The wall at the building at 502 Canal St. – located at the southwest corner of Canal and Greenwich streets – collapsed around 12:30 p.m., and a metal roll-down gate came crashing to the ground, according to a DNAInfo report.

No one was injured, the report said.

The red brick building has been landmarked since 1998. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission said the building is “part of a rare surviving cluster of early nineteenth-century structures” on the block.

It was constructed in 1818 and 1819, and originally used by John Y. Smith, a manufacturer of hair starch and hair powder who ran his business on the ground floor and lives with his family upstairs, the city said.

The city painted an elegant picture of the building 15 years ago, saying it “retains distinctive characteristics of the Federal style, including Flemish bond brickwork, brownstone window lintels and sills, and the curved bay which links the facades of two sections at the corner.”

But in recent years, the old John Y. Smith House has hardly exuded elegance. The building has been vacant for several years, and the Landmarks Preservation Commission found in 2010 that the building was in such poor condition that the façade might collapse, DNAInfo reported.

Despite promises by building owner Ponte Equities to make repairs, the firm was cited last year for failing to maintain the “detective brickwork” in the building, the publication reported.

The publication said the building has been surrounded by scaffolding for 12 years, and neighbors would like to see it demolished.

It was not learned Wednesday night what will happen to the building following the collapse.

Do you think it’s time for the building to come down? Leave your comments below…

Images copyright 1994-2013 by Louis Maistros.

For more unusual New Orleans photography, please visit http://louismaistros.com

Get something cool for free here. No kidding, no catch.

Dusk and a Speeding Streetcar on Canal Street

What do I promise? Well, I started thinking about it. I want to try to post Mardi Gras related pictures from now until Fat Tuesday. There are two points to that. I said “try.” I’m not sure that I can, but I’ll do my best which about all you can ask. On the other hand, there is Yoda. “There is no try or not try. There is only do.”

Anyway. I’ve talked a lot about the green streetcars. Here’s one of the red cars. They run along the Mississippi River from the down river end of The French Quarter, turn on Canal Street, run all the way to Carrollton, make a turn and go to City Park. Their design is much newer than the green cars. And, they are air-conditioned. Makes a huge difference in the summer.

The picture? Ah. First. Let me apologize. WordPress’ compression software compressed the contrast right out of the picture. Okay. That said, this is one of my hand-held slow exposures. I do that for self-defense. Sometimes planting a tripod down in the middle of a city street can get a little sporty. The results are pretty cool. To me. In many ways, this picture feels like a Parisian picture made in winter. To me. Anyway.

Manchester’s Canal Street

Yes, the UK Meet team are proud to announce that tickets are now on sale for this year’s UK Meet in July. The weekend of the 12th-14th will see a group of fun-loving readers, writers, bloggers and publishers all descend on the historic city of Manchester, the UK’s Venice of the North.

Manchester is a fabulous location for the Meet, as not only is it a beautiful city with plenty of opportunities for shopping, eating, drinking and generally absorbing the culture, but they’re incredibly proud of their long GLBTQ history. The Macdonald hotel where we’re holding the Meet is only a few minute’s walk from the Gay Village, where you can stroll along Canal Street (location for the original UK Queer as Folk series) and check out the extensive range of bars and clubs. There really is something for everyone in the Village, from fancy restaurants to heaving clubs, as well as quirky tea rooms and fantastically well-stocked beer-lovers’ pubs. We’ll be offering a range of group social events there in the evenings (more details to follow nearer the time).

This year we’re doing things differently with the tickets, and have decided to offer two price tiers to reflect the added bonuses authors receive. Check out the details on our registration page. Everyone is welcome to book the general tickets, but if you want to take advantage of some added publicity and space to share your swag (both virtual and physical), then check out the Spotlight tickets. For just a small amount extra, you’ll receive a range of extra publicity opportunities and we think it represents excellent value. For more information about the event and timetable, please browse the freshly updated website and check out our FAQs.

