Village Cinema

Today is the last day of 2008. In less than 24 hours, it is estimated that over 1 million revelers will be congregating at Times Square to celebrate the arrival of the new year. I, on the other hand, will be going to the movies.

So what do you have planned for the evening?

45th Street & Broadway Avenue

This building is located on Broadway Avenue between 45th and 44th Street, right in the middle of Times Square. I was standing across the street in front of ABC-TV's studio when I looked up and saw the clock face on the top. I quickly took a few photos and moved on. It was only when I got home that I realized the colors in this photo are quite amazing.

So what is your favorite color?

A Bird in the Bush...

This photo would have been perfect for Christmas Day but it was taken yesterday morning. I was less than 3 feet (1.5 meters) away but the bird ignored me and continued eating red berries from the holly bush while I took over a half dozen photos of it. It was probably thinking, "How rude!"

So do you think it is rude to take photos of people (or animals) while they are eating?

M&M Statue of Liberty

Here are some souvenirs from the M&M Store on Times Square. It's a favorite among tourists, especially those under the age of 10.

So what kind of souvenirs do you usually buy when you are traveling out of town?

Greenwich Village Apartment

This apartment on 12th Street in the Greenwich Village has a little private garden and foot path to the front door, which are extremely rare in New York City. Most apartments have the main door located right on the street.

So what is special about your home?

Don't Use Cash!

The sign on this coffee shop window says: Don't Use Cash! Save 5% of all purchases using any form of payment (credit, debit) or Just Roasted Coffee Card. That is strange indeed as most stores prefer cash over credit or debit payments.

So do you think this is just another publicity stunt by the coffee shop OR do they really benefit from credit and debit purchases?

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays

This Christmas tree was set up in the lobby of my apartment building. It belongs to everyone who lives here. So I'm going to share it with you all.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays

Flight 001

This interesting store, Flight 001 in Greenwich Village, sells some of the most interesting travel items. On Sunday, I went there to buy an adapter plug for Italian wall sockets for my laptop. Yeap, I'm heading to Rome in January for a little vacation. I guess that wish I made when I threw the 100 Lira coin (US$0.07) into the Trevi Fountain in 1980 might come true after all.

So have you ever made a wish and it came true?

Window at Dean & Deluca

This guy was checking his e-mail or text messages on his cell (mobile) phone while shopping at Dean & Deluca, a gourmet supermarket on Prince Street and Broadway Avenue in SoHo.

So how often do you check your e-mail?

Someone Was Here

I saw these paw prints on a fresh coat of snow this morning on my way to brunch. Notice the two dark spots on the lower right corner? I wonder if those spots are what I think they are. And no, there wasn't a tree nor fire hydrant near by.

So what do you think those spots are?

Restaurant Felix

I shot this photo of Restaurant Felix on the corner of West Broadway and Grand Street last week. I've never eaten here before but I understand that it's an expensive restaurant with hipster cred(ibility).

So how do you categorize yourself? A hipster? An intellect?

Winter Snow

It snowed (again) this morning and here is the scene outside my living room window. Sorry for the blurry photo but this was the best one out of the bunch I took.

So what is your idea of a good breakfast when it is snowing outside?

Panettone

Here is a tower of panettone, a type of Italian Christmas bread, at Whole Foods Supermarket in Union Square. The festive confection is becoming increasing popular in the US and frequently given as gifts. The quality of the photo isn't the best because I snapped it with my cell phone.

So have you ever had a panettone?

Empire State Building

Aside from the CitiBank Building and the Empire State Building in the photo, can you see the Chrysler Building? The street on the left is Queens Boulevard and the skyline in the far background is Manhattan.

No question today! Hope you have a great day.

Oh The Weather Outside Is Frightful...

It snowed yesterday afternoon for a couple hours and again, in the evening when I was on my way home. This photo was taken from inside the train car when the door opened at the Woodside station. I wanted to take a photo of the snow coating on the platform when a person walked by and I ended up with this wonderful photo.

So what kind of weather are you having now?

Nine Days To Christmas

This gigantic sculpture of the Roman Arabic numeral '9' is located outside the Brasserie 8 1/2 restaurant on 57th Street between 5th and 6th Avenue. I took this photo on the same day I took the one of the brasserie window, and I have been saving it for today's post.

So do you save anything unconventional, hoping it would be of some use at a later in the future?

Holiday Bazaar at Union Square

Every December, temporary shopping bazaars pop up all over the city to sell everything from food and jewelries to clothes and bags for the holiday season. This year, there are three holiday bazaars that I know of (there maybe more) : Union Square on 14th Street, Bryant Park on 42nd Street and Columbus Circle on 60th Street. This photo was taken at the Union Square site.

So do you have a holiday bazaar in your city?

Update: Opps! I forgot about our mid-month subway theme day until Peter of Paris and Virginia of Birmingham alerted me to my faux pas. So how am I going to spin this? Okay, see that roof on the upper left corner of the photo? That's the roof of the 14th Street subway station at Union Square. Here is another view of the subway roof taken from above.

