Still thinking about New York and how must it look in the fall. Is the Broadway Boulevard covered in leaves or not? Cause there may be no trees on Broadway Boulevard. I wouldn’t know that…

All these thoughts about New York and I’ve never even visited it. That’s just hilarious!

Never been at the Empire State Building or at the Madison Square Garden. Never been anywhere in New York…never been to New York.

They keep talking about it all-day-long in Seinfeld: about the baseball matches, about writing scripts about nothing, about just taking a cab downtown.

I guess it’s better than nothing…I could even say I know New York, even if I’ve never been there…

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• Six ways to enjoy Madison Square Park (gadling.com)

*uploading video is in the works.

If you’ve been to New York you KNOW the aroma of warm,cinnamon, roasted nuts that remind you of the Holidays. You can’t escape the scented trail that graces the corners and attacks your senses. I was sucked in by these little carts emitting such wonderful aromas my first visit to New York and I was determined to track one of those carts down before my trip was over. Surely enough I smelled one two blocks away and didn’t hold back ordering cashews covered in goodness. My partner in crime ordered roasted chestnuts. Unfamiliar with this peculiar nut I had to try a bite! The chestnut is stubborn on the outside, but it’s insides literally, melt away once they hit your lips. It was an interesting texture, tasty, but I do have to admit they did smell a little weird.

Having the biggest sweet tooth only hurts you in a place covered in bakeries and coffee shops.

I have heard nothing but great things about Magnolia Bakery and I had to find out what all the rage consisted of. It was most certainly on my to do list. But before we get to that let me tell you about this quirky little hot dog chain called, “Papaya Dog.”

Hitting the streets around lunch time only makes you more hungry, but instead of having pizza again we opted to try an authentic New York hot dog. We checked into recommended Papaya Dog and ordered. I ordered a chilly dog while my other explorers chose chili-cheese dogs. Walking in I couldn’t help but ask myself why it was called Papaya Dog?!?

Well, I came to the conclusion that these little closets have an assortment of tropical drinks, one of them being Papaya. That’s as good as I could get.

We took our lunch to a sidewalk bench and had our feast at the foot of the Empire State building. It was in fact an amazing way to admire such a historical  building. Afterall it is King Kongs building of choice!

Energized and ready we continued to treck and take over New York. We headed to the Rockefeller Center, but on the way we stopped at the New York Library. The New York Library was by far the largest library I had ever seen!! Spanning over one entire block and flushed with greenery and marble. Walking into the library I had to remind myself that I was in a library and not in a marble castle. I walked up flights of stairs to the second level where just as tall murals graced the walls. The murals told the story of the printed word. First beginning with the monks followed by Guttenberg and eventually ending with the printing press. The New York library hosts one of the original Guttenberg bibles and I had to see it for myself. Being the only explorerer enveloping myself in the library, I agreed to continue our journey. There are parts of the library I missed and I would definitely go back to check out.

Willingly being led by the streets we ended up in Bryant Park, known for hosting New York’s fashion week and a winter ice skating rink. Sprinkled through the park are little shops filled with unique treasures and tasty treats. The skating rink was cheery and made you want to do nothing, but skate under the sky.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral was next on the list and was absolutely breathtaking. The cathedral was enormous in height and emitted an astonishing aura. Walking in I was overwhelmed by grand arches and I like the others walked with my head turning in every direction. I could have easily spent a few hours in there and as I said good-bye I lit a candle for my family’s celebrated saint, Saint Anthony of Padua.

Not only was the cathedral an amazing place to see, but the buildings lining up the streets were works of art bearing great history and I’m sure great stories.

Have I convinced you to buy your ticket yet?

Rockefeller Center popped up on our path and it was already under construction for christmas decorations. Ladders surrounded the soon to be completed tree as skaters danced across the famous rink. Just across the way was the famous NBC studios and we had to go into the network’s store. Tons of NBC show stuff as well as a complete candy heaven was stocked inside. We covered midtown and now it was time to venture back to East Village. Now it was time to find the subway. Walking to the subway we ran into yummy Magnolia Bakery! I was soo excited!

