_____

3 Exposure HDR. Click image for full size.

_____

On Broadway

My feet are exhausted. Over the past couple days they have carried me and all my consumer purchases to the bus terminal, through the underground world of the subway, to Penn Station (C’s reation to the business and craziness of 31st and 7th was quite hilarious–he almost got hit by turning vehicles like 6 times and it actually affected him–I guess I’ve really gotten used to this place after all because I thought almost getting ran over was normal)…

My tired feet took me through Columbia and to a yummy soul food place on Amsterdam/Columbus (forgot which)…

The same two feet took me through the halls to show off my cool friends to people still on campus so close to Thanksgiving, they took me to the southernmost tip of Manhattan where we saw the distant Statue of Liberty and the beautifully filthy water surrounding the island of Manhattan…

The same two feet took me to Chinatown, which is really a lot bigger than our Chinatown, and a lot more logistically confusing too…

The same two feet took me to Times Square, where C. and L. fell in love with the midtown sky and the bright (sometimes headachey) lights and the M&Ms store and all kinds of crowded awesomeness…

Those feet took me to the Upper West Side–a lot more like a home away from home for me–and to a nice dollar store just like the ones back home (I got a pink broom so I stop bothering Maria about using her Swiffer every week). Those feet also took us to Westside Market, one of my loves, and we found much of what we would like to have for Thanksgiving dinner. It’s gonna be a strange Thanksgiving dinner, but you know, it’s going to be with friends and it’s going to be fulfilling.

And tomorrow there is more epicness to come, the Parade being part of it

SO excited!

In the next hour is the Hungarian Pastry Shop, then my feet can finally rest.

I’m listening to Empire State of Mind by Alicia Keys (awesome song). Miss Keys was playing in Rockefeller Plaza this weekend when I was in New York City. It is that kind of event that makes you realize that this is where everything is happening. In my entire life I have been to this city seven times, and every time I go there it is a completely different experience. Ironically, I am more free in New York than I am in Toronto, and I am a Canadian. Maybe I should move. Anyway, here is a list of some cool things I did this weekend.

The Apollo Theater

1. The Apollo Theater

My wife and I took the subway to Harlem, getting off at 125th and Malcolm X Blvd. For some reason I was surprised by how many Starbucks there were. I was also a little surprised by how small The Apollo Theater is on the outside. There is so much history here I just assumed there would be a big gift shop and a huge outer-facade (is that even a word?). There is a tour you can go on that we couldn’t do because there was a matinee performance of Dreamgirls (I saw the original on Broadway).

2. We walked the entire length of Central Park

IT'S A CONCRETE JUNGLE!!!!

For the first time I walked the entire length of Central Park from Harlem to the Upper West Side. Next to Stanley Park in Vancouver this is the nicest park in the world. It barely seemed like any time went by, but we walked miles. We watched people skating, saw a turtle, witnessed a wedding and watched two jazz trios. I kept remembering all of the movies I have seen that take place in this park (mostly Woody Allen movies).

3. Angelo’s Pizza (Next to the Letterman studios)

Angelo's Pizza

New York has six million people, but we actually bumped into my family at this restaurant. Maybe it was because I wouldn’t shut up about how great it is. We all sat at Madonna’s table right there in the front window. We also ate at a few Italian restaurants with more nouveau cuisine, but there is something about the basics that will work forever. Good tomato sauce, white bread, cheese, pepperoni and spaghetti done in an old fashioned New York Italian style. The last time we ate here my wife talked to David Letterman shortly afterwards.

4. The Empire State Building

The Empire Strikes Back

One night we went up to the top of the Empire State Building. It seemed to be going through a cloud and it was snowing even though on the ground there was no snow. It was still a great view and we were able to see people practicing for the Macy’s Parade. Interesting factoid: the observatory that is further up was supposed to be a waiting room for zeppelin balloons.

5. Macys Parade Practice

Macy's Parade

Well we didn’t get to watch the parade but we did see them practicing. There is always something happening in this town.

6. We stayed near Times Square

WHAT TIME IS IT?!!!

