Tag: nyc

On the Street: Herald Square Subway Station

today

I don’t know why this graffiti in the Herald Square subway station made me laugh. Maybe the chalk-on-black-wall medium reminded me of Keith Haring’s early subway drawings. I’m not even sure whether this gadget is meant to be a cash register or a cell phone or something else. Is it a warning against commercialism? Is it a statement about our 24-7 plugged-in mentality? Is it a private message left by one individual for another? Is it just some contemporary form of “carpe diem“? One thing is for certain: I can’t depend on it being there when I return tomorrow.

Image: photo by Tinsel Creation.

Brooklyn Bridge: 130 Years!

Marin-Brooklyn_Bridge

Today is the 130th anniversary of the dedication of the Brooklyn Bridge, one of New York City’s iconic structures.

My favorite depictions of the Bridge are the watercolors and prints created by artist John Marin in the early 20th century. Here’s an etching from 100 years ago, from the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C.

Image: John Marin, Brooklyn Bridge, 1913.

On the Street: I. Miller, “The Show Folks Shoe Shop” of Times Square

shoe shop

When I’m walking through the streets around Times Square, I tend to keep moving as quickly as I can, while focusing on my destination rather than my actual surroundings. If you’ve been anywhere near Times Square over the past decade or two, you’ll understand.

One afternoon, however, I was forced to wait for a traffic light to change, and as I stood on the corner of Broadway and 46th Street, I did something that New Yorkers often forget to do: I looked up.

Continue reading “On the Street: I. Miller, “The Show Folks Shoe Shop” of Times Square” →

On the Street: Bergdorf Goodman Holiday Windows 2012

bergdorf ladies

I have many childhood memories of going to see the Christmas displays in New York’s department store windows. My mother would bring me, and sometimes my grandmother would join us. We might eat a little bag of roasted chestnuts while we gazed at the imaginative tableaux staged by Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, and all the rest.

More recently, I’ve enjoyed visiting the annual windows with a circle of female friends who share my love of such frivolities. Our favorites are the windows of Bergdorf Goodman on Fifth Avenue. I may not see any of these friends in person this December, but they are very much on my mind and in my heart nonetheless.

Continue reading “On the Street: Bergdorf Goodman Holiday Windows 2012” →

5 on 5: Favorites at the BUST Magazine Holiday 2012 Craftacular

bust flyer

Last Saturday I paid a visit to the “Craftacular” gift fair organized and sponsored by BUST Magazine. It only ran two days, and I’m glad I made the trip. I had intended to do some early Christmas shopping. Inevitably, I ended up doing plenty of goggling at things I wouldn’t mind owning myself. Here are five vendors that made an impression on me…  Continue reading “5 on 5: Favorites at the BUST Magazine Holiday 2012 Craftacular” →