Don't Honk; $350 Penalty

The theme photo for February was "What Annoys You Most About Your City" and I posted a photo of a crowded subway train because it was the easiest concept to translate into photography. But in actuality, the thing that annoys me most about living in NYC is the car alarms that seem to go off at 3 AM in the morning right outside my bedroom window. But how does one translate that into a photograph?

Well, now I have found a perfect photo to illustrate my feeling. This street sign on the corner of Mott and Spring Street in SoHo says honking (I assume it means at night) will result in a fine of $350. All I have to say is, "Bravo!" If I were Mayor Michael Bloomberg, I would make drivers pay $1 for every honk they make.

What do you think? Do you use the honk frequently?

Walking Billy the Cat

On my way home yesterday evening, I saw a woman walking her cat. I was totally intrigued because I have NEVER seen a cat on a leash before. I quickly introduced myself and the lady, who is also my neighbor, introduced me to Billy the cat.

Billy is a Persian and is totally accustomed to walking with a lease around his torso. Because Billy can easily wiggle out of a regular neck strap, he was fitted with a neck and chest strap that is commonly found on smaller dogs. Billy was very shy and kept moving, which made it difficult to take a good photo. But after much coaxing, he finally sat still and I snapped this photo.

So have you ever seen a cat on a leash before? What is the weirdest thing you have ever seen on the street?

MoMA:Up in the Sky

This photo, taken while standing outside at the Sculpture Garden at MoMA, shows three distinct structures in the area. The triangle on the left is the Intersection II by Richard Serra and the triangle on the right is the roof of MoMA that extends out into the garden. The building in the middle of the photo is the highrise that abuts the museum.

This is a photo of the skylight on the 6th and top floor of the museum where special exhibitions are usually held. As you see, the MoMA is sandwiched between two highrise buildings. The building on the left is the same building in the first photo above.

MoMA: Richard Serra at the Sculpture Garden

This is a macro shot of Intersection II (1992-3), a gigantic structure by Richard Serra at the MoMA sculpture garden. It is made up of four identical bands of steel, each weighing 30 tons and measuring 13' high x 53' long and 2 1/8' thick. The structure is arranged in two parentheses formation like this: (( )).

Here is another shot of the Intersection II (below right) taken from inside the MoMA building. The other structure on the upper left is also by Richard Serra called, Torqued Ellipse IV.


Here is a link to more photos of the Intersection II on flickr.com by different photographers. They did a better job of capturing the image of the structure than I did.

MoMA: Monet & Pollock

Reflections of Clouds on the Water Lily Pond by Claude Monet (1840-1926) is one of the most spectacular works of art at the MoMA, not just for its sheer size (6' 6 3/4" x 41' 10 3/8" or 200 x 1276 cm) but its beauty and colors. The painting from the Impressionist movement, occupies the entire length of a gallery has three leather benches in front of it for admirers to sit down, relax and enjoy the scenery.

This painting by Jackson Pollock entitled, One: Number 31, 1950 is a perfect example of his drip and pour technique, which he popularized during the Abstract Expressionist era. The painting is 8' 10" x 17' 5 5/8" (269.5 x 530.8 cm) and is one of many Pollocks exhibited in the permanent collection at the MoMA.

When taking these photos, I was torn between simply taking a perfectly aligned photo of the art work only OR do I want to include museum goers in the picture. What do you think? Do you usually include strangers in your photo or do you make every effort to exclude them?

MoMA: Looking Up, Looking Down

I had a day off yesterday (Thursday) so I went to my favorite museum in the city, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) on 53rd Street between 5th and 6th Avenue. The reasons I love MoMA best are because: (1) it is small enough to see all the exhibitions in an afternoon but big enough to have a diverse collection of art; (2) the new building, designed by Japanese architect Yoshio Taniguchi, is simply spectacular; (3) it is very easy to get to from my apartment; and (4) there is a wonderful fruit and vegetable juice cart right outside the museum for some post-museum refreshments.

The photos above show the views of the 5-floor corridors from the mezzanine (left) and the mezzanine from the 5th floor corridor. For the rest of the week, I will be doing a series of photos from my visit to the MoMA.

Do you have a favorite museum or place near your home where you can visit on your day off?

Street Poster II

Here is another photo of a colorful and cute street poster for Le Tigre, a clothing brand that originated from New York City. The photo was taken on Houston Street near Mulberry Street in SoHo.

