The Empire Hotel

A very scenic part of New York City starts at Broadway in the Upper West Side. From 59th Street's Time Warner buildings and the fountain at Columbus circle, to 66th Street's Lincoln Center and in between at the Empire Hotel on 63rd Street. Julliard, Avery Fisher Hall and Fordham University are all within the vicinity as well.

Scenes from Gossip Girl and Sex and the City 2 have been shot here, and thanks to all of the recent hype, there will likely be many more to come!

This is a great little part of town to visit if you are visiting. The famous Tavern on the Green restaurant is nearby, plus Barnes & Noble, Bed Bath and Beyond and a Leows theater featuring IMAX makes this a great spot for shopping and entertainment.

The Empire Hotel with the Time Warner Buildings in the background

Louis Vuitton on 5th Avenue

Louis Vuitton stores and window displays always impress. The mulit-colored thing was in season last November when I was touring NYC with a friend, and now they've gone back to the darker, more serious look (below) in which the brown purse moves from one window display to another. Sort of like at airport security (?)

What I like about this Louis Vuitton display is that it's all about motion and activity. The viewer can stop and watch the purse as it glides through the various windows on a conveyor belt and turns the corner along with the building's exterior (not pictured). You can follow it along its way and then continue making your way back down 5th Avenue towards maybe Saks or St. Patrick's Cathedral.





There is a also a very active display a few blocks away on Lexington and 59th Street where Bloomingdales is located.

The Brooklyn Diner

Located on West 57th Street, the Brooklyn Diner has had great reviews and is heard of by all (sort of like Katz Delicatessen down on Houston Street).

Once when I had a friend in town visiting they asked if we could have lunch at "some famous diner by Carnegie Hall" that their friend told them about. I knew exactly what place they were talking about, so we made our way to 57th and 7th to eat at the The Brooklyn Diner but didn't end up staying because for just a hot dog it was something ridiculous like $18.

This famous place is great for a free picture though!

Boating in Central Park

On one of the last warm fall days of the year I made an attempt to go boating in the pond in Central Park. For just $12 plus a $20 deposit that you get back, you can spend 1 hour out in the water with up to 4 people in your canoe.

Canoes are rented beside the Central Park Boathouse where movies like 'When Harry Met Sally' and more recently '27 Dresses' were filmed, and where shows like 'Sex and the City' taped a while back (think of Carrie and Big when they fell in the water)!

Despite there being several dozen other canoes paddling nearby, there was still plenty of space in the pond to row through—though there were a few times when we bumped boats with 'canoe-ddling' couples who weren't paying attention or when we 'beached' ourselves along the rocks!

Here are some pictures I managed to capture and not lose by almost dropping my camera in the water...

The Gondola guy in front of the Boathouse






People on the bridge who waved hello!


Under the bridge

Inside the New York Aquarium

In the two and a half years that I've lived in New York, I hadn't yet made it out to see the New York Aquarium in Brooklyn. Luckily I made it out there this past weekend and enjoyed free admission as a Bank of America customer (only during the first weekend of every month).

Anyway, though it was a rainy day and every exhibit was crowded with jumpy, screaming kids, it was amazing to see all of the aquatic creatures like, starfish, jellyfish, sea horses, seals, walruses, eels and even frogs!

I think my favorite exhibit was the 'Alien Stingers' where all of the jellyfish were. The orange medusa looked beautiful behind the glass and swimming in the dark blue water. They were irresistible!

Torpedo Penguin!

Nemo and Dory from Finding Nemo!

The anenomes! Apparently they fight

Dumbo: Art Under The Bridge Festival '09

I'd been looking forward to the annual Art Under The Bridge festival in Dumbo, Brooklyn since last September when I first attended and saw this unique neighborhood for the first time. It provides great views and chances to see new contemporary art from up and coming artists.