Please book early to take advantage of our discount, and to secure a room at the hotel. They are holding a limited number of their luxurious, spacious rooms at the special price, but there are plenty of other hotels nearby if your budget won’t stretch. We’ve already had a rush on tickets since booking opened yesterday, so make sure you take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to meet up with fellow GLBTQ fiction lovers in the UK’s premier event for our genre.

Follow this blog for regular posts in the run up to July, including guest blogs from authors and publishers attending, free short stories, and more information about the event itself. We are actively seeking contributions from attendees. For example: a short blog post about the Meet in 2012 and/or what you’re hoping to get out of 2013; something relating to GLBTQ fiction in the UK; a piece of GLBTQ flash fiction. Or maybe you’ve got an idea about what you’d like to see on the blog? Let me know! (josephine_myles@yahoo.co.uk). You can also follow our newsletter to be kept up to date with information about the UK Meet.

Hope to see you all in July!

Jo x

JosephineMyles.com

Driving Crosstown
24 x 24 inches, oil on panel, 2012

Happy 2013! Intersection at Canal Street and Broadway.

I’m always thankful to have the people that love me – and I love back – in my life, like the fella and our families and friends, that’s a big, old given, but I’m looking a little broader.

So before I do my annual New Year’s resolutions post in the next week or so, here are my 12 favorite things about 2012:

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1. Moving to New York with the man that I love.
2. Discovering the wonders of anything salted caramel and/or chocolate.
3. Becoming a Girl Who Only Wears Flats. 
4. Scarves, but only from vendors on Canal Street.
5. Making a date night at Max SoHa a weekly ritual.
6. Devouring “Gone Girl.” 
7. Discovering Cones on Bleecker Street.
8. Walking – everywhere. 
9. Taking chances that I never thought I’d take.
10. Belvedere Castle.
11. Never not being blown away when I see my beloved Empire State Building. 
12. Being able to – finally – call myself a New Yorker. 

So, what’s your favorite things about 2012?

NMM

The funky of the funkiest events comes back in 2013, funkier than ever! Juste Debout 2013 released its schedule last week of the upcoming Winter/Spring 2013 qualifying events around the world. We know every second weekened in March is set for Paris with the Juste Debout Finals and this year there is talk all around about the intensity of 2013! So to y’all looking to compete next year, its time to step up yo game and put in that training!

All qualifiers will follow as usual:

 2 v 2 Poppin

2 v 2 Lockin

2 v 2 House

2 v 2 Hip Hop

1 v 1 Toprock

We are happy to announce Step x Step will be at a few different qualifiers including NYC and Europe! Then we will be attending the finals in Paris once again this year, but on a whole nother level than we were last year! Look out for us at the competitions and come say hello! Keep Steppin’!!!

LISTE DES PAYS DE PRESELECTIONS : PRELIMS COUNTRIES :

>> TAIWAN Taipei // Samedi 8 et dimanche 9 décembre
>> TAIWAN Taipei // Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 december
Inscriptions/ registration:
justedebouttw@gmail.com

>> CHINE Wuhan // Samedi 15 décembre
>> CHINA Wuhan // Saturday, december 15
Inscriptions / Registration:
http://shop66022621.m.taobao.com/

>> JAPON Tokyo // Vendredi 4 janvier
>> JAPAN Tokyo // Friday, january 4
Inscriptions / Registration:
http://www.justedebout.jp/

>> CORÉE Séoul // Dimanche 13 janvier
>> KOREA Seoul // Sunday, january 13
Inscriptions / Registration:
http://www.juste-debout.co.kr/

>> USA New York // Dimanche 20 janvier
>> USA New York // Sunday, january 20
Inscriptions / Registration:
http://www.sisppl.com/

>> ANGLETERRE Londres // Dimanche 27 janvier
>> ENGLAND London // Sunday, january 27
Inscriptions / Registration:
justedeboutuk@yahoo.fr

>> PAYS-BAS Amsterdam // Dimanche 3 février
>> NETHERLANDS Amsterdam // Sunday, february 3
Inscriptions / Registration COMPETITION:
http://www.summerdanceforever.com/index.php?181
Inscriptions / Registration WORKSHOPS : http://www.summerdanceforever.com/index.php?176

