On Canal Street and Funny or Die

Photo by myself at Broadway and Canal Street, near Chinatown.

A photo from a warmer time.

Canal Street is a street busy with car and pedestrian traffic. The on ramp to the Manhattan Bridge is on the eastern end of this street, and the sidewalks are lined with vendors selling perfume, jewelry and clothing.

--By chance, my fiance Mark and I tuned in to a new show of the 'Funny or Die' series, called 'Billy on the Street'.

This guy named Billy Eichner runs around Manhattan, quizzing people on the street for small prizes.

I mean, he literally runs around on the street. And there is nothing more frightening in New York than a big guy running at you (waving a microphone, yelling random questions about celebrities), so a good part of the show involves strangers running away from Billy in sheer terror. Ha.

To see clips of Billy on the Street, click here.

Related posts: Braving the Cold, on Canal Street, En Masse, on Canal Street, and Getting the Goods on Canal Street.

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The Borough of Brooklyn, on the Subways and No Reservations

Photo by myself on the Q Train, in Brooklyn.

Just another night underground on the way home.

You know the drill. The boom box comes out. The kids start clapping and calling out in loud voices to enjoy the show. And then it begins.

The twirling, the whirling, the flipping upside down and yelling. Meanwhile the rest of us are trying to sleep or read or play that game on the phone that we're addicted to.

The commute between Brooklyn and Manhattan went smoothly Monday. You wouldn't have known there'd been a hurricane at all.

--Speaking of Brooklyn, Anthony Bourdain chose our humble borough as the location for the final episode of his food show, 'No Reservations'. The show premiered last night.

Tony includes some new high end restaurants with tasting menus and some old school restaurants that have been around forever. He even takes a ride around Red Hook with Ralph Balzano, whose pad I photographed a few years ago (!).

Mark and I watched the final episode and were amazed by the list of restaurants we'd never heard of and now have to visit. It was very flattering for Bourdain to choose Brooklyn to showcase, since he's sampled food all over the world.

For more about Bourdain's final episode of No Reservations, click here.
For my impromtu photo session with Ralph and his incredible hang out pad in Red Hook, click here.

Related posts: Flipping Out, on the B Train, Daredevil Tattoo, on Ludlow Street, and Hot Diggity Dogs, All Day Long.

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Evening at 72nd Street, on the Upper West Side

Photo by myself at 72nd Street and Broadway, on the Upper West Side.

A night view of the subway station at 72nd Street and Broadway, on the Upper West Side. It was cool and clammy, Tuesday night.

This is one of the major subway stations uptown, since the express and local trains stop here. The 2 and 3 trains run express, while the 1 and 9 trains run locally.

This is near the neighborhood where Seinfeld lived, in the tv show. The real Jerry Seinfeld is rumored to have lived in an unglamorous walk-up building on West 81st Street, before he became the famous gazillionare that he is.

Related posts: Outside Park 79 on the Upper West Side, Dusk, at 72nd Street Station, and Outside Big Nick's, on the Upper West Side.

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The Statue of Liberty, on Madison Avenue

Photo by myself at Madison Avenue and 61st Street, on the Upper East Side.

You'd think one Statue of Liberty would be enough for this city, but no.

A mini-Statue of Liberty stands in front of an office building on the Upper East Side. This mini statue was cast from the original plaster model made before the big one. It is exactly 1/16th the size of the statue standing in the harbor.

This replica cost more than $1M US, and was installed last October. A developer named Leonard Stern brought her over from France.

-- Mark and I were lucky enough to catch part of 'Treasures of New York' on PBS, the other night. The show tells the story of Costas Kondylis, an architect who has built dozens of high rises in New York City.

Kondylis' work includes many of the Trump buildings and the towers near Riverside Drive. He is known as a 'developer's architect'.

The documentary is a fascinating look at Kondylis' success in New York. There are some wonderful aerial views of the city from a helicopter, too.

You can watch the entire one-hour show online! Just click here.

Related posts: Posing with Miss Liberty, on Central Park South, Lady Liberty, in the Distance, and Way Off in the Distance, Miss Liberty.

