Lunar New Year

These are Lunar New Year decorations that are sold in Flushing, Queens. It is Lunar New Year today so I'm wishing everyone a very Happy New Year. And may the Year of the Ox bring you and your loved ones a lot of happiness, good health and prosperity.

So what would you like to see in the year ahead?

Snowy Tracks

No , it didn't snow today but it was cold enough to feel like it. This photo of the #7 subway track was taken a couple weeks ago after an overnight snow storm. Everything looked clean and white.

So how is your weekend going?

Faema Espresso Machine

This fancy espresso machine at La Colombe Cafe on Church Street below Canal Street in TriBeCa makes pretty good coffee. Or maybe it is the beans that make the coffee. Regardless it is a sight to behold.

So what brand of coffee do you drink at home?

Scale

This weighing scale caught my eye recently. It isn't an antique scale but for some reason, it looks like it is from a different era.

So do you prefer contemporary designs or antiques?

Tugboat on the East River

This little tugboat toots along the East River with the big boys, like the Staten Island ferry, tourist cruise ship and other gigantic carriers. In the background, you can also see masted boats and water taxi.

So do you toot your own horn?

Approaching Times Square

This is the view looking north towards Times Square on Broadway Avenue in midtown. The photo, from my archive, was taken sometime between Christmas and New Year. I haven't had a chance to go out to take new ones yet.

So how has your week been?

Chasing Pigeons

This kid was chasing after pigeons at the Brooklyn Promenade. He had a great time. The pigeons, not so much.

So what or who have you chased after?

The Party Started Without Me

This photo was taken on the subway platform at Queens Plaza on New Year's eve last year. Apparently, someone started the party without me.

So when and where was the last time you went to a party?

Barneys Store Window

The retail industry is having a rough time this year and everything is marked down with super sales everywhere, including this premium departmental store, Barneys.

So did you partake in any after holiday sales activities?

It's A Dog's Life

I saw this cute little dog at the Brooklyn promenade a couple weeks ago. It looked totally content sitting on the bench with its owner enjoying the beautiful weather outside.

So when are you most content?

Mid-Month Subway Theme

Opps! I missed the mid-month subway theme day (again) yesterday. So I'm making it up by posting it today. This photo was taken on the 7 train subway platform looking west towards Manhattan from Queens.

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

Budapest - New York City - Paris - Stockholm

Mercer Street

This is Mercer Street looking north from Prince Street in SoHo. This photo was taken a couple weeks ago when the weather was dank and really cold. I think that was the reason why the street was empty.

It's below freezing in NYC today. What is the weather like where you are?

Postcard from Rome

Last Thursday, I went on a hop-on-hop-off bus tour of Rome and met fellow tourists Makiko and Akiko from Japan, and Andres from Argentina. We were the only people on the bus that (early) morning and our first stop was the Colosseum. We ended up being good friends and spent the day together. I told them about New York City Daily Photo and promised I would post a photo of us on the blog.

Today is my last day in Rome. I'm will be back in NYC on Wednesday night.

Postcard from Rome

This is the view of Piazza di Spagna, taken from the Spanish Steps. It was around 7:00 PM and was beginning to drizzle. A minute or two later, the piazza became empty because everyone ran for cover, including me.

Postcard from Rome

Here is a photo of someone else's lunch at Piazza Navona. He was busy talking on the cell phone while the pigeons (you can see one of them at the bottom of the photo) were busy picking up crumbs from the ground. I was playing with my camera and quickly snapped this photo.

I had a wonderful Roman meal last night. It was a pre-fixe dinner that started with boiled potatoes mashed with tuna and olive oil, baked beans with bruschetta; rigattoni carbonara made with real egg york and no cream, braised oxtail with julienned chicory stem in anchovy vinegerette, and finally coffee with anise flavored cookies. All these for €25.

Postcard from Florence

Of all the magnificient statues I've seen in Rome and Florence this week, I have to say this is one of the most impressive ones. The expressions on the faces are simply spectacular, as are the details of the muscle tones and arches of the bodies.

Entitled, Rape (Abduction) of the Sabine Women by Giovann Da Bologna, this statue sits on a pubic space in Piazza della Signora in Florence.

Postcard from Rome

I spent an entire morning at the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine today. What an amazing site! Am heading to Florence tomorrow morning.

Am missing regular internet access. This is the first time in over a year that I am not online every couple of hours every day.

What about you?

Postcard from the Vatican City

This is one of many of statues in front of the St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City, across the Tiber River from Rome. I took over 250 photos that day but most of them came out less than perfect.

I normally don't like the photos I take when I'm on vacation. I think I get too distracted by the interesting sites and sounds around me to focus on photography. Either that or the real image is always more beautiful than what turns out on the camera.

Does this happen to you?

Mona Lisa in SoHo

I saw this graffiti in SoHo last weekend and it reminded me of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, well sort of. It looks like a modern interpretation of the original art work.

So have you seen the Mona Lisa?

N.B.: I'm heading to Rome, Italy for a week long vacation this afternoon. I will try to post new photos from my trip whenever possible.

Brooklyn Directions

If you ever get lost in Brooklyn, this manhole cover will help you find your way home. It is located on the street level by the entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge.

So have you ever gotten lost?

Update: There were numerous questions on DUMBO in the comments so I'm posting the answer here. DUMBO is short for District Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, which is a fancy word to say it's under the bridge, folks! It's a newly coined neighborhood on the Brooklyn waterfront. The word, I think, was created by real estate companies to create a buzz for an otherwise, unpleasant sounding part of town. Imagine telling a potential client, "I have a beautiful property under the Manhattan Bridge I would like to show you" vs. "I have a beautiful property in a hip new neighborhood in Brooklyn called, DUMBO!"

Other acronyms you will find in NYC are: SoHo (South of Houston Street), NoHo (North of Houston Street), TriBeCa (Triangle Below Canal Street), and NoLIta (North of Little Italy).