Stepping into the bakery was like a dream and it smelled so delicious. Small personal cheescakes were all lined up in the first case followed by cakes, cupcakes and cookies. Unfortunately I was disappointed with everything, but the cheesecake. (I’ve had better) We all dove in and placed our orders. I took pumpkin cheesecake with me as the others ordered chocolate vanilla swirl and key  lime. We found a spot near a fountain across the street where we attacked and savored every morsel.

On to the subway we headed to east village. Upon arriving we walked blocks and blocks of streets and dipped into a cozy bar for a bit. The bar served popcorn with every drink and it was filled with locals and international accents. We talked until our feet were ready to  hit the streets again and hungry as usual we were directed to the famous Katz Deli. I had no idea why it was famous or what to expect so I went with the flow. We arrived at Katz Deli, which was old-fashioned and the menu looked as if it hadn’t changed in years!

Besides the endless photos of celebrities and people of interest covering the walls from the ceiling to the floor, Katz Deli is well-known for being in the movie where Harry Met Sally. We of course had to sit and eat dinner here and a small sign helped us pick our spot in the restaurant.

Diving Into My Turkey Sandy

Lookin' up at "The Sign"

Katz clever way of the "bill"

Our feast

With the night just beginning we were ready to listen to some music and checked out east village radio. The home to the online radio station. We were shocked when we spotted the place because we all were expecting a place to sit and listen to music. Instead it was a tiny closet of a place and six people inside of it equaled a crowd. Nonetheless I went because it was on my fellow travelers list of must see’s. Having enough of the crowded spot we headed down the streets and ended at a small apartment where we met some ”locals” that shared their favorite club spots and advice on getting a cab.

When Hailing a Cab:

1) Look for the cabs with their light on top turned on.

2) If a random car pulls up it’s probably a Gypsy cab. It’s cheaper, but they can’t get in trouble for kidnapping you.

3) The taxi cabs with a lot of advertising on them are more expensive.

4) Taxi’s aren’t alowed to share their rides…that means no picking up “Driving Ms. Daisy’s” and dropping them off…on the way to your destination. (This happened to us earlier in the day and we almost missed our train!)

Sitting at the apartment with good conversation and listening to old one hit onders we missed our train giving us no choice, but to take the next one. We headed to the subway and now this time the subway didn’t run as often so we missed our train again! Frustrated with the night we quietly rode to Penn station and purchased our tickets for the next train, which was to arrive at 2AM.

Drenched from the drizzle we went back outside and walked the lonely streets. We went back to Papaya Dog and also made a stop at White Castle.  I had never tried the burger joint before and had to try the famous “White Castle.” Dissapointed! Let’s just say if you like mini burgers with paper thin meat and soggy bread this is YOUR joint! As time passed we headed back to Penn Station where tons of drunk stragglers were meandering around waiting for their next. Finally our train had arrived and we ran to it ready to go home and sleep.

On the train there was constant noise of drunken conversation that eventually drowned out as we took off toward Farmingdale. But why when I looked over two girls who were sprawled on their seats covered in shopping and sleeping both woke up crying as if they had a nightmare or something. Weird! I just kept to myself and  hoped to get home soon.

Exhausted from a long day I couldn’t help, but be happy with all the amazing sights and food I had experienced over two days.

late autumn after the leaves fall, i can see the empire state building from my window.

Photos from a trip to New York City for WordCamp NYC.

