Showing posts with label Manhattan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Manhattan. Show all posts

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Horoscopes and Travel


~ I’ve never been one to pay much attention to horoscopes, or the alignment of the planets and stars, and their supposed influence on daily life. Having said that, for the past couple of months I have been downloading to my iPad, issues of amNewYork, the free week day New York paper. Since I tend to read each issue from cover to cover, I have also been reading the regular horoscope that pertains to my star sign (LIBRA: Sept.23–Oct.22). To my surprise, a large number of the ‘readings’ seem to be indicating that my forthcoming trip to New York City will be taking place under good auspices.

Here is one from last Monday (the 23rd): “Take advantage of this high-energy cycle. Your confidence grows and so does your luck. You can pretty much accomplish anything. Don’t forget to sleep.”

I just love the ‘Don’t forget to sleep’ comment. Actually, that won’t be a big problem for me. At almost 64 years of age, I have long ago learned to forgo the late night raging party for a good night’s sleep - although I have been known to kick on until one or two in the morning if the party is a really good one!

And since I am writing about horoscopes, here is part of Tuesday’s amNewYork horoscope for Librans: “The spotlight is on you. Stick to your fiscal guidelines. Listen and be respectful. Check carefully for plan changes.”

Yes, the spotlight is on me as I get ready to head to New York City once more. I know some members of my family are excited by my trip, and others are concerned for me. Concerned, because once again I am departing for up to three months, on a solo journey that will hopefully take me across America, and maybe even into Canada.

As for ‘stick to fiscal guidelines’, you can be sure I will be doing that. I am on a tight budget, and I will need to monitor my expenses very closely throughout my travels. In fact, I am restricted to a budget of around $1000 per week – or $142/day. That is not a lot of money. There will be times when that money will have to pay for accommodation, food, transport, entertainment and activities, and other daily needs. The only way I can do this is because I am spending three weeks rent free in a New York apartment, and also because I will be visiting and staying with extended family members during my trip.

Then there is the advice to ‘Check carefully for plan changes,’. So far so good though, and I certainly don’t anticipate any major changes to affect my plans at least during for the first few weeks of my trip. Having said that, I have now booked and paid for six or seven events, and any number of things could mess up my plans to attend them. The biggest one being the fickle New York weather. Most of the events I have booked require me to be outdoors. Either on the water (two cruises); two baseball games, and one visit to the National September 11 Memorial.

As all New Yorkers know, the only way to really experience the city is on foot – at street level, and I intend to do a lot of walking around the city. I have mapped out several days for exploratory excursions at Coney Island, Staten Island, Queens, and numerous Manhattan neighbourhoods, all of which could be postponed or even cancelled if the weather demands it. But then that possibility is all part of the joy of travel. I have allowed plenty of ‘free’ time so that I can reschedule some of my plans if needed, but mostly I will just press on regardless and make the most of my time, in arguably the most exciting city on the planet.

I can hardly wait.

Finally, Tuesday’s horoscope also advised Librans to, ‘Listen and be respectful.’

Amen to that. I firmly believe that when I travel, I do so as a guest of the people and country I am visiting. As such, I always try to listen and be respectful whenever I meet and talk to the locals. I am there to listen and learn. To observe and appreciate. And to share in their customs and traditions.

No, I don’t normally pay much attention to horoscopes, but just out of interest, I will keep a watching brief on them over the next few days and weeks, and see how their predictive messages play out in real life.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Monday Movies - High Steel and Spudwrench: Kahnawake Man

High Steel, by Don Owen, 1965, 13 min 47 sec

High Steel is a short documentary offering a dizzying view of the Mohawk Indians of Kahnawake (pron: Gun-na-wa-ga) who work in Manhattan erecting the steel frames of skyscrapers. Famed for their skill in working with steel, the Mohawks demonstrate their nimble abilities in the sky. As a counterbalance, the viewer is also allowed a peek at their quieter community life on the Kahnawake Reserve, in Quebec.

One of the first construction projects the Kahnawake helped build was the Saint Lawrence Bridge (1886-87) linking Kahnawake to Montreal Island. As Kahnawake men employed as ironworkers and bridgemen worked hundreds of feet above the water and ground, a legend began that the Kahnawake men had no fear of heights.

Over the years, Kahnawake men have continued to be employed as ironworkers in Canada, with many also moving to New York City to work on the city’s skyscrapers. Kahnawake men participated in building the Empire State Building, the World Trade Centre, and other major skyscrapers in New York City, as well as many bridges. This short film examines some of the work and lifestyle of these workers. 

