The Crowds on 34th Street, in Midtown

Photo by myself, at 34th Street and Sixth Avenue, in Midtown.

There are people, people, everywhere, especially on this street corner in Midtown.

34th Street is just round the bend from the Empire State Building and steps away from Times Square. There are many, many clothing stores in this area, including the Macy's department store.

All the very popular chains like Uniqlo, the Gap and Zara have outposts here. It is a shopper's delight.

Related posts: The Crowds on Lower Broadway, A Glimpse of 42nd Street, Times Square, and Across the Crowded Sidewalk, in Midtown.

Wine Tasting Outdoors, in Midtown

Photo by myself, around 35th Street and Broadway, in Midtown.

A fellow representing the Robibero Winery beckoned passersby to try free samples of their wine during lunch hour. He wore a funny shirt decorated with wine bottles at an outdoor market, in Midtown.

The Robibero family vineyards are located in New Paltz, New York, 85 miles north of Manhattan. They produce many different white and red wines.

As with any business, please do some research first. I had serious work to do in the afternoon, so I sadly could not enjoy a taste.

For the Robibero website, click here.

Related posts: Outside a Creperie, in Park Slope, Brooklyn, Outside Pinisi Bakery, on East 4th Street, and On the Price of a Slice, Downtown.

Making Change, on Fifth Avenue

Photo by myself at 50th Street and Fifth Avenue.

I wish I could say this fellow was presenting me with money, but alas, it was not the case. He was making change for a customer, out of frame.

There are loads of visitors right now in the city, and street food carts on the sidewalks at all hours. This cart sold large pretzels, hot dogs and drinks. In the wintertime, many carts also sell hot chestnuts.

Related posts: All Lit Up on Fifth Avenue, Street Meats on Seventh Avenue, and Pizza Truck, Only a Buck.

Protest, on the Steps of the New York Public Library

Photo by myself, at the main branch of the New York Public Library.

Protesters occupied the steps of the main branch of the public library, Monday night. People held signs and handed out flyers to passersby.

The story I got from the protesters was that budget cuts will mean that some library branches will be eliminated.

Budget cuts also mean job losses, fewer books available for researchers and fewer library branches. At the same time, the buildings that once housed libraries would be available for developers. Developers mean tax money and future hotels or high-end real estate.

Ah yes, it's all about money.

There are many are very happy that New York withstood the recession for the most part. But there are also those who look around at the huge stores and very expensive apartments and long for 'Old New York', a city that was shabbier around the edges but that was filled with unique nooks and crannies.

For more about the libraries from the protesters point of view, visit their Save NYC Libraries website, here.



Related posts: Women in Black, Against War, Portrait of a Picket Line, in Hell's Kitchen, and Occupying Wall Street, One Day at a Time.

Pedicab, on Sixth Avenue

Photo by myself on Sixth Avenue, in Midtown.

A pedicab driver posed for me the other day. Behind him, was a slew of regular yellow cabs.

I asked him about his mock license plate on the front of his bike. He doesn't actually own a taxi license, which costs hundreds of thousands of dollars and are bolted down to the hoods of yellow cabs.

As you can see, it's been raining on and off recently, but this pedicab is equipped for the weather. He asked whether he could give me a ride.

I laughed and said I was going to Brooklyn. A long trip!

Related posts: Pedalling Around Columbus Circle, Before a Tour, Pedicab Style, and Working It.

From the Steps of the NYPL

Photo by myself, around 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue.

An event was held at the main branch of the New York Public Library, Thursday night.

A red carpet lay at the very top of the steps.

Related posts: Random Graffiti, on Second Avenue, Graffiti, Williamsburg, and Ruff Ride, in the East Village.

Street Corner, in Midtown

Photo by myself, somewhere in Midtown.

The street corners in the mornings can be crowded, with people waiting impatiently for the light to change.

