Pianos throughout the 5 boroughs

I think most people have heard by now about the 60 pianos placed in pubic parks and spaces throughout the 5 boroughs of New York City as part of the Play Me, I'm Yours outdoor art installation. These are real pianos with real keys and peddles for anyone to sit down at and play their choice of music on.

I visited the musical spot of Lincoln Center where Julliard, Alice Tully Hall and the Metropolitan Opera attract music lovers of all kinds. There were two pianos located there, with the sounds of Beatles classics filling the crowded space. Impromptu performers here, like the one below, seemed to love all of the attention!

Next I ventured out to Long Island City in Queens to not only see the two pianos in action out there, but to get a good view of the City skyline from across the East River. It was a treat to also see the Pepsi Cola sign up close. It is located by the north end of the Gantry State Plaza Park, just off of 50th Avenue and 2nd Street and close to the Vernon Blvd/Jackson Ave. 7 subway stop.

Lavender NYC sky

The sky really caught my eye one evening above the Manhattan skyline. I went out to Dumbo, Brooklyn for an Etsy craft party and stopped by the Brooklyn Bridge Park to relax and take in the view of the Brooklyn Bridge and the buildings of downtown Manhattan. I got there kind of early and stayed a while, watching the sky go from blue, to lavender, to orange, but left before it went black.

Museum Mile Festival 2010

Last year I discovered one of New York's most unique and totally appropriate festivals—The Museum Mile Festival. I did not know what to expect, other than to visit several of the museums and galleries along Museum Mile (5th Avenue between 82nd and 105th Streets).

Last year there were chalk drawings, street performers, interactive art and even a human rolling around in a life-size hamster ball (sorry, cannot find the picture...) I walked the entire "mile", visiting several sites and enjoying the street scenes.

This year, I teamed up with Joseph to walk the mile, starting at the Metropolitan Museum and enjoying the views from the roof top deck where they had a fascinating installation up by Doug+Mike Starn called "Big Bambu". I don't know how these guys did it but they really built something big!

View toward Midtown from the Met roof top deck


"Big Bambu" installation on the roof top deck




The crowds on Museum Mile


Chalk drawing by Artist De La Vega


Another chalk drawing (not De La Vega)

The view from above NYC

After an hour of sitting at the gate and coasting on the runway, we finally left the La Guardia airport located in Queens, New York—but just in time for storm clouds and a dull sky to get in the way of my view.

The airline didn't tell us why were were so delayed, but I didn't mind, because all I wanted was the chance to see the city from above. I must have stared at the "Welcome to New York" sign on the edge of the runway for 45 minutes.





I don't normally choose a window seat when I travel and this time I did, but the choice was almost wasted on the bad weather that seemed to hit us just as we took off.

So we took off and from above I could just barely see the Empire State Building, the very pointy Chrysler Building and the rest of the New York City skyscrapers that pierce the polluted sky.

Then the view was over and we flew above the clouds....




The Unisphere in Flushing Meadows, Queens which was installed
during the 1964-65 World's Fair



Then as we passed through the storm clouds and flew over Queens and toward the Atlantic, I got a peek at Coney Island in Brooklyn—the Cyclone roller coaster, the Ringling Brothers tents, the beach and the nearby Verazzano-Narrows Bridge that leads to Staten Island.

View towards Coney Island and Brighton Beach in Brooklyn


Google map of Coney Island

Views from Bushwick, Brooklyn

Over the weekend there was an open studio event in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Bushwick is located southeast of Williamsburg and close to Queens. Artists opened their studios to the public as part of Bushwick Open Studios 2010. Visitors could talk with the Artist, check out their work space and view works in progress. A lot of the "studios" were the Artists' homes and they were very nice and spacious—with paint and canvas everywhere!

I went with a group and toured maybe 25 studios out of 300. It was very hot and we were in and out of numerous buildings. I don't know why the heat waits to break out on the weekends when people are out exploring the city, then goes away during the week when people are safe inside their offices...

Anyway, it was an inspiring arts festival showcasing many forms of fine art, studio art and mixed media.

From almost every street and outdoor patio in Bushwick, you can get a glimpse of The Empire State Building and the rest of the Manhattan skyline.

For some reason, it always looks so blue... maybe it's the Yankee's colors?

View from a roof deck at Troutman Studios


Manhattan skyline faaaaaar in the background





Inside an Artist's studio at Troutman Studios


Many canvases inside an Artist's studio


Art supplies


Signs outside Artist Studio #116

Inside Limelight Marketplace

The new Limelight Marketplace opened up sometime recently, and I came across it one day while walking down Sixth Avenue on my way to Bed, Bath and Beyond. I stepped inside and couldn't believe what they'd done with the place—not that I'd ever been inside before... back when it was the Avalon Nightclub. I do remember seeing lines of people waiting outside though, and wondering what they were waiting for all dressed up outside of a church on a Friday night.

