a stroll through the gardens

Brooklyn, New York:  Brooklyn Botanic Gardens
I recently spent a Saturday morning with several good friends strolling through the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens.  It's been awhile since I've had my camera out - and it felt good to start shooting again.  Just after Christmas I bought myself a new Sigma 18-250mm 1:3.5-6.3 Macro zoom lens and this is really the first time I've put it to use.  So far... very happy with the results!  We're off to the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx later this morning to see the annual Orchid Show - so I suspect there will soon be some dazzling orchids popping up here.

cookie porn

A New York Kitchen
CS has become a recipe tester for America's Test Kitchens (Cooks Illustrated). He cooks. I photograph. We both eat. And these were delicious - coconut lime sugar cookies. Coming soon...

reopened for business

Washington Square Park / New York, New York
The first phase of the Washington Square Park reconstruction, which began December 10, 2007, was reopened last month. Phase two will include substantial landscaping and some regrading to improve sight lines across the space. About the only object that is not being touched by the reconstruction is the marble arch, modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, constructed in 1892.

chinese lanterns

Canal Street [堅尼街] / New York, New York
Unlike most other urban Chinatowns, Manhattan's Chinatown is both a residential area as well as commercial area. Most population estimates are in the range of 90,000 to 100,000 residents making it the second most populous Chinatown after San Francisco. Canal Street, west of Broadway (especially on the North side), is filled with Chinese street vendors notoriously known for selling imitation perfumes, watches, and hand-bags, which are largely purchased by tourists.

scrummin' - on a sunday afternoon

Wards Island / New York, New York
What better way to spend a summer Sunday afternoon than scrumming with a pack of your best mates. Me, I'd rather be on the sidelines watching.

passionately purple

La Fortuna de San Carlos, Costa Rica
As anyone who has visited the tropical climates knows, the colorful floral vegetation is always an eye catcher. Living in Manhattan, even on the edge of Central Park, one doesn't see much in the way of colorful natural vegetation - other than green. Perhaps that's why all of the corner bodegas throughout the city seem to have flower stalls; allowing us to bring some natural color into our spaces.

urban waterfalls

Brooklyn Bridge / New York, New York
Last summer, parts of New York City were bathed in giant waterfalls when the grandest public art project since Cristo's Gates in Central Park, hit the "water" (no pun intended). New York City Waterfalls, a $15 million art project paid for with private donations, ran from mid-June through mid-October. Four mechanical fountains were installed on the shores of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Governors Island standing from 90' to 120' tall. This one was running under the Brooklyn Bridge.

food for thought

McGraw-Hill Executive Dining / New York City
It's time to start making some healthier food choices. This fruit would be a good start. Click on the pic for a juicy close-up. Although the cookie platter looked very enticing. Maybe just one dessert.

coral floral

McGraw-Hill Executive Dining / New York City
It's hard to go wrong with flowers in late spring. This arrangement was particularly bright and lovely. They were for a GLBT luncheon - you can always expect a splash of color for their events. Looked like a wedding.

go green

New York Botanical Garden / Bronx, New York City
With summer just around the corner, a return visit to the two Botanical Gardens in NYC is in order. The Bronx one is sprawling and traditional while the Brooklyn version is more intimate. Both are worth a visit.

lights, camera...

McGraw-Hill / New York City

When you are out of the country in the middle of the London docklands at a crap hotel without internet access, sometimes you have to get a little creative to get your daily postings done. Perhaps call in a favor or two. Perhaps hand over the blogging reins to someone else for a few days. Who's ready for their close up?

the maritime

West 16th St / New York, New York
Up until the mid-1960's, this building served as the headquarters for the National Maritime Union. Its signature portal windows look out over the Hudson River, carrying through the nauticalness of it all. It has been converted into a "hot spot" boutique hotel, fitting right in with the quirkiness of the meatpacking district - an area which diligently serves the nightly party needs of the B&T crowd.

mission accomplished

Times Square / New York, New York
As if Times Square wasn't already a disaster, last week Mayor Bloomberg began his 6 month experiment of closing off Broadway from 46th St to 42nd St to vehicular traffic. While the concept isn't so bad as the city can always use less taxi, bus and car traffic in already congested areas - whoever made the decision to put the cheap plastic lawn chairs out there so tourists can rest their asses and feel right at home - should be dismissed. If the objective is to make an already tacky area even more tacky - mission accomplished.

la sandía

Carrera No. 4 / Santa Marta, Colombia
One of the best things about Latin America and the Caribbean is the abundance of fresh fruit year round. Though when in Costa Rica last week, while it seemed there was fresh picked watermelon (or la sandía) overflowing every roadside stand, it didn't taste nearly as sweet as what we get across the street at our local market. Perhaps ours are chemically-enhanced to improve that delicious watermelon flavor.

plain & fancy

Lower East Side / New York, New York
In a previous posting, I commented about the contrasts that make Manhattan such a visually interesting place. Here's another great example.

mix it up

East Village / New York, New York
One thing I love about New York - the city loves to mix up its architecture. The ugly blandness of mid-town aside, most of the city's other neighborhoods all seem to have an interesting mix of old against new.

layers

North Moore Street (Tribeca) / New York, New York
This column is certainly showing its age - with layer upon layer of paint - most of which is peeling off.

michelin man cometh

Fifth Avenue / New York, New York
Yet another shot of the newly renovated Guggenheim Museum at Fifth and E 89th St. Looks pretty good for fifty years old - kind like me.

survival

Cortlandt Alley (Tribeca) / New York, New York
While we have Central Park and a plethora of other smaller pockets of nature scattered throughout the city, it is urban survivors like this that deserve the recognition. Manhattan is a harsh environment and when I see strands of green growing out of concrete pushing upwards to find both sunlight and nourishment - I wish them nothing but success.

jesus saves nyc

Franklin Street (Tribeca) / New York, New York
One thing to say about New York City, there's lots of interesting street art - some good; some not so good.