Sing for Hope Pianos

Sing for Hope Pianos is back. More than 80 public pianos, specially painted and designed by artists and community groups, have been placed in parks and pedestrian plazas across the city for anyone to play. The innovative public art project is in support of the NYC-based non-profit Sing for Hope and its mission to provide "access to the arts for all." Some of the personalities that designed the pianos were Arianna Huffington and her sister