Jilly's Postcard

Jilly of Monte Carlo Daily Photo and Menton Daily Photo sent me a beautiful postcard earlier this week. This was the first postcard I have ever received from my blogger friends so now, it sits on a special place in my apartment -- my refrigerator door.

Notice the jar of papers on top left of the refrigerator? That's my collection of home-delivery/take-out restaurant menus from the neighborhood restaurants. Now the secret is out -- I don't cook.

So do you have a special place in your apartment?

Chelsea Flower Market

This painting outside the Chelsea Market Building is what was left of the old wholesale flower market in the city. Now the building has been taken over and made into a television studio for The Food Network and NY1, a 24-hour local news channel. There are also numerous gourmet bakeries and grocery stores in the building.

So what is your favorite flower?

Chelsea Townhouse

These townhouses on 22nd Street, near 9th Avenue, are some of the more attractive homes in Chelsea. The area is not known for its beauty because it was an industrial/manufacturing district in the early 1900s. Now, it is populated mostly by warehouse size clubs, bars and galleries.

I had problems with blogger last night because it won't load the photos. Does anyone else ever have the same problem?

Tribeca Street Scene

This is a street scene in Tribeca (Triangle Below Canal Street) on a week day evening around 6:00 PM. I was in the neighborhood for a meeting last week and decided to hang out in the area afterwards because I rarely come down this way.

So what do you usually do after work?

BFF - Best Friend Forever

I was walking through Chelsea last weekend when I saw this vacant retail store. You can see part of a quickly written vacancy sign on the bottom left. Either the realtor had a couple giant plush toys lying around or this used to be a toy store. Nonetheless, I thought this was an excellent display of friendship, even if they were merely toys.

So who is your best friend(s) and how long have you known him/her/them?

Succulents

This succulents were available for sale at the Green Market in Union Square last weekend. I love cacti because they do not need a lot of attention. However, my cacti start to grow tall and stringy after a couple of months instead of staying short and plump like these.

What kind of plants do you have at home?

Tapa Bar @ Boqueria

Small plate cuisines have taken over the New York City culinary scene. None is as original as the Spanish tapas which are extremely popular here. This photo, taken at Boqueria in Chelsea, shows a tapa chef preparing various dishes in front of the hungry diners.

So have you ever tried the Spanish tapas?

Tree Silhouette

I saw this REAL tree at Union Square that looked somewhat similar to the STEEL tree by Roxy Paine that I posted last month. I also love the silhouette against the blue sky.

So do you usually look up towards the sky?

Nuts Over Squirrels

The squirrels at Union Square are definitely well-fed. Notice the empty walnut, hazelnut and peanut shells scattered all over the ground? Someone has been feeding them the good stuff.

So what kind of nuts do you like?

Resident Squirrels of Union Square

These two squirrels were among the dozens of squirrels that live in Union Square. They were socialized to humans hanging around them so they gladly posed for me and a number of other photographers at the park.

Do you have a pet or a favorite animal?

Empire State Building

I was at Koreatown (on 32nd Street and 5th Avenue) for dinner earlier last week and this was what I saw as I looked up above me. The triangular shapes on the upper right and lower left corners are store front awnings. The structure on the upper left corner is the building behind me. And right in the middle is the most celebrated building in New York City, if not the country.

I have a confession -- I have lived in NYC for almost 10 years and I have never been inside the Empire State Building.

Do tell us something that people won't have guessed about you.

Open Sesame

Question: What is the proper etiquette for entering the subway train? Answer: Stand to the side and let the passengers exit first -- similar to entering an elevator.

So what etiquette faux pas annoys you most?

The Plaza

The Plaza, which used to be a 4-star hotel, is now a luxury condominium. After almost 2 years of renovations, the landmark building is now open and a one-bedroom apartment costs about $1 million.

If you had $1 million, what would you do with it?

SoHo Lofts

SoHo (South of Houston Street) used to be a warehouse district but it has become a highly desirable residential area because of the abundance of huge loft spaces. Lofts are essentially living spaces that are open and bright due to lack of walls separating the rooms. The only enclosed spaces in lofts are usually the bathrooms and closets.

So would you like to live in a loft? Would you sacrifice privacy for lots of light and open space?

Lobster Roll for Lunch

I was in SoHo last weekend and walked by Ed's Lobster Bar on Lafayette between Spring and Wooster Street. Since it was almost 2 PM and I haven't had lunch, I decided to stop in for a lobster roll, which is basically lobster meat dressed with a little mayonnaise and lemon juice, and served on a hot dog bun. It was delicious.

So have you ever had a lobster roll?

Genius Bar @ Apple Store

On Monday, I told you about my trip to the Apple Store to get my friend's laptop analyzed and hopefully, fixed at the Genius Bar. Here is a photo of one of the genuises behind the bar. I believe "these kids" have to pass a certification program before they are allowed to work behind the bar. The Apple store also has a smaller iPod Bar on the corner to analyze and fix broken iPods.

So were you a smart kid at school?

Mid-Month Theme: Subway Day

Today is January 15 so it is mid-month subway day again. This photo was taken at the Spring Street subway station. Subway day is shared by the following blogs:

New York City Daily Photo - PHO (Paris) - stockholm by pixels

Outside Looking In

My friend's Apple laptop died suddenly on Saturday so we went to the Genius Bar at the Apple Store on 5th Avenue and 59th Street to get a diagnosis of what was wrong with it. This photo was taken around 5 PM as it was beginning to get dark outside so the lights from inside the store really lit up the glass cube structure.

So has your computer ever acted weird or died suddenly?

Tin Ceiling

Some of the older buildings in New York City still retain the original tin ceilings that were embossed with geometric designs. This photo, taken at an office in Tribeca, is a perfect example of the decorative tin ceiling .

What is the most decorative or beautiful item in your home?

La Colombe Cafe 2

Here is an exterior shot of the La Colombe Cafe from yesterday. Right across the street is the Chinatown Post Office and a few blocks south is the Tribeca Grand Hotel.

So how do you take your coffee? Milk and sugar?