>> ESTONIE Tallin // Samedi 9 février
>> ESTONIA Tallin // Saturday, february 10
Les inscriptions ne sont pas encore ouvertes
Registration are not open

>> SUISSE Genève // Dimanche 10 février
>> SWITZERLAND Geneva // Sunday, february 10
Inscriptions / Registration:
http://www.groove-n-move.ch/

>> ALLEMAGNE Düsseldorf // Samedi 16 février
>> GERMANY Düsseldorf // Saturday, february 16
Les inscriptions ne sont pas encore ouvertes
Registration are not open

>> ITALIE Rome // Dimanche 17 février
>> ITALY Roma // Sunday, february 17
Inscriptions / Registration:
annalisa_pmproduction@hotmail.it

>> ESPAGNE Barcelone // Samedi 23 février
>> SPAIN Barcelona // Saturday, february 23

Inscriptions à partir du 1er JANVIER 2013!
Registration from January 1st, 2013!
http://www.streetstylers.es/

>> GRECE Glyfada // Dimanche 24 février
>> GREECE Glyfada // Sunday, February 24
Inscriptions / Registration:
justedeboutgreece2013@gmail.com

>> SUEDE Stockholm // Samedi 2 mars
>> SWEDEN Stockholm // Saturday, march 2
Inscriptions / Registration : http://www.streetstar.se/events/streetstar-festival-2013/program/juste-debout/

>> FRANCE Paris // Samedi 9 mars
>> FRANCE Paris // Saturday, march 9
Les inscriptions ne sont pas encore ouvertes
Registration are not open

JUSTE DEBOUT FINALE à Paris Bercy le 10 mars 2013
JUSTE DEBOUT FINALE Paris Bercy on March 10th, 2013

** BOOK YOUT TICKET FOR THE JUSTE DEBOUT FINALE – PARIS BERCY**
http://www.bercy.fr/programme/sport/1368/JUSTE_DEBOUT

JUSTE DEBOUT WEBSITE

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

JUSTE DEBOUT NYC FACEBOOK EVENT

Images copyright 1994-2012 by Louis Maistros.

For more unusual New Orleans photography, please visit http://louismaistros.com

Jay-Z makes being famous look as effortless as his ability to switch rap flows at blazing speeds. Ever since his breakout solo record, Reasonable Doubt, to the mogul status he currently enjoys, the Brooklyn native is a rags-to-riches story for the ages. Along the way, Jay has been known to hobnob with white folks outside his rap world confines, but nothing could have been more random than the millionaire riding the subway and chatting it up with a subway passenger on his way to the one of his eight sold out shows at the Barclays Center earlier this year.

The exchange between  67-year-old visual artist Ellen Grossman and the Roc Nation honcho – with the woman qupping “are you famous” to Jay – was as genuine a meeting as any. Filmed as part of the “Where I’m From” documentary, the clip has made its rounds online and the heartwarming image is lasting.

According to a New York Magazine Daily Intel profile on Grossman, who also shares the same stomping grounds as Hov, she even happens to know a little about rap music.

“I was on a fairly sparsely populated subway car, and I was sitting in the corner,” Grossman shared. “At Canal Street, a surge of people got on, and since my son was in the buildings on 9/11, my first reaction was that there had been a disaster upstairs. But everyone was laughing and smiling. My second reaction was, ‘Oh there’s a flash mob.’ They were filming this one guy that I didn’t recognize, which is why I said, ‘Are you famous?’”

Although Grossman had some scant knowledge of Jay-Z, her tastes are more firmly rooted in the 90s. “LL Cool J, Ice Cube, it’s old stuff,” she said listing her favorites.

Grossman is suddenly the envy of her family and friends,  obviously stoked by her chance run-in with one of Hip-Hop‘s elite. But after expressing she wants to catch Hov on stage, perhaps someone in the Live Nation offices can slide Ms. Grossman a ticket on the low.