This mid-month subway theme is shared by the following bloggers:

Budapest - New York City - Paris - Stockholm

Special guest blogger:
Virginia of Birmingham (in Paris)

Angels @ Rockefeller Center

Here is a close-up shot of the lights-and-wire angels at the Rockefeller Center Atrium that I posted a couple days ago.

So what is your plan for the weekend?

Lexus No More

We had a strong wind storm a couple days ago and it must blown the Lexus sign of its perch on top of this building next to Queensborough Plaza. What's more interesting is the little ladder that goes up the side of the building where there is a door. I wonder who lives in there.

So what is the oddest place you have lived before?

Argosy Bookstore

This is the entrance to Argosy Books, one of the few independent bookstores left in New York City. Located on 59th Street between Lexington and Park Avenue, it specializes in rare and old books, maps and prints, which makes it somewhat immune to big store chains like Barnes & Noble and online retailers like Amazon.com that sell mostly new fiction and non-fiction books.

So what kind of books do you usually read?

Chrysler Building

Here is one of the grand dames of New York City -- the Chrysler Building. The photo was taken while I was standing in front of Macy's Departmental Store on 34th Street and 7th Avenue. I have just bought two pairs of wrinkle-resistant Docker's pants that were on sale.

So what have you bought on sale recently?

Antiques and Art @ The Armory

A friend invited me to the Antiques & Art at The Armory show sponsored by AVENUE magazine last weekend. It was definitely an eye opener for me. Among the antiques on display was a velvet lined wooden chest filled with gold and silver flatware from the Romanov era, priced at an affordable US$450,000. :-)

So do you have a formal set of china and flatware?

Ice Rink @ Bryant Park

This is The Pond at Bryant Park, an free ice skating rink on 42nd Street between 5th and 6th Avenue. It is one of three ice skating rinks in the city -- the other two are at the Rockefeller Center and Central Park.

So when was the last time you ice skated?

Christmas Decorations

Last night, I went to the Rockefeller Center to take some photos. The building with the snow flake lights in the background is the famous departmental store, Saks Fifth Avenue. The lighted angels with trumpets are located on the walkway leading to the ice rink at the Rockefeller Center.

So how was your weekend?

Meet Wakamaru

I would like to introduce everyone to Wakamaru, a domestic robot (that does household chores), made by Mitsubishi of Japan. He is currently visiting New York City and staying at Uniqlo (Japanese version of GAP) in SoHo. He can be seen walking around and greeting customers at the store. I had a delightful conversation with Wakamaru and I hope he enjoys his stay here.

So have you met anyone interesting lately?

Irresistible Indulgence

This store window for Henri Bendel, a luxury departmental store on 5th Avenue and, has some of the best Christmas decorations. Instead of mannequins or Christmas trees on the windows, it has a row of jars filled with colorful candies.

So what is your irresistible indulgence?

Chili Bouquet

I saw this interesting bouquet where dried chili peppers were used to add some colors to the yellow blooms. Since winter is here, there aren't many fresh flowers at the market any more.

So what is your favorite thing about the winter season?

East Village Painter

I got off the bus at 3rd Avenue and 8th Street last weekend and saw this guy painting a picture of the Cooper Union Building in the East Village. The painter patiently applied his strokes to the canvas despite the freezing cold temperature and breezy wind outdoors. I snapped a half dozen photos and ran inside a Starbucks to get a warm cup of Caramel Macchiato.

So what do you like to drink when it's cold outside?

Central Park South

This is the skyline of Central Park South, above the tree line so the buildings you see are probably the 5th floor and up. Directly across the street from these buildings is the southern border of Central Park.

So which floor do you live on?

Chimney 3

Here is a new photo for my chimney series. The building is located on 3rd Avenue between 13th and 14th Street, directly across the street from the dino mural photo I posted a couple days ago. Notice the rooftop garden in the photo? It must be wonderful to have a little private garden all to yourself.

So do you have a chimney in your house?

Theme Photo: Circles/Spheres

It's theme photo day again and this month's theme is Circles or Spheres. My contribution to the theme photo was taken in from of a restaurant called, Brasserie 8 1/2 on 57th Street between 5th and 6th Avenue.

This month, 187 bloggers participated in the theme photo. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

Union Square Artist

Last weekend, I saw this artist at Union Square painting a street scene involving the famous street seller/demonstrator of the Swiss vegetable peeler. Check out the websites of Kitty of New York Portraits and Strangetastes of St. Louis Daily Photo for actual photos of the same scene.

So do you have a veggie peeler? I don't!!

Dino Mural

This dino-mural, literally and figuratively speaking, is located on the 3rd to 5th floor of a building on 3rd Avenue between 13th and 14th Street. I don't know the significance of it but it definitely lights up the neighborhood.

So what brightens up your day?

Salvatore Ferragamo

Today, the day after Thanksgiving, is known as Black Friday because it is the biggest shopping day of the year. Every store across the country is offering the biggest sale to entice shoppers to start their Christmas shopping. It is also the day that most retail stores make so much money that the revenue generated will turn the stores account from red (loss) to black (profit).

