14th Street

Altogether too much color lately.
Here another group of planters between 14th and 13th Street - there are even more outside the Apple store.
Maybe people are winning in the battle against traffic?
It would be wonderful.



An elegant bird in a furniture shop window surveys the activity outside.............

No Theme

I have been rather uninspired this week. So only three rather random items today.
On Sunday we went for our usual bike ride down the Hudson bike path. At Battery Park City they are building all sorts of new ferry docks - so people can commute from Jersey - which you can see in the distance.
The notice says "Yankee(closed) Stadium". Some wag who works on the dock must have snagged it from uptown.
Such a jumble of objects under bright sunshine.



This open air seating area is new and exciting.
It is by the Flat Iron Building at the intersection of 23rd Street, 5th Avenue and Broadway. Basically they have narrowed Broadway and put all these tables and planters. You can look at tourists and traffic and across to Madison Square Park.
There is a stunning view of the Empire State Building.
Well done, New York.


The Blue Water Grill, just by the green market in Union Square is very swanky (I've been there once). Anyway,walking past on the way to buy flowers, I look in and see how luxe and glam it is and hope to go there again.

Pink

New york is one of the least pink cities in the world.
It is mostly stylishly grayish/blackish and Union Square now awash in yellow and orange for fall.
So I went looking for pink and found roses at the green market........



And lots of pink dahlias...............
and cosmos..............

Domestic Details

Most photos on this blog tend to be taken when rushing about the place.
But really there is nothing I like so much as hanging around at home not doing very much.



Here is a detail of the painting R. just finished. The pink cloud is very summery and the pool image seasonal too.



Somehow bits of paper which happen as byproducts of paintings seem to have an accidental charm of their own.



Great excitement yesterday as the new countertop arrived. We have never had a stone one before and will, no doubt, look at it for hours. It reminds me of the beach at Essouira when the tide pulls water through darker sand. The zinnias have little speckles in them.



As well as zinnias, the green market at Union Square had all the red fruits one could dream of - peaches, apples, plums, raspberries. The late afternoon sun sneaks in sideways...........

Shadow Shot Sunday/ Mostly Transportation

Underneath 'the el' - elevated railway/subway line.



Very typically Queens.



A different shot of the subway train - when it's above ground.



Lower Manhattan with lots of shadows cast by tall buildings.



The stunning letters of the Staten Island ferry.
Tip to visitors: the ferry is FREE and there are no waits to get on and stunning views of the harbor.

Queens Again

It seems to be our week for going to Queens which is almost like taking a trip to a wonderful exotic place -except you get there by subway........



Deniz introduced us to little India where the clothes are decidedly un-Manhattanlike. ie they are gloriously colored.



All these shown here are suitable for parties.



Even the vegetables are different. This is kerala. It is very green and looks somewhat like a cucumber.
Anyone out there know how one eats it?



The grocery stores have bright bags of flour and rice.........



........and all sorts of incense sticks - including "Cannabis" and "Opium". Hm........



This is Deniz looking color-coordinated at the Thai restaurant.



And a lonely young man left after dark in a shop which sells everything.

Yellow/Downtown

School buses are yellow, taxis are yellow, and so are water taxis - which I have never been on though they look fun.
On bike rides we often end up at South Street Seaport - a very touristy place but whatever.



Here you can take a water taxi to IKEA - the center of the known universe. I think this is an exaggeration - but that's what advertising is all about. It makes me want to join the queues of happy shoppers heading across the East River.



You can see all of the waterfalls and to Governor's Island.........



In a shop window, an alternative form of yellow transportation.

Orange/Queens

Having said I didn't like orange, I have to admit it has a certain in-you-face charm.



We went to Queens by subway yesterday to look at stone for a counter top.
Needless to say, the seats were orange.



In fact the whole subway experience was orange.



When we eventually found the marble/granite warehouse we noticed a whole list of safety regulations on the walls. For example: no open toed shoes/safety goggles at all times. These were completely ignored. Obviously, we were not crushed to a soggy pulp, though it was an ever present possibility.
Having escaped death, we needed lunch. Queens has amazing ethic possibilities. We checked out the Czech place (pun.hahha) since R's heritage is Czech and we have never been there. The pink wall was attractive but the lunch choices very heavy for a hot day.
In the winter perhaps?
Since we were in Astoria we had Greek stuff instead.



Getting back to Chelsea on the subway meant a change at 42nd Street and a fairly long underground (beastly hot) hike.
However, this was enlivened by mosaic murals.
I was especially taken by the attentive dog in this one.



Here they are doing something constructive but some how the man in the middle looks as if he is using crutches.

A Philosophical Walk by Central Park

The other afternoon I went to the Frick Collection with my daughter in law.
Such an amazing collection of the most exquisite European paintings and sculpture. How delightful to be able to go shopping and buy almost anything you want - and have a nice 5th Avenue Mansion to put it in.



Then we walked along 5th Avenue by the park and came upon this stone bench with all the birds enjoying it - of course most of them were photo-shy and flew away.
It was a most delightful late August afternoon. Bright but not too hot.



Then this war memorial at 67th Street to soldiers of the 7th Regiment killed in the First World War..........



And finally a glimpse into the little zoo with the children enjoying the last days of summer freedom.
Much to ponder.

East End/Happy Labor Day

We decided to do a little end-of- summer tour of Long Island. Our so called Staycation.
Because we are always early for everything, we did it last week when there were fewer happy holidaymakers on the loose.
Now I am no longer gainfully employed, Labor Day weekend is not quite so doomy as it used to be.
Here the windmill at East Hampton reminding us of Long Island's very agricultural past.



The diner in Bridgehampton with its very traditional floor and nice counter stools is full of people wearing shorts.
Labor Day makes us nostalgic for summer already.



More counter stools.



Families eating together in the clean blue and white space.



Sag Harbor was a very prosperous town in the days of the whaling trade. The houses there are substantial and set in large gardens.



The Masonic Hall, now a museum, is far too splendid and many pillared for my taste.



The gardens were in fine late summer fettle, beautifully green because rain has been plentiful.



Morning glories are brilliant hued but a little melancholy because of the time of year they appear.



The American Hotel looks very inviting...........