Tulips at Central Park South

Spring flowers are blooming again. These tulips are planted around the square surrounding the Grand Army Plaza at Central Park South.

So how was your weekend?

Bird in a Gilded Cage

This little bird is trapped inside a gilded cage, otherwise known as The Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan. The 4-storey high atrium/space has shops and restaurants and somehow, this bird got itself trapped inside it. A lady placed some bread crumbs on the railing and the bird swiftly flew down to gobble them up. I only managed to get one good shot of this event.

So have you ever been in a beautiful place but still felt trapped?

Ranunculus Bloom

Here is a macro shot of a ranunculus bloom from one of the flower vendors at Union Square. Spring is finally here and there are rows and rows of flower vendors at the market now.

So do you have a favorite flower?

Ridiculous Men

I saw this interesting sign taped outside the window of a trendy bar on 18th Street between Broadway and Park Avenue South. It notice listed what makes a ridiculous man.

So do you agree?

Cookie & Coffee @ The Mercury Dime

I met up with a friend for coffee at The Mercury Dime cafe in the East Village last week. Since I was early, I ordered the cappuccino first while I waited and read the newspaper, and when she arrived, I ordered a double french pressed coffee. Each order came with this cute little lace cookie. The coffee, unfortunately was not very good even though it was made fresh to order.

The best coffee in NYC, in my humble opinion, are found at La Colombe Cafe in Tribeca, Petal Belle in SoHo because they use the La Colombe brand of coffee, and Aubergine Cafe (in my neighborhood) that uses Irving Farm coffee. Irving Farm has its own cafes in the city but I have not visited one yet.

So what is your favorite brand of coffee or tea?

Monster Alert

Another neighborhood, another mural! This one was taken in the East Village over the weekend. Some of the murals can be quite creative and funny. And this one is definitely one of the better ones.

So are you afraid of monsters? Do you believe in monsters?

Old, New & In-Between

This is the view of the Chrysler Building from downtown East Village. I was standing on 13th Street and the Chrysler Building is on 42nd Street. In the foreground, is an old pre-war apartment building on the left and a new luxury condo on the right.

So do you prefer old or new?

Sunset at Washington Square

This was the view of the sunset from Washington Square Park in lower Manhattan last Friday. The weather has been so beautiful lately that I stayed out until the sun went down and was rewarded with this amazing sky view.

So when was the last time you sat outdoors until the sun came down?

Broadway & 14th Street

The weather yesterday was absolutely beautiful -- it was probably our best weekend of the year so far. So you can imagine the number of people out and about on the street after hibernating indoors for the last 4 months. This shot was taken at the southern edge of Union Square looking down Broadway (Avenue).

So how was the weather at your neck of the woods?

Wall in SoHo

I am running out of photos AGAIN. This one is from the archives and it was taken on Spring Street in SoHo. Surprisingly it looked fairly empty because this street is usually filled with shoppers and tourists.

So what are you plans for the weekend?

Sunrise Mart Japanese Supermarket

This is the exterior shot of Sunrise Mart, a Japanese supermarket in the East Village. East Village used to be a rough neighborhood but over the last decade, it has become a very hip and trendy outpost of all things Japanese.

So where do you usually get your groceries?

Cherry Hill Fountain

This is the Cherry Hill Fountain on the west side of Central Park near Strawberry Field. The buildings in the background are mostly apartment buildings on Central Park West. The flowers in the background are cherry blossom, I think.

So do you have cherry blossoms in your city?

Mid-Month Subway Theme

It is mid-month subway theme day again. This photo was taken at the Queensborough Plaza subway station a couple weeks ago. Notice the guy on the far right looking at his phone as the train snakes by? I wish I had a complete picture of him but this photo cannot be re-shot.

subway day is a mid-month theme shared by the following blogs:
Budapest - London - New York City - Paris - Stockholm - Sydney

Spring is Blooming

I was at Central Park last weekend and flowers and trees were blooming everywhere. It's so refreshing to see colors again. It has been a long, cold winter for us in NYC.

So where would you go to see Spring flowers bloom?

Easter Parade 2009

This lovely couple had one of the best outfits at the Easter Parade this weekend. The crowd who dressed up this year was somewhat smaller compared to the past two years that I was there. And it was really cold too.

So if you had an outfit, what would you wear to the Easter Parade?

Easter Lily

This is a macro shot of the stamen and stigma of an Easter Lily bloom from the Rockefeller Center. There are hundred of Easter Lilies lining the flower beds at the Promenade there.

So what do you plan to eat for dinner tonight? Lamb chops?

Rickshaw Dumpling Truck

This Rickshaw Dumpling Truck was one of four food vendors I saw around East Village earlier this week. The other trucks included one selling Mister Softee ice cream, the Mud Truck that sells gourmet coffee, and one selling French-style crepes. I have also seen vendors at other times selling Belgian wafflers and gourmet ice creams from a truck around this area. So why are there so many of these vendors here? Well, they primarily serve the college crowd that tends to hang out in the East Village during week days.

So have you or would you eat someone sold from a truck like this?

Bottom Tip of Manhattan

I have out-of-town visitors this week so we went to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal to take the ferry to Staten Island, of course. This photo was taken a few minutes after the ferry lhad eft the Manhattan terminal. You can see the skyline of the bottom tip of Manhattan Island here.

So how has your week been?

Carnivore

This is a carnivorous plant called Drosera or Sundew that I saw at the green market at Union Square last weekend. The tentacles at the edge of the leaves are super sensitive and can secrete enzymes to dissolve the preys that fall into their grasp.

So are you a carnivore or a vegetarian? What is your favorite meat product?

Old & New

The older building in the foreground is the Saint Thomas Church and the newer building in the background is 666 5th Avenue, a retail and office complex.

No question today. Have a good Wednesday.