Tissirie

Tisserie is a beautiful patisserie or pastry shop that recently opened on Broadway and 16th Street at the northwest corner of Union Square. The store specializes in classic French cakes and pastries but it also offers artisanal bread and sandwiches on the lunch menu. The owners, brothers Morris and Ronald Harrar decided to open Tisserie in New York City following the success of their first patisserie, St. Honore in their hometown of Caracas, Venezuela.

Tisserie is one of the few places in New York City that makes and sells its own french macarons, which should not to be confused with the American coconut macaroons. Macarons date back to the 18th century and are made with flavored cream fillings sandwiched between two disk-shaped meringue cakes. The meringue cakes are light and delicate, with thin crisp shells and soft cushiony centers; and the fillings are sweet or tart depending on the flavors. The best macarons in the world are reportedly from the reknown patisserie, Laduree in Paris. In Switzerland, macarons are called, luxemburgerli and they are sold by Sprungli.

Do you have a favorite pastry?

Union Square Subway Station

Union Square Park is probably the second most popular park in New York City, after Central Park. It is located on 14th Street and Broadway Avenue. A green market meets on the north end of the park every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and some of the best restaurants are located within a blocks of here. Many chefs buy their fresh produce at the market here.

Union Square Park has not always been a popular place in the city. In the 1880s, it was a site of labor rights and union worker demonstrations among the blue collar workers. Then crime and drugs took over the neighborhood in the 1970s and 80s. Gentrification began in the 1990s and today, it has become a very popular neighborhood for locals and tourists alike.

This photo of the Union Square subway station was taken at the south west corner of park. The huge concrete platform on the right is a popular place where young NYU students and street performers congregate and hang out.

East River

Manhattan is a long but narrow island bordered by the East River on the east and the Hudson River on the west. It is 13.4 miles (21.1 km) long; and 2.3 miles (3.7 km) across at its widest and 0.8 miles (1.3 km) at its narrowest.

This photo was taken from the elevated Roosevelt Island Tramway, which is a cable car system connecting Manhattan to Roosevelt Island across the East River on 60th Street. In the photo, you can see the northern view of Manhattan on the left and Roosevelt Island on the right.

The East River is a beautiful and narrow waterway that attracts a fair amount of single engine plane and helicopter tours along it. Unfortunately, the tall buildings on the Manhattan side can be hazardous to inexperienced pilots who fly this route. Recently, a small plane piloted by baseball player, Cory Lidle smashed into one of the buildings during an attempt to turn the plane around after flying up the East River.

N.B.: Macky of Tokyo Photo Daily posted a similar photo last Sunday. How appropriate since Tokyo is a sister city of New York City.

Penn Station Revisited

Last week, I posted a photo of the New York City Pennsylvania (Penn) Station on this DP. Here is another photo of the train station, which shows the ticket booths on the left and the departure terminals behind the giant pillar. If you enlarge the photo, you can see the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) terminal on the right.

The partially visible woman on the lower left corner was purchasing a ticket on the automated ticketing machine and the gentleman behind her was waiting for his turn while glancing over at the electronic train schedule.

Greeley Square

Greeley Square is a small plot of triangular concrete space sandwiched between two intersecting avenues (Broadway and Sixth) and 32nd Street. It has a twin square, better known as Herald Square on the north end, and together the two squares form a bowtie configuration of public space.

Greeley Square was named after Horace Greeley, an influential editor of The New York Tribune in the mid-1890s, who ran unsuccessfully as a presidential candidate against Ulysses S. Grant in 1872 under the new Liberal Republican Party.

Greeley and Herald Squares are situated above one of the busiest subway stations in the city and are neighhors to the famous Macy's departmental store, Penn Station and Madison Square Garden. The squares, especially Greeley Square, offer a tiny oasis of tranquility and relaxation right in the middle of midtown madness. Retail kiosks on Greeley Square sells coffee, snacks and newspapers to commuters who are constantly passing by on their way to and from work. It is definitely an ideal place for people watching.

