Cherry Hill Fountain

This is the Cherry Hill Fountain on the west side of Central Park near Strawberry Field. The buildings in the background are mostly apartment buildings on Central Park West. The flowers in the background are cherry blossom, I think.

So do you have cherry blossoms in your city?

Mid-Month Subway Theme

It is mid-month subway theme day again. This photo was taken at the Queensborough Plaza subway station a couple weeks ago. Notice the guy on the far right looking at his phone as the train snakes by? I wish I had a complete picture of him but this photo cannot be re-shot.

subway day is a mid-month theme shared by the following blogs:
Budapest - London - New York City - Paris - Stockholm - Sydney

Spring is Blooming

I was at Central Park last weekend and flowers and trees were blooming everywhere. It's so refreshing to see colors again. It has been a long, cold winter for us in NYC.

So where would you go to see Spring flowers bloom?

Easter Parade 2009

This lovely couple had one of the best outfits at the Easter Parade this weekend. The crowd who dressed up this year was somewhat smaller compared to the past two years that I was there. And it was really cold too.

So if you had an outfit, what would you wear to the Easter Parade?

Easter Lily

This is a macro shot of the stamen and stigma of an Easter Lily bloom from the Rockefeller Center. There are hundred of Easter Lilies lining the flower beds at the Promenade there.

So what do you plan to eat for dinner tonight? Lamb chops?

Rickshaw Dumpling Truck

This Rickshaw Dumpling Truck was one of four food vendors I saw around East Village earlier this week. The other trucks included one selling Mister Softee ice cream, the Mud Truck that sells gourmet coffee, and one selling French-style crepes. I have also seen vendors at other times selling Belgian wafflers and gourmet ice creams from a truck around this area. So why are there so many of these vendors here? Well, they primarily serve the college crowd that tends to hang out in the East Village during week days.

So have you or would you eat someone sold from a truck like this?

Bottom Tip of Manhattan

I have out-of-town visitors this week so we went to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal to take the ferry to Staten Island, of course. This photo was taken a few minutes after the ferry lhad eft the Manhattan terminal. You can see the skyline of the bottom tip of Manhattan Island here.

So how has your week been?

Carnivore

This is a carnivorous plant called Drosera or Sundew that I saw at the green market at Union Square last weekend. The tentacles at the edge of the leaves are super sensitive and can secrete enzymes to dissolve the preys that fall into their grasp.

So are you a carnivore or a vegetarian? What is your favorite meat product?

Old & New

The older building in the foreground is the Saint Thomas Church and the newer building in the background is 666 5th Avenue, a retail and office complex.

No question today. Have a good Wednesday.

illy cafe

We all know Starbucks in the US but have you heard of an illy cafe? There are a couple of them in NYC and they serve coffee from the Italian brand.

So what brand of coffee or tea do you drink every day?

Greenwich & Horatio

This photo was taken at the corner of Greenwich and Horatio Street in the Village. Notice the other two street signs? One way streets are very common in NYC and so is the street cleaning schedule sign.

So what street signs do you have in your city?

Spring is Here

We've been having Spring-like weather during the last week or so although it was very windy yesterday when I went out to take photos. I walked from the Meatpacking District (14th Street and 8th Avenue) to the Greenwich Village and then east to SoHo before heading north to Nolita. Then I went home.

I took this photo of the entry way to a townhouse on Horatio Street between Greenwich and Washington Street in the Meatpacking District. The flowers reminded me that Spring is here, or is it?

So has Spring (Autumn for those living in the southern hemisphere) arrived for you yet?

Venus de Milo

This may not be the original Venus de Milo but it is definitely a welcome sight on this stretch of generic looking high rise corporate offices on 6th Avenue and 52nd Street.

So what are your plans this weekend?

Ming's Best Friends

These are two of the things I cannot live without -- a good cup of coffee and my iPhone. This photo was taken at La Colombe Cafe in Tribeca.

Okay, I admit it. I'm running out of new photos so this is an old photo from my archives.

So what can't you live without?

East Village Lamp Post

This interesting tile work plastered all over the lamp post is one of many such pieces in the East Village. I don't know the exact origin or purpose of the work but it definitely adds character to the neighborhood.

So what character does your neighborhood have?

Update: The artist of this work is Jim Power a.k.a. Mosaic Man.

Theme Photo: Yellow

It's the first day of the month again, which means it is theme day today. The theme this month is yellow. The photo I chose is this evening shot of the Plaza Hotel on 5th Avenue and 60th Street.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants in this theme day.

Cable Car

This cable car goes from 3rd Avenue and 60th Street on the Upper East Side to the southern tip of Roosevelt Island. Although there are better and quicker ways to get to the island, this is probably the most scenic route.

So have you ever taken the scenic route to work?

Sur Empanadas

A new yuppie restaurant opened in my neighborhood recently called, Sur Empanadas where the meats are organic, the packaging is made from 100% recycled paper and the electricity is generated from wind energy. I stopped by for lunch yesterday and ordered the beef empanadas /salteña, which were delicious.

Sunnyside (my neighborhood) has a huge South American population so it is fairly easy to find cuisines from Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. There are also ample Irish bars and Korean eateries, which make up most of the businesses in the neighborhood.

So do you have a favorite cuisine?

Update: There are a few questions on how the restaurant generated wind energy. In NYC, we have the option of purchasing electricity generated from fossil fuel (petroleum) or wind energy (more expensive). Basically, the wind energy is generated upstate and sold to the utility company. The utility company turns around and sells the wind generated energy to consumers at a higher price. Now, how the utility company differentiate or partition the source of energy to the consumer is a whole different question altogether.

Rope Jumping

I was at Union Square earlier this week when I saw these college kids -- most likely NYU students -- jumping rope with their friends. Then strangers, one by one, began to stop by and watch or join in the game. At one point, there were at least 50 people or so cheering and laughing with the group. It was so refreshing and wonderful to see strangers come together and have fun like that.

No, I did not attempt to join the fun but I did take a lot of photos. This one shows a girl doing the jump in 3" heels.

So have you ever jumped rope or simply commune with strangers and had a great time?

$1 Menus at East Village

You don't have to go to McDonald's for the $1 menu any more. It seems like a number of restaurants in the East Village (all within half a block of each other) are offering their own version of $1 menus including the $1 falafel sandwich, the $1 pizza slice and the $1 sushi.

So what can you buy for US$1 at where you live?