Um…if there is a recession someone forgot to tell Times Square. It was much more crowded then it was two years ago when I was last here. And yet I never felt like I wasn’t safe. And I was mugged here once in the 80s. It is now completely different from the Times Square I was mugged in. It’s all chocolate and toys now. I’ll save my Broadway experience for my next blog, but here is a teaser: GO SEE IN THE HEIGHTS!!!! Also Rihanna played here on Monday morning for Good Morning America. I missed it but my niece saw her.

We stayed at the Westin off of 43rd. Nice comfy beds.

7. The Brooklyn Diner

The Mixed Marriage of Irving and Gina

This is my favorite place to eat in New York. This is an interesting breakfast they have called The Mixed Marriage of Irving and Gina which has challa bread and Italian sausage. It was delicious. I love mixed marriages myself and this was as delicious as my own mixed marriage. I also had pancakes the next day that were also soft and yummy. They serve polenta instead of hash brown.

8. FAO Schwarz

The BIG Piano at FAO Schwarz

One thing I love about New York is that they are proud of their film history and they take every chance they can to exploit/celebrate that rich culture. Here two FAO Schwarz employees gleefully dance on the piano while dozens look on.

9. Gray Line Tours

Part of the Berlin Wall stands near the WTC ruins

We took the Gray Line Downtown tour. This was the only way we could see everything we wanted in the short time we were in the city. The only place we got off the bus was at the WTC site. My father told me that when I was a baby we stood there as they were building the World Trade Centre. In the 80s we both went to the top of the World Trade Center. And now we stand looking at the construction of the Freedom Tower.

10. We didn’t get in to see The View but we did stand in a cold line

Take some time to wait outside in the cold hoping to get in to see The View

Actually this wasn’t a cool thing to do. It was a freakin’ cold thing to do! And we didn’t get in to see The View. We stood in the stand-by line early in the morning. They do give you a complimentary breakfast which is nice. And I did get to see producer Bill Getty walk into work. And I learned that The View is actually filmed in a really ugly building. And they don’t have enough seats, because even people with tickets couldn’t get in. Get a bigger theater Barbara!

Of course the real reason it was so busy and crowded is because it is much cheaper to go to New York City now because of the recession. So there are a lot of deals and I encourage you to go down and experience the city Toronto can only pretend to be. Most of my immediate family went down to spend some time together and celebrate some birthdays, good health and my sixth wedding anniversary.

Photo courtesy of Richard Roebuck

Musical theater  has been around for centuries in one form or another, however, many theater critics are predicting its demise in the coming years. Escalating production costs means that ticket prices are rocketing for some shows, making them exclusive to those who are willing and able to spend their money. Is this acceptable; should the theater be retained as a sophisticated art form meant only to be viewed by the wealthy upper classes (as it once used to be), or should the theater be accessible to everyone? Considering the content of many of the popular new musicals being produced such as Rent, Wicked, In the Heights and Hair, to name a few, that deal with issues such as sexuality, race, class and most of all freedom of individuality, why should these messages be financially unattainable to many of the large groups of people they are trying to enlighten?

Rent the musical promotional poster

The price of tickets to see a popular show on Broadway is high at the moment, especially considering the current economic climate. Tickets to see the most popular shows such as Wicked and The Lion King in New York on a Saturday evening can be up to $130 a pop, and it is impossible to get these tickets last minute at a discount because the shows always sell out ahead of time. Many shows waning in popularity fill up last minute seats by discounting their tickets up to 50% at the TKTS booth in Times Square. Even with this discount some of the shows can still be $50-100 per ticket; maybe not so bad for 1-2 people, but for a whole family that’s quite a stretch. So is it worth it?

TKTS booth, Times Square NY.

First we have to consider the production costs. Some of these shows will blow your mind visually with amazing special effects and this doesn’t come cheap. The actors, singers and dancers on stage have trained professionally for years; as have the musicians in the orchestra. Add to this the fact that everyone involved puts on the production seven days a week and sometimes two shows a day. It is also easy to overlook the sheer number of people involved in making a production come to life who all need a pay check; choreographers, coaches, costume designers, make-up artists, set designers, backstage technicians, even front of house employees, to name but a few.