This year, by the time I went (which was Sunday, the last day of the festival), there wasn't much going on since a lot of outdoor performances and installations were either over or had been rained out. But I still got to see a few cool pieces indoors and out:

From inside Smack Mellon studios on Plymouth Street

Ellen Driscoll's 'Revanent: New Work' inside Smack Mellon

Under the newly improved Archway on Water street,

below the Manhattan Bridge

rainy sign

out in front of powerHouse Arena on Main Street, facing the Manhattan Bridge

outdoor installation in Brooklyn Bridge Park, near the Brooklyn Bridge

and I always forget what building it is that had this piece,

but I know it's mostly photography studios inside.

Astor Place and EV

One of my favorite places in the city to spend time in other than Union Square and the Flat Iron District/Madison Square Park is Astor Place. Since it is a trendy college neighborhood and on the edge of the East Village, there aren't many skyscrapers or corporate businesses, but there are a few architectural treats!

Building on Lafayette and Astor Place (near 8th street)

tile-covered lamppost in Astor Place

The Cooper Union building on 3rd Avenue

Radio City Music Hall revisited

I've posted about Radio City Music Hall a few times before (in one post I even say that I have no desire to attend a show there!), and now I'm revisiting it. Actually, I visited it.

I got to attend the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, September 13th and I snapped away whenever a celeb actor or musician was on stage performing or presenting! I wrote about the show more in detail here on my other blog. 

Now I am glad to have made it inside this amazing music venue that I claimed I'd never bother to step foot in. Next year, if the VMA's are held in New York City again, count me in!

My view from the far right of the theater

Cameramen situated on a platform to stage left

The host, British actor Russell Brand, making his entrance, following a 

performance by Katy Perry and one of the guitarists from Aerosmith

Screenshot of Taylor Swift's performance to her Moon-man award winning 

"You Belong With Me" outside of Radio City Music Hall on Avenue of The Americas

Roxy Paine on the Roof of The Met

Through November 29, 2009, a special exhibit will be on the roof of the Metropolitan Museum on Museum Mile in NYC. The special exhibit is by the artist Roxy Paine and it is a large, sinuous, sky-reaching steel sculpture. More info here. The work's title is "Maelstrom", which means a 'powerful whirlpool' or 'state of confusion'. I didn't really get either of those definitions/feelings from it. I just thought it was amazing, amazingly silver and amazingly long. 

9/11/08

Last year on the 7th anniversary of 9/11 I went down to the site of the World Trade Center to take some pictures and explore the area. I went the year before and was so impressed by the flowers and people and the all over presentation. The people, colors and architecture around the space inspired me to make a video to a song that reminds me of September 11th.

Skyscraper in pink

This skyscraper in Midtown is pretty in pink and I bet a lot of businessmen work here!

View from Lexington and 55th

More of Bloomingdale's

Sometimes I don't mind walking home in the rain. It can make for the greatest photo opp, especially at night when there aren't as many people around—even in front of one of the busiest department stores in New York: Bloomingdale's. 

I used to work a few blocks away from this store, but I've only been shopping there once. 

At night, the outside of Bloomie's is a beautiful sight. The old white exit/entrance sign that faces Lexington Avenue glows, the window displays surprise, and the surroundings amaze : )  

Nighttime passersby in the rain

New Juicy Couture window display

Multi-colored Louis Vuitton

The corner of Bloomingdale's on Lexington Avenue and 59th Street has a nice transitioning Louis Vuitton display.  First I was impressed by the neon red/orange so I got out my camera to take a picture. I turned around to walk away and it was pointed out to me that the display had changed colors! The neon green was nice too. Bloomingdale's, I'm impressed!

stop!

go!

On the train in Astoria

There are so many inspirational things in New York and even in Queens, like the elevated subway line, the graffiti on sides of buildings and the random things you spot when walking along the sidewalk: decorative elements on a fence or an item that's been set out for recycling. All of these things have a relation to one another. Sometimes it's the color, the texture, the location, the item's purpose, the way the sunlight affects it, etc.

I made this video earlier in the summer because I was inspired by my regular walk to the gym in Astoria. Construction sites, poles, cars and parks are always nearby, and it always takes a quick subway ride to get there. Most of my ideas for this video came to me on the train, so you'll see a lot of interior and exterior shots of the subway as well:

The subway station at night

There's never any reason to smile when you're waiting for the subway fairly late at night, like between 10 pm and 12 am. No reason at all, unless you are standing there in the heat with a friend, able to talk and pass the time over the course of the 10 minutes to half hour that you are waiting. 

