The Apartment Reflects

Design firm The Apartment on Crosby Street has some cool windows that appear to be treated on the outside and the inside.

Door in Harlem

Decay in Harlem

This building has very little graffiti for a white building in decay. The way the paint's chipping is beautiful. This is on the corner of Madison and 116th Street.

On Top of the Met

The current Roxy Paine installation on the roof of the Met is fun to dine under/next to. And it's fun to photograph.

The Coney Island Cyclone Bone Shaker

I've been on a lot of roller coasters. The Cyclone is by far the jerkiest and the one most likely to snap your neck.

This is a photo of some of the 'support' under the tracks. I took it while waiting for my turn. At least they keep the paint job up and looking bright.

The best part of the ride is after the cars empty out from the previous ride and then the attendants ride them up to the waiting passengers. They are a bunch of big, hulking, tattooed, rough-neck looking fellows who would fit in nicely at any gallows. It's SO Brooklyn. I think seeing those guys ride up on the side of the empty roller coaster car is worth the admission. I wish I snapped them but I didn't want to get smacked!

Wonder Wheel Coney Island

From inside the CRAZY cage on the Wonder Wheel. It was so much fun.

Jelly Fish at the NYC Aquarium

Special thanks to Rocky Hernandez.

Washington Sq. Park Fires Up New Fountain

It's a great fountain. Mesmerizing to watch and the spray feels good too.

Don't Touch Crosby Street

Wheat Paste Art on Crosby Street

J Crew on Broadway

This is a new store but the logo in the window has been carefully treated to achieve that pre-washed look, which works well with the buildings in the reflection.

Richard Woods at Perry Rubenstein

This is a great installation. It's called The Nature Show and it's on 23rd Street at Perry Rubenstein Gallery.

Absurd

WTF!?

Bats in the Bronx

The 5 Train runs through some stations with some fun stained glass. Some stations have a geometric theme, others have a floral theme, but the station for the Bronx Zoo has a zoological theme. There must be ten huge panels of stained glass, each offering a different scene (jungle, savanna, desert, etc).

This panel has bats and a raccoon so nocturnal must be the theme. What other animals do you see?

SpaHa HotSpot

This is our new favorite place in our new neighborhood. If you find yourself in Spanish Harlem needing a croissant, there's only one place to go, SpaHa Cafe, which is on Lex just north of bustling 116th Street.

The breads and croissants are all fabulous (I love the Ham & Cheese croissant) but my favorites are the fruit tarts. The owner, Tika, is almost always behind the counter and she does a wonderful job of making customers feel welcome.



Here is one customer attempting to embellish her beverage with a 'sunflower.' Obviously, children are welcome (Tika even has children's books) and a water bowl is on hand for thirsty pups who wait outside patiently (or not) for their owners. Tika also has treats for dogs, which she'll pass through a small window for lucky canines.

SpaHa Cafe is an oasis in a culinary desert of nothing but fried and fast foods.

B-Side

Talk about a b-side; the peacock is built only to impress what's in front of it. But, as back-ends go, this isn't half bad.

Unrelated to peacocks and their tails and tail-ends, thanks to George Vecsey for the generous shout out in his NYTimes article about Cablevision and New York sports teams and the Dolans. Turns out that George is one of the five Americans who actually got to see "Artland" before VOOM HD got nixed. I loved working on "Artland" and it's nice to know that others liked watching it.

Tell the Girls He's Back in Town

It's mating season for peacocks. There was barely enough room for visitors at the Bronx Zoo today since the peacocks were filling the place up with tail feathers and ego. And squawking like strangled cats.

The peahens looked exhausted and anything but frisky, the poor dears.

High Line in a Hurry

I had a meeting in a building on West 15th Street recently and it provided a tantalizing view of the new High Line and the workers who are up there making it happen.

I can't wait to get up there and have a cocktail. I can't believe it'll open in a few weeks. This park will be the envy of every city!

East Harlem Mosaic

This is one of the many colorful tile mosaics in the 6-train 116th street station.

Here Kitty, Kitty

Stencil Graffiti on Crosby Street

Bling Cosby

Amanda Lepore gets a completely unnecessary breast lift on Crosby Street. I love her video, "Cotton Candy," which features the superior video art skills of Bec Stupak.

Still Unpacking

Nearly moved in.