Extravagant set on Broadway’s The Lion King

Second, the theater is an age-old art form. Musical theater has been around for centuries entertaining the public. Up until the last few decades the theater really was reserved for the wealthy class often with standing room only for the lower class.  Sure the theater has changed (some critics say for the worse) but it has also evolved in many positive ways with modern musicals drawing attention to the plight of minority groups and repressed individuals, giving them a voice, teaching morals and campaigning for rights and freedom of individuality.

Broadway sign post

Overall we think it is fair to say that yes, theater tickets probably are over-priced – but there are significant reasons behind this. New forms of entertainment are available now that the theater has to contend with, so drooping audiences mean they have to increase their prices to retain the same professional level and even just to keep the show on the stage. However, it would be nice to see tickets become more accessible and to have financial incentives for people who see shows regularly, or book in advance for example. A new marketing or advertising approach might be beneficial in getting more people excited about the theater.

Musical theater button courtesy of Zazzle

If your thinking about going to see a show in the holiday season here is our advice; do your research; book in advance if need be or try your chances getting last minute tickets. The latter is normally the best option if your not too fussed about which show you want to see. This is also beneficial to the smaller theaters and the lesser known productions; it doesn’t mean they will be bad, and it opens your mind to different things and you might be pleasantly surprised. If there is only one show that will do, then most likely you will end up paying a larger amount for your ticket than if you take the best deal that’s on for the day.

Broadway ads in Times Square NY

Do you have comments on this subject? We would love to hear you opinions too!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Team Souza

While in NYC in 2007 the subway seemed a little bit complicated as I only took it once. In 2009 I got so used to the NYC subway and I even began to like it, especially the Shuttle, the connection between Times Square and Grand Central Station.

The 7-day Unlimited Ride MetroCard, which includes unlimited subway and local bus rides costs 27 dollars.

The NYC subway is one of the oldest and most extensive public transportation systems in the world, with 468 stations in operation (421 if stations connected by transfers are counted as a single station).
Among the world’s busiest metro systems it is the only one to run 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Subway stations are located throughout the New York City boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx.

Many lines and stations have both express and local service. These lines have three or four tracks: normally, the outer two are used for local trains, and the inner one or two are used for express trains. Stations served by express trains are typically major transfer points or destinations.

The Times Square–42nd Street station is the busiest station of the New York City Subway.

But the entrance/exit right near the Police Department in Times Square is the smallest one I ever seen.

College Gossip Chronicles GET FIT CHALLENGE Wrap-Up!

      Over the weekend we traveled to NYC to shoot the official Ad Campaign for the CGC *College Gossip Chronicles* GET FIT CHALLENGE! The 2 lovely winners were Alex Oppenheimer (green satin) and Rebecca Iverson (red floral).  We arrived on set to a crew of makeup artists, hair stylists, and wardrobe stylists. Complete with complimentary Mimosas by our fabulous host Kane!

    The concepts for the shoot were very simple. We wanted to capture not only the winners but the beauty of NYC and the custom Nikera Clothing garments!  So we hit the streets of New York with an entourage armed with back packs full of sponsored shoe collections and camera equipment! The photo shoot told a story. A full day of celebration for doing such an amazing job by traveling the city together and having fun doing it. We traveled with the crew to Manhattan where we snuck them into a local boutique display window, moving to the subway and then of course Times Square!

    To work with the staff and winners of CGC, NYC was truly an honor! Right now the Press Release is being prepared and soon after major nationwide Press is expected. Again, Congratulations to Alex and Rebecca and the staff of CGC! We hope to work with you next year for the 2nd Annual GET FIT CHALLENGE!  *Stay tuned for the next issue of CGC showcasing the entire shoot!*

VISIT CGC ONLINE!  http://www.thecgconline.com/blog/

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Kassie Humphries and Kane Sarhan of  CGC New York

Danielle Trevant of Platinum Touch Photography

Eric Jackson of Crash Kingdom

MAC Cosmetics Bloomingdale’s NY

Xavier Lawrence of  XLLENT SHOES

Moins de temps pour updater ce blog, voici donc une liste de quelques trucs qui ont retenu mon attention dernièrement.