I used to defend the subway, even at night. It used to be so reliable, and so much cheaper. But this summer they raised the price of a metro card and slowed down or eliminated most services. And maybe the heat slows the trains down too? Maybe by the time you got to the platform, you just missed it and the next one is delayed because of... the poor economy? (This always happens to me.)

Either way, sometimes you have to get creative and entertain yourself when waiting for your ride home to take you home. There are plenty of people around who are waiting too, but they are strangers, so all you have is your iPod, the games on your phone, and sometimes your camera. Despite the trash and rats and weird leaky things hanging from the ceiling, there are photo opportunities even in this underground dungeon. 

Some are smiling right at you, so go ahead and take their picture!

(light bulbs hanging from the ceiling at the 42nd Street NRW station)

Inside and (outside) the Palace Hotel

The CW's Gossip Girl has had tourists and even locals in NYC visiting the show's famous filming spots. Places seen on the show, like Central Park, The Meatpacking District, Dylan's Candy Bar, Bendel's and The Palace Hotel, have been frequented by everyone fascinated with the characters and luxurious New York backdrop. There are even on-located tours provided for $30 or $40 that start out at The Palace Hotel on Madison Avenue between 50th and 51st. Most of the 1st season's juicy episodes were shot here, and I stopped by right away to see if I'd be lucky enough to spot the cast filming.

I never did, but I thanks to a tip on twitter, I once saw them filming on East 55th for an exterior apartment building shot at The Milan. All of the cast was friendly except for "Serena"!

Anyway, one night I went to The Palace Hotel with a friend, and I have to say, I wasn't too impressed with the interior or the bar, 'Gilt', which is featured several times in the show. Everything, even in New York, appears bigger and better on screen than it does in person (except for Time Square I have to say).

The 'Gilt' bar


At the 'Gilt' bar

View from inside the Courtyard of the nearby buildings

Night shots

Because it's been so hot out during the day lately, I've been going out in the evenings more when it cools off a little bit. Movies with a view are much better in the dark, and participating in Central Park's Film Festival is easier when the sun starts to go down (especially when it's raining).

Even shopping on a Saturday in the city is easier when you start around 5 or 6 pm. Stores stay open just late enough, but not late enough that you shop too much or as much as you would when it's early afternoon (this is good)!

One of the greatest things about nighttime in the city is the view of illuminated building tops. The lighted points and edges make great photo opportunities and are of course interesting and beautiful.

The Empire State Building, seen from 21st & 6th


View from Broadway and 23rd Street

Building in Union Square, on East 16th Street

another building in Union Square, on East 16th Street

Movies with a View

On Thursday nights throughout this summer, Brooklyn Bridge Park has been a host to Movies With a View, out on the lawn overlooking the skyn of downtown Manhattan. Brooklyn Bridge Park is located in DUMBO, Brooklyn (DUMBO = Down Under The Manhattan Bridge).

Last night, Catch Me If You Can was showing and I got there early to get a good spot on the lawn and take in the views before the sun set. Before long, it got crowded and dark, and the movie started. It was a great movie and it felt sort of like camping in the midst of the heat wave New York has been having!

The Brooklyn Bridge and the screen for the movie


View of the skyline and the crowd on the lawn

Rabbit ears

One day on my way to Sheeps Meadow I passed by a mini-photoshoot taking place near the bottom of Central Park near 59th Street and 7th Avenue. Someone in rabbit ears was posing underneath a bridge and I was tempted to believe it might be a Gossip Girl photoshot, A-ha!

It's always fun to come across a photoshoot taking place somewhere in the city, especially on Madison Avenue where the fancy shops and people are.

Meatpacking

There are a lot of great restaurants and clubs in the Meatpacking District, but there are also many great photo opps and artistic sites there too. I used to think that the only time I would ever end up there would be to go to a trendy club or restaurant, but I would never get a chance to do that anyway, so when the new High Line park opened up above the Meatpacking District, running from Gansevoort Street to 20th Street, I had the opportunity to make it over there for a little sight-seeing.

