Scattered Light in Madison Square Park

I saw images of this public art installation set up in Madison Square Park on flickr, and with the park being near my office I went over after work to try and catch it in both light and dark. The display is up through February and features LED lights put together by new media artist Jim Campbell.

Some interesting information and more pictures here on NYC <3 NYC's blog.

The Guggenheim during YouTube Play

On Friday, October 22nd, The Guggenheim Museum held another one of their 'Art After Dark' events as part of an ongoing after-hours series, centered around a current exhibition. The main exhibit was YouTube Play, in which 25 videos selected from thousands of YouTube submissions were displayed in the 2nd level Annex of the museum. Visitors between the hours of 9 pm and Midnight enjoyed a private viewing of the YouTube Play presentation and projections of an assortment of videos on the museum's Frank Lloyd Wright-designed exterior.







An exhibit titled, 'Chaos and Classicism: Art in France, Italy, and Germany, 1918–1936' is also currently on display, through January 9th, 2011.

My favorite spot in Central Park

My favorite spot in Central Park is near the entrance at 86th Street and Central Park West. It's called the Arthur Ross Pinetum, an arboretum filled with pine trees, benches and picnic tables. I took a picture here 4 years ago in the summer of 2006 when I was interning in the city and participating in a baseball game nearby on the Great Lawn.

I submitted the photo to Creative Quarterly: The Journal of Art & Design, and it was published in their Summer 2007 issue (around the same time I moved to New York City), so the picture means a lot to me.

So while at the park during this particular visit, I lounged in the grass with friends and admired my surroundings. I ventured off to take pictures of the reservoir, the winding paths and the grassy area inside the Pinetum.

Now, four years later, I decided to visit again and recapture my favorite spot. From there, I can easily walk to the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir to admire the swimming turtles and floating ducks in the dark blue water. I hope to make it back here a few more times this month and next before it gets to cold—but even then I will surely be back to take pictures of my favorite Central Park spot in the snow!

 

The Reservoir

The Amazing Maize Maze in Queens

So after traveling East on the BQE and LIE, we ended up in Floral Park, Queens, to attend the Amazing Maize Maze at the Queens County Farm Museum. We had to sign up and get a wristband to enter the 3-acre corn maze, where we were greeted by a volunteer among the tall stalks. He described to us rules of the scavenger hunt—to look for clues and puzzle pieces in order to complete the maze. We were also instructed to carry tall flag poles for them to spot us with in case we got lost, and to use code words when asking for clues on how to find our way out.

It was a very scenic adventure!

Learning the rules of the maze

We begin the corn maze!

Volunteers up on a viewing deck that helped to give out clues

 

Mailboxes with puzzle pieces

Signs with clues

The last leg of the maze - another viewing deck where the DJ stood

The view from the deck, of the 3-acres of corn stalks

After the maze, we took a look at the farm animals

pigs mixed in with sheep

llamas

A pumpkin patch!

This event will be going on every Saturday and Sunday, 10 am - 5 pm through November 7th, 2010.

On the LIE and BQE

Over the weekend some friends and I went out to the Queens County Farm Museum to attend the Amazing Maize Maze - a 3-acre corn maze located on the farm, where there was a scavenger hunt, a DJ and live music. The farm also had pigs, llamas, hens, turkeys, horses, goats, sheep, a butterfly garden, pumpkin picking and hot apple cider stands.

On the way out there, we drove on the BQE and the LIE and enjoyed views of the New York City skyline and the lone skyscraper in Long Island City, the Citibank building.

Pictures of the corn maze and llamas are to come in the next post...

The last weekend of Governor's Island

It took me 5 months to make it out to Governor's Island. I'm ashamed that I went on the last weekend of it being open for this season, which was the weekend of October 9th & 10th, but it was so hot this past summer I just couldn't make it outside unless it was to go grocery shopping (Governor's Island opens sometime in early June).

I went with a friend for Oktoberfest but the event was at capacity by the time we got there so we settled for a beer and a walk along Water Taxi Beach. While there I enjoyed the views of Lower Manhattan and the Jersey City skyline across the Hudson River.

There were also great views of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, along with glimpses of cruise ships, sailboats and water taxis passing by.