I don't really understand the use of a cartoon monkey in the advertisement but the colors remind me of Andy Warhol's famous silkscreens. Speaking of Andy Warhol, I am planning on going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the MET) and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) this week because May is Museum Month in NYC.

Who is your favorite artist and your favorite artwork.

Street Poster

Safety walls erected around construction sites are frequently plastered with street posters advertising products and services or movies and music. Some of these posters can be very creative and colorful, while others are just plain funny or weird.


This street poster on Spring Street and Lafayette Street in SoHo is advertising a chain of gym outlets called, Crunch. I am attracted to this poster because of its creative use of flat colors and cartoon characters to represent the gym's acceptance of all body types. It almost made me want to join the gym.

Theme Photo Update: Bruges, Belgium

First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone for playing "guess the location" game in yesterday's post.

Alice from Arradon Daily Photo was the first to guess it correctly. The photo was taken in Bruges or Brugge in Belgium. Bruges was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. In order to preserve the delicate infrastructure and buildings, few cars are allowed into the city. Almost everyone rides the bicycle or takes the buses in the city.

Here is another photo (The Market Square) of the city.

Theme Photo: City Exchange

This photo was taken from one of my trips to Europe during Thanksgiving weekend, which is actually one of the best time to travel internationally. The airfares during that week are relatively cheap and the international airport terminals are uncharacteristically empty. You can catch a flight on Wednesday night and arrive in Europe on Thursday morning. That will give you 3-1/2 solid days to explore the city and be back home on Sunday night. How cool is that? Apparently I wasn't the only one doing it. I met a dozen or so people from the East Coast (NYC, DC, Boston) on this flight.

So can you guess where this photo was taken? I already gave you a clue. It was in Europe.

Today, there are 82 blogs participating in the photo theme: Monte Carlo, Monaco - Rome, Italy - Singapore, Singapore - Tenerife, Spain - Rotterdam, Netherlands - London, UK - Montréal (QC), Canada - Melbourne, Australia - Naples (FL), USA - Bastia, France - Hong Kong, China - Mazatlan, Mexico - Buenos Aeres, Argentina - Manila, Philippines - Arradon, France - Madison (WI), USA - Evry, France - Seoul, Korea - Shanghai, China - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Sequim (WA), USA - Singapore, Singapore - Budapest, Hungary - Baziège, France - Hamburg, Germany - Toruń, Poland - Nelson, New Zealand - Madison (WI), USA - Vantaa, Finland - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Mainz, Germany - Dubai, UAE - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Cork, Ireland - Stockholm, Sweden - Menton, France - Tel Aviv, Israel - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Kitakami, Japan - Stayton (OR), USA - Szentes, Hungary - Stavanger, Norway - Grenoble, France - Villigen, Switzerland - Paris, France - Hyde, UK - Moscow, Russia - Joplin (MO), USA - Jakarta, Indonesia - Greenville (SC), USA - Cape Town, South Africa - Asheville (NC), USA - Seattle (WA), USA - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Madrid, Spain - Auckland, New Zealand - Oulu, Finland - Lubbock (TX), USA - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Baton Rouge (LA), USA - Sydney, Australia - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Vancouver, Canada - Seattle (WA), USA - Selma (AL), USA - Chandler (AZ), USA - Sharon (CT), USA - Manila, Philippines - Lyon, France - New York City (NY), USA - Los Angeles (CA), USA - Brookville (OH), USA - Hayle, UK - Wailea (HI), USA - Saarbrücken, Germany - San Diego (CA), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - Torino, Italy

Memories of the Past

I was strolling down West Broadway in SoHo and suddenly caught a whiff of something sweet and spicy but indeterminately familiar. I stopped, turned around and saw these stalks of empty cigar boxes on the stoop of the O.K. Cigar store.

Although I'm not a smoker nor have I ever smoked, I do like the smell of fresh tobacco. It has that inherent musky woodsy smell of earth and the forest after a heavy rain. It reminded me of the few times I went hiking in the woods when I was in college.

Smell or aroma has a weird way of triggering old memories from the past for most people. Does it cause you to think back of the past?

Cruelty Free Life

Bonsai is a traditional Chinese art of training trees and shrubs into miniaturized version of adult plants. Tree species like maple, pine and elm are regularly pruned to stunt the growth and shape their foliage. Then wires are used to produce pronounced bends and curves in the brunches and trunks to mimic the appearance of age and growth.