Pinkberry

Pinkberry is a California-based frozen yogurt chain outlet, which opened its first New York City store last year on 32nd Street between 5th and Broadway Avenue in Koreatown. The frozen yogurt comes in plain or green tea flavors and fresh fruit toppings. According to Splendora Blog, an 8 oz serving of the fat free frozen yogurt contains only 200 calories. If you prefer something else, there are also yogurt smoothies and yogurt ices. One thing it does not sell is ice-cream.

The Pinkberry store is furnished with pieces designed by some of the most famous comtemporary furniture designers in the world. In the photo, you can see the Le Klint 172B Pendant lamps by Poul Christiansen, the tansluscent Louis Ghost Chairs in orange and green by Philippe Starck, and the white Saarinen dining table by Eeros Saarinen.

Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire

Roasted chestnuts are usually associated with Christmas and the winter season. Although we have not had much of a winter weather this season, you can still get roasted chestnuts from hot dog and pretzel vendors in the city. They are usually available from early November to late January. A $2 bag will yield about 10 to 12 morsels of sweet chestnuts roasted in kosher salt.

Chestnusts are fairly vertatile in that they can be roasted, boiled or candied. They can also be grounded into powder for cakes or pureed into paste for pie fillings. But most often, they are found in turkey stuffing during Thanksgiving and Christmas.

This photo was taken in front of 55th Street and 5th Avenue in Manhattan. The roasted chestnuts and pretzels on the trays are for display only because they have been sitting in the open for hours and exposed to dirt and dust from the street. The vendor has a fresh supply of warm pretzels and chestnuts in the aluminium oven under the display trays.

Do you have a favorite chestnut recipe?

Pennsylvania (Penn) Station

New York City is served by two main train stations: the Grand Central Station on the east side and the Pennsylvania (Penn) Station on the west side. Although Penn Station does not have the architectural beauty and pedigree of the Grand Central Station, it is nonetheless one of the most important and busiest train stations in United States. Penn Station is the center of the Northeast Corridor shuttle that connects Washington DC and Boston. It is also the main departure station for Amtrak, the New Jersey Transit and the Long Island Railroad. In addition, there are six subway lines that connects the station to the rest of the city.

The current Penn Station is not visible from above ground because it is located under the Penn Plaza complex on 34th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenue. The original Penn Station, completed in 1910, was an above ground Beaux Arts structure. It was demolished in 1964 to make room a multipurpose urban complex. As a result, Penn Station was relegated to the space below it and to this day, there is no identifiable stucture to represent it.

This photo was taken during rush hour traffic at Penn Station. Notice the interesting tunnel structure overhead. On the left are a series of ticketing booths and terminals leading to the trains. And on the right are retail and dining facilities for the commuters.

Rival Peaks

The Empire State Building (on the right) and the Chrysler Building (left) have been competing stepsisters ever since they were conceived in the late 1920s during a period construction boom in New York City.

The Chrysler Building designed by architect, William Van Alen broke ground on September 19, 1928 and was expected to be the tallest skyscraper in the world, surpassing the then record holder, 40 Wall Street, which was under construction at the time. Not to be outdone, architect H. Craig Severence secretly added an additional 2 feet (0.6 meter) onto the 40 Wall Street structure but William Van Alen also secretly constructed a 125-foot (58.4 meters) spire from inside the Chrysler Building. In the mist of all this competition, the developers for the Empire State Building jumped into the fray by announcing the construction of an even taller skyscaper.

40 Wall Street (927 feet/283 meters/72 floors) was finally completed in 1930 and claimed the record for the tallest skyscaper in the world from the Woolworth Building (792 feet/241 meters/55 floors) for only a couple of months before the Chrysler Building (1,046 feet/319 meters/77 floors) opened in May 1930. The Empire State Building (1,250 feet/381 meters/102 floors) took over the record a year later in May 1931.

Which of the two buildings do you prefer?

Doorman @ Bergdorf Goodman

The distinguished looking gentleman in the photo is the doorman for Bergdorf Goodman, a luxury goods departmental store on 5th Avenue and 59th Street. [See previous photo commentary for more information on Bergdorf Goodman.] He was wearing a beautiful Russian fur hat and a long wool coat that reminded me of the character played by Omar Sharif in the 1965 movie, Doctor Zhivago.