People usually creep off the sidewalks and into the street, which is kind of dangerous. Thankfully, the only accidents I've seen involve cyclists, not cars.

The light is streaming down the street, as it does every morning. Ah, the canyons of the city.

Related posts: Street Crossing, on Fifth Avenue, Crosswalk, at Prince Street, Soho, and Waiting, in Times Square.

The New York Times Building, All Lit Up

Photo by myself, at 41st Street and Seventh Avenue, in Midtown.

New York Times Building was lit up, Tuesday night. The elegant tower is located just steps from Times Square.

This building is sheathed in white porcelain tubes, which create a screen. The real windows are set back behind the screen. All sunlight is indirect and the air conditioning doesn't need to work as hard.

We've been having really lovely weather these days - coolish and sunny. All the flowering trees in Central Park are heavy with blossoms. Spring has sprung!

Related posts: Dusk, in Bryant Park, Washington Square Park, at Dusk, and The Empire State, at Dusk.

Posing with the Statue of Liberty, in Midtown

Photo by myself, somewhere in Midtown.

There are mini Statue of Liberties sprinkled throughout the city, for the occasional photo-op. This one stood outside a souvenir store in Midtown.

Related posts: Lady Liberty, in the Distance, Statues of Liberty, in Midtown, and Greetings from New York.

Sunshine, 38th Street

Photo by myself around 38th Street and Eighth Avenue, on the West Side.

Don't be fooled by the glum faces and jackets. Spring has sprung!

We've had a blast of incredibly unseasonably warm weather in the last few days. It reached 73F (22C), Tuesday afternoon, which felt sultry.

People walked about wearing big silly grins. So. Not. New York.
--Apologies once again for the sporadic posts.

Work has been demanding and my little Leica has been on the fritz. I've had to either lug around my Canon 40D with its huge lens, or use my little Canon point and shoot, which doesn't work so well.

The good news is, the Leica is getting repaired. I can't wait til it's back in my little hands!

Related posts: Street Crossing on Fifth Avenue, A Moment, on Fifth Avenue, and It's Fleet Week, on Sixth Avenue.

Atop Radio City Music Hall, in Neon

Photo by myself, around Sixth Avenue and 50th Street, in Midtown.

The old-fashioned neon lights at Radio City Music Hall are lit every night, showing coming attractions.

This stretch of midtown is empty at night, save people strolling around. Most of the buildings are very tall and business-oriented. At street level, there are few stores or restaurants, so not much is open at this hour.

For a daytime view of this corner, click here.
--As with every trip, I start feeling nostalgic about New York just before leaving. Like clockwork.

People have been envious of our upcoming trip to Las Vegas and LA. Oh, the sun, the warmer weather. In fact it snowed here again, Thursday, just to prove that it's not quite Spring yet.

Thanks to all for putting up with my spotty posts. It's been that kind of busy. Posts will continue here in the meantime.

Related posts: Outside Radio City Music Hall, on Sixth Avenue, Bright Lights at BAM, and In Neon, on the Upper West Side.

Across Vanderbilt, in Midtown

Photo by myself at 42nd Street and Vanderbilt Avenue.

Believe it or not, above Houston Street there are a handful of streets that don't have numbers for names.

Vanderbilt Avenue is a tiny street that spans just a few blocks in Midtown. Grand Central Station, which was built by Cornelius Vanderbilt in the mid-1800s, is located at southmost end of the street.
--It's been cold and dreary and grey here. We even had a spot of snow. Ugh!

Related posts: All Lit Up, on Fifth Avenue, In Neon, on Seventh Avenue, and After the Rain, in Midtown.

Strolling down Sixth Avenue, in Midtown

Photo by myself on Sixth Avenue, in Midtown.

Just a snapshot from a short walk down Sixth Avenue, in Midtown.

As you can see, all the snow has disappeared. First, it quickly turned to filthy slush, which was then washed away with rain.