Check out the exchange below:

When we got to Canal Street, we caught the new Hare Krishna parade, a procession led by women dancing in colorful gowns. Rather than being drawn by a tractor or horses, the float was pulled down the street by people on ropes. An NOPD officer explained that the super-tall float collapses very time they come to a street light – then rises to full height again. You really never know what you might see next in New Orleans.

We really enjoyed the Downtown Development District‘s Canal Street: Home for the Holidays Krewe of Jingle Parade last year and, despite the occasional rain sprinkles, this year was also wonderful. Because of my schedule, please forgive my brevity and lack of fun descriptions that make my love for this city so obvious and just enjoy the photos of Sophie B. Wright Charter School, Muff-A-Lottas, George Washington Carver High School, Centre Stage School of Dance, Mademoiselle Dwyn’s School of Dance, Urban Cowboys Riding Club, Samuel J. Green Charter School, Edgar P. Harney Elementary, Pussyfooters, Girlz-N-Motion, pedicabs, The Cultural Elite Academy of Dance, Krewe of the Rolling Elvi, Mr. Bingle, Uniques School of Dance, Eleanor McMain Secondary School, 1896 steam engine spewing bubbles, Jeannie Morris School of Dance and Santa! Also a couple of shots of the beautifully decorated Roosevelt New Orleans.

but also end up spending more than you had planned. It’s a bittersweet place and you caneasily get carried away. However, this is the best place to get gifts and souvenirs for the cheapest price possible! Canal Street goes on for blocks and blocks and can be extremely overwhelming. There are a few things you must always remember when checking out Canal Street.

The best way to get Canal Street is the subway. There is a station right off Canal Street. When you walk up the stairs to the street you come in contact with the hundreds of people, heavy traffic, and constant whistle blows by the police who are guiding traffic. Think of a plan on how you want to take on this street and always remember where the subway station is! Once you make it down the street you are deep within the chaos and it will be hard to turn back.

Cash is key! Make sure you stock up before you get there so you don’t have to go and find a ATM that will charge you extra fees in case it is not your personal bank. Do not just come to Canal Street with just twenty dollar bills- make sure to break the bills just in case! You never know what you are going to find and it will be easier to haggle. Haggling is a skill that you will learn the farther you get down the street. Usually store owners will cave and give you a deal, especially if you know what you are doing.

Be smart about your purchases! If you are getting multiples of the same gift buy it at the same spot. You will be more likely to get a good deal if you buy a lot from one shop. There will be a lot of people selling knock offs on the streets and if that is your thing then do it carefully! Be prepared and be aware- that is the best advice I could give you.

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The woman who carried me in her belly for nine months easily could have been a teenager, frightened by the prospects of having to tell her parents that she was sexually active and with child—a child that she could not reasonably raise on her own. She could have been a young mother, hands already too full with the duty of raising a grip of kids she could barely feed and clothe and house back in the late 60s, when meaningful work and decent pay never seemed to come easy to women, especially black ones. She could have been raped and impregnated by a stranger—or maybe someone she knew. Someone she thought she loved and who was supposed to love her. She could have gotten pregnant in a lustful tryst with a man who was not her significant other—her belly full of the evidence of her infidelity. She could have been many things. Or none of these at all.

In my mind, though, I like to think of my birth mother as selfless. After all, she could have easily given birth to me in secret, ashamed and scared and in deep denial—a pain so searing that she saw no other way out but to take my life. Or she could have found herself on a table in the backroom of an illegal abortion clinic, desperate for a way to end my life to save her own.

She has chosen not to search for her biological family. I kinda hope her mom reads this, smiles and feels good about her decision.

#Love

Order a print of this photograph

Order a print of this photograph

Order a print of this photograph

Today’s photo is of some decorated palm trees on Canal Street in New Orleans. It was cold today, making it feel like the holidays were right on time. The streets were buzzing, the traffic was crazy, the smell of some awesome Cajun food was in the air and the jazz was playing in almost every corner. Ahhhh, New Orleans. What a beautiful place to be. Because even I’m not crazy enough to take my big camera through the French Quarter at night, I took this with my iPhone on Canal Street in New Orleans, Louisiana.

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