The Russian fur hat called, ushanka is traditionally made of rabbit fur but it is also available in other types of animal fur and "fish fur", a term used to describe synthetic materials since fish do not have fur. A distinct feature of the ushanka is the collapsible ear flaps on each side of the hat. They are meant to keep the ears warm during cold windy weather. During warmer weathers, the ear flaps can be folded up and tied above the hat. Ushankas are popular in cold weather cities with huge Russian immigrant populations like Chicago, Illonois and New York City.

So what do you think of the hat?

N.B.: I did asked for permission before taking the photo.

Update: UNICEF Snowflake at Night

I posted the first UNICEF snowflake photo two weeks ago. That was taken during the day. Here is another photo of the snowflake taken at night.

The building in the background is the women's department of Bergdorf Goodman, a luxury goods departmental store on 5th Avenue and 59th Street in Manhattan. The men's department is located in a separate but equally impressive building across the street. Bergdorf Goodman was started by Herman Bergdorf, an immigrant from Alsace, France, in 1899. The store was then taken over by Edwin Goodman in 1906 and became a popular fashion retail outlet. Today, Bergdorf Goodman is owned by Neiman Marcus, another luxury goods departmental store. Other name worthy buildings in the vicinity include the Apple Cube and The Plaza Hotel, which is currently being converted into a condominium.

Bergdorf Goodman also produces a very nice catalog/magazine each season. The items included in the catalog range from a $140 Ermenegildo Zegna tie to a $50,000 Mercedes Benz convertible.

Bike Messenger

Bike messengers or bike couriers are one of those traffic nuisances that New York City drivers have to deal with on a daily basis. These bicyclists tend of swerve around cars, in and out of traffic to get to their destinations as fast as possible. Majority of them are paid on commission by their delivery agencies so their incomes are based on how many deliveries they make a day.

The profession dates back to the mid-19th century with the invention of pedal-driven bicycles by Frenchman, Pierre Lallement in 1864. Since then, bike messenging became a integral part of commerce in many metropolitan cities around the world until the 1990s, when the internet boom took over the information delivery industry. Today bike messengers still exist but in few numbers. They have carved out a niche market offering delivery services for items that e-mails and faxes cannot do.

The young man in the photo is dressed in his bike messenger outfit. Notice his rolled-up pant legs with black spandex leggings underneath, over-the-shoulder messenger bag and stretchy ropes to secure additional packages on the rear wheel.

Chauffeured Town Car

Chauffeured luxury sedans, or car service as we call it here, are a fairly common sight in parts of New York City, especially on 5th Avenue in Manhattan where this photo was taken. Out-of-town businessmen and well-to-do tourists usually hire these car services to chauffeur them around town. Local New Yorkers also use them to get to airports because the yellow taxi cabs do not pick up passengers from their homes.

The chauffeur in this photo was waiting for his passenger outside the Trump Tower. You can see a white card with a number on the front driver window. This allows the passenger to identify the car service he/she has ordered because sometimes, there can be three to four similar looking sedans parked on the street. The average cost for a car service like this is about $60/hour.

Personally, I love car service. They are extremely comfortable and convenient.

Shoe Shopping in SoHo

"I spent $40,000 on shoes and I have no place to live. I will literally be the old woman who lived in her shoes!" cried Carrie Bradshaw, the shoe-addicted New York character in Sex & the City.

New Yorkers love their shoes. But comfortable shoes are paramount to the New Yorker who walks a lot. Good looking shoes are a must for the fashion conscious New Yorker. So where does one go to find a pair of comfortable yet, good looking shoes?

This photo was taken inside Camper, a Spanish brand shoe store in SoHo. I was trying on some shoes when I looked up and saw this interesting vantage point -- roughly 3 feet (1 meter) from the floor. I love the coordinated colors inside the giant overhead lamps and the walls.

Do you have a favorite pair of shoes?

Skating Rink @ Rockefeller Center

Ice skating at the Rockefeller Center Rink is a winter tradition for many New Yorkers and tourists alike. Each year between October and April, the artificial ice rink is open to the public from 8:30 AM to midnight. However, skating here can get pretty expensive. Ice skate rentals cost $7.50 per person and admissions are $10 - $14 for adults and $7.50 - $8.50 for children under 11 and seniors. The rink gets extremely crowded during weekends and holidays so the best times to skate are Mondays through Thursdays.