The marketplace has many upscale shops like Hunter Boots and LeSportscac; fancy dessert spots like Butterfly Bakeshop and Cupcake Stop; and soon to come, the famous Grimaldi's pizza! Complementing all of the gourmet foods sold on site is a peak season fruit and vegetable market outside in the courtyard.

This is the perfect place to go for unique food and gift ideas, and an historic architectural view since this venue dates back to 1847!

The outside


Busy on a Saturday!


View across 6th Avenue from the entrance


View from inside the entrance

Views from Midtown

My work sent me out to another one of our furnished apartments to assist in a photo shoot, this one being at The Centria, located in Midtown by Rockefeller Plaza. While the professional photographer took his interior shots with a Nikon D200, I take my hobby/for fun shots with a little Sony.

With this particular photo shoot, both of our pictures came out with different backgrounds. We started at noon with the sky looking dark and gray, and ended at 1:30 with a clear blue sky and cottony white clouds.


The view from one of the bedrooms looking south


Close up of the Empire State Building


At one point the view looked like this:


But an hour before it looked like this!




View towards Avenue of the Americas

Hudson River, Pier 66 Maritime

I traveled from Mid-Chelsea to the edge of Manhattan and out to Pier 66 to take some pictures of Jersey City and the Hudson River. I last went out there in March for the Fountain Art Fair and it was very cold out on the water.

It was windy and sunny so it was hard to see anything or to even stand still (the winds were powerful enough to blow you a few feet away!) but I managed to spot the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, as well as some buildings in lower Manhattan and Weekhawken, NJ.

From there I had lunch at The Frying Pan, an historic lightship docked on Pier 66 Maritime that serves as a sort of dive bar/seasonal bar and grill with a tiki bar. In March when I attended the Fountain Art Fair that took place on the ship, I could feel the boat rocking from the wind and water, and it did the same when I was out there on this windy May day!!


View of Jersey City, the Goldman Sachs Tower and the Statue of Liberty
(to the left of the tower)


View towards Midtown and the Empire State Building


Park on Pier 66, view towards New Jersey


View toward Chelsea Piers from the dock of The Frying Pan


The John J. Harvey fireboat, situated next to The Frying Pan, formerly of the FDNY.

Through the glass

While at the Affordable Art Fair last Thursday (at 7 West 34th Street), I spent some time relaxing in the lounge and enjoying the view uptown towards Times Square and Bryant Park. Even at 7:30 in the evening the sun provided what looked like an early afternoon view.

View towards Times Square and Bryant Park

View towards Midtown East, The Chrysler Building

The Affordable Art Fair

The Affordable Art Fair is my new favorite art fair in New York. It was similar to The Armory Show, which was rows and rows of 20th and 21st Century fine art set up in gallery booths from all over the world.

This show was comprised of rows and rows of fine art from both young talent and established artists and galleries, but it wasn't as overwhelming and the artwork seemed closer to home (lots of city scenes). I didn't buy anything because my walls are already covered with Jack Vettriano, Le Chat Noir and vintage James Dean posters, but the theme is affordable art ranging in price from $100 - $10,000.

While there I enjoyed viewing works from local NYC galleries, London and Toronto galleries, and even the familiar studios in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Below are some of my favorites.

Julio Brujis, 'New York', digital photographic print
at the Mark Jason Gallery booth from London


Floyd Douglas, Dutch artist, photography on canvas
on display at The Art Shop booth from Amsterdam

Stephen Brooks, acrylic on canvas pieces from Behr-Thyssen LTD in New York

Goodnight Moon

While walking home alone up Broadway to 5th Avenue, I spotted the moon. That's a rarity in the city as it's usually blocked from view. I noticed a couple of people taking pictures of it, so I joined in. We were on the corner of 20th Street I believe, and even though it was after 8:00, there was still a bit of daylight with a hint of night-light.

I walked a few blocks north toward Madison Square Park and on my right was the Metropolitan Life Tower with the clock and then on my left was the Empire State Building. Even though I see it every night, you'll still find me taking a picture of it for some reason. And as we go into the end of Spring and the beginning of the Summer season, I hope to see more of the moon every night.

Looking East on 20th Street

The Met Life Tower at One Madison Avenue

The Empire State Building

The CRRNJ in Liberty State Park

For travel between Manhattan and New Jersey, as well as to Ellis Island, the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal (CRRNJ) was built in 1889. Today it is mostly used for recreational purposes—a station for ferries full of tourists and maybe a local commuting here and there.

The Earth Day 2010 celebration took place inside the terminal and out on the lawn surrounding it. There were lots of families there partaking in activities, eating funnel cake and watching a concert that was going on. I was there mainly for the views though!


The CRRNJ


Inside the terminal


Spring flowers and an old train parked in the background


Events taking place in the park

"... the largest human migration in modem history and is a memorial to the immigrant experience.

Ellis and Liberty Islands share this important era in American history with the CRRNJ Terminal. Millions of immigrants, having been greeted by the Statue and processed at Ellis Island, traveled to their new homes via trains from the CRRNJ Terminal. - www.libertystatepark.org