5th Avenue gold

On Thanksgiving night, after a day of rest from all of the early morning parade activity, I went out to dinner in the Theater District then walked up and down 5th Avenue admiring the holiday lights and window displays. The golden lights reflecting off the storefronts caught my eye the most throughout the night, as well as the gold shades and glowing hues in signs, flags, statues and so on.

Looking north on 5th Avenue from 49th Street


Rockefeller Center's ice skating rink (just off 5th Avenue & 49th Street)
The Rock Center Cafe and the Prometheus statue


30 Rock and the flags around the perimeter of the ice skating rink




The golden seal outside of Cartier


Bendel's


Looking south on 5th Avenue toward 49th Street

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

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

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