[1. AMERICA @ The Bronx Museum]

Cette semaine… j’ai rencontré l’une de mes photographes préférées, vu New York de haut, mais aussi monsieur Burns, LeBron James, la G-Shock rose de Talib et un H&M retourné après l’ouragan Jimmy Choo, bref… Voici les highlights de ces derniers jours en 10 images…

[2. Empire State Building (vue d'en bas) - 34th street, Manhattan]

[3. Empire State Building (vue d'en haut) - 34th street, Manhattan]

[4. LeBron James - Campagne Nike Streetwear - Madison Square Garden, Manhattan]

[5. H&M après la tempête Jimmy Choo, Manhattan]

[6. "No Third Terms, Vote For Burns" - Union Square, Manhattan]

[7. Campagne athéisme qui en dit long... Métro, Time Square, Manhattan]

[8. Chanteur du métro qui m'a dédié une chanson ! - West Village, Manhattan]

[9. J'aime les boucles d'oreille de la photographe Martha Cooper... - Red Bull BC One - Manhattan]

[10. ...mais aussi la G-Shock rose de Talib Kweli ! - Red Bull BC One - Manhattan]

Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys - Empire State Of Mind

]]> http://tabbycat07.wordpress.com/2009/11/15/new-york/ Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:03:46 +0000 tabbycat07 http://tabbycat07.wordpress.com/2009/11/15/new-york/

Yesterday, Julia, Ryan, Kenny, and I went to New York City for the day. I had a fantastic time. The drive up was hilarious, because we all never know how to shut up. Between talking, singing along with the radio, yelling at random cars driving by, complaining that we really had to use the bathroom, and laughing so hard it made the whole bathroom situation worse, there wasn’t a single moment of silence during the three and a half hour drive. I loved it.

Once we got to New York, we realized that driving around the city is ridiculous, and finding parking for a large truck is harder than finding a needle in a haystack. But, once we got parked and used a bathroom, we were good to go. We explored Times Square, went to a bunch of little gift shops to get great deals on random items, and even went by the Empire State building. We didn’t go up to the top because it’s like 40+ per person, and we’re not rich, but it was amazing enough just to stand at the bottom and look up. You couldn’t even see the top because of the cloud cover.

As we started heading toward Central Park, the slight drizzle that had been going on all day turned into a light rain, and then the light rain turned into a heavier rain. By the time we got to Central Park, we were all soaked. The boys bought umbrellas to share, but they only slowed the rain a bit. So we stopped at this place called Park Cafe, and we had the worst waitress I’ve ever had in my entire life. The food was great, but the service was horrible. It’s the first time I’ve ever, EVER stiffed a waitress. We wrote her a note and told her that she should be nicer to her customers. After we left, I thought I’d feel bad, but honestly, the service was so horrible that I really didn’t.

After that we hit up a few more of the little gift shops, and I was excited because Julia and I bartered down the price of a pair of pajama pants. We had seen them at another store for $24, and we weren’t trying to pay that, so when we saw them at the next store for only $15, we were pretty excited. But I still said to the guy, “I don’t know if I want to get them. I mean, I already got a pair of shorts at the last shop…” and Julia jumped in and was like “Yea, and Ryan already bought me a pair of pajama pants…”. So the guy knocked them down to $12. A small victory, but a victory none-the-less.

The car ride home was similar to the car ride there, only a little more sleepy. Overall, I really enjoyed myself. It was nice to get away from Maryland for a little bit and enjoy a whole day of doing whatever I want for no apparent reason.

Headed downtown on Fifth Avenue bus.  Just a snippet through the glass.

November 7, 2009 NYC Bus Window View

Jesteśmy w NYC! Ty razem niemal w komplecie – jest Natalia, Julka, Mikolaj i Maciek, zabrakło Wioli, ale next year in summer for sure. Miało być pięknie i jest, choć pogoda nie rozpieszcza (jedyny plus deszczu to to, że jest ciepło). A teraz mały spacer po jednym z naszych ulubionych miast – super foty po weekendzie!

Times Square

Times Square

Bryant Park – lubimy to miejsce, a w tle Empire.

Empire!!!

NBA Store at 5th Ave i gablota z pamiątkami Michaela Jordana! Na kolanach!

