Chinese Toys on Strings

These little toys are Chinese puppet lions on strings. Personally, I think they are more for decorations than actually play toys because a kid can easily tear them apart within 5 minutes. They are made of paper and stick-on fur and beads.

When you were a kid, did you have a favorite toy? Where is the toy now?

Flowers

I was playing with the macro feature of my camera and took these photos of flowers that were sitting in a giant urn on top of a fountain at Union Square. I don't know what kind of flowers they are but they were in bloom even though it is late in the summer.

No question today. Hope you all have a good weekend.

Who Wants Pizza?

I took this photo of a gorgeous eggplant pizza that was on display at the window of a fancy pizza restaurant at Union Square. The restaurant is located next to the NYU dormitory on 14th Street between Broadway and 3rd Avenue so most of the diners here are students. I have eaten here a couple of times and the pizza is quite delicious.

So what do you like on your pizza?

Union Square Park

This photo was taken last Saturday at the park in Union Square. The weather was amazingly beautiful so everyone was outside enjoying the city. I saw a group of friends hanging out and having a conversation at one of the tables and a girl trying to read at another table. There were others walking their dogs inside the park.

However, the weather turned hot and humid yesterday and it was unbearable. I had to switch on the air-conditioner to sleep last night. How is the weather where you are at?

Laundry Day

I rarely see laundry air-dried outside the apartments any more because most people go to the laundromats or have washers and dryers at home nowadays. So you can imagine my excitement when I saw this image of laundry on the roof top as I stepped off the subway this past weekend. Not only were the shirts fluttering in the wind, they were also all white, which gave it a beautiful effect.

Do you prefer your laundry air-dried or dried in a machine?

Italian Sausages

Here is a photo of a booth selling italian sausages at the San Gennaro Feast in Little Italy last weekend. The hot or spicy sausages are usually served in crusty roll/bread and topped with grilled onions and peppers. You can see the onions and peppers in the two metal containers on the upper left corner. Every time I go to a street fair in NYC, I get one of these delicious italian sausages on a roll. But I didn't this time because I had just eaten lunch before coming to the San Gennaro Feast.

What do you usually get at a street fair?

San Gennaro Feast @ Little Italy

The weather on Sunday was simply perfect -- it was dry, sunny and cool. I headed downtown to meet some friends for lunch and we came upon the San Gennaro Feast in Little Italy. Actually the music was what alerted us to the street fair. There was at least a mile of booths selling food and drinks, games and candies, and there was even a stage where a live band was playing.

The Trecels, a cover band that played mostly doo-wop music from the 50s and 60s, were excellent. We stayed for both sets of the concert and swayed to songs like Teenager in Love and Why Do Fools Fall in Love. Some audience even went up to the front and danced, like the couple in this photo. All in all, it was a wonderful Sunday.

So what kind of music do you like?

Jalapeño Peppers

I was at Union Square/14th Street this afternoon and decided to stop by the green market right outside the subway station. Local farmers from the tri-state regions come here to sell their produce every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

I took this photo of fresh jalapeño peppers at one of the farm stands. I like the autumn/fall colors on them. Plus I like jalapeño peppers because I love spicy foods.

So do you like spicy foods?

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?

Groovy for the 60s

I found this psychedelic Volkswagen van parked outside a building in the Village a couple months ago. I thought it was groovy because of the beautiful artwork!! I wonder if it belongs to an aging hippie from the 60s or a Wall Street millionaire with his new "toy"?

My dad used to own a vintage 1967 WV beetle when I was a young kid. It was a temperamental car (I'm trying to use PG-rated language here) that won't start on mornings when the weather was too cold. My brother and I would have to get out of the car and push it down the street hoping to jump start the engine while our dad steered it away on coming traffic through the windows.

So when I was old enough to get my own car, I specifically stayed away from a VW and bought a second-hand Nissan pick-up truck instead. Eventhough that truck had over 200,000 miles on it, it was super reliable and it gave me very little trouble.

So tell me about your first car.

Theme Photo: Street Signs or Street Lights

The theme photo for September 1st is Street Signs or Street Lights. This photo, taken at the Greenwich Village, is where the epicenter of gay New York is located.

Here are the other 108 bloggers who are participating in the photo theme this month:

Seattle (WA), USA - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Singapore, Singapore - Boston (MA), USA - Mexico (DF), Mexico - Kajang (Selangor), Malaysia - Mainz, Germany - Evry, France - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Sequim (WA), USA - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Nottingham, UK - Toulouse, France - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Manila, Philippines - Mumbai, India - Montpellier, France - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Stayton (OR), USA - Moscow, Russia - Paris, France - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Austin (TX), USA - Lyon, France - Stockholm, Sweden - Hyde, UK - Hong Kong, China - Joplin (MO), USA - Seoul, South Korea - Chandler (AZ), USA - St. Louis (MO), USA - Arlington (VA), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Villigen, Switzerland - Sydney, Australia - Ampang (Selangor), Malaysia - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - San Diego (CA), USA - Bandung (West Java), Indonesia - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Nelson, New Zealand - Quincy (MA), USA - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Bend (OR), USA - Wellington, New Zealand - New Orleans (LA), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - Nashville (TN), USA - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Detroit (MI), USA - Saigon, Vietnam - Selma (AL), USA - Phoenix (AZ), USA - Miami (FL), USA - Arradon, France - Sheki, Azerbaijan - New York City (NY), USA - Inverness (IL), usa - North Bay (ON), Canada - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Tenerife, Spain - Auckland, New Zealand - Forks (WA), USA - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Chateaubriant, France - Madison (WI), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Orlando (FL), USA - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Ajaccio, France - Baltimore (MD), USA - Crepy-en-Valois, France - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Budapest, Hungary - Lyon, France - Saarbrücken, Germany - Adelaide (SA), Australia - Le Guilvinec, France - River Falls (WI), USA - Stavanger, Norway - Naples (FL), USA - London, UK - La Antigua, Guatemala - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Montréal (QC), Canada - Paris, France - San Diego (CA), USA - Trujillo, Peru - Haninge, Sweden - Prague, Czech Republic - Oslo, Norway - Grenoble, France - Shanghai, China - Toronto (ON), Canada - Durban, South Africa - Zurich, Switzerland - Cape Town, South Africa - Singapore, Singapore - Torino, Italy - Flagstaff (AZ), USA