Fire Escape 6

Here is another photo of a fire escape taken in front of an old apartment building in the East Village. The fire escape structure here is overgrown with plants, which suggests that nobody has used it in a long time. I guess that is a good thing.

Notice the size of the windows on the building. You can usually tell the age of the building by the size of the windows on them. Buildings constructed before World War II (commonly known as pre-war buildings) tended to have smaller windows because they did not use steel in the overall structure. They were mostly constructed with bricks and concrete, which are very heavy. As a result, these buildings can only afford smaller openings to maintain the structures' integrity. Newer buildings now use a lot of steel, which is significantly lighter and stronger than concrete, and therefore, have larger windows.

I live in a co-op building constructed in 1928. It has small windows but really thick concrete walls, which are great for noise and temperature insulation.

So do you know when your house was built?

Private Garden in Jackson Heights

Here is the photo of a private community garden tucked behind one of the co-op buildings in Jackson Heights, Queens. As you can see, only residents of these buildings have access to the garden. One of my co-workers live in one of these buildings. When the weather gets warmer, I will ask her to take me for a walk inside the garden.

So what is your most cherished possession?

Schillers on Rivington Street

This is Schiller's on Rivington Street in the Lower East Side. It is a really nice restaurant that has been around for many year and now, most of its clientelles are mostly young hipsters and tourists.

The reason I took this photo was the flower boxes on the 2nd floor windows of the building. It is quite rare to see something like this in NYC because most buildings have strict rules about what you can and cannot do with the windows, especially if they are condo or a co-op buildings. The rule was instituted to precent flower boxes from falling and hitting someone on the street. In addition, the buildings prefer all their windows to look the same.

So do you have similar rules where you live?

Apartment Stoop 2

Here is a photo of an apartment stoop in Washington Square. These buildings, which were originally townhouses, are now owned by New York University (NYU) and turned into offices. The beautiful gardens in front of the buildings are probably tended to by gardeners who work for the university, making it one of the most beautiful streets in the city.

NYU is one of the more expensive private schools in the country. According to its website, the cost of tuition at its art school is around $40,000/year with an additional $12,000/year for room and board. So a student could easily spend over $200,000 over 4 years to get a Baccalaureate degree here.

So where did you go to school? Was it a famous school? What did you study?

Deutsche Haus

This block of historically landmarked buildings, just south of Union Square, is known as the Deutsche House. According to its website, it is a New York University (NYU) institution dedicated to fostering German-American and international understanding.

What's interesting about this block is that it really stands out among the high rise buildings and retail shopping strips surrounding it.

So have you been to Germany?

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?

Cherry Hill Fountain

This is the Cherry Hill Fountain on the west side of Central Park near Strawberry Field. The buildings in the background are mostly apartment buildings on Central Park West. The flowers in the background are cherry blossom, I think.

So do you have cherry blossoms in your city?

East River

Manhattan is a long but narrow island bordered by the East River on the east and the Hudson River on the west. It is 13.4 miles (21.1 km) long; and 2.3 miles (3.7 km) across at its widest and 0.8 miles (1.3 km) at its narrowest.

This photo was taken from the elevated Roosevelt Island Tramway, which is a cable car system connecting Manhattan to Roosevelt Island across the East River on 60th Street. In the photo, you can see the northern view of Manhattan on the left and Roosevelt Island on the right.

The East River is a beautiful and narrow waterway that attracts a fair amount of single engine plane and helicopter tours along it. Unfortunately, the tall buildings on the Manhattan side can be hazardous to inexperienced pilots who fly this route. Recently, a small plane piloted by baseball player, Cory Lidle smashed into one of the buildings during an attempt to turn the plane around after flying up the East River.

N.B.: Macky of Tokyo Photo Daily posted a similar photo last Sunday. How appropriate since Tokyo is a sister city of New York City.

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?

Jackson Heights Co-ops

These are one of the numerous co-op (somewhat like condo) buildings I mentioned about yesterday. Majority of them were built around 1920's and fashioned to resemble the English garden apartments in London. Behind these buildings are elaborate private community gardens that are accessible to the residents only.

So do you have a garden in your building/house?

N.B.: I posted this yesterday but realized it was theme photo day so I had to "withdraw" this post and put up a new one to reflect the selected theme: water.

Step Sisters on 42nd Street

The Chrysler Building (1930) is only half a block away from the Grand Central Station (1903) on 42nd Street. The buildings were built only 27 years apart but they couldn't be any more different. The Chrysler Building was made of steel and glass in the Art Deco style while the Grand Central Station is mostly concrete and bricks built in the Beaux Arts style. Here is a photo of both buildings. They are like step-sisters, both from the same family but from different pedigrees.

Do you have any siblings? How different are you from him/her/them?

Water Towers

These water towers are relics from the past but they can still be seen all over Manhattan, especially on top of older buildings. I don't know much about them but I assume they were the main source of water for the residents of the buildings before modern water system was invented.

