Yakitori

Yakitori is the latest culinary craze in New York City, following the popularity of habachi in the 1980s (Benihana, anyone?) and sushi (Nobu) in the 1990s. Yakitori literally means grilled chicken in Japanese but it is often used to describe a method of cooking, that is grilled (food) on skewers.

At least three yakitori restaurants have opened on St. Mark's Place in the last year. The East Village area has always been a popular spot for all things Japanese, from the grocery stores and delis to the bookstores and restaurants.

This photo was taken at Oh Taisho, one of the yakitori restaurants on St. Mark's Place. The restaurant has about 20 tables and long counter facing the small open kitchen where you can watch as your food is being prepared. Most of the items on the menu are grilled (obviously) but there are also other options like ramen (noodle soups), yakisoba (stir-fried soba noodles), okonomiyaki (pancakes), and tempura (battered and fried items).

N.B.: I love the okonomiyaki!

BAMN Automat

BAMN! is a new retro East Village eatery that was styled after an automat from the 1930s and 40s. The automat was a precursor to the candy and soda machines that we see everywhere today. Basically, it is a fast food restaurant that serves simple food items like burgers, fries, chicken wings, hotdogs, etc. through a coin-operated vending machine window.

The automat was immortalized in the Doris Day movie, The Touch of Mink as well as other movies made in the 40s through 60s. Unfortunately, the popularity of automats died with the arrival of drive thru' restaurants and other fast food joints.

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.

Prada

This is a window display from the Prada store in SoHo. I was immediately drawn to it because of the explosion of colors, which is not something we see a lot of in NYC, especially during the winter months. Most New Yorkers prefer to wear warmer colors like greys, browns and blacks. Also, Muccia Prada is not always known for her use of bright colors like these.

The store in SoHo, which opened in 2001, was one of a number of Prada stores around the world designed by Dutch architect, Rem Koolhaas. The concept for this store was highly experimental at the time it opened. It was intended to be a showcase for clothes and accessories during the day and then easily converted into an exhibition/gallery space for social events in the evening. The store was partially destroyed by a fire earlier this year but has since been renovated and opened for business.

Tennis Soles?

The people at this cellular phone store in Queens have an ingenious way of protecting the hardwood floors from scratches. When I walked pass the store, I knew I had to take a photo of it. It's unique and brilliant, isn't it?

Queens is one of five boroughs (counties or parishes) that make up New York City. The other four boroughs are Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Staten Island. Manhattan is undoubtedly the most famous of the five boroughs and is the administrative seat of the city. A common misconception among non-New Yorkers it that Manhattan IS New York City. On the contrary, Manhattan constitutes less than 10% in terms of geography and 20% in terms of population of the city.

UNIQLO

This advertisement was on a temporary wall surrounding a construction site in Chinatown. The ad is for UNIQLO (pronounced you-KNEE-coo-lo), a Japanese brand of medium priced clothes that just opened its first NYC store in SoHo. It is supposedly the largest UNIQLO outlet in the world, with over 35,000 sq ft of retail space and serves as the brand's global flagship store.

The store was designed by well known interior designer, Masamichi Katayama and boasts a 5-storey high display case filled with unique t-shirts created by artists from Japan specifically for the store opening.

The advertisement depicts cashmere sweaters and wraps that retail for $89.95 and $59.95 respectively. I'm thinking of getting the sweater in brown (on the zebra) or dark blue (on the right pengium). Or if I'm really lucky, I may find one under the Christmas tree this year. *wink* *wink* I've been a good boy this year; really I have!!

Photos

You can find street vendors selling just about anything in New York City, from the ubiquitous hotdogs and pretzels to the occasional guy hawking fake watches and handbags. There are, however, some great stuff to be found on the streets if you look hard enough.

In SoHo, you will likely find amateur artists selling original, homemade jewelries, knitwears, cards, and whatnots. There are also entrepreneurial guys selling antique books, old photographs, and all thing used and worn.

This is a photo of a display stand, on Broadway Avenue between Spring and Prince Streets, that specializes in framed portraits of celebrities, movie posters, magazine covers, and other scenic images. I suspect the target customers are tourists but that doesn't mean a local New Yorker can't pick up some pictures for his or her apartment.

My favorite image in the photo is the one depicting the evolution of ape to man and finally, to woman -- woman being the most evolved! HA! Okay, I won't go there!! Audrey Hepburn in the turtleneck sweater is a favorite too. Which is yours?

Subway Train

This photo was taken inside the Union Square subway station on a slow speed shutter setting to capture the contrast between moving and stationary objects.

According to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the NYC subway system is one of the oldest and most extensive public transportation systems in the world. The first underground line began in 1904 and today, it has 468 stations and over 656 miles of tracks. The longest ride stretches over 31 miles from the Bronx (207th Street) to Brooklyn (Far Rockaway) on the A Line. Average ridership per day is approximately 5 million people. Most people use the subway to commute to and from work, or to wherever they are going.

Apple Cube

This is the new Apple Store on 5th Avenue between 58th and 59th Streets in NYC. The store, which opened in 2006, is actually underground beneath the gigantic glass cube. It has 10,000 sq ft of floor space and is open 24/7.

A distinct feature of this store is the lack of designated check-out counters. Apple Store associates float around with portable handheld "EasyPay" devices that allow customers to pay by credit cards, and the receipts are automatically sent via e-mail notifications. Supposedly, this eliminates long lines for purchases and unnecessary paper.

Bloomberg Tower

This is the new Bloomberg Tower on Lexington Avenue and 59th Street. It was completed in 2005, and stands at 806 feet (246 meters) high and 54 stories tall. The first 9 floors are offices while the rest (tower) are condominiums. It currently houses, among other offices, restaurants and retail stores, the headquarters for Bloomberg LP. Michael Bloomberg is the current mayor of New York City.

The complex was designed by Cesar Pelli & Associates and was voted as one of the best skyscrapers of NYC in 2005.