Jimmy Abraham quitte BroadSign pour Neo

VP IT, Support & Deployment, Jimmy était probablement une des plus importantes ressources techniques de BroadSign. Neo étant un des plus important clients de BroadSign, il est un peu difficile de juger de l’effet de son départ. Pour avoir cotoyé Jimmy chez BroadSign, il est définitivement une excellente acquisition pour un groupe comme Neo ayant des opérations partout dans le monde et connaissant une des meilleurs croissances de l’industrie. Bonne chance Jimmy !

Monster Media gagne le DIGI Award de meilleur contenu interactif … avec ça

100% pas impressionné, un concept dépassé et relativement mal exécuté selon moi. Je ne sais pas qui sont les juges ni quels sont leur critères, mais cela en dit beaucoup sur l’état de l’industrie par endroit. 5/10.

Utilisation de UGC en affichage numérique (par Manolo de DailyDOOH)

Présentation intéressante de plusieurs projets d’affichage numérique où du contenu généré par les utilisateur a été utilisé.

Campagne interactive pour le DROID à Times Square

Très cool !

If you are American, like me, and are planning to spend some time in London then there’s a lot you may want to know. Nothing can take away from the actual experience of living here. No one can teach you that. Yet, if you are a rookie in the UK or making arrangements to study here abroad or live here for a time – there are some interesting tidbits, pitfalls and surprises that will ultimately become part of the best stories of your life.

I’ve been living here for five years. Back when I began studying here, I only knew London by its landmarks, rituals and monarchs. No one who arrives in central London is going to be very surprised to see the changing of the guards or Big Ben. They might be intrigued or excited, but not surprised.

What might prove to be a revelation, however, is the quiet. Now I don’t mean to paint a picture straight from The Sound of Music, with some nymph-like woman twirling around on a hilltop. London is a major city with traffic, rush hours, homeless people, tourists and criminals – make no mistake about it. Yet, there are subtleties that sneak up on the unsuspecting newcomer. For example, during rush hour in the city, you will almost never hear a car honk its horn. If you are from Minnesota, that might not be a huge surprise. But I’m from New York, and it’s not possible to walk through that asphalt jungle at 9AM on a Monday without hearing a cacophony of car horns. Every car is speaking, and though each one sounds different they are basically saying the same thing. ‘Get out of my way!’ Yet in London, a car horn is a rarity. You may hear one ever so often – but even then – other drivers are looking at the trigger happy horn blower as if he has utterly lost his mind.

Another reality is that Englanders, as a rule, are very reserved people. That is not to say that there aren’t scuffles, arguments, scenes, tirades and even the occasional fight. Still, on average, voices are at a moderate pitch. If you are from a major city in America, this may take getting used to. In my first year in London, I was always asking people to repeat themselves. I was also very aware of the stares I received whenever I spoke in public – the loud New Yorker that I am. I’ve since learned to lower my voice, so much so that when I return home, my family and friends are asking me for the first two days, ‘Why are you talking so softly? What’s wrong with you? Are you sick?’

These aspects of quietude gives London an overwhelming calmness that presents itself when least expected. One of my favourite hangouts was Leicester Square, which for all intents and purposes reminds one of Times Square if it was scaled down by about 60%. But right in the centre of the large movie theatres, restaurants and tourist shops is a tiny little park with trees, benches and statues. And though there is touristy mayhem and a vendor jamboree going on right outside the park, stepping in it is like entering a vacuum of hushed tranquillity. It’s as if the noise cannot penetrate the invisible walls of the park.

There are ever more interesting aspects about the journey that is England to be revealed in future blogs; as they are, even now, being revealed to me. Stay tuned for more. And remember, you don’t have to be American to relate to these experiences, and you don’t have to live in England to understand that every place on earth has its own special nuances. And the world keeps going ‘round.