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On Monday Mornings and Time to Make the Donuts

Photo by myself, somewhere in Midtown.

Oh boy, it's Monday again. How does that happen?

Here's another photo from the stash, showing a typical scene in Midtown - a bevy of taxis, asphalt, and a couple of guys slogging away, lol.

-- I rooted around this blog and was surprised I haven't posted the clip below before? It's one of my favorite ads. Some of the most well-known commercials from the '80s featured a little guy named 'Fred the Baker', for Dunkin' Donuts.

The slogan was 'Time to make the Donuts', meaning that fresh donuts were being made constantly, and poor Fred had no time to relax (!).

My fiance Mark had to work all weekend. Mark also works in advertising. There is a connection in there. Enjoy!


 Related posts: Looking Up, in Midtown, Crowd Crossing, at 34th Street, and On Crossing the Street, and Living Dangerously.

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Working Under Bright Lights, at the Wooster Street Social Club

Photo by myself at the Wooster Street Social Club, at Wooster and Grand Streets, in Soho.

The Wooster Street Social Club is otherwise known for the television reality series called NY Ink on TLC. I dropped in for a brief visit, Monday night.

Visitors were standing around the reception desk, browsing through the portfolios of each tattoo artist. A Wooster Street employee with fully inked forearms fielded questions.

Meanwhile in the back room, a few customers were being worked on. The front room, where NY is filmed, was completely empty except for a motorcycle near the window.




One woman reclined on a massage table, while her ankle was inked.


One wall is covered with sketches done for past tattoos. A long lighttable is used to trace images.



I haven't watched the NY Ink show yet, but I did see its sister show, LA Ink. I can see how the art, relationship among the tattoo artists and various customers would be fascinating to watch. Overall, the vibe in the parlor was chill.

The parlor is open from noon to 8pm. There are no reservations. Nice to know you can get inked after a long day at the office. ;-)

For the NY Ink site, including clips for the show and a beautiful tattoo slideshow, click here.

*A longtime reader, Marcia, recommended this visit, and I'm glad she did. If you have a favorite NY place you'd like me to visit, email me or leave a comment.

Related posts: Where the Kids Are, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, The Three Pete's, and Hipsters in their Natural Habitat.

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Making TV Shows and Rain, on the Upper West Side

Photo by myself at 75th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, on the Upper West Side.

The bright lights of an outdoor TV shoot were impossible to miss. There were several large white production trucks that were parked nearby. You see these often in the city.

A crane was supporting a gizmo in mid-air called a 'rain maker'. This is essentially a sprinkler connected to a hose suspended in mid-air, so that rain can be simulated. A scene was being shot inside one of the apartment buildings.

I spoke briefly with one of the production guys, who said they were filming a tv pilot. It was supposed to be raining outside, and daytime (!). Seems like a bit of work for some ambiance, but I'm sure these guys knew what they were doing.

Related posts: Film Shoot, in Midtown, Portrait of a Film Shoot, in Brooklyn Heights, and Larger than Life, on 42nd Street.

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Smashing Billboards, Below Ground

Photo by myself below Times Square.

A series of billboards below Times Square advertised the new TV show called 'Smash'. The show is about actors putting on a Broadway show about Marilyn Monroe.

Advertisers take advantage of locations that have many billboards lined up one after the other. Using large-scale images, they can target the thousands of commuters that pass by, every day.

Several train lines stop at Times Square, and the platforms are linked together with a maze of ramps, tunnels and stairs. If you need to transfer from the 2 train to the R train, for instance, you have to walk several hundred yards, turning corners and dodging crowds going the opposite direction.



Related posts: On Art and Music, Below Times Square, The Gold Guy, at 59th Street, and Busking, Below Union Square.

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On the Crowds on Fifth Avenue and The Walking Dead

Photo by myself on Fifth Avenue, around 47th Street, in Midtown.

It's people, people, everywhere on Fifth Avenue.

Fifth Avenue is a very long street, with some parts busier than others. The photo above was taken near the Diamond District, a tiny area filled with high end jewelry stores.

--
Mark and I are absolutely hooked on the latest series on AMC called 'The Walking Dead'. The show is in its second season.