Spudwrench - Kahnawake Man

By Alanis Obomsawin, 1997, 58 min

This documentary by acclaimed filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin introduces us to Randy Horne, another high steel worker from the Mohawk community of Kahnawake, near Montreal. As a defender of his people's culture and traditions, he was known as "Spudwrench" during the 1990 Oka crisis (a land dispute between a group of Mohawk people and the town of Oka, Quebec, Canada).

The hour long film presents a unique look behind the barricades at one man's impassioned defence of sacred territory, and is both a portrait of Horne and the generations of daring Mohawk construction workers that have preceded him.


Both films are amongst the hundreds of films available via the National Film Board of Canada website. Another wonderful online resource for all to enjoy.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Monday Movies – Manhattan to Tokyo


A couple of movies combining motion and time lapse footage of Manhattan, and that other great metropolis, Tokyo. These are both from the Blue Eden page on Vimeo.

I haven’t been able to find out much about the people or person behind Blue Eden. The YouTube page was only set up at the beginning of December 2011, and the first Twitter post only went ‘live’ on January 4, 2012, so Blue Eden is definitely the new kid on the block . However, the quality of the three films produced so far, leave no doubt that the ‘kid’ may be new, but s/he certainly knows how to make a good first impression.

The information below is taken from that provided on Blue Eden’s Vimeo page.

Manhattan
A city that glows long after the light has faded. It seems people are always moving in and out of New York in pursuit of dreams. The city comes alive at night, as if unsatisfied to simply sleep. Many of us will leave one day, perhaps when we finally awaken, but those blurry lights continue to inspire long after.

I filmed this over one week in the winter. Scenes include Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park, Times Square, Grand Central, Wall Street, Met Museum, American Museum of Natural History, and the 9/11 Memorial.

Music: "Circuits" by The American Dollar.

Kyoto
I first visited Tokyo nearly 10 years ago and was swept away by its futuristic society steeped in ancient culture. The beautiful mix of new and old still entrance me today. We hoped to capture that beauty and filmed for 2 weeks in Tokyo and its surrounding areas. As we visited during the New Year, we were lucky to attend the "dezuiri" sumo ring-entering ceremony, which you'll see in the opening shot. We also captured "yumi hajime" (first archery practice of the year) as well as "hatsumode" (first shrine visit of the year) at Asakusa.

Other shots include Shinjuku, Shibuya, Roppongi Hills, Meiji Shrine, Rainbow Bridge at Odaiba, Tokyo Tower, Tsukiji fish market, Yokohama, Mount Fuji, Lake Kawaguchi, and Nikko world-heritage shrines. Music by Stephen Anderson.



More Information
Blue Eden on Vimeo… 
Blue Eden on Facebook… 
Blue Eden on Twitter…

Also check out Blue Eden’s other Japan film, Kyoto HD "Rising Dawn" Technical information about the making of each video is available on Blue Eden’s Vimeo page. Finally, thanks to Blog Top Sites for bringing this to our attention.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Monday Movies: Manhattan in Motion

A couple of time lapse videos that although completely different, nevertheless manage to compliment each other. The first is a beautifully shot video of Manhattan recorded at various times across multiple days and nights. The other, a somewhat surreal piece showing the slow decay and transformation that an ant colony wreaks on an old scanner.

 Manhattan in Motion Time Lapse
Josh ‘Getting My Time Lapse On’ Owens publishes his videos under the Mindrelic pseudonym.

Apart from his page on Vimeo from where this video was sourced, Josh can be found on Twitter, Facebook, RedBubble and his Mindrelic website. However, other than that he appears to be from Rochester, New York, none of these websites offer any insight or information about Josh. Nor does he try to explain why he makes his films or what he hopes to achieve by their creation. He seems happy to let the videos ‘speak’ for themselves. So without further ado, here is Manhattan in Motion...


More information
www.mindrelic.com
www.vimeo.com/mindrelic
www.twitter.com/mindrelic
www.facebook.com/Mindrelicphotography

-o0o-

Describing Ants in My Scanner as “… an exploration of the aesthetic of life and degradation”, Paris based François Vautier, the creator of this short video explains that five years ago he…

"…installed an ant colony inside my old scanner that allowed me to scan in high definition this ever evolving microcosm (animal, vegetable and mineral). The resulting clip is a close-up examination of how these tiny beings live in this unique ant farm. I observed how decay and corrosion slowly but surely invaded the internal organs of the scanner. Nature gradually takes hold of this completely synthetic environment.”

Vautier (whose work was presented at the WORLD EXPO Shanghai 2010), adds that the ants are still alive, and that the process of recording the colony continues.


Music : Franks - Infected Mushroom.

More information

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Visiting New York City

I was fascinated by an article in a recent edition of the New York Magazine called And Another Fifty Million People Just Got Off of the Plane.

