Architectural

Looking back at Manhattan from Queens

I have been rather a lazy blogger lately --lots of family and food. Herewith some random photos taken over the last week or so.

Looking down from our roof on Thanksgiving Day.

As above.

Who are these strange creatures on East 23rd Street?

Thanksgiving morning at 8th and 23rd.

Lonely VW on 23rd Street

Our local Starbucks.

A Week of People

6th Avenue and 17th St.

This week a collection of the people I've run into on my wanderings round the city. The first holiday season Salvation Army bell-ringer --a welcome sight. I so much prefer giving cash straight away anonymously than getting signed up on things for ever.

23rd Street

Fire Department guys checking the hydrant. How we New Yorkers love them!

Children at the Union Square green market learning about yoghurt.

23rd Street. M23

Evil woman on the bus talking extra loud on her phone about Brad. Does she think that if she looks out of the window the rest of us can't hear her? Hm.....

Guys in HazMat suits cleaning up an art gallery on 23rd St. 

22nd Street and 10th Av.

A photo shoot about to happen at what used to be the Empire Diner. Maybe now the High Line Diner.

Subway to Spring Street.

A nun on a damp afternoon round the back of London Terrace.

Poor lonely security chap at what will be the new doctors' office on 23rd Street.....when they finish it up. 

Who on earth can this be on the subway in Queens? Gosh. So I ask her if I can take her photo and she says they are on their way to perform in Central Park. Perform what? I don't think I'll ever know.*

And last of all a funny face to wish everyone a most

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

*Thanks to Debra who commented the performers are called Tribal Baroque and you can see them

here.

Downtown Sunday

We took a ride on the bike path beside the Hudson on Sunday --a beautiful sunny afternoon. I had inadvertantly put my camera on some weird setting so the photos are a bit fuzzy --anyway....

there really is a great deal of water between Manhattan and Jersey. People have been talking about the possibility of storm barriers like in London, but since Manhattan is an island this seems a rather Quixotic idea.

The Freedom Tower continues to grow and, architecturally, is much more attractive than the Twin Towers ever were, though obviously it would be better if we still had them.

Lots of tourists on boats in the harbor.

And a fisherman looking out to Lady Liberty.

A panorama of the above.

A pier that they have been fiddling with for 13 years at least!

Birds atop the depressing sculpture about drowned people.

South Street Seaport is utterly wrecked. There are lots of disaster aid trucks under the FDR Drive. This one from Texas.

And this one from Wyoming. (Don't think I ever saw a Wyoming plate before.)

as above.

All the shops in the Seaport area are closed including Abercrombie and Fitch and Ann Taylor and the Yankee Store and all the restaurants.

Not to mention the beer place.

A work crew arrives at two on a Sunday afternoon

while aways up the street it is business as usual at Starbucks.

On the way home we went past St Paul's Church. You can see the Freedom Tower in the background.

More Stories from Stormville: Reflections on a Batty Week

An art gallery on 23rd St. Note black plastic trash bags.

As people who read this blog often probably realize, I spend quite a lot of time wandering about. This is partly because of the dog and partly because we don't have a car. The city is recovering from the storm a lot quicker than the communities on Staten Island, New Jersey and Long Island. We are lucky: herewith some recent pictures.

Trash piled up all over the place. Here on 23rd St. Note the toys and the child's crib.

Long lines for gas --here the corner of 10th Avenue and 23rd St.

A utility truck from Illinois in Union Square. There were also ones from Arkansas -- in fact from all over the country and also from Canada. Thank you. Thank you.

Barnes and Noble......thinking of Christmas.

One of the few good things about all this is perhaps people without power are getting a chance to catch up on their reading -- except by now they are probably so incredibly miserable they might have lost interest in even doing that. Those whose power is restored, are glued to the thill of having TV. (Us too!)

On Monday Frances and I took a break from all the gloom to enjoy the glitter of ABC Carpet which was all Christmassy and glittery and magical.

I've started being very fierce about trying to buy things not made in China. It really is quite possible --though sometimes challenging.

We had coffee in Le Pain Quotidien which was rather empty and peaceful

then went to the greenmarket which has moved to 23rd St and Madison Square Park from Union Square.

On the way home, I went to Trader Joe's which had incredibly long lines......... 

On Tuesday we waited to vote for over an hour in the chilly afternoon. It was all very disorganized, though the volunteers were doing their best. (Other people elsewhere had to wait far longer!) HOORAY for the results!

So, the day after that, it started to snow

and snow some more

until it covered the lawns.

I think this shop window dummy has the right coat on.

In the bus I see wooly hat season is upon us.

Yesterday evening the ESB was bathed in celestial light

and this morning CON ED is back at work. Look at all that complicated equipment! If it was left to me we would still be in the Dark Ages....

Sorry for such a long post.