And it is a quick 7 minute ferry ride from the Battery Maritime Building in Lower Manhattan (by the Staten Island ferry terminal). I hope to make it out there more often next summer and fall...

View of Lower Manhattan across the Hudson River


View of Lower Manhattan and the Jersey City skyline from Water Taxi Beach


There are bicycles for rent or you can bring your own to Governor's Island


Interesting street names along the promenade


An empty, historical house on the island


Old cannons at Fort Jay

Visiting the Cloisters Museum during the Medieval Festival

On October 3rd I made my way up to Upper Manhattan and into Fort Tyron Park for the annual Medieval Festival. My friends and I snacked on turkey legs and dragon juice, watched a magic show (I even participated), and listened to some musical performances as we roamed up and down Margaret Corbin Drive, just north of 190th Street and West of Broadway, in Inwood.

Our aim was to spend some time at the festival and then head to the top of the park to visit the Cloisters Museum, which most of us had never been to before. We enjoyed the architecture, the views and the gardens, all the while surrounded by other festival goers in armor and Renaissance gowns!

The view East from Fort Tyron Park


A performance by Melissa The Loud, playing the hurdy gurdy musical instrument


A magic show by Michael Lee, Man of Magic

A Unicorn at the festival!


View of some vendor tents from the Cloister's West Terrace

The Cloisters Museum front entrance


Cloisters Garden view


Another view from the West Terrace of the Cloisters Museum




I wasn't sure what kind of animal this was, but I spotted it from the Bonnefont Cloister and Garden Area.

(I've been told it's a groundhog/woodchuck)

Kayaking on the Hudson River

For the 4th time this Summer/Fall I went kayaking in hopes of some great photo opps. Back in July I first went at 72nd Street in the Upper West Side with Downtown Boathouse. It is free and you just walk up, sign up, grab a life jacket, take off your shoes, put your belongings in a locker and wait your turn in one of the kayaks on the dock. I'd never been kayaking before but last Fall I went canoeing in Central Park by the Boathouse and thanks to that previous experience I sort of had the hang of it.

About 2 months later when it cooled off some friends and I went again down to Pier 40 off of West Houston Street and the West Side Highway. Again, it was free with no reservations and you could just walk up and wait to get into a kayak. While kayaking in the cool weather, we wished we had our cameras on board with us to take pictures of the fantastic view of Jersey City across the river from us, and of Lower Manhattan/Battery Park City below us.

When we ventured out to Astoria to kayak at Hallet's Cove (located off the 30th Ave or Broadway stops on the NQ subway line, by Socrates Sculpture Park), we came better prepared to take pictures. We had plastic baggies to keep in our pockets and save until we were steady in the water and ready to snap a shot of the nearby Roosevelt Island and Carl Schurz Park just across the East River. This kayaking is also free (donations are welcome) and is put on by volunteers with the L.I.C. Community Boathouse.

Here's the view from kayaking in Hallet's Cove:

View towards the beach and shore at Hallet's Cove in Astoria

View toward Midtown Manhattan - Empire State Building and Chrysler Buildings

It was a cold and gray day though, so I wasn't crazy about the pictures but still determined to kayak with my camera again.

So last weekend we visited Pier 40 again and along with our cameras took pictures from the kayak. We saw sailboats, cruise ships, yellow water taxis and even little motor boats go by several times, which created a quite a wake. We also took fun pictures of each other (see agent j loves agent a's flickr photos from this time around).

The view of Jersey City from Pier 40

My friends kayaking near the esplanade

The view toward Lower Manhattan and Battery Park City

*Free kayaking at with Downtown Boathouse at Piers 40, 96 and 72nd Street ends Sunday, October 17th.

Dumbo Arts Festival 2010

This was my third time at the Dumbo Arts Festival. Last year I went solo and this year I went with a group but ended up wandering off by myself to explore more of Pier 1 and Brooklyn Bridge Park. There were musical performances including a marching band, some wedding photos taking place, and an actual wedding ceremony on the park lawn with the Manhattan skyline as the backdrop. I also came across some cool dance routines being performed out on Pier 1 with the picturesque Brooklyn Bridge in the background.

More pictures here of the dancers.

Wedding ceremony taking place on Saturday during the festival

Brooklyn Bridge Park, on the rocks

View of the Manhattan Bridge from inside an artists' studio at 10 Jay Street