Today, Junior's is a successful mail order business selling cheesecakes and other pastries, in addition to its original diner in Brooklyn and two new restaurants in Times Square and Grand Central Station.

When I used to work in downtown Brooklyn, I would occasionally stop by the original Junior's diner to get some cheesecakes and coffee. The diner, in my opinion, has lost much of its appeal due to poor customer service and mediocre food, but the cheesecake is still king. I have not been to the other two Junior's restaurants in Times Square or Grand Central Station but I hear the food and service are better there.

During holiday seasons, it is not uncommon to see a line of people at the diner and restaurants. especially at the take-out bakery section. It seems like everyone is there to buy a cheesecake (or two) for their families or friends.

So do you have a favorite dessert?

Happy Valentine's Day

These young lovers were holding hands and whispering sweet little nothings to each other at the Grand Central Station late one night. Were they celebrating an anniversary? Or were they secret lovers meeting at the train station? Regardless, romance was definitely in the air.

The photo is a little blurry. I saw them as I was walking through the station and snapped a quick photo as soon as their backs were turned from me.

Hope everyone has a wonderful and enjoyable Valentine's Day.

Chairs Or Art?

It was late Sunday night and all the stores at the food court in Grand Central Station have closed for the evening. Only a dozen or so people were still lingering around waiting for their trains to arrive. I was on my way home, walking to the subway terminal located inside the Grand Central Station.

I saw this interesting sight -- chairs neatly stacked on top of the tables. It got me wondering. Did someone with an artistic flair put it together or was the person a little obsessive compulsive? Or is this just a routine way of stacking chairs on top of the table? I admit, I have never seen anything like this before. What do you think?

N.B.: Since we are on the topic of organization, please share with me how you catalog your photographs? My laptop automatically catalog them by dates. I also keep a separate folder for the photos I have selected, resized and PhotoShopped for this blog.

Grand Central Station

This is another photo of the main concourse of the Grand Central Station. It is, in my opinion, one of the most magnificent architectures in New York City.

The famous clock on top of the information booth in the middle of the grand concourse is valued at an estimated $10 - $20 million by both Christie's and Sotheby's. The clock has four faces made of opal and can be seen from the north, south, east and west of the station. The three windows in the back are 75 feet tall and has a walkway across them but it is closed to public for security reasons.

According to statistics found on Wikipedia, the station serves 125,000 commuters and receives 575,000 visitors per day. Each year, 19,000 pieces of item are reported to "lost and found", 2,000 of which are coats. The return rate for these items are 60%; however, the return rate for computers and iPods are 98%.

Grand Central Station

The Grand Central Station (official name is Grand Central Terminal or GCT) is one of two main train stations in New York City. It is located on 42nd Street between Lexington and Park Avenue (called Midtown East) and serves the Metro-North Railroad service, which connects New York City to upstate New York and Connecticut.

The current GCT building was completed in 1913. Over the century or so, it has undergone several major renovations, the last of which was in 1996-8, famously championed by Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Unfortunately, she did not live to see the finished product. She died in 1994.

This photo was taken on a slow shutter speed to capture the movements of commuters at the train station.