So have you started your Christmas shopping yet?

Happy Thanksgiving

For those of you living in the US, whether you are staying home or visiting friends and/or families this Thanksgiving weekend, I wish you all a wonderful holiday. I will be joining my friends for lunch and then a movie.

So what is your favorite winter/autumn dish?

The Lake at Central Park

This photo was taken at The Lake in Central Park two weekends ago when I participated in the walkathon to raise funds for God's Love We Deliver. The low sunlight shining in my direction created these beautiful silhouettes against the background of the lake.

So have you ever participated in a race or a walk?

73rd Street & Broadway Avenue

This beautiful building is located on the north west corner of 73rd Street and Broadway Avenue on the Upper West Side. The glass roof on the lower left corner is the 72nd Street subway station that I featured a couple months ago.

So what are your Thanksgiving plans (for US residents)? For non US residents, how is your week going?

Television Tree

I took this photo of a television tree at Grand Central Station this weekend. It was part of a holiday bazaar and exhibition at the train station.

So what do you want for Christmas this year?

Indian Jewelries

These are some of the Indian jewelries in the shop window of a store in Jackson Heights (Little India), Queens.

What kind of jewelries do you wear?

Compost Only

This 'compost only' bin is one of a few that are placed at edge of the Green Market at Union Square for people to empty out their compostable trash. For a list of compostable items, click here for more information.

So do you compost or recycle?

Park Avenue & 70th Street

This is the scene looking up north on Park Avenue from 70th Street. The buildings on the right are some of the most coveted and expensive real estate properties in New York City. However, most younger people prefer to live downtown (south of Union Square/14th Street).

So where would you like to live for a year or two?

Neil's Coffee Shop

This was where I had breakfast recently -- Neil's Coffee Shop on Lexington Avenue and 70th Street on the Upper East Side. Old style diners like this are slowly being shuttered to make place for new fancy ones . I sat by the window and saw the neon lights next to the street signs so I quickly took the photo before my breakfast arrived.

So what did you have for breakfast?

Fishing in the Bethesda Fountain?

I saw this guy wading inside the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park last weekend. At first, I thought he was a homeless person fishing for spare change but he kept walking around the same area looking for something very specific, like someone who had dropped an expensive diamond ring in the fountain. The weather was really cold that morning so I can only imagine how it feels to be wet and cold at the same time.

So what do you think he's looking for in the fountain? His youth, perhaps?

Autumn in Central Park

The leaves have turned yellow and brown, the weather has gotten chilly and cold -- autumn is finally here. This young family was was seen enjoying the beautiful scenery at Central Park last weekend.

So what is the weather like where you're at?

Race To Deliver 2008

I spent Sunday morning walking at Race to Deliver, a walkathon/jogathon/race/fundraiser to benefit God's Love, We Deliver, a non-profit organization that provides free daily meals to people who are home bound due to diseases like HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

This was my fourth year participating in the race and I have to admit, it was my fastest time too. I finished the 4-mile (6.4 kilometers) race in about 1 hour 15 minutes.

Bicycle, Taxi & Bus

My original intent was to take a photo of this interesting "structure" that was being used as a bicycle stand, whether it was installed there for that express purpose or not. When I got home, I saw that the photo was even more interesting because of the taxi and bus lining up next to it -- all three mode of transportation in one photo. If only I could PhotoShop a subway train into the photo, it would be perfect. :-)

So do you think the red iron structure here is meant as a bicycle stand?

Update: This "structure" is by David Byrne and yes, it is indeed meant to be a bike rack/stand.

Mid-Month Subway Theme

It's mid-month subway theme day again and this week's subway photo was taken at the 5th Avenue Station on 59th Street, on the southeast corner of Central Park. As you exit the subway station and walk up to the street level, Central Park will be right there.

This mid-month subway theme is shared by the following bloggers:

Budapest - New York City - Paris - Stockholm

Meet My New Camera

Say HI to my new camera -- you can see it (in the reflection) in the middle of the photo above. It is a (used) Canon G9 with lots of supped up capabilities that I'm still trying to figure out how to use. Also, my old camera is going to a good home so don't worry about the little guy. First, my parents are taking it to Hawaii next week for a nice vacation and then my 10-year old niece in LA is going to adopt it as her own. She is a budding photographer so I am looking forward to seeing what she does with the camera.

Where is your old camera? Please don't tell me it's sitting in a drawer somewhere, neglected and unappreciated.

No Bikes Allowed

The little sign on the railing clearly stated,"No Bikes Allowed" and yet there are two bikes leaning on it with a third parked in front of the other two. So is happening here? This is actually an impromptu site for a bicycle rental service at Columbus Circle by the exit of the subway station. Ever since the city added bike lanes onto most major avenues up and down Manhattan, bike rental businesses (for tourists) have been popping up everywhere.

So when was the last time you rode a bike? I think I rode a bike about 4 years ago when I rented one to ride around Central Park. Going down the hill was definitely easier than going up one.