Cool mural off of Washington Street



Spotted on the ground on Washington Street, in front of the Standard Hotel




The High Line Park

The Empire State Building

Everywhere I go in the city, I see one particularly tall building from almost every street corner and public park - The Empire State Building. The best view of course is either from an airplane window or from right below it on 5th Avenue and 34th Street, or from nearby in or around Herald Square. But I love to see it when I'm farther away inside a Chelsea art gallery or maybe out and about in the Flat Iron District or the SoHo area. It's always a wonderful and familiar sight!


view from 33rd Street and Park Avenue


view from Madison Square Park/Flat Iron District

view from Bryant Park on 42nd Street between 5th & 6th

view from the elevated subway in Astoria, Queens


view from the Leows movie theater on 32nd & 2nd

Near Gramercy Park

Thanks to a suggestion I received on Twitter (@NYCphotos), I learned about a neat little neighborhood near Gramercy Park. The part of town is called Gramercy and it's below Murray Hill on the east side of Manhattan. I'd glimpsed Gramercy Park from a cab window once before and always wanted to come back and explore. I finally did and though it was raining, it was pleasant to see the beautiful homes, stoops, hotel entrances, etc. 

Central Park animals

I love seeing the animals in Central Park—though I have yet to visit the Central Park zoo! While visiting Turtle Pond, I spent what felt like an hour just watching the turtles swim around near the rocks. At one point, just before it poured rain, there were a bunch of people around, including a little girl, all watching the turtles peek their heads above the water and through the duckweed, looking for food. Most of the turtles were your basic size, but one in particular was humongous! The little girl reached her hand out to the turtle and he almost ate it haha. I felt bad for the turtle because he seemed hungry so later on after I got a snack at Public Fare, the concession stand inside the Delacorte Theater, I brought a little bit of it back to give the turtle, but because of the torrential downpour that just happened, all of the little turtles were gone.

I waited for them to come back, but they never did... 

^(lol, I don't mean to sound sad or serious here, but it's true!)

Turtle Pond

The biggest turtle they had there!

Three ducks in a row in Turtle Pond

Central Park settings

I heard about a place in Central Park that I've never been to. It made me realize that I always only go to the same three places when I go to Central Park: The Pond, Sheeps Meadow and Bethesda Terrace. It made me realize that I have a lot more places to see while I'm here! So I decided to finally venture beyond the terrace, up Cedar Hill and into the area where Turtle Pond, Belvedere Castle and the ball fields of the Great Lawn are (and it's a really large lawn!).

This is a great area. It's located I'd say near the 76th or 79th Street entrance from 5th Avenue, but in the center of the park.

View of Turtle Pond

Belvedere Castle above Turtle Pond

View from Belvedere Castle

*and it absolutely poured rain right after I took these photos!

Inside Ikea

I'm a long way from Strawberry Fields now (that's the title of this photo blog - "I could not stay in Strawberry Fields forever"). I started writing this about a year ago in April when I noticed how amazing the change of seasons was. I had a lot of photos from when I lived a few blocks away from Strawberry Fields in the Upper West Side, and those photos were starting to pile up along with new photos of other parks and neighborhoods throughout Manhattan and the other boroughs (Queens and Brooklyn).

Maybe not every day, but most days I try to go on an adventure and see a new place or revisit an old one during a different season so that I can capture a different image of what it looks like. I've been to Brooklyn a lot, but never out to the new Ikea store in Red Hook and I finally got the chance to go this past week.

Rather than shop for sofas and poang chairs, I took some pictures and enjoyed the view of the Statue of Liberty from inside the upstairs cafeteria where I had chicken fingers and french fries. It's always so amazing to catch a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty. I was excited enough as it was just to see it through the windows of the water taxi on the way there... and here I was sitting in a Swedish chair at a Swedish table eating what I suppose were Swedish chicken strips, enjoying a view of one of the most famous statues in the world.


View of the Statue of Liberty from inside the Ikea cafeteria


The Ikea cafeteria

View of one of the put-together rooms

Signs were everywhere for their food, ha ha!