I don’t normally slow down when I pass the various bead and trimming stores in west Midtown, but this sign made me laugh. I can never resist a reference to New York City history.
I’m sure the real story is more complicated, but still — very clever.
(This post goes out to my friend Leslie—New Yorker, historian, and craftsperson extraordinaire.)
Images: photo by Tinsel Creation; detail of postcard (1909) from the Museum of the City of New York archives, reproduced here.
A few days ago, I passed the Plaza Hotel on 5th Avenue. I did a double-take and then I took this picture. Look closely: on its front facade, the Plaza is wearing a cleverly fitted covering, designed and detailed to look like the building itself. Apparently the hotel is under construction; the side facing Central Park, visible at the right in this photo, has its own mesh-like cover to protect passersby from falling debris.
I don’t know what the view from inside the Plaza must be these days, with all this work going on, but the trompe l’oeil tarp is a nifty way to deal with the exterior.
I was on my way to dinner with friends in Midtown when I saw this sign posted in the doorway of an office building. I laughed as I took the picture. What on earth is a “Poets’ Security Force”? Is this force composed of moonlighting poets? Or is it a team of security officers working to keep poets safe? Does the entrance exam require all applicants to compose or recite verse? Is there a uniform, perhaps something incorporating black turtlenecks?
So many questions.
Image: photo by Tinsel Creation, somewhere in the West Forties.
My friend Nancy and I were spending an afternoon strolling around SoHo and Nolita, and we spied these flyers posted on a wall. The quote “Shop Less, Think More” is credited to Vivienne Westwood, and the more densely written blue flyer lists a few fashion-related affirmations:
I took this picture through a bus window on a rainy day, so it’s not especially sharp. But this graffiti made me smile, and I wanted to capture it and share it.
TINSEL CREATION 