Parada weteranów wojennych na 5th Ave. Ludzie pozdrawiają, biją brawo, krzyczą – thank you! A u nas…

Muzeum Guggenheim’a na 5th Ave… chyba się nie znamy jednak na sztuce – ale to przy innej okazji wam opowiemy – why!?

Rowerek mistrza Lance Armstronga w Nike store!

Julka czuje się w NYC znakomicie! Tak samo jak wujek – Mikołaj!

A Natalia zastanawiała się, gdzie się podziali ci wszyscy koszykarze NBA i prężyła muskuły w sklepie na 5th Ave.

Cudowne odcienie Central Parku!

A w piątek 13 wybrańcy trafili na Hamleta, gdzie w roli głownej gra nie kto inny jak sam Jude Law!

Większa relacja po weekendzie – later!

Zdjęcia iPhone więc sorry za jakość, ale liczy się kadr

What an AWESOME use of packaging to create something so much more than the product itself…..  Student designer Alex Creamer says:

“I created this spaghetti packaging for a university project last year. The brief was to package one of 5 difficult items i.e. eggs, a rose, custard powder, spaghetti or marbles. I chose spaghetti. The spaghetti sits on a 3d model of the Chrysler building that was modelled on CAD by my friend Ben Thorpe. And then modelled out of high density foam at uni. Creating a spaghetti model of the Chrysler building!”

Designed by Alex Creamer, a student at the University of Central Lancashire in the UK. Enjoy!

Since today is my birthday, I started to reflect on this past year. There were days I would rather forget in that time period, but other days that were magical. I decided to blog about the number one magical day in 2009 to celebrate my 44th year… can’t believe I am already 44!!

Back in May Joe had this great idea to go to New York again, but just the two of us this time. It had been a long time since just the 2 of us had been on a vacation together. So, he sold a guitar and off we went… to New York City!

We met up with some great friends, Melissa and Brad for the first few days and visited sites we had never seen before. Brad hates getting his picture taken, can you tell by how excited he looks in this one! Too funny!

Our first stop, the Empire State Building.

It was a foggy and wet day, so there was absolutely NO ONE in line. If you have ever been to NYC and waited in this line, you will appreciate that there was really no one in line this day! We were told the whole way up that there was zero visibility on the top, but we continued anyway and when we reached the top, the fog started to lift…

We walked around a couple times, then suddenly we stopped. Joe took his backpack off, opened the top compartment and pulled out 2 small blue boxes wrapped with white ribbon. I was confused for a second and then Joe explained that we were renewing our vows… well, from then on I was a mess! Brad is a pastor, so performed the ceremony and Joe read vows he had written for me. I unwrapped the little blue box, to find a white gold band with the words Tiffany inscribed on it. He placed it on my finger and I did the same for his and we… kissed… Melissa was quick to grab my camera and get a shot for me…

What a kiss!

That was day 1 of a wonderful second honeymoon! We escaped from the reality of the world and embraced what was really important to us, that we were together, having fun, enjoying each and every moment and kissing a lot!

We walked in the rain…

Road the subway everywhere, saw museums, a broadway play, shopped on Canal street for purses, watches and scarves, ate good food…

And visited the sites…

It was all magical…

“Un Empire rosso sta sorgendo. E’ stato versato del sangue stanotte a New York.”
Che film famoso vi ricorda? Chi indovina vince un viaggio a New York…finanziato da se’ medesimo!

Maybe it’s all connected to global warming, but seasonal confusion is all around. Baseball wraps up in November, and Christmas decorations are up before Halloween. The Empire State Building has Yankee colors on display, and the first of Macy’s Christmas trees is all lit up on 34th Street. I don’t understand.

On a trip to New York last year, I took my beloved Horizon camera.  It’s a panoramic camera and when I bought it, it very quickly became my favourite camera.  I had heard about some “banding” issues that this camera is known to have, but I had no problems at all with it, it worked like a dream… until I got to NYC and it broke.

I had taken some rolls of film in NYC with it, but didn’t realise the problem, until I got home and had my films processed.  Disheartened with the results, some rolls of film I didn’t even bother getting developed. That was until I came across them last week and I decided to put them in the lab.  All considering, I was pleasantly surprised. Sure most shots were full of light leaks, but some turned out okay too.  It’s reignited my love for this camera and I need to see if I can get it fixed to work like a dream again. 

Let’s have a good look at what we are talking about…by sharing some of the best vantage points to survey these cities. The obvious; in Paris – the Eiffel Tower, in New York – the Empire State Building, of course they give you that panoramic bird’s eye view of your surroundings, though at heights that obscure the finer details. As magnificent as they are, I find many other sites in both cities provide perspectives that are just as breath taking.

The historical restrictions on the height of buildings in central Paris lends itself to having a small number of extraordinary locations, while in New York the availability of so many office towers provides endless opportunities for less common but still striking views assuming you know someone with access to them.

In Paris, you must often climb many steps to be rewarded with such vistas. You can hike up inside the towers of Notre Dame and while communing with the spirit of Quasimodo, gaze down the Seine.  A winding tour of the Pantheon, the final resting place of France’s great men and women, leads you up to a balcony that surrounds its dome. At the top of the Champs-Élysées, in the center of the world’s greatest traffic circle, the Arc de Triomphe will share its majestic view with you. Trek up the famous steps leading to Sacre Coeur where you will be able to take in a grand view overlooking all of Paris. From the Palais de Chaillots looking back across the Seine provides one of the most spectacular views of the Eiffel Tower.

The Galleries Lafayette can lend itself to skyline gazing on its rooftop terrace and the outdoor terraces in the Pompidou and D’Orsay museums offer more modest but still lovely views. The roof top sculpture garden at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NY provides a delightful view of its Central Park surroundings.

A boat ride along the Seine offers a comfortable way of obtaining a sea level perspective of the heart of Paris from the Eiffel Tower to Notre Dame.  In New York the Statue of Liberty provides great views of NY harbor and the downtown financial district, which can also be experienced by taking the free Staten Island Ferry. From Rockefeller Park by the Battery the harbor continues to beckon and is especially captivating at sunset. There are boat tours which circumnavigate the island of Manhattan giving a complete water borne perspective of the island.

In NY driving offers opportunities not readily available by other means. The numerous major bridges surrounding Manhattan each provide dramatic views, especially recommended are the Brooklyn and 59^th street bridges heading into the city. The Brooklyn Queens expressway passing over the Kosciusko Bridge looks out at the entire length of Manhattan.

In both the City of Lights and the City that Never Sleeps try to visit as many of these places after dusk as possible. But the real thrill in exploring these cities will be when you come across an unexpected scene of such beauty that it will stop you in your tracks and leave a big smile of wonder on your face.

trick-or-treat…

Stephen Wiltshire–”The Living Camera”

This astonishing 18ft drawing of the world’s most famous skyline was created by autistic artist Stephen Wiltshire after he spent just 20 minutes in a helicopter gazing at the panorama.

The unbelievably intricate picture was drawn at Brooklyn’s prestigious Pratt Institute from Stephen’s memory, with details of every building sketched in to scale.

Landmarks including the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building can be seen towering above smaller buildings after just three days in his spellbinding creation.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1223790/Autistic-artist-draws-18ft-picture-New-York-skyline-memory.html#ixzz0VWxlbCeq

click to enlarge

Da sx: F-16; P-51; A-10; F-15

Photo: U.S. Air Force

Woke up late on the third day, but just in time to have a sumptuous brunch – after that, we did more touristy stuff that made me totally fall for NYC…

Today's cuisine... French! Though it's damn cold outside, we chose to dine al fresco still!

Appetizing appetizer!!! White cheese, potato, vinigrette, less the olives and lettuce...

Lau's pick! Yum!

My choice... More cholesterol, but yummier!

To conclude the meal - strawberry and mango sorbet... Sarap!

One of the best restaurants in Manhattan: Pastis! It's located in the Meat Packing District which is currently being developed to be one of the top spots to explore in the city...

After that hefty brunch, we toured Meat Packing District and explored the newly built attraction called "High Line" - previously a railway now turned to an urban park.

High Line boasts with its serene atmosphere...

...its amazing view from above

...and its enigmatic over-all feel,

making it a great getaway destination to escape the busy and crazy streets of Manhattan!

Time to hit the streets again to board the subway leading to our next destination... While walking around, I was just struck by this path - a typical apartment lane that I just used to see in Hollywood movies.

Next stop, Madison Square Garden!

While walking towards Empire State Building, Lau pointed to me the first ever Macy's... Such a classic!

Then we reached this other monumental pit stop... Here at the first floor...

...then at the view deck on the 84th floor - seeing the whole of Manhattan in 360 degrees perspective!

The other side...

And there goes the mandatory shot!

Spotting the famous "flat iron" building...

...and my favorite, "Chrysler Building"!

Just a dramatic shot...

Ending the Empire State experience with a this photo, followed by a trip to the souvenir store to buy the mandatory ref magnet for mom and Aids, plus the shot glasses promised to Kandi!

Prior to walking some more, we grabbed a quick bite here. So amazed to find a caffeine-free Diet Coke!

Then the walkathon continued... A few more steps, we reached NYC's Public Library (trivia: this was the setting of that supposedly wedding of Carrie and Big in "Sex and the City: The Movie").

We did not enter though - just sat down in that only table outside the library...

Not very far from the library (just one corner away) is another park called, "Bryant Park". Since its right at the smack of the city, people flock to this place after work and watch special shows for free...

That afternoon, we witnessed an opera... feeling cultured!

After a quick rest at the park, we walked again and passed by the Philippine Embassy... Just want to pay homage by stopping and "almost" singing "Lupang Hinirang"...

A picture of the thickly populated and truly busy NYC in Penn Station...

Where to go? How about Harlem? Hmmmm...

Everyone's busy... except me!

This time, going to the opposite view of the Empire State Building... Didn't go up though, it's the same skyline anyway!

Another NYC landmark - that famous rink and the huge Christmas tree during the yuletide season...

Not to forget the flags of various nations...

Quick stop for Chai Latte...

Dean & Deluca's velvet cupcake is sooooo good!

Just across is NBC Studios - this is where "The Today Show" is aired daily...

More of NBC, then we also passed by FOX studio...

Then we proceeded to Broadway... still had the hangover of "Wicked" the night before, so we decided to check out 2009 Tony's Best Musical - "Billy Elliot"! True enough, it deserved the award!

While debriefing about "Billy Elliot", we went to Times Square again, just to see it once more and simply do nothing before having a late dinner...

Saw 2 out of3 of those shows... Wish I could have seen all!

Dinner time!!!! Huge burger that I failed to finish - yes, believe it or not!

Now time to go home... how?????

Meeting my new found friends in the Subway!

I couldn’t wait to see the “Empire State of Mind” video which happens to be a favorite from Jay Z’s Blueprint 3 album. No one can deny that this  song is a hot one and that hook could entrance you into doing things…shout out to lil Mama! But on the real, I love Jay’s accolade to the city that never sleeps and inspired him to become one of the greatest. Now onto the video which pleasantly surprised me with the black & white theme. Would have loved to see all of Alicia’s appearances in color though, (enjoyed it finally at the end of the video). I’m always appreciative when artists puts images that conveys their lyrics in the videos, so naturally I enjoyed the flashes of the Brooklyn Bridge, Yankee Stadium, Empire State Building & respectfully the 9/11 Memorial to name a few. Liked the small cameo of Spike Lee but would’ve preferred to see a snippet of Rihanna getting off a motorcycle when Jay rapped, “good girls gone bad” as an ode to her last album. Overall, I thought it was a good follow-up to Run This Town. What do you think?