The Ansonia

The Ansonia is a grand condominium with a commanding presence on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It is located at 2109 Broadway, between 73rd and 74th Streets. It was originally built as a luxury Beaux Arts hotel by William Earle Dodge Stokes 1n 1904. Inspired by French hotels, it was named after Stokes' grandfather, the industrialist, Anson Greene Phelps. The building was converted into a condominium in 1992 with 430 units. The image was made from the 72nd Street subway station on Broadway.

From New York Architecture:

Despite the proliferation of ornamentation, the effect of the whole is one of lightness, grace and elegance. The tiers of windows, recessed courts and rounded towers establish a sense of the vertical, while a series of balconies emphasize the horizontal. The extensive ornamentation and lacy ironwork combined with the smooth panels of the brick work creates a dramatically elegant surface. The Ansonia was constructed with heavy, all masonry fireproof materials with heavy interior partitions to separate the individual apartments, thus making them virtually soundproof as well.

Fast Food Chain "Shake Shack" Is #11 in the 101 Best Restaurants In America

Shake Shack has been listed among some of America's finest dining establishments in a new ranking of the country's best restaurants according to The Daily Meal list. Shake Shack is a popular restaurant chain serving hamburger, fries, hot dogs, frozen custard, beer, wine and more. Shake Shack was born from a hot dog cart in Madison Square Park created by Union Square Hospitality Group to support the Madison Square Park Conservancy’s first art installation “I ♥ Taxi.” The fast food chain ranks number 11 alongside high-profile restaurants such as Le Bernadin in New York and New Orleans' Cochon. On top of the list is The French Laundry in California, with Gramercy Tavern in New York coming in second. The other NYC restaurants in the list are David Chang's Momofuku Ssam Bar and Mario Batali's Babbo. The Daily Meal top 101 was compiled with the help of a panel of restaurant critics and food writers, who selected the winners from a list of 313 nominations. Restaurants in New York City dominate the top 20 spots on the list. The photo above shows the Theatre District Shake Shack located at 691 8th Avenue and 44th Street.

Anti-Fur Protest

Caring Activists Against Fur staged an anti-fur protest last Sunday outside The Fur Source of NY, which is currently having a Sample Sale. The activists are discouraging shoppers from buying fur or fur-trimmed products, claiming that every year, over 40 million animals are brutally killed to make the fur products sold in stores. The Fur Source of NY is located at 3 West 57th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.

Chrysler Building Crown On A Rainy And Foggy Night

The Chrysler Building in midtown Manhattan is one of the most recognizable structures in Manhattan because of its art deco, terraced crown. There are two sets of lighting in the top spires and decoration, the V-shaped lighting inserts in the steel of the building itself, and the floodlights that are on mast arms directed back at the building. These images were made one rainy, foggy night from 43rd Street just west of Grand Central Terminal Terminal.

The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) Times Square Studios

Tonight, the 2013 Academy Awards (also known as The Oscars) is being broadcast on ABC-TV stations around the country. One of ABC's studios in Manhattan is located in Times Square. These studios have a distinct facade with nine curvilinear horizontal LCD video strips that undulate around the building. The TV screens display current news and ABC TV previews including the Academy Awards tonight. The 2013 Academy Awards will be hosted by a first-time host, Seth MacFarlane. ABC is part of the Walt Disney Company. According to published reports, advertisers are paying ABC the highest prices since 2008 for commercials during the network’s coverage of the Academy Awards tonight.

Military Veteran Hot Dog Vendors In Manhattan's Most Lucrative Spot

One of the most lucrative spots to operate a food cart in Manhattan is in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art steps on Fifth Avenue in the Upper East Side. Military veterans have been setting up their hot dog push carts at this location for many years now, claiming that the prime spot has been set aside by the city for military veteran vendors. It has been reported that the city is frustrated with veterans’ crowding the spot and that the exact legality is complex and sometimes unclear. In the past, veteran vendors have been arrested for violations of their licenses. It's also reported that some non-veteran vendors pay anywhere from $70,000 to $200,000 a year for the right to set up their food carts in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

All Creatures Great and Small - Hall of Biodiversity at the the American Museum of Natural History

One of the most popular permanent exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History on the Upper West Side of Manhattan is the Hall of Biodiversity. The Hall showcases the extraordinary variety and beauty of life, defines biodiversity and demonstrates its importance. American Museum of Natural History is working to educate the public about this critical issue. This hall plays a key role in educating the public about preserving our planet's biodiversity.

Eduardo Kobra’s Mural of Alfred Eisenstaedt’s Photo "VJ Day, The Kiss"

Eduardo Kobra painted these stunning murals on 25th Street at 10th Avenue in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. The top mural takes inspiration from Alfred Eisenstaedt’s iconic photo of a sailor kissing a nurse on VJ Day in Times Square in New York City ("VJ Day, The Kiss"). The photo symbolizes the triumph of love over war and how America found relief in the silence of the guns. Below is a mural depicting vintage Times Square street scene.

Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade

The 14th Annual Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade took place last Sunday to celebrate the year of the water snake. The parade rolled down Mott, along East Broadway, up Eldridge Street to Forsyth in Manhattan's Chinatown. The spectacle featured floats, marching bands, lion and dragon dances galore, Asian musicians, magicians, acrobats and procession by local organizations as well as politicians. 

St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church

St. Bartholomew's Church, commonly called St. Bart's, is a historic Episcopal Church founded in January 1835, and located on the east side of Park Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets in midtown Manhattan. The original Byzantine architecture was designed by Bertram Goodhue. Completed in 1918, it is composed of a Romanesque structure using variegated salmon and cream-colored bricks and creamy Indiana limestone with with Byzantine decoration. The church also features a dome, tile-patterned on the exterior and with a polychrome Hispano-Moresque interior. The church has stained-glass windows and mosaics and a beautiful stained glass rose window over the balcony overlooking the pews. St. Bart's is known for a wide range of programs. It draws parishioners from all areas of New York City and surroundings. St. Bartholomew's is noted for its pipe organ, the largest in New York and one of the ten largest in the world. St. Bartholomew's Church and Community House was designated a landmark by the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1967.