The Walking Dead is about zombies, of course. It's set in the Atlanta, Georgia area, is extremely gripping (and a bit gorey) but very well written and produced. I didn't think I'd become as addicted to it as I am (!).

Anyway, from watching the show, you learn another case against living in a dense city. If there's any place you don't want to be if there is an epidemic of zombies, is a place with a ton of people. You'd become a zombie instantly.

Morning rush hour in Midtown is similar to zombie crowd scenes. There is a little panic, some plodding mindlessly forward, but thankfully, no cannibalism.

For the AMC website for The Walking Dead, click here.

Related posts: Crowded Sidewalk, Midtown, Fighting the Crowds, in Midtown, and Lost in a Crowd.

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On Po-Pos and Open House New York

Photo by myself, on the Upper West Side.

Perhaps it's the police presence that makes New York feel safe these days. I'm not sure what was going in the photo above, Tuesday night.

Mark and I call the NYPD 'po-po's, after riveting TV show The Wire.

The Wire was a crime show not set in New York, but in Baltimore. It is a bit violent at times, but well worth the watch.

--
On an unrelated note, this weekend is Open House New York weekend!

All sorts of tours are available to the public. Visit residences, offices, glass factories, hotels and even an African Burial Ground (the African Burial Ground in Lower Manhattan, to be exact).

All tours are free. Some require reservations, so make your plans now. There are over a hundred venues to choose from. The list will make your head spin.

For the Open House New York website, click here.

Related posts: On the Job, Heigh Ho and Patrolling the Streets.

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Filming on Location, in Soho

Photo by myself on Sullivan and Spring Streets, in Soho.

A film shoot took place in a playground in Soho.

I asked a production assistant what the shoot was for. He told me it's for 'The Girls', an upcoming series on HBO.

Apparently 'The Girls' will be modeled on Sex and The City, that is, a younger batch of women, and their trials and tribulations in New York City.

For an article about the upcoming show, click here.

--
Some people might be surprised to know there are playgrounds in Soho.

There are schools, churches and graveyards too, in this charming neighborhood. There is even an outdoor pool.

I never lived in Soho (which stands for 'South Of HOuston street', but a friend of mind did, and I was insanely jealous of her. I'm sure her kitchen was about the size of a postage stamp, but who needs a kitchen when you live in such a cool neighborhood?

Soho is known for it's gigantic loft buildings and eclectic boutiques. During the 1970's, the neighborhood was nearly torn down to make way for a new undergound expressway.

Related posts: Movie in the Making, in Alphabet City, Lights, Camera, Action! and Portrait of a Film Shoot, in Brooklyn Heights.

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On Riding Around Sixth Avenue and the Travel Channel

Photo by myself in Midtown, around 32nd Street and Sixth Avenue.

Ah, pedicabs.

This is one way to get around the city without affecting the environment. Many cyclists will give rides to several people at a time.

--
Speaking of cyclists, there is yet another new series on TV. Mark and I tuned into Triple Rush, a new show on the Travel Channel, set in Manhattan.

The show follows three different bicycle courier companies during a typical day. Apparently there are 1,500 bike messengers working at 70 messenger companies in New York. A messenger might make 20 deliveries in a day and make a bit over 100 dollars.

This job is not for scaredy cats. Cameras mounted on the messengers' helmets show just how dangerous it is, weaving through traffic at high speed in all types of weather. Dispatchers in the office are equally stressed out, delegating jobs and being assailed with orders.

All offices in New York use messenger services. It's the fastest way to deliver documents during the day. Be warned though, it can be dangerous just walking in the city because of these guys on the street.

You can see how stressful and dangerous this job through this show. I will be nicer to the messengers we use from now on!

Here's the trailer for the show:

Triple Rush - Extended Trailer from Triple Rush on Vimeo.

Related posts: Riding in Style, in the Village, Before a Tour, Pedicab Style and Pedaling in Style, on Central Park South.

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Walking the Streets, in Midtown and on TV

Photo by myself at Sixth Avenue and 35th Street, in Midtown.

Weekends are leisurely in contrast to the hectic days of the work week. Oh...Sunday nights are so difficult.