The article spelt out in great detail the efforts that have gone into promoting tourism in New York City over the past ten years. Incredibly, in 2011, New York looks like playing host—for the first time in its history—to 50 million tourists. In 2002, when Mayor Bloomberg took office, that figure just over 35 million. With a turnover of $47 billion a year, tourism it is now New York’s fifth-largest industry.

Also of interest was information about where visitors come from and the ways they spend their time and money. In 2010, American’s accounted for visitor numbers of 39 million, compared with 9.7 million international travellers. However, according to the story, the two groups couldn’t be more different. Apparently, Americans “…stay an average of 2.7 nights and spend an average of $432” while in New York, while international visitors “…stay 7.3 days and spend an average of $1,700.”

It was interesting too, to read that international visitors are more adventurous than domestic visitors. I was particularly pleased to see this in the article:
“Among travelers from the top foreign markets, Australians are the most adventurous. They are the most likely to attend a sporting event, go dancing, shop, buy tickets to a concert or a play—anything, really.”
As an Australian who has visited New York City on two occasions, and who is looking forward to my third visit over the summer of 2012, I can report that apart from the dancing mentioned in the above quote, I have attended sporting events, shopped, been to concerts, Broadway productions and much more. I'm probably one of the few Staten Island Ferry riding tourists that have actually left the St George Terminal and spent a day checking out the island (nowhere near enough of course, but it's a start), whereas most visitors taking the free ferry ride reboard the next available craft for the return trip to Manhattan.

Despite the fact that I have now spent a total of four months ‘living’ in New York, I am far from exhausting the city's possibilities, and since the chances of doing that are next to impossible – even if I lived in New York full-time for ten years – it looks like I will continue to visit for a while yet.

Read the full article here...

Thursday, November 10, 2011

The Bitter End – Natural Woman

This is the third in a series of videos recorded at The Bitter End All Star Jam during August 2010. The song featured here is the Carole King classic, You Make Me Feel (Like a Natural Woman).

To my great shame and regret, I did not make a note of the singer’s name, although I do know she was (and may still be) working at The Bitter End behind the bar. In between serving punters and waiting on tables she would always do at least one song during the Jam session.

Nor do I know the name of the African-American guitarist playing during this song. However, the other musicians are Mark Greenberg (drums), Brett Bass (bass), and Danny Thompson (guitar). If anyone can provide names for the singer and the second guitarist, I would be very grateful.

The Bitter End is at 147, Bleecker Street, and remains one of my favourite New York night spots to catch live music. You never know which rising star will make an appearance there during the open mic nights or the Sunday and Monday night jams that start late and finish even later. Thousands of performers (including Lady Gaga) have graced the stage at the Bitter End, and the venue has been the go to place for many a rising star.


And since you are online anyway, why not check out their MySpace page…

Sunday, November 6, 2011

The Bitter End - Money

This is the second in a series of videos recorded at The Bitter End All Star Jam during August 2010.

The Bitter End (at 147, Bleecker Street, New York, New York) is one of the few Greenwich Village venues that have survived from the heyday of the exciting music scene that characterized 1960s New York City. Especially among those venues that promoted folk musicians in particular.

The song featured here is the old classic Money. The singer is Don Cazio, a Bitter End regular, and a musician and singer in his own right. Mark Greenberg (drums), Brett Bass (bass), Danny Thompson (wearing the hat) and Benny Landa both swap lead breaks on electric guitars.

I have been to The Bitter End numerous times on both my visits to New York City, and each time I have been amazed by the lineup of talent that is presented there. As you might imagine, New York has musicians and singers to spare, and many of the best of these are on show at the All Star Jam.

The Bitter End All Star Jam Band performs from 10pm until late, on the second and fourth Sunday of every month). There is also a regular Monday night jam with Richie Cannata.

 

Visit The Bitter End Jam website…
And since you are online anyway, check out their MySpace page…
 

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Street View Comes to The High Line

I have no idea how they did it, but Google Street View has now mapped New York City’s High Line park. I’ve written before about the High Line, but to make it brief, the High Line is an elevated park that meanders above the streets along portions of some of Manhattan’s west side neighbourhoods.

Currently the High Line is about a mile long, but over time it will be extended at least another half mile or so to provide yet another unique New York experience to the millions of visitors and New Yorkers who had enjoyed promenading along its length. Last year Google donated $1 million to the High Line, so I guess it is only fitting that the company give the elevated park the Street View treatment.

The following video gives you a brief taste of the project and only adds to my desire to visit the park again on my next visit to New York City.

...
...