Dear Ellen,

There is no place during the holidays like New York City.  Having grown up in California, I can legitimately make this claim.  Us west-coasters, and especially y’all down there in So-Cal, really haven’t experienced December until you spend one bundled up in at least five layers, a hat, scarf, gloves, furry boots, and earmuffs.  Somehow, the vision of roses blooming in the front yard on New Year’s Eve or tourists strolling along Venice beach in t-shirts and flip-flops just doesn’t really embrace the true meaning of “winter”.  Don’t get me wrong, before I wandered outside of California for my first full year of changing seasons, I had no perspective either.  Now, however, “seasons” in California just seems like a big fallacy.  There should be summer and a few rainy months, at least in Nor-Cal.

I digress.  I was in Times Square last night, the most visited place in the world, according to a 2007 Forbes survey.  I was one of 35 million people who will step foot in the square that never sleeps before 2009 comes to a close.

New York, and, specifically, the illuminated billboard mayhem that is Times Square, is probably also the only place on Earth where bumper to bumper people are welcomed.  Okay, perhaps Tokyo as well, but I haven’t crossed that one off of my Places to Go Before I’m Too Lazy and Don’t Want to be Bothered list.  The masses of tourists are part of the charm; it’s what you expect, what makes it so alive.  The grocery store, the DMV, the mall on Friday after Thanksgiving- crowds need not apply.  Stay at home…or go to Times Square where you can step on toes and throw elbows without notice.

During the holiday season, the city is a magical place.  It’s in the air.  New Yorkers wear less black, might even give a nod or half-smile as you pass them in the street.  And then it snows and turns into brown slush and the crankiness returns.  Hide out in Central Park where the white stuff stays white- and beautiful- and you forget you’re in the middle of the biggest apple on the planet.

And then, on January 2nd, after you’ve witnessed the ball drop, live and in person, fly back to sunny, warm California, shed those layers, and tend to those beautiful roses.

Sincerely,

Katie

Today’s reason #47: Let’s trade: tickets to Ellen’s audience for tickets to Times Square.

Hey so yesterday I had a nice trip to the city…. Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State Bulding, and Times Square.  Ton of fun taking pictures…… Check them out.

Statue of Liberty from the Brooklyn Bridge.

The Brooklyn Bridge

]]> http://nickmomrik.com/2009/11/23/times-square-nypd/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:38:41 +0000 Nick http://nickmomrik.com/2009/11/23/times-square-nypd/

In Times Square even the police have a flashing sign.

November 23.

Looking up at Times Square. The new escalators seem very straight in a world of rounded corners. But, they sort of look like where you might go if Captain Kirk told you to meet him on the bridge, so that is cool.

[re-cropped for iDriss... I'm a rule breaker.]

I was lucky enough to participate in the Worldwide Sketchcrawl (like a pubcrawl, but with more more hand/eye coordination) this Saturday. The NYC group met in front of the Chelsea Wine Vault at the Chelsea Market at 11 a.m. and, minus a break for lunch at 3 p.m., the last of us drew until 6:30 p.m. We spent the early afternoon on the High Line, then did post-lunch sketching at Chelsea Market (there was string quartet playing and great people watching), and ended the day with a walk to Times Square—stopping on the way to sketch a taco truck on 29th Street.

You can see other New Yorkers’ sketches and photos over at the Sketchcrawl boards. My drawings and links to fellow Sketchcrawlers’ blogs are after the jump…

There were all levels of sketchers in the group of approximately 15, including two classes (one of high school students, another of fine art and illustration students and their teacher from St. John’s) and professional concept artists and illustrators, plus a caricaturist and even a book designer (Hi Sunil!). Allan Norico kindly critiqued some of the students’ sketches (and mine, because I wanted to get in on the action) and helped lead us around the High Line. Isaac Orloff was the first one on the scene in the morning and sketched straight through until Times Square (where he had a few fans at the table of teenage girls behind us). It was really inspiring to be around such talented artists and I’m really looking forward to the next Sketchcrawl.

Here’s a good look at what happens when you reclaim the urban environment from heavy motorized use!

Veronica Moss Visits Times Square
by Clarence Eckerson on Streetfilms.org

She’s back! The woman you love to hate (and hate not to love) Veronica Moss, a Washington, D.C. lobbyist for – ahem! – the Automobile User Trade Organization (A.U.T.O.) In this “chapter”, she’s getting her first gander ever at the new pedestrian-friendly Times Square and she invited Streetfilms along to record her virgin journey.

