Rockefeller Center @ Night

Even though this photo was taken last weekend, it still felt like Christmas to me because of the thousands of lights wrapped around the trees. The building in the photo is 30 Rockefeller Plaza or 30 Rock, which is now the title of a TV-series.

So what is your favorite TV show right now?

Peep Show

These kids were peeking into the store window of the Virgin Megastore at Union Square yesterday. The video they are watching is a new comedy that has just been released on DVD. I think the advertising campaign for the DVD release is pretty brilliant.

No, I'm NOT GOING to ask if anyone of you have been to a peep show. So no question today.

NB: Sorry for the blurry photo. It was hard to focus when the temperature is below freezing outside.

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?

Time Square at Night

Here is another scene of Time Square at night. I took this photo on the same night as I did the Light Stairs photo, which I posted earlier this week. The chairs and tables on this plot of triangular space is new too.

So what's new in your life?

Times Square

I took this photo last Wednesday as I was heading to the theater to see the Broadway musical, In The Heights (yesterday's photo). The weather was cool and dry, and the street was packed with tourists and locals alike. Times Square is probably one of the most exciting places to visit if you are not in a rush to go somewhere because the human traffic on the street can be quite taxing.

So where do you encounter the most human traffic in your city?

7th Street & Lafayette Street

This is a Saturday night scene on the corner of 7th Street and Lafayette in the East Village. Notice the yellow taxi parked at the bottom left of the photo and another on the adjacent street before the traffic light junction. According to the Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC), there are over 13,000 yellow taxicabs in New York City. The cost of a taxi ride starts at $2.50 upon entry and $0.40 for every 1/5 of a mile of travel or 60 seconds of sitting in traffic congestions. A quick ride uptown from lower Manhattan can easily cost $12 to $20 (before tips) depending on the time of the day and traffic on the street.

I, myself, rarely use the taxi service because I have an unlimited use subway pass ($81/month) and the subway trains run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The few times I've taken a taxicab are when I was heading to the airport or to any place that is not near a subway station.

A frequent question I get from out-of-towners is, "Won't it be faster to take the taxi?" and the answer is almost always NO. Because of the density of automobile traffic in NYC, it is usually faster to get around the city via the subway.

So have to taken a subway recently? What do you think of it?

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?

Coffee Shop & Bar

This Brazilian restaurant simply known as Coffee Shop is located right next to Union Square on 16th Street. It is a favorite hangout of locals and tourists alike because the food is great and the atmosphere is eclectic. Most of the waiters and waitresses here are struggling actors and supposedly, Sandra Bullock was one of them, before she landed her first major movie role.

So do you know or are you related to anyone famous?

Midtown Traffic

Midtown traffic at night can still be pretty busy in Manhattan. It seems like everyone was either going home from work or going out to dinner. This photo was taken at 58th Street between 5th Avenue and Madison.

What time do you usually get home from work?

Night Traffic on 5th Avenue

This photo of 5th Avenue was taken after I had visited the Rockefeller Center to photograph the Christmas tree earlier this week. The old building in the background is The Peninsula Hotel on 55th Street. Even though it was after 8 PM, the traffic in mdtown Manhattan was still roaring.

So do you have a favorite hotel or an interesting hotel story?

SoHo at Night

This photo was taken minutes before the one I posted yesterday. It is from the corner Prince Street and Mercer Street, where the Fanelli Cafe is located. The bar/restaurant has been here for since 1847, way before SoHo became the hot spot for fashion and art. It serves really good chilli and burgers but most people come here for the bar scene since it is right in the middle of SoHo.

Since this was late in the evening, I set the camera to a slow exposure and balance it on top of a traffic light box -- the thing that is attached to the traffic light post and goes tick-tock-tick-tock as it counts down to the light change.

Lamps at Union Square

Dozens of lamps like this one light up Union Square after the sun goes down. I thought they were interesting and beautiful and I'm glad the city is keep them instead of installing newer ones. But I don't think these are very "green" or efficient.

So what do you do to be more "green"?

Triborough Bridge at Night

Here is another view of the Triborough Bridge taken at night from the elevated train station in Astoria.

The weather has been pretty bad outside so I have not been out taking new photos. Hopefully, the weather will improve this coming weekend so I can go out and shoot more photos for the blog.