Broadway Shows

These advertisements for Broadway shows at the Time Square subway station list some of the more successful shows playing in the city. The tickets to these shows are usually hard to come by because they are sold out weeks in advance. There are also many other less famous and cheaper productions of Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway shows that can be just as entertaining and fun.

So have you seen a musical or a play at your local theater lately?

Paris in New York

This little restaurant called the Cinema Café on 60th Street between Madison and 5th Avenue reminds me of the cafés I saw in Paris. Despite the beautiful outdoor seatings in the photo, not many people eat outside because of the noise and dust stirred up from the traffic right in front of it. The seatings inside are much nicer and the food, I hear is excellent. I have never eaten here before.

Two days ago, I posted a photo of a window with a sign, Beware of Pickpockets and Loose Women. A few people asked why should one be wary of loose women. I cannot answer that question so I will let you guys explain it.

North of 2nd Avenue from 60th Street

I took this photo while standing on the Queensborough Bridge directly above the 2nd Avenue traffic. Beautiful buildings like these slowly being torn down one by one to make way for high rise condominiums like the ones you see behind them. The reason this is happening is because these older buildings are not always safe and some are crumbling due to old age. And it is very expensive and difficult to maintain.

So do you have any exciting plans for the weekend?

Beware of Pickpockets and Loose Women

I saw this sign on the window of an apartment in the Lower East Side recently and thought it was a hoot. Apparently, the person (most like a man) has a message to share with everyone.

If you could put a sign outside your window, what would it say?

Baggy Reflection

I was looking to buy a new bag for work a couple weeks ago so I visited some interesting stores that carry obscure brands with unconventional designs. This was one of the stores I visited -- NYC Velo is a essentially bicycle shop in the East Village that also sells a range of messenger bags including this one in the photo.

Normally, this would be a boring photo but when I downloaded it onto my laptop, I noticed the reflection on the glass window. You can see part of a bicycle wheel on the upper right hand corner. I didn't buy that bag in the window. I bought a Jack Spade messenger bag instead.

Check out this outdoor fashion show of Jack Spade's bags during the recent New York Fashion Week at Bryant Park. It was staged in the middle of the park around regular New Yorkers who were outside enjoying the weather. Everyone there pretty much ignored the commotion -- so typically New York.

So when was the last time you bought a bag?

Cat in the Bag

Do you remember my neighbor, Billy the Cat who likes to be walked on a lease? Here he is again hiding in the bag and refusing to come out. The owner said sometimes Billy gets too lazy or is too spooked by the dogs in the neighborhood that he won't come out. He will stay in the bag but pops his head out to enjoy the walk around the neighborhood.

This photo makes me smile! So what makes you smile?

Rainy Day

It was hot and humid last Monday. Then it rained on Tuesday afternoon and the weather suddenly turned dry and cool the next day. This morning, it was a little chilly and windy. I guess the Fall/Autumn weather has arrived.

This photo was taken from inside the bus when I was on my way home from work last Tuesday. I took out my camera and switched it onto macro mode to focus the raindrops on the window. A few passangers on the bus looked at me curiously while others were too busy talking on their cell phone to notice.

Where was the oddest place you had taken a photo?

Mid-Month Theme: Subway Day

This photo shows the elevated tracks of the subway system. As you can see, there are numerous buildings surrounding it but most of them are warehouses. I think not many people want to live next to the subway tracks.

In the back ground, you can see part of the sign for Silvercup, which is a movie studio in Long Island City where all the interior scenes of Sex & the City and The Sopranos were filmed. You can also see the skyline of Manhattan in the far background.

Subway day is a mid-month theme shared by the following blogs:

New York City Daily Photo - Stockholm by Pixels

Dinner Menu

This is the dinner menu at a closet size Japanese restaurant in the East Village called, Otafuku. The only seating available here is a bench leaning against the outside the restaurant window. Despite its size, it is a favorite place among the NYU students and adventureous diners to grab some take-out dinners here.

So what and where is your favorite take-out dinner?

Groovy for the 60s 2

Here is another groovy, psychedelic van/school bus that I found parked in front of a Starbucks in the East Village this weekend. I have to admit, the artwork on it are very well done.

So did you take a school bus when you were a kid? Do you have any interesting school bus stories?

Faces From New York Fashion Week

Scott Schuman a.k.a. The Sartorialist

Glenda Bailey, Editor-in-Chief of Harper's Bazaar

Grace Coddington, Creative Director of US Vogue

Jeanne Becker, Editor-in-Chief of FQ Magazine & Host of Fashion Television

Judy Licht, Host of Full Front Fashion

The only reason I recognize these faces is because I read A LOT of fashion magazines. But my favorite magazine is the New York Magazine. I anxiously wait for it to arrive every Monday and then immediately do the crossword puzzle found inside on the last page.

What is your favorite magazine or reading material?

Don't Hate Me Because I'm Beautiful

Yesterday, I posted a photo of a cute guy. Today, we have the cute girls from the New York Fashion Week.

So what is your most attractive feature?

New York Fashion Week Spring 2008

The most fashionable event in New York City is here again. The Spring 2008 New York Fashion Week began last Wednesday at Bryant Park and will last through next Thursday. During this time, over 75 international fashion designers will be showing their latest collections under the tents or at other venues across the city. This twice-a-year event generates a huge amount of revenue for the city.

Can you guess who is this tall gentleman?

Answer: Nigel Barker from America's Next Top Model.

Apartment Stoop 5

More apartment stoop photos this weekend. This one was taken in front of a townhouse at the East Village. I love this photo because of the shadows of the trees and the railing. But it was REALLY hot outside when I took this photo.

How's the weather in your hometown?

Fire Escape 7

Here is another fire escape photo from the Village. I like this one a lot because it is very differnt from the ones we have seen before. This fire escape is really small and tall and it does not look like too many people can evacuate from the building quickly. However, the choice of color is definitely interesting.

I hope everyone has a good relaxing weekend.

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)?

Installation Art on Pine Street

This is a gigantic art installation entitled Group of Four Trees by Jean DuBuffet in front of the Chase Manhattan Plaza, the tall building in the background. The structure is located on Pine Street, between Nassau and William Street in the Financial District of downtown Manhattan.

When I took the photo of this structure, I neglected to also photograph the names of the artist and artwork displayed at the site so it took me about half an hour this morning to research all the information to put on here.

To see a different view and appreciate its sheer size, click on here. You can see that it is at least 50 feet tall.

Do you also photograph the information of the artist and the name of the artwork when you see a piece of art that you like?

Warning: Painful Behinds

This is the first time I have seen spikes installed on top of fire hydrants in the city. Most fire hydrants have regular flat surfaces that make them a tempting place to sit down and rest one's feet after a long day of walking. But apparently, these two hydrants have other ideas.

Notice how the spikes were added and screwed onto the original structures and painted over? I wonder if the shop in the background has anything to do with this. Maybe the owners do not want people loitering outside the store.

Have you seen anything like this in your city?

Collage

This is a collage of scenes from the window of the subway train that I take to and from work every day. As you can see, it is an elevated train that travels above the ground, instead of underground. I purposefully chose a window with graffitis to give the photos some depth and contrast.

I started this project after reading about Todd of Postcards from Hell's Kitchen's post on his 'walk to work photo' project. But he has a more interesting commute to work than I do.

So how interesting is your commute to work every day?

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?