The gilded statue in the background is Promethius, a smart and cunning Titan who, according to Greek mythology, stole fire from Zeus and gave it to the mortals because of his love for humanity. As a result, the word prometheous refers to someone or something bold and creative.

So do you ice stake? Or ski?

Men's Bags

Lately, I have been following The Sartorialist, a daily photo blog by fashion photographer, Scott Schuman. The photos on his blog are absolutely amazing. So as an ode to Mr. Schuman and The Sartorialist, I decided to post a photo on men's fashion today.

Men in New York City carry bags!! Oh yes, we do. We carry all kinds of bags -- computer bags, messenger bags, gym bags, backpacks, briefcases, European carry-alls (as Seinfeld called it), etc. We carry bags because we have to tote everything we need for the day when we leave the apartment. And since most of us commute on buses and trains, we do not have the luxury of temporary storage in the trunk of a car.

The type of bag a New Yorker carries largely depends on his fashion aesthetic. The hip and fashionable yuppie may prefer a Jack Spade messenger bag. while the conservative business executive may carry a Tumi computer case. The college student usually carries a backpack and the retiree, a PBS logo canvas bag. It is as much a statement about your personal style as it is what you need to carry in it.

So what kind of bag do you guys carry?

Fruit Vendors in Chinatown

Street vendors are a common sight in New York City. They provide a convenient and inexpensive option for commuters to pick up some fruits and vegetables on their way home from work. This is because the lines are shorter and the produce are usually fresher. Plus the low overhead expenses mean cheaper prices for the consumers.

The vendors in this photo taken in Chinatown sell exotic tropic fruits that you will not find in regular grocery stores. Some of the more interesting produce are fresh longans, dwarf bananas, pomelo, kumquats and persimmons.

Keropokman of Singapore Daily Photo recently posted a photo of durians, the supposed "stinkiest fruit in the world." Have you tried them??

Restaurant Kitchen Workers

New York City has more restaurants per square feet than any other city in the United States. This is because most New Yorkers do not cook or they live in small apartments with minuscule kitchens that are just big enough for a kettle pot and a microwave oven.

As a result, there are ample job opportunities for immigrants who work "behind the scene" at restaurants, as well as in other businesses, where they have minimal contact with the consumers. Almost every restaurant, regardless of the price point or culinary origin, employs immigrant workers in the kitchen. The work is usually long and laborious, and some of these employees are paid below the minimum wage. And yes, most of them are here illegally.

I posted a lot of architectural photos last month (well, it was my first month) so I thought it would be interesting to look at people who live in New York this month.

Time Square on the eve of New Year's Eve

Time Square is one of the few places in New York City where traffic congestion, both vehicles and humans, is a given. The situation worsens on New Year's Eve when 750,000 revelers congregate here to watch the giant crystal ball drop at 12 midnight. Some people even start staking out the best spots to watch the celebration at 8 AM on the morning of the event, 16 hours before the ball drops. This photo of Time Square was taken on the eve of New Year's Eve (Dec 30). As you can see, the energy of the celebration has already begun.

So do you have a New Year resolution? What are they?

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Deli @ Little Italy

Little Italy, as the name suggests, is a section of Lower Manhattan where Italian immigrants first settled after arriving in New York City at the turn of the century. Today, the neighborhood has diminished to about half its original size due to the ever expansion of Chinatown, as well as the decrease in the number of new Italian immigrants to the US. Most of the first and second generation Italians who grew up in the area have moved on to other parts of the city or to the suburbs.

What makes Lower Manhattan so interesting is the dynamics of its population over time. Prior to the arrival of Italian immigrants in the 1900s, this area was inhabited mostly by Irish immigrants who came here in the early 1800s. Now, Little Italy is slowly being engulfed by a newer immigrant population, ie. the Chinese.

This photo was taken inside an Italian deli and it shows a big wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese being cut up into smaller pieces. The yellow cubes of cheese on the right are Pecorino Romano and you can see someone walking by with a tray of freshly made canolis.