Related posts: Evening, on Sixth Avenue, This Way to Subway, in Midtown, and Back to the Grind, in Midtown.

It's Suddenly Winter, in Midtown

Photo by myself on Sixth Avenue, in Midtown.

It's suddenly cold here, as if it's actually winter! Egad. People stumbled about with scarves wrapped around their heads, Tuesday morning.

Monday we woke up to a frigid 9 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 13, Celsius). The winds made it feel much, much colder!

Related posts: On a Winter Day, at the Plaza Hotel, It's Chilly in Midtown and Prospect Park, and All A-Shiver, on the Streets.

A Snapshot, from Midtown

Photo by myself in Midtown.

A photo from the stash, when it was much warmer.

Just a snapshot from daily life - a delivery guy schlepping a lunch order, a woman checking her phone, and visitors looking a little lost.

Apologies for the sporadic posts once again. It's been crazy busy and I've been under the weather.

Related posts: Street Crossing, on Fifth Avenue, Brrrr, in Midtown, and Stampede, in Midtown.

Store Closing, on Fifth Avenue

Photo by myself, around Fifth Avenue and 43rd Street, in Midtown.

Large signs announced the closing of an antiques store, in Midtown.

This photo is from the stash. It's not uncommon, however, to see stores shutting down and new ones emerging.

New York City has generally been lucky during the whole crisis. Real estate prices are back on the rise, and I believe vacancies for storefronts have been low.

Related posts: Now on Sale, in Midtown, Women in Black, Against War, and Free Massages, in Union Square.

Foot Traffic, on Sixth Avenue

Photo by myself on Sixth Avenue, around 35th Street in Midtown.

A typical view down a typical avenue, during the day.

I would say this is a typical 'non-rush hour' view, meaning that you can see spaces to either side of people. People wearing their wintry gear and ear buds. People of all different ethnicities and ages.

People, people, people.

As usual, there is scaffolding in the background. Rush hour crowds are easily 3x more crowded than the photo above.

Happy Friday, everyone!

Related posts: The Crowds on Lower Broadway, Across the Crowded Sidewalk, in Midtown, and The Daily Madness, Outside Madison Square Garden.

The View Down 32nd Street, Midtown

Photo by myself at 32nd Street and Seventh Avenue, in Midtown.

A traffic cop helped to direct traffic on Seventh Avenue.

This is a very busy part of town, just a block away from Macy's. Ahead, a copper-clad bridge connects two buildings, high above the street.

You see some of these pedestrian bridges on the west side, for whatever reason, usually connecting warehouses together.

Related posts: Warehousing Art, in Chelsea, Cold Reality, and Gone Fishin', Along the East River.

Unhate, on Fifth Avenue

Photo by myself at Fifth Avenue and 48th Street, in Midtown.

Happy New Year, Everyone!

Just a snapshot from Fifth Avenue from a little while ago. The 'Unhate' ad campaign by Benneton caused a stir, showing various political leaders kissing one another.

Above, a two-story high Obama is shown with Chinese President Hu Jintao.

It's hard to believe it's 2013. Wowee. I wish everyone a happy and healthy new year!

Related posts: Bikini-Clad, on Prince Street, Our Commander and Chief, Above 7th Avenue, and It All Ends, Above Chelsea.

Street Crossing, on Fifth Avenue

Photo by myself, around Fifth Avenue and 50th Street, in Midtown.

We had a chilly day in the city, Christmas Day.

If there is ever a 'good' day to be in New York in terms of traffic, I would suggest Christmas Day. Not many people are driving about, and parking rules are suspended. So you can park just about anywhere.

I used my new Canon 75-300mm lens to take the above photo. It is taking some getting used to, since you can only take photos of things more than 5 feet away. Unfortunately if you see something very interesting nearby, you can't take a photo of it (!).

Related posts: Lost in a Crowd, in Midtown, Strolling Down Sixth Avenue, in the Sun, and Business as Usual, in Midtown.