You can see another video (narrated by the actor Ethan Hawke) outlining the history of the High Line here…

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

The Bitter End – A Winner Never Quits

The Bitter End is one of those classic Greenwich Village venues that have been around since the 1960s. With regard to The Bitter End, the venue has been hosting live music, comedy and other entertainments since 1961.

So many famous and infamous musicians have performed at the Bitter End, that it would take a couple of pages just to list them all. However, how about these for starters: Woody Allen, America, Tori Amos, Joan Armatrading, Joan Baez, Jackson Browne, Harry Chapin, Tracy Chapman, Judy Collins, Shawn Colvin, Chick Corea, Jim Croce, David Crosby, Billy Crystal, Miles Davis, John Denver, Bo Diddley, Bob Dylan, Jose Feliciano, Steve Forbert, Steve Goodman, Stephane Grappelli, Arlo Guthrie, Bill Haley, Tim Hardin, John Hartford, Richie Havens, Gil Scott Heron, Norah Jones, Billy Joel, Kris Kristofferson, Patti La Belle, Jay Leno, Neil Young, Lady Gaga, and many thousands more.

I have made a point of going to The Bitter End (at 147, Bleecker Street), on both my stays in New York City. More specifically, I have made regular visits to catch the All Star Jam that performs from 10pm until late on the second and fourth Sunday of each month.

I filmed the clip embedded here, during one of the Jams in August, 2010. On drums is the shows host, Mark Greenberg, along with regular bassist Brett Bass. Singing duties on the number filmed here are by Danny Thompson (guitar and vocals). Unfortunately, I didn’t catch the other guitarist’s name, although at one point Thompson seems to refer to him as ‘Benny’.


I have a number of other clips waiting to be turned into videos and as soon as I have done so, I will upload them to my YouTube page and let you know via this blog. In the meantime, enjoy...

Visit The Bitter End website…

Monday, October 10, 2011

Circumnavigate Staten Island

Top Left: Graveyard of Ships © Mitch Waxman
Bottom left: Staten Island Ferry With Statue of Liberty, and Right: Light house © Bernie Ente

The next New York City Hidden Harbor Tour is looming on the horizon, and will involve a Circumnavigation of Staten Island and look at six New York harbor lighthouses.

The tour takes place Sunday, 16 October, 2011

This tour will feature 6 lighthouses as well as the following points of interest:

  • St George Terminal
  • Kill Van Kull
  • Arthur Kill
  • Tottenville
  • Stapleton - Fireboat Firefighter II
  • And the graveyard of ships
The graveyard of ships (Witte Marine Scrap yard) is located in Rossville. It was once one of the largest marine scrap yards on the East Coast. It is now officially known as the Donjon Iron and Metal Scrap Processing Facility.

Opened in 1964 by J. Arnold Witte, Sr., the scrap yard is known for its large collection of old tugs, ferries, car floats, and more. These ships would come there quicker then Witte could disassemble them. This resulted in many boats and ships slowly rotting and sinking in the Arthur Kill.

There are quite a few noteworthy vessels here, including the New York City Fire Department fire boat Abram S. Hewitt. This graveyard of ships is a very popular point of interest on the Circumnavigation of Staten Island Tour.

Details

Date: Sunday, 16 October, 2011
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on board the NY Water Taxi
Departs from The Battery Slip 6
(Water Taxi Stop in front of Castle Clinton)

Getting There
Subway: 1 to South Ferry, R/W to Whitehall St. or 4/5 to Bowling Green
Tickets: $60/$50 for WHC members and seniors

More Information

Working Harbor Committee…

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Rabindranath Tagore Exhibition, NYC


The Asia Society Museum in New York City is presenting an exhibition of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s paintings and drawings.

Titled, Rabindranath Tagore: The Last Harvest, the exhibition marks the 150th anniversary of Tagore’s birth, and is the first U.S. museum exhibition devoted to his artistic legacy. The exhibition comprises more than 60 works on paper, drawn from three collections in India.

The exhibition runs September 9 through December 31, 2011.

While I have a large volume of the collected works of Tagore’s poetry, which includes many illustrations, I must admit to being pretty much in the dark about his career as an artist. In deed, Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941) is lauded around the world as a poet and writer, yet few outside India (including myself) know that he was also a highly regarded visual artist.

A transformative figure in the modern cultural history of India, Tagore began painting in 1924 at the age of 63 (there’s hope for me yet!). He had no formal training, but his artistic practice grew from his habits as a writer and poet, with revision marks and scratched out words on his manuscripts becoming free-form doodles.

He was encouraged to pursue art by his friend Victoria Ocampo, an Argentinian socialite and poet. With Ocampo’s help, Tagore mounted the first exhibition of his artwork in Paris in May 1930. The show then travelled to Europe, Russia and the United States, earning him much critical acclaim. He continued to paint until his death at the age of 80 in 1941.

Exhibition organization
The exhibition is divided into four thematic sections. A section titled The Beginning looks at the origins and development of his drawing and painting. Beyond the Pages explores Tagore’s landscape paintings. Discovery of Rhythm considers how his creative work in other fields, particularly music and dance, enabled Tagore to project movement and gestures into pattern, forms and fields of color in his drawings and paintings. The Faces of the World section explores Tagore’s representation of the human face, the most frequently recurring form in his painting.

About Tagore’s lifeBorn in 1861 to a wealthy and prominent Bengali family, Rabindranath Tagore published his first poetry collection at the age of 17. He attended school at the University College of London in 1878, but soon returned to India to manage his father’s agricultural estates. As Tagore’s fame grew in the West, he remained devoted to political and social progress in his home state of Bengal.

Tagore received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913—the first non-European to win the prize—for the English translation of his work Gitanjali. In 1915 he was knighted by the British government, but later renounced this title in protest of British involvement in the massacre of civilians in Punjab.

Rabindranath Tagore was a passionate advocate for the abolition of the caste system and for Indian independence, and he became good friends with Mohandas Gandhi, whom he was first to dub Mahatma (“great soul”). He wrote the national anthems of both India and Bangladesh. He died in 1941 without seeing an independent India.

Unfortunately, I won’t be anywhere near New York for the remainder of 2011, so I won’t be able to visit this exhibition, or take part in other events planned around the exhibition. However, if you are lucky enough to live in New York City, or are planning a visit between now and the end of the year, why not take the time to check out this exhibition during its four month run.

For more information about programs visit Asia Society…

About Asia Society Museum
Asia Society Museum is located at 725 Park Avenue (at 70th Street), New York City. The Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. and Friday from 11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. Closed on Mondays and major holidays. General admission is $10, seniors $7, students $5 and free for members and persons under 16. Free admission Friday evenings, 6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. The Museum is closed Fridays after 6:00 p.m. from July 1 through September 15.

More Information
Rabindranath Tagore Exhibition…
Asia Society website…
Wikipedia…
-o0o-
Below you will find a selection of the many books by and about Tagore on Amazon.Com. Click on the images to go directly to the Amazon page to explore further.
The Essential Tagore Selected Short Stories (Penguin Classics)The hungry stones, and other stories
The Gardener Stray Birds Gitanjali

Sunday, September 11, 2011

World Trade Center in Figures

I love this infographic on the History website, about the new World Trade Center. It provides much essential information about the building and site. For example:
 

  • It is estimated that when it is completed, the complex will attract 3 million annual visitors

  • Once completed the WTC complex will consist of six office buildings

  • The memorial itself will include a plaza and museum

  • The site will also include a performing arts center

  • And it will include a new state-or-the-art transit hub

  • The World Trade Center in Figures:

  • 1 full office floor per week is built at peak construction

  • 2 Private developers

  • 16 acres (6.4 hectares) - the size of the WTC site

  • 19 Public agencies involved in construction

  • 33 designers, architects and consulting firms are involved in construction

  • 45 seconds - the time it takes to rise to the top of 1 WTC

  • 71 elevators (five high-speed lifts moving at 2,000 ft per minute)

  • 101 contractors and sub-contractors are involved in the construction

  • 104 floors

  • 400+ swamp white oak trees have been planted on the the new plaza

  • 408 foot antenna (a rotating beacon flashes the letter 'N' in morse code)

  • 1,362 feet (observation deck at the height of former WTC Tower 2)

  • 1,368 feet (glass enclosure at the height of former WTC Tower 1)

  • 1,776 feet (the height of 1 WTC represents the year of American independence)

  • 2,500+ workers are involved in construction on an average day

  • 2,983 names etched into the bronze papapets surrounding the pools

  • 7,500 tones - the total weight of all trees

  • 45,000+ tons of structural steel (six times as much as used in the Eiffel Tower)

  • 450,000 gallons of water - the amount of water that can be held in each pool

  • 2.6 million square feet of office space

  • 3.1 Billion - the cost of rebuilding


  • And one more thing
    If every member of the 1 WTC construction crew tried to travel down to the ground for breaks, it would take nearly half a day. To prevent delays, restroom facilities and even a sandwich shop are raised up to each floor by a hydraulic lift as work progresses.

    Click here to see the full image...  Thanks to History.Com for this infographic and information.
    -o0o-
    World Trade Center: Past, Present, Future 102 Minutes That Changed America World Trade Center - In Memoriam

    Saturday, September 10, 2011

    The Reading List #2

    Welcome to my weekly roundup of the some of the more interesting discoveries I’ve made as I wander the digital highways and byways of the Internet.

    (Left) Blog of The Week: Daytonian in Manhattan

    Tom Miller, the writer behind this site describes himself as "A transplanted Buckeye.” Tom moved to New York in 1979 and immediately fell in love with it.

    “I've never stopped being a tourist, [and] never stopped finding the charm and uniqueness of this city," he says.

    Tom has turned his love for New York City and his continuing search for its “…charm and uniqueness” into one of the best online collections of information about hundreds of New York’s unique buildings and architecture. What I particularly love about the site is that for the most part, instead of writing about the tallest and most famous of New York’s buildings, Tom has focussed on hundreds of smaller structures the guide books overlook. In fact, these are buildings that millions of New Yorkers and visitors walk past every day and never give a second thought to – assuming they gave a thought to them in the first place.

    While the Daytonian in Manhattan site design could do with a makeover, there is no question that the content is factual, well researched, and fascinating. There is enough content on this site to fill two guide books and I have suggested as much to Tom in an email. At the very least, a little reworking of the content would make an excellent eBook or two, and could even be rejigged into very handy iPhone and iPad applications.

    The site would be greatly enhanced if Tom could put together some walking tours utilising his blog posts. At the very least, better label of blog entries would make searching across the site for buildings in say, Greenwich Village much easier, since this seems a bit hit and miss at the moment.

    Despite these caveats, Daytonian in Manhattan is a site I return to often. Check it out for yourself…

    -o0o-


    Three years ago, a narrow pine door, edged in bright blue paint and covered with some 242 signatures, resurfaced in a storage space of the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin. The door turned out to be from a popular Greenwich Village bookstore that once operated at 4 Christopher Street. The door was removed by the manager when the shop closed in 1925 and bought by the Ransom Center in 1960, after a dealer spotted an ad in the Saturday Review asking, “Want a door?”

    What is so special about this door? It seems that the bookstore was a popular hangout for some of the most famous writers, artists, poets, dancers and actors of the early 1900s. Furthermore, it became somewhat of a tradition for many of these creative figures to scratch their names into the door panels. Among the 242 signatures on the door are the names of Theodore Dreiser and John Dos Passos;  also there is Emily Strunsky, a childhood friend of George Gershwin. Emily is credited with giving Gershwin a copy of DuBose Heyward’s novel “Porgy,” which of course Gershwin later turned into Porgy and Bess.

    There are still many signatures on the door for which little or nothing is known about the signers – and this is where you, dear reader, come in. Thanks to the Internet, you may be able to identify one or more of the signatures or signers, and thereby help to fill in the blanks with regard to many of Greenwich Village’s most famous denizens.

    Jennifer Schuessler is an editor at the Book Review, and wrote this article for the New York Times. Visit the University of Texas web site and check out the signatures, bios, and play detective.

    Note: New York Times articles are eventually only available by subscription. As of this posting, the article referred to above can still be viewed online.
    -o0o-

    Photo: © Paul Taggart for The New York Times

    
    Just in case anyone reading this has a spare $2.25 million lying around, this home at 110 Longfellow Road in Staten Island's, Todt Hill is up for grabs. The home was used in the movie "The Godfather."

    Thanks to the New York Times for this tip…

    -o0o-

    Friday, September 9, 2011

    Friday Fotos – East River Views

    ...
    During my two month stay in New York City in 2010, one of my favorite places to hang out on Friday evenings was Pier 17, one of the last remnants of the extensive pier system that jutted into the waters of the Hudson and East Rivers.

    As the sun set in the west, a beautiful golden glow would light up the buildings along the Brooklyn side of the East River.

    ...
    As an added bonus, Friday evenings at 6pm also saw a weekly roster of great indie bands from New York and elsewhere playing free gigs from the small stage set up on the pier. Pier 17 was always packed with office workers winding down at the end of the working week, and visitors enjoying the vibe and the stunning views of the Brooklyn Bridge.
    ...
    As I have written elsewhere on this site (Brooklyn Hidden Harbor Tour,  and Up A Lazy River to Bear Mountain), I have a particular fascination – some might call it a fetish – with rivers and water borne activities, and another of the pleasures of sitting at the end of Pier 17 was watching the constant too-ing and fro-ing of pleasure boats, working boats and other marine activity on the East River.

    Below: a river barge (out of view) is being pushed up the East River by the tugboat Calusa Coast. From whence have they come, and to where are they going? And what are they transporting?
    ...
    Below: I never did take this Friday evening river cruise, but next time I think I will add it to my list of ‘things to do in New York City on a Friday night’ – or indeed any evening the vessels heads out for a cruise up the East River.
    Note: Click on images to view full size

    Wednesday, September 7, 2011

    Tribute In Light

    Click to view full size
    Tribute In Light. September 6, 2011. © Kirsten Shiller.

    Just days out from the 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001 attacks and preparations for commemoration ceremonies are reaching fever pitch across the United States, and in New York in particular.

    I love this image by Kristen Shiller, who maintains On The Street as “…a place for me to share some of my favorite photos from around town.” In Kristen’s case, ‘town’ is New York City where Kristen is “…an urban planner and amateur photographer.”

    Check out Kristen's sites:
    http://wtcrising.tumblr.com/
    http://web.me.com/kmshill/OntheStreet/

    Follow her on social media:
    http://twitter.com/kmshill
    http://flickr.com/kmshill 

    Monday, September 5, 2011

    Three (More) New York City Cultural Institutions

    Image: Hayagriva in gilded and painted copper. Mongolia, 18th century. Copyright © 2005, Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art. All rights reserved.

    In August I wrote about Three New York City CulturalInstitutions (the China Institute, Japan Society and the Korea Society), and thought I’d follow it up today with a look at several more.

    As I wrote then: There is more to New York City than tall buildings, the bright lights of Times Square, and free rides on the Staten Island Ferry. Visitors and locals looking for something on the road less travelled might consider a visit to one of these three cultural institutions [which] help add something unique to any New York visit.

    In that spirit then, here are three other institutions that locals and visitors to New York might want to explore further.

    Jacques Marchais Museum ofTibetan Art
    The Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art, is located on Staten Island. The museum (which officially opened in 1947), is home to one of America’s most extensive collections of Himalayan artefacts. It was created by Jacques Marchais, an American woman, to serve as a bridge between the West and the ancient cultural traditions of Tibet and the Himalayan region.

    Marchais designed her center so well that the Dalai Lama praised the museum for its authenticity when he visited in 1991. The museum resembles a rustic Himalayan monastery with extensive terraced gardens and grounds and a fish and lotus pond.

    As well as a changing program of permanent and special exhibitions and displays, the museum runs regular classes in guided meditation, Tai Chi, and mini retreats. Information about these can be found on their website.

    Visiting
    Address: 338 Lighthouse Avenue, Staten Island, New York
    Phone: 718-987-3500

    Summer Hours: April-November
    Wednesday to Sunday
    1:00 PM– 5:00 PM. On Sundays the last admission time is 4:30 PM. Note: if visiting via the Staten Island Ferry, you are advised to take a ferry that leaves before 2:30PM as it takes a while to reach the museum using public transport.

    Admission
    Members - Free
    Adults - $6
    Seniors (60 and over)/Students - $4
    Children under 6 - Free

    More Information
    Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art...
    Wikipedia…

    -o0o-

    Established in 2000, the Center for Jewish History is a partnership of five organizations of Jewish history, scholarship, and art which are all based in Manhattan.

    The organizations are the American Jewish Historical Society, the American Sephardi Federation, the Leo Baeck Institute, the Yeshiva University Museum, and the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. The Center is also an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.

    Located at 15 West 16th Street, Manhattan, the Center's collections include more than 100 million documents, 500,000 books and thousands of art objects. Today, the Center is heavily involved with the preservation of records that define important moments in Jewish immigration to New York City.

    The collection includes the original handwritten copy of Emma Lazarus' 1883 "Give me your tired, your poor" poem that was later inscribed on the base of the Statue of Liberty, Sandy Koufax's Brooklyn Dodgers jersey, a letter from Thomas Jefferson to New York's oldest Jewish congregation, the first Hebrew prayer books printed in America, and correspondence from Sigmund Freud, Albert Einstein and Franz Kafka.

    The collection also includes pieces of art, textiles and ritual objects, as well as music, films and photographs.

    Visiting
    Address: 15 West 16th Street, Manhattan, New York, NY
    Phone: 212-294-8301

    Free Gallery Spaces
    Monday and Wednesday, 9:30am - 8:00pm
    Tuesday and Thursday, 9:30am - 5:00pm
    Friday: 9:30am - 3:00pm.
    *Free Gallery Spaces do not include the Yeshiva University Museum exhibits

    Yeshiva University Museum
    Monday, Free 5:00pm - 8:00pm
    Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday 11:00am - 5:00pm
    Wednesday, 11:00am - 8:00pm (Free 5:00pm - 8:00pm)
    Friday, Free 11:00am - 2:30pm
    Note: The Center for Jewish History is closed on Saturday, all major Jewish holidays, and all major national holidays.

    More information
    TheCenter for Jewish History...
    Wikipedia…

    -o0o-
    Studio Museum in Harlem
    The Studio Museum in Harlem is the nexus for artists of African descent locally, nationally and internationally and for work that has been inspired and influenced by black culture.

    Since opening in a rented loft at Fifth Avenue and 125th Street in 1968, the Studio Museum in Harlem has earned recognition as a catalyst for promoting the works of artists of African descent.

    The scope of the Studio Museum includes exhibitions, an Artists-in-Residence program, education and public programming, a permanent collection, and archival and research facilities.

    The Studio Museum's permanent collection contains over 1,600 works, including drawings, pastels, prints, photographs, mixed-media works and installations. It comprises works created by artists during their residencies, as well as pieces given to the Museum to create an art-historical framework for artists of African descent. The Museum is the custodian of an extensive archive of the work of photographer James VanDerZee, the quintessential chronicler of the Harlem community from 1906 to 1983.

    More Information
    Address: 144 West 125th Street, New York, New York
    Phone: (212) 864-4500

    Museum Hours:
    Thursday: 12pm-9pm
    Friday: 12pm-9pm
    Saturday: 10am-6pm
    Target Free Sunday: 12pm-6pm                       

    Location
    The Studio Museum in Harlem is located in Manhattan at 144 West 125th Street between Lenox Avenue (Malcolm X Boulevard) and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Boulevard (7th Avenue).

    Admission
    Suggested donation: Adults $7.00
    Seniors and students (with valid ID) $3.00
    Free for members and children under 12
    Target Free Sundays: Free admission every Sunday thanks to the support of Target

    More Information
    Wikipedia…

    -o0o-

    Monday, August 29, 2011

    New York City's "Mosaic Man"

    Image of Jim Power by David Shankbone, circa 2009.
    ...

    Jim Power has been called New York City's "Mosaic Man" for many years, and it's not hard to see why. Jim is on a mission to cover as many New York City lamp posts, benches, building façades, plant holders, and other structures with the recycled ceramic materials he uses in his creations.

    Jim received permission from New York City’s Department of Transport over 20 years ago to decorate up to 80 lamp posts. Once he was bitten by the mosaicing bug, however, there was no turning back. Now businesses or landlords also commission Jim to complete works on their property.

    Now in his 60s, Power has been transforming New York’s streets with his unique works that in turn honor the city and the people who call it home. Check out this short video now…


    Filmed, Edited, Produced & Written by Sahar Sarshar
    Music by Wild Yaks
    Narrated by Arian Boroumand

    Jim Power Online…
    Jim Power on Twitter: @MosaicManNYC
    Read an online article by Abby Luby at The Villager.Com…

    Friday, August 26, 2011

    Friday Fotos – Rockefeller Center

    The GE Building towers into a perfect New York sky
    One of the highlights of my 2008 visit to New York City was a trip to the ‘Top of The Rock’ – or if you prefer, the viewing deck of the Rockefeller Center located in midtown Manhattan.

    The Rockefeller Center is in fact a complex of 19 major buildings, the largest of which is the GE Building. Directly in front of this building is a large sunken outdoor plaza which doubles as an ice skating rink in winter and restaurant during the summer months.
    Paul Manship sculptures, Youth and Maiden
    Stunning works of art (like the two shown above), are what help to make the Rockefeller Center a location worth visiting in its own right, rather than simply a place to get a birds-eye view of Manhattan. So much great art is located around the complex that books have been written about the collection (see links below).

    Michael Hammers 2008 Installation: Electric Fountain

    With the loss of the twin towers of the World Trade Center, the Empire State Building can lay claim to being the highest building in New York City, although this will change once the new tower is completed on the site of the WTC. While it is tempting to visit the ESB rather than the Rockefeller Center building, I preferred the Top of The Rock if only because one can get great views (and photographs) of the Empire State Building which is near by.

    Top of The Rock view of Manhattan skyline and Central Park

    Getting There:
    The nearest subway station is the 47-50th St - Rockefeller Ctr. Station which can be reached by the B, D, F, and M trains (more info: http://www.mta.info/).

    Tickets:
    • Adult $34.00
    • Child (6-12) $28.00
    • Senior (62+) $32.00
    • Sun & Stars Ticket: Adult $63.00
    • Sun & Stars Ticket: Child $43.00
    • Note: Sun & Stars tickets allow guests to visit twice in one day.
    • A range of add-on's and combo tickets are also available.

    POST UPDATED MARCH 11, 2017
    NOTE: The above ticket prices were correct as of March 11, 2017.
    For up to date ticket prices, and to pre-purchase tickets to the Rockefeller Center click here... 

    -o0o-
    Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...