The streets in Midtown are usually bustling with human and auto traffic. It is not a place for claustrophobes.

--
Speaking of city streets, there is a popular car commercial that is set in a slightly altered New York.

The commercial is for the 2010 Kia 'Soul', and the actors are giant hamsters with a funky attitude. Amsterdam Ave is renamed as 'Hamsterdam Ave'. Yuk, yuk ;-)

The message is clear: Don't give your lady a toaster to drive around in!

Mark and I love this commercial. It's been out for a while, so I'm sure it's familiar to those in the US.



Related posts: Fighting the Crowds, in Midtown, On Crowds and the Commute, in Midtown and Avalanche of People, in Midtown.

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On NY Bike Tours and Real Housewives

Photo by myself on Columbia Street, around Pineapple Street, in Brooklyn Heights.

While walking around Brooklyn Heights last weekend, Mark and I stumbled on a group of people on a bike tour.

A split second after this photo was taken, they parked their bikes and gazed at the East River and Manhattan skyline, behind me.

--
Mark and I watched the first episode of the new season of The Real Housewives of New York City, Thursday night. I am amazed to say we got through the whole thing without changing the channel.

At this time, I would like to make a formal disclaimer. New Yorkers are nowhere as nutty, neurotic and childish as some of the women on the show. Thank goodness!

For a taste of crazy, see the trailer for this season below.



Related posts: Eating on the Run, Is it Art? on the Lower East Side and New York on TV, Coming Soon.

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Brunch at Barbuto, in the West Village

Photo by myself at Barbuto, on Washington and West 12th Streets in the West Village.

Brunch service was a busy blur, Saturday. Mark and I dined at Barbuto, Jonathan Waxman's restaurant in the West Village, after hearing rave reviews from a friend.

We arrived around 1pm, when the neighborhood was just waking up. By the time we left at 2, the place was completely packed. Many guests were young and fashionably dressed. The restaurant has a large, airy seen-and-be-seen atmosphere.

The interiors are not pretentious, though. There are roll-down garage doors on all walls, so in the warmer months, the interior space becomes exterior. Sunlight was streaming in and there was additional seating on the sidewalk.

Oh, and let's get to the food.

Brunch consisted of a rustic mortadella sandwich (background), crispy potatoes and oven-baked eggs.

Mark had a beautiful sandwich with mortadella, grain mustard and carmelized onions on crusty bread. Salad on the side had a lemony vinaigrette. I had tasty oven baked eggs with creamed spinach and parmesan.

We shared a side order of potatoes sprinkled with romano cheese and rosemary. Our meal was hearty and good.

From our seats, we could look right into the open kitchen, where it was non-stop action. A gorgeous plate of roasted chicken was sunning itself near a window. Mark and I enjoyed watching the guys work with quiet intensity.

One of the owners, Jonathan Waxman, is noted restauranteur from the West Coast. He appeared on the TV show Top Chef Masters, where established chefs compete against each other for charity.

Waxman was at the restaurant on Saturday and kept a low profile. Mark and I saw him walking around the Kitchen and chatting with the staff. He was one of our favorites on Top Chef, because of his laid back, jovial personality.

Menus change daily, but some typical menus are listed on the Barbuto website here. You can even make reservations online.


The view of Barbuto, from the entrance. Garage doors are located along all sides.


The spacious kitchen is open to the dining room.

Related posts: Chez Bouley, Tribeca, Cold Noodles and Hot Shows and A Bit More on Celebrity, Past and Present.

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Dog's Head on the Subway

Photo by myself on the subway, somewhere underground.

A woman balanced a dog's head on her lap, Wednesday morning, astonishing those around her.

'Amber', a Maltese, had been a faithful companion for over 8 years. Poor little Amber!

Um...joking! April Fool's! (Ok, perhaps this was a bit obvious).

Amber was sitting peacefully on her owner's lap, in a dog carrier. She was very sleepy. Her owner told me that she carries Amber around to work every day.

--
Speaking of humor, New Yorker Magazine readers know that each issue, the Shouts and Murmurs section can be kind of funny. Maybe not slap your knee and laugh out loud funny, but sort of chuckle out loud funny.