This photo was taken on a street in Chinatown. The vendor had a cart full of bonsai trees in different sizes and shapes. Some of the bonsais are about the size of a cupcake while others are larger.

Do you find this practice barbaric or do you think it is an acceptable way to produce an aesthetically attractive plant?

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?

The Namesake

Last year, I read an interesting collection of essays by award winning author, Jhumpur Lahiri called, Interpreter of Maladies. The author also wrote a wonderful novel called, The Namesake that was made into a movie earlier this year.

I saw the movie recently and loved it. The story revolves around a young Indian immigrant and his wife in New York City (in the early 1970's) and the subsequent struggles of their children as 1st generation Indian-Americans (in the 1990s) who had to reconcile their identities and culture in this country. If you want to watch a movie this weekend, this is a good one to see.

So what movies have you seen lately?

Dumpster Dive

This was what I saw behind the library on my way home this evening - a dumpster filled with old books, magazines, journals and microfilms that were leftover from yesterday's free giveaways. And now they are all wet from the rain.

I understand most libraries have to clear out old book shelves to open up floor space for computer terminals and other electronic information systems. I mean, most information are now available electronically and they do not take up as much physical space as books and microfilms. Nonetheless, it is a shame to see them all thrown away like that.

I still remember my father's treasured encyclopedia set from when I was a kid. There were over 15 volumes and they took up a whole shelf in our family room. Any time we had a question, we would turn to the encyclopedia for answers. Now, I use wikipedia.com and Merrian-Webster.com instead of the paper versions. I even read my news on NYTimes.com and CNN.com.

So do you still read the old newspapers everyday?

Free Books, Free Books, Come And Get It

On my way to a meeting this afternoon, I saw tables after tables of free books lined up in front of the library. Apparently, the library was giving away some of its old books to make room for new ones. There were also a lot of old magazines and journals stalked up on top of more tables on the side. I did not have a change to peruse through the stalks but I did stop to take a few photos.

Have you read any interesting books lately? Do you have any recommendations? The last books I read were Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris and I Feel Bad For My Neck by Nora Ephron.

Chinatown Souvenirs

These little statues of Buddha are some of the souvenirs that are commonly sold in Chinatown. Other popular souvenirs include I ♥ NYC t-shirts, key chains and baseball caps.

What souvenirs do you usually buy when you visit a new city?

Mange Al Fresco

The weather this weekend was absolutely gorgeous; we had 75˚F (24˚C) temperature, low humidity and plenty of sunshine. It was our first warm weekend of the season and everyone was outside enjoying the weather, including me. One of the most thrilling things about warm Spring weather in NYC is al fresco dining. Few restaurants have outdoor seatings but those that do, are always packed with a hungry crowd.

This photo, taken outside of Cipriani Downtown, shows the waiter spooning freshly cooked pasta onto individual serving plates for the diners at the table. Cipriani Downtown is one of the most popular and expensive restaurants in one of the most popular and expensive neighborhoods (SoHo) in Manhattan. Most of the diners, I assume, are wealthy European expatriates who can afford $25 for a plate of pasta. But then again, it only costs them €18.

Happy Earth Day

Today is Earth Day so I guess it is appropriate to talk about TIME Magazine's 51 Things We Can Do to Save the Environment, which I read about on Belinda of Bel's Fish Bowl blog. According to the magazine article, everyone of us can do a little bit to reduce carbon dioxide emission and consequently, slow down the rate of global warming on Earth.

Using public transportation (bus or subway) or walking and biking are two of the items listed in the magazine because transportation accounts for 30% of all carbon dioxide emission. Unfortunately, it is not always practical especially if you do not live in an urban city.

Other ways to reduce carbon dioxide emission include paying your bills online and signing up for e-notification, using energy saving compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFL), washing the laundry in warm water instead of hot and washing one big load instead of multiple small loads, opening the window instead of switching on the air-conditioner, and eating less meat products.

So what are you doing to protect Mother Earth for our future generations?

Brooklyn Heights Vista

This is the skyline of the most expensive real estate properties in Brooklyn, otherwise known as Brooklyn Heights. The photo was taken from South Street Seaport on the lower east side of Manhattan.

A one-bedroom co-op apartment here goes for about $475,000 while a one-family townhouse can cost over $8,000,000. Despite the exorbitant prices, they are considered affordable compared to how much it costs to live in some desirable neighborhoods in Manhattan.

The only places where real estate is more expensive than New York City are London and Tokyo.