Jackson Heights Subway Station

This is the main subway and bus station in Jackson Heights, otherwise known as Little India, on 75th Street and Roosevelt Avenue in Queens. Parts of Jackson Heights, especially the areas a few blocks north of the business district, have some of the most beautiful pre-war residential buildings in the city. They were built around the time when New York City was the epicenter of the movie industry. However, most of that business has moved to Hollywood.

So what movies have you seen lately? Do you have any recommendations?

The Atrium at the MET 2

Here is another photo of the atrium at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Notice the terrance on the second floor on the upper left corner? That was where I was when I took a lot of photos posted here.

No question today. I hope everyone has a good Sunday.

The Atrium at the MET

This photo shows the ceiling of the atrium right at the entrance to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The photo was taken from the 2nd floor terrace.

So what are you plans for the weekend?

Metropolitan Museum of Art

This impressive staircase is the central entrance to the 2nd floor of the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the Upper East Side. The museum has a South Wing (Greek & Roman Art) and a North Wing (Egyptian Art). This central entrance leads directly from the front door of the museum to the back, where the American Art is located.

So when was the last time you visited a museum?

Bryant Park II

This photo was taken last weekend at around 7PM just as the sun has set and a dark glow was beginning to take over the city. I especially love to take photos at this time of the day because the photos always come out with a lovely blue hue. I read somewhere that the best time to take photos are an hour after the sun rises and an hour before the sun sets before the sun casts shadows on the floor.

When do you usually take your photos?

Bicycle for Spring

Spring weather is finally here and we should all be outside getting some fresh air and enjoying the beautiful weather. How about getting one of these bicycles from Bicycle Habitat in SoHo? I bet you will get a lot of attention riding these colorful bicycles.

I rented a bicycle at Central Park about four years ago and I went home walking a little funny. :-) So when was the last time you rode a bike?

Easter Parade & Easter Bonnets 2008 - Carrot Patch

Here is an adorable "carrot patch" family at the Easter Parade & Easter Bonnets Festival. The event, despite its name, is not really a parade. It is more of a street fair where anyone and everyone, regardless of religious or political affiliations, can dress up in costumes and come to 5th Avenue for the festival.

By the way, I had a pair of bunny ears on when I took these photos. So when was the last time you dressed up in a costume? What did you dress as?

Easter Parade & Easter Bonnets 2008

Last year, I posted my first collage of photos from the annual Easter Parade and Easter Bonnets Festival on 5th Avenue, between 45 and 55th Street in Manhattan This year's festivities was held earlier (yesterday) and there was a cold snap of weather in the air. Nonetheless, everyone was out in their finest and most creative attires and bonnets. Here are the photos from the festival.

After the parade, I met up with fellow blogger, CityGirl15 of Gramercy Cafe and Eliot for brunch. It was great meeting them. They are the sweetest couple.

The Mud Truck

The Mud Truck is an interesting twist to the regular lunch truck that we normally find parked outside construction sites. This truck, parked outside the Astor Place (4th Avenue & 8th Street) subway station, targets mainly the subway riders and the already over-caffeinated New Yorkers on the street. I'm one of those over-caffeinated New Yorkers who drink three to four cups of coffee a day, especially when I'm on vacation or cafe-hopping in the city on weekends.

So how much coffee do you drink a day? And what kind of coffee do you like best?

Spring Bloom

I was at the Union Square Green Market yesterday and saw this beautiful bloom at one of the booths selling flowers and fruits. I switched my camera into macro mode and managed to shoot about 12 photos. This was the most perfectly focused and composed photo of the lot.

So are you waiting for spring to arrive?

Self-Portrait at the MET

I was at the Metropolitan Museum of Art yesterday and I saw this fascinating artwork by Indian born British artist, Anish Kapur who created a concave shaped dish made entirely out of stainless steel. Upon seeing my images on the reflective surface, I quickly took out the camera and started taking photos of myself.

So when was the last time you took a photo of yourself?

The Plaza Hotel (Again)

I took this photo last Sunday when I went to The Plaza to get a closer look at the building. Some sections of the building are still under renovation, specifically the famous Oak Bar on the opposite end of The Plaza's entrance.

So what is your favorite drink at the bar? I usually order cranberry juice with seltzer water because I'm severely allergic to alcohol.

Grand Central Station Plaque

This plaque is located by an elevator/lift inside the subway station at Grand Central Station. It also has braille characters to help those who are blind to navigate their way around the station. However most of these elevators/lifts are frequently broken or not working. Unfortunately, the New York City subway system is not very disabled people friendly.

How well does your work place or city accommodate people with disability?

N.B.: I have been invited to contribute some of my photos to this amazing site called, New York Street Shots. The site is a collaborative photography project focused on creating a visual time capsule of New York City. Please stop by and check out the amazing photos there.

Golden Angel

This statue of a golden angel is located on a 10 feet tall pedestal at the corner of Central Park South and 5th Avenue, which is also known as the Grand Army Plaza. Obscured from view behind the angel's wing is a statue of General William Sherman on a horse.

This is one of my favorite statues in New York City because it sits high up on a pedestal in an open area, uncluttered by buildings and/or trees. It also reminds me of the Winged Victory at the Louvre in Paris.

So what and where is your favorite piece of art?

New Paint Job

I was waiting for the bus a couple days ago when I noticed these guys (well, you can only see one of them in the photo) doing a paint job on a bar called, P.J. Hogan on Queens Boulevard. I shot a couple of frames not expecting much from the photos but when I got home and load them on the computer, I realized that they came out a lot nicer than I expected.

The last time I painted an apartment was when I helped a friend paint his new apartment almost 20 years ago. So when was the last time you did any house painting?

N.B.: I took a day off from posting yesterday because I was not able to upload the photo from home.

Mid-Month Theme: Subway Day

This is the turnstile entry into the subway station at Jackson Heights, Queens. The cost of each ride regardless of distance or direction is $2 or you can buy an unlimited subway pass like I do for $81 per month. With the prices of gasoline/petrol approaching $4/gallon in the US, I'm glad I don't own a car.

So how much is the cost of gasoline/petrol in your city?

Subway day is a mid-month theme shared by the following blogs:
New York City Daily Photo - PHO (Paris) - Stockholm by Pixel

Old & New

You can see the reflections of an old pre-war building on the window panels of this new apartment complex on Lafayette and 8th Street. The structure on the lower left corner of the photo is an outdoor garden on the 3rd floor with an unopened picnic umbrella.

I love picnics but I haven't been to one in over 10 years. When was the last time you had a picnic in the park?

Lafayette Street & Bond Street

This is the East Village or specifically, Lafayette Street looking north from Bond Street. The building at the end of the street is the same building as the one I posted two days ago. The street looked somewhat empty because it just stopped raining. In a couple of hours, this area will be crawling with young hipsters and NYU students.

So where did you go to school? I went Northeast Louisiana University for undergraduate and graduate school.

The Plaza Hotel

Here is a close up photo of the newly renovated Plaza Hotel. According to this New York Times article, the formerly 800 rooms hotel now has only 180 rooms while the rest of the building has been converted into luxury condominiums.

So how do you define luxury? What is an everyday luxury to you?

Broadway Avenue & 8th Street

This amazing building on the corner of Broadway Avenue & 8th Street in the East Village has some of the characteristics of architecture from the early 1900s. The small windows are a tell-tale sign because steel beams were not routinely used for the building construction yet.

So do you prefer older buildings with small windows and solid walls or contemporary buildings with all glass windows and no walls.

Note: Check out this amazing photography project/site entitled New York Street Shots, which highlights the work of some super talented photographers in New York City.