A recent Shouts and Murmurs written by young comedian Demitri Martin was enjoyable. You can read it online here.

Helpful hint: Martin's humor is quirky and thoughtful. The article is best when read at a slower pace.

Demitri Martin is a comedian from New York. He has a tv show on the Comedy Central.

For an earlier post on Martin, click here.

Related posts: On Dogs and Dogs, What's Black and White and Red All Over? and It's a Dog's Life at the Mad Dog Run.

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At the Foot of the Freedom Tower

Photo by myself at the foot of the Freedom Tower, along the West Side Highway.

The Freedom Tower (seen above, right) and several of the other buildings at the World Trade Center are well underway. Construction is slow, but every time I manage to pass by, I see progress.

Enormous trusses span vertically for several floors, as you can see. The Freedom Tower is located near some older buildings, and the contrast is obvious.

--
By the way, Mark pointed out to me that I had another inadvertent celebrity sighting in yesterday's photo, at the 59th Street subway station.

N.J. Burkett is a television celebrity here, at ABC news. He is a news correspondent, and the ABC headquarters is located at 66th Street and Broadway.

For my other inadvertent celeb sighting was of Chris Kimball, of America's Test Kitchen, here.

Related posts: On the World Trade Center and My Big Toe, Night View, at the World Trade Center and Salvaged from the World Trade Center.

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Windswept, in SoHo

Photo by myself at Lafayette and Spring Streets, in SoHo.

A group of women looked windswept and a little SATC-like* on a popular street corner in SoHo.

Squint a little, and the woman on the left would be Miranda. The woman on the right would be Carrie, who is underdressed as usual. They've run into an old friend of theirs after an expensive brunch.

It's been a bit more Spring-like in the last week. Miraculously, as you can see, there is no more snow.

*SATC = Sex and the City

Related posts: On a Stoop, in SoHo, Down Broadway and Watch Where You're Going, In SoHo.

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Fall Fashion Week, Bryant Park

Photo by myself, in Bryant Park.

Fall Fashion Week will upon us next week, between Sept. 9th and 16th. The runways will be up in Bryant Park, as well as camera crews and mobs of people.

Above, a photo from last year's Fall runway shows. Part of the Max Azria crew waited their turn outside the main tent, with a photo line up of their collection.

By the way, Christian Siriano, of Project Runway fame, will be showing his line on the first day. His clothing has been sold at Saks Fifth Avenue and he has dressed such celebs as Lady Gaga and Oprah Winfrey.

Siriano is a fierce New York resident and calls Williamsburg, Brooklyn his home.

For Christian's bio on the Fashion Week website, click here

Related posts: From the Streets of DUMBO, From the Edge of DUMBO and At the Foot of the Manhattan Bridge.

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On What's Down Under the Manhattan Bridge, and Down Under

Photo by myself, around Water and Jay Streets, in DUMBO, Brooklyn.
At the end of a cobblestone street, beyond the Manhattan Bridge, is the Brooklyn Bridge.

Named DUMBO for 'Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass', this neighborhood has its own vibe. There are many converted warehouses now used for offices and apartments.

--
Tuesday night, I was absolutely blown away by a short film called Salt which aired on PBS, a major public TV station here in the US. It was part of POV (Point of View), an award-winning, independent documentary film series.

Murray Fredricks, a noted Australian photographer, filmed his trips to the salt flats in his country. The landscape is stunningly stark. The isolation is incomprehensible.

Fredricks shacks up in a modest tent, in the midst of what looks like a moonscape. He reflects on stuff. He experiences. He is windswept. And his images are incredible.

Using a large format (film) camera, Fredericks photographed the night sky. Since it was film, of course, he had no idea whether any of his results were good until he returned to civilization.

You may have missed the TV airing, but you can still watch Salt online until September 17. Unfortunately the streaming version is only available in the US. For those not in this country, check out Frederick's still images, here.

For the POV website, listing other interesting documentaries, click here.

Related posts: On Display at Atlantic/Pacific, Brooklyn, Backstage in the West Village and Street Photography on Display, Below Ground.

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