Monday, February 2, 2009

Bright Lights

Does the chef realize what a very traditional, nay, old-fashioned, bakery he's standing in front of? His expression suggests he doesn't think very much. 


Trailer Park was made to look trashy and retro on purpose.

When I go to lovely blogs like Merisi's Vienna and visit Demel's, I'm stunned by the contrasts.
New York has stunning energy and elegance in other places.
Even so.


The pizza parlor on 9th Avenue shouts NEW YORK.


Beer, ATM, Lottery. What more could one ask for?

A patriotic light in the barber's window.

I totally forgot to put in a poem for today's silent reading.
Anyway one of my favorites when I was a romantic young girl.
An oldie but goodie.

The Golden Journey to Samarkand

Prologue
by James Elroy Flecker

We who with songs beguile your pilgrimage
And swear that Beauty lives though lilies die
We poets of the proud old lineage
Who sing to find your hearts, we know not why,
What shall we tell you? Tales, marvellous tales
Of ships and stars and isles where good men rest,
Where nevermore the rose of sunset pales,
And winds and shadows fall toward the West:
And there the world's first huge white bearded kings
In dim glades sleeping, murmur in their sleep
And closer round their breasts the ivy clings
Cutting its pathway slow and red and deep.




17 comments:

  1. I LOVE that trailer park sign! It's great. Kim

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  2. Excellent composition with Bakery and Stella's. The colors in Stella's is also very nice.

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  3. There are various nations shop in NY. Barber's white red and blue sign is same as Japan.

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  4. I love New York,
    the city that never sleeps,
    so full of energy,
    the city that always dazzles
    and, yes, I do love New Yorkers:
    Contrary to legend, I always found New Yorkers amongst the friendliest people in the whole wide world!
    During one of our visits, one of my daughters even made a list of "friendly encounters," startled by the all-out friendliness of everyone around us.

    Thank you for mentioning my humble blog! Isn't it wonderful that our cities are so different? Imagine just once, Vienna trying to be like NY, or vice versa: Wouldn't each be only a cheap abklatsch of the other one?

    Cheers to diversity! :-)

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  5. Oh, how I miss I good New York pizza. You know what they do to pizzas in Ohio? They make them too small and then they...get this...cut them into rectangles. Not wedges. Rectangles. It enrages me.

    Lovely, lovely photos today. I, of course, favor the Stella photo.

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  6. OMG the Trailer Park is much too much, I'm just thankful I was sitting down when I saw it.

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  7. Such fun...I love the trailer park--that is super! Happy Day, Elizabeth! ((HUGS))

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  8. Great photos. I am enjoying your perspective of NYC!

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  9. That chef- very patient with proud posture. Love your photos always - all of them are my favorites!
    I stayed in Vienna for only two weeks when I was traveling in the olden days, ahh youth...I felt very small and dark and claustrophobic there. I love the light that Merisi brings to her photos. I did not experience light in Vienna.

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  10. As usual - a nice taste of New York - you have whetted my appetite so much that I have decided to visit in early May - shall only be there a short time en route for Washington but am already looking forward to it thanks to your photos.

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  11. So is the Trailer Park thing meant to be ironic or kitsch? I would like to try one of their margaritas.

    You make neon seem very appealing. I always enjoy the anti-chain view of America that you present. There are so many original things in NYC despite the ubiquity of Starbucks and their ilk.

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  12. Fabulous shots all .. there's a chef with a menu in hand outside a pizzeria off 6th Avenue near Sullivan St ... the chef outside the bakery reminded me of him ..

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  13. Love the pictures AND the poem!
    Poem reminds me of Tolkien and Tennyson...falling betwixt the two somewhere. Quite lovely.....

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  14. I love how you capture the light and life of the city. That trailer park sign is the BEST!

    xox

    Isabel

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I look forward to hearing from you!