So what is the oldest thing you have at home? Do you collect antiques?

Broadway Avenue & 8th Street

This amazing building on the corner of Broadway Avenue & 8th Street in the East Village has some of the characteristics of architecture from the early 1900s. The small windows are a tell-tale sign because steel beams were not routinely used for the building construction yet.

So do you prefer older buildings with small windows and solid walls or contemporary buildings with all glass windows and no walls.

Note: Check out this amazing photography project/site entitled New York Street Shots, which highlights the work of some super talented photographers in New York City.

Stone Street

Stone Street, located in downtown New York, is a unique block of shopping and dining destinations in an otherwise grey and bland section of the city. The financial district, where Wall Street is king, is not known for its charm or beauty. The streets are narrow and the buildings are tall. This results in a light deprived environment where everything looks shadowy and bleak despite the wealth and financial power surrounding it.

Stone Street is lined with 18th century buildings that have been restored and converted into restaurants and retail spaces. Since no new constructions are allowed on this historic block, the area is bathed with sunlight and colors. In the summer, the street is closed to automobile traffic and side walk cafes spring up to create a beautiful oasis of beauty in the middle of this concrete jungle.

Chimneys 2

A couple months ago, I posted a photo of rooftop chimneys from the Upper East Side. Then this past weekend, I found more chimneys on apartment buildings in Greenwich Village so I guess I'm starting a new series -- the chimneys of New York City.

These chimneys in the photo was located on the rooftop gardens (with wooden fences) above the 5th floor of the apartment building. But then again, are those onion dome shaped metal structures with circulating parts really chimneys or air circulation apparatus? Does anyone know?

8th and 22nd

This is 22nd Street looking east from 8th Avenue. It is one of a number of tree-lined streets in Chelsea, which is fairly rare in Manhattan because of over-development due to industrial zoning in the neighborhood. The buildings down this street are mostly residential so the trees were spared.

Notice the cars parked on both sides of the street? You will have to be a pretty good at parallel parking to get into those tight spots. I'm glad I don't own a car because (when I did own one many years ago), I was a lousy parallel parker.

How good is your driving skill?

MetLife & Helmsley

The ornate tower with the green roof is the Helmsley Building and one behind it is the MetLife Building. Both buildings sit in the middle of Park Avenue so automobile traffic has to be diverted around them.

So what is the tallest building in your city?

Tree Chair @ ABC Carpet

ABC Carpet is a home furnishing store that specializes in imported furniture, antiques, one-of-a-kind pieces, as well as other home goods like carpets and rugs, electronic appliances, luxurious fabrics, and chinaware. The flagship store, located in two buildings on Broadway between 19th and 20th Street (Flatiron District), also has a couple of restaurants on its premises.

ABC Carpet was started by then newly arrived Austrian immigrant, Sam Weinrib, in 1879 on a pushcart selling used carpets and unusual fabrics at the Lower East Side of Manhattan. A century later, the family owned company has grown into one of the biggest and most diverse home furnishing retail outlets in New York City. Currently, there are numerous ABC Carpet outlets in New York, New Jersey and Florida, as well as in Harrods' in London.

The chair in the photo was carved out of a piece of tree truck and is an example of one-of-a-kind pieces available at ABC Carpet. The two doors to the left and right of the chair are the elevators. And no, the store was not undergoing renovation; this is how it was decorated. Notice the unadorned light fixture above the chair. Despite the organic look and simplicity, these pieces come with hefty price tags.

Guggenheim Museum

I went to the Guggenheim Museum last Friday, which is located on 5th Avenue and 89th Street in the Upper East Side. The spectacular structure that houses the museum was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1959 and today, it is still one of the most distinct and recognizable buildings in New York City.

The museum was undergoing an extensive exterior renovation so I was not able to get a good photo of the building because of the scaffoldings and wire nettings. However, I was able to take some great photos of the interior architecture. Photography of the art work was prohibited. In fact, we were allowed to use the camera in the lobby area only.

The permanent art collection at the Guggenheim Museum is fairly small compared to the other museums in New York City. It relies extensively on special exhibitions of selected works borrowed from other museums to attract its visitors.

Has anyone been to the New York City Guggenheim Museum? What do you think of it?

Mistress Row or Park Avenue South

This is Park Avenue South, which is a stretch of street south of 42nd Street near Grand Central Station. The area is sometimes called Mistress Row because of the number of apartments (those colorful buildings in the background) that are rented out to pretty young girls and paid for by their gentleman friends. The reason Park Avenue South is a popular spot for that purpose is its proximity to Grand Central Station. New York Times did a story on this phenomenon entitled, Dangerous Liaison: the Perils of Pied-Affaire. It is a fun read if you are really in the mood for some NYC gossips.

In the photo, you can see the ramp going up to the bridge that was in yesterday's photo. You can also see part of the Pershing Square Restaurant on the lower right corner.

I am NOT going to ask if you ever had an affair so maybe you can tell me (and the readers) something interesting about yourself that is PG-rated.