Continue reading and watch the video over on Streetfilms.org

I commute everyday from Chappaqua to 11th Avenue and 57th Street in New York City. I like my commute, but last Monday was special. When I got off the Shuttle at Times Square I saw and heard the black bluegrass band performing one of those quadruple time reels in perfect sync with the frenetic commuters. Then when I came out of the subway at Columbus Circle, I got the first view of the trees in front of the Time Warner building all lit up for the holiday season. These were not ordinary lights, but ice cool blue diamond strands finely decorating every branch. It was pure magic. Then, as I walked down 58th street between 10th and 11th Avenues, I heard, saw and felt a posse of mounted police at full gallop run past. I love New York.

This last week has been crazy here in New York, there has been tons of fun events going on. You saw the video from the Nylon party that our friends TV/TV played at earlier and we hit up one more store opening in Times Square this week. It was a starlet filled event, with Gossip Girls Michelle Trachtenberg, Jessica Szohr, and a performance by Leighton Meester. Ashlee Simpson was also in attendance and some guy named Pete Wentz was the DJ. Leighton definitely pushed the style envelope in her crazy performace get up and she sang five songs including her summer hit with Cobra Starship. Check out a clip of her performance below and tell us what you think of her look:

BONUS: I also got to catch up with our very crushworthy buds from Warped Tour this summer, Forever The Sickest Kids at their album release party at Planet Hollywood in Times Square on Monday. They played a few songs acoustic to a lucky group of fans and hung around for signings and photos, check it out below:

I. 

You are the axes, bowtie, pivotal moment
we all pass through to get to the other side
of our lives. This time 

I’m emerging from Penn Station, heading your way
along freshly rained-on sidewalks—the tourist
thicket watered well.  Your required spectaculars 

advertise everything but
this love story I have left
to tell. Will he be jealous? I wish 

I could tell him I cry
whenever I see his face. But I don’t.  I do
when the Friday afternoon slow river rushing crowd drags me in. I am 

so in love. Would he be jealous yet? I check
the Chevrolet clock. Into the transverse LED net—Broadway,
42^nd Street, 7^th Avenue—I become an endangered species 

in an island sanctuary, practicing the art of intentional
walking.  Always a little subversive on these streets. I am so
in love. Beyond you, west along 46^th Street, through scaffold mist, my love is 

Paramount. 

II. 

The hotel looks the same. 

Stainless steel, concrete, a hundred shades of horizontal
gray to subvert the vertical noise outside. Rose 

heads protrude from wall surfaces without newscrawlers. Fog and January humidity
get smuggled in waves through the heavy swinging lobby doors.  A blue floor light 

guides the small hot elevator as it rises 14 floors. The same
floor-length mirror and barley twist

rail greet me as the doors open. Room 1508—another small one,
the bathroom sink a metal funnel that drains the tear I give away 

as quietly as the shift in my mouth’s shape. Down
in the Library Bar, I don’t drink 

all those glasses of Shiraz. I drink black coffee for free and know better
than to wait for him to arrive. Would he be jealous yet? An emotion 

he hides so well. I can only manage to say it once—in reverse.  There is no story,
no plot ready for neon streaming, only enough character to walk across 

the Shuffle in well-worn heels. It’s all I have to show for
you—how I learned to recognize my love of place, 

over person or thing, with no jealousy left to pass through to get to the other side.

Jay-Z and Rhianna, said it best

“These streets will make you feel brand new.”

Empire State of Mind has not only been a Billboard favorite, but a New York anthem. I quickly learned that after arriving in New York and listening to it three times on the radio within the hour car ride.

This is officially my 4th trip out to New York, but I feel as if  I am experiencing it for the first time. Although there is that element of recognition there are and will always be buildings, stores, people who I haven’t seen before. There will be sounds and accents I will appreciate and smells or aromas that I will remember. It’s as though I am brand new again. The streets have taken over my experiences.

Traveling through the airport was a journey in itself. I along with a friend were taking a red-eye for the first time. Being able to sleep was my main priority and I wasn’t too sure if I could do that in the seat of a plane. We crashed and were able to grab our Z’s for the first flight. Landing in DC for a lay over was miserably cold and rainy.

Then when we thought things were going well for us we hit a spontaneous bump.

 I was flying into Laguardia from D.C. where she was flying into JFK from D.C.

 

Luckily she was able to jump on my plane and we figured to pick up her luggage once we got to the Big Apple. Much to our surprise the plane was a lot smaller and we had to run out on the runway just to board it! Tony was my row mate and he made it clear that he was up for a good conversation, while I was trying to make it clear that I needed to sleep as much as I can. I lost the fight. “Chatty Cathy” Tony sold advertising and we chatted about what to do and see in New York. Clearly our six-day trip was not long enough to see everything, but he shared his favorites and still half asleep I made sure to seem interested.

We were that much closer on the flight from D.C. to New York and a lot closer to the people in our now tiny plane. New York was now a hop, skip and a jump away.

The airport2airport drive

 Finallllly we landed in New York and drove to Laguardia to pick up long-lost luggage. New York! We were finally here. Of course to welcome us was Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. Could I say perfect timing or perfect timing?! Although we were not in the city we had made it to our destination filled with excitement, surrounded by cold wind.

Functioning on four hours of sleep we were ready to hit the town and dive into some sight-seeing. We drove through endless amounts of golden-colored trees and past the Mets stadium to Farmingdale. Farmingdale is located in Long Island and approximately an hour train ride from the city. We bundled up and jumped on the train and landed in Penn station. Surrounded by subways and not wanting to look like a tourist we quickly looked at a map and tried to figure out “the great transportation.” Feeling overwhelmed we dipped into the information center and just asked, “How do we get to Times Square?”

Doesn't This Just Look Confusing?!

Figuring Out The Map

We jumped on the subway confident and ended up going in the wrong direction. We were not only farther away from our destination, but we were in New York!! Naturally we walked up the steps to the city to take it all in. Food was the first thing on the agenda and what else to get, but Pizza. YUM! I ordered a deep dish pepperoni, mushroom and pretty much inhaled it. It was hot and delicious.

With full tummies we hit the streets continuing to admire the buildings and came across a cute park located on Broadway.

It was fresh and the soft drizzle added to the experience. Upon entering you felt as if you were entering another world so peaceful and serene. A few steps out of the park I was again faced with the hustle and bustle of the streets.

We returned to the streets of New York and walked up Broadway as the rain drizzled over our eyes. We walked blocks and what felt like hours. So we made sure to take a Starbucks break. Surviving off of one phone we rested and recharged. Back on the way we ended up taking the subway to the famous Times Square. It was just as I remembered it filled with lights and lots of oversized billboards to look at.

Disappointment was veiled over my friends face as it just looked like a “Vegas-Hollywood-ish strip.” Truthfully that is a great description and without hesitation we checked out the Hershey chocolate store filled with candy and random knick knacks. Honestly, who needs a Resse’s mug and matching t-shirt?! We picked up another traveler

Mystery Beer

Quickly over Times Square we ventured off to East Village. A must destination on the list. If you live in L.A. then East Village easily compares to Santa Monica and Venice. I tried doing this throughout the trip…comparing places and areas to what I already knew. We didn’t venture in too far and were quickly distracted by a bar appropriately called, Cheap Shots. 

Cheap Shots Bar

Cheap Shots offered a $1 mystery beer that we all couldn’t resist. Being on a tight budget we drank the not so bad mystery beer and couldn’t help, but ask the bartender what we were drinking. She herself had no idea?!? She did know how to make a shot and were forced to drink a mystery shot right off the back. What was with all the mystery??

Our "Locals"

I laughed it off and we made friends with the “locals.” We asked them tons of questions as much as they asked about L.A. Our new “local” friends were cool and they even made sure we exchanged myspace/facebook 411.

It was getting dark and in an unfamiliar part of town we called it a night and made plans to take the rest of the night to rest up for the days ahead as well as map out what to check out.

We took the subway back to the train station and took the train to Long Island. Exhausted and hungry we hit up a local deli upon arriving in Long Island and pretty much wanted to order everything in sight. It was a great deli and the food was amazing. We had no idea what was in store for the next few days, but we made a pact to eat and see as much as possible!

ART ART ART AND THE LAST FEW DAYS OF PERFORMA… TIMES SQUARE TOMORROW NIGHT ::: LORIS GREAUD.

I tirsdag tog Mette hjem igen. Det har været helt fantastisk hyggeligt at have besøg af hende!

Efter 1,5 døgn alene i lejligheden hvor jeg lige fik styr på alverdens praktisk ting, tog jeg til Times Square igen, for at hente en ny ven. Nemlig Nichlas som skal være her i 10 dage. Jeg har kendt ham i frygtelig lang tid og vi har det altid sjovt sammen, så det kan kun blive godt:)

Første aften gik hurtig med hyggesnak og burgere. Torsdag var Nichlas alene på tur, mens jeg passede mine pligter. Slutningen af eftermiddagen brugte vi i Soho og Korea Town, hvor man mere eller mindre bliver tvunget til at spise sushi, så det var vi jo desværre også nødt til at gøre…
Nichlas er ligesom Morten helt vild med at fotografere – så der er naturligvis mange stop undervejs på sådan en aften, hvor vi lige skal fotografere det ene eller andet. Men det er hyggeligt, og der kommer nogle ret gode resultater ud af det. Jeg håber at kunne få nogle herud på bloggen. Vi (han) tog især et helt fantastisk billede af Empire State Building dækket i skyer og lys.

Efter middag tog vi en tur omkring Times Square (mit absolut hadested i New York), og blev enige om at det er et overvældende sted, hvor man nok ikke behøver tænke så meget på Co2 udslip… Men man kan tage gode billeder derinde, så selvfølgelig tog vi en tur forbi.

I dag har jeg sendt Nichlas i Central Park for at fotografere efterfulgt af en tur på MoMA. Vi mødes og spiser sammen bagefter, og sent i aften kommer Morten hjem fra ferie.
Nichlas har været så sød at tage pålægschokolade og julebryg med til os – så mon ikke vi på en eller anden måde får det kombineret i en slags late-night-snack når vi alle er hjemme!

Chanel Iman “poses”at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion show in New York City on November 19, 2009.

more pictures

]]> http://mariwhite.wordpress.com/2009/11/08/prayer-in-the-square/ Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:00:29 +0000 mariwhite http://mariwhite.wordpress.com/2009/11/08/prayer-in-the-square/

I was listening to my favorite radio station, STAR 99.1 fm and I heard a commercial for something called Prayer in the Square. I checked it out online and discovered that this was a yearly event that allowed New Yorker’s to come together in Times Square for one hour of Praise and Prayer. Neat!!!

I decided to mark the date in my calendar and wake up and travel in the city to see this neat event. I had a few friends of mine meet me there to check it out. I came above ground and wow….thousands and thousands of people singing and clapping. There were even bleachers in time square full of people! On the stage was a choir in robes singing and chanting. Every few minutes, a person who would say a small prayer for various things. Prayers were said for the city of New York, the President, peace in the world and much more.

It was such an amazing experience. People of all ages and ethnicities had their hands up in the air in the middle of New York City!!! The big apple!!! There were rails and police officers coordinating the traffic for cars and people to get through. The funny part about it all was they were nice! Many times the police are yelling at the cars to move or turn around, cars are honking their horns and people are yelling and cursing because they are upset that roads are blocked off. Not this busy Saturday afternoon! I am sure it was because of the presence of God on people’s mind, they were just in a better place mentally.

I walked back to the train station after the hour was over with awe. I just could not get over that sooooo many people attended, even those who just walked upon this event, stayed and joined in. Kids were on the shoulders of parents as believers passed out flyers and free bibles. It gave me hope in a city that seems to some to be so far away from unity and faith. Once again as I have seen before during times of crisis, New Yorker’s came together. September 11th, the New York City blackout and other moments. But this time it wasn’t a crisis, it was Christ. Even better!