No Bicycle Here Please

This photo was taken on Washington Street between Christopher and West 10th in the West Village, in front of a really nice restaurant called Malatesta Trattoria. I don't know why there is a home-made, non-city-issued "No Bicycle" sign here. Maybe it is an art project. This sign is made of wood and was (obviously) hand painted. A city-issued sign is made of metal with machine printed details.

What do you think?

Movie Shoot: Mr. Rebound

Movies are shot on New York City streets all the time. They create huge traffic problems for residents because streets are shut down for days to accommodate the crews and the set. However, the movie industry brings in thousands of jobs or income for the city.

This is the set for Catherine Zeta Jones' new movie called, Mr. Rebound that is being shot on West 11th Street between Greenwich and Washington in the West Village. [I asked one of the crew when I took this photo.] The cafe hidden behind the huge lighted screen is being used as a scene in the movie.

So what movies have you seen lately?

West Village Rooftop

Here is a photo of the West Village rooftop from yesterday. Technically, it belongs to the co-op residents so everyone in the building can use it for entertainment. My friend who lives in the building has her own area that is adjacent to this one.

The red building on the upper right corner is The Archives, which used to be the U.S. Custom Office but now has been converted into a luxury condominium. The most famous (or infamous) resident at The Archives (recently) was Monica Lewinsky, post Clinton scandal. She hid out in that building for a couple of years but I'm not sure if she still lives there.

So who is the most famous or infamous person you know?

West Village Vista

Here is another rooftop vista from my friend's apartment. This view faces the west side -- toward the Hudson River and New Jersey. The street in front of the sloped roof townhouses (lower left) is Greenwich Street, which is only two blocks away from the river.

My friend mentioned that she has seen people walking around naked in their apartments through those huge windows from her rooftop. This is typical for city life because almost everyone's window faces another apartment building.

Has that ever happened to you?

West 10th Street & Hudson

I had dinner with some former co-workers from my old job yesterday. We stopped over at a friend's rooftop apartment in the West Village for drinks before heading out to dinner and this was the view from the top.

This view faces northeast towards midtown. The street on the left is West 10th and the one on the top is Hudson Street. In the top left corner, you can see the Empire State Building, which is located on 34th Street and Lexington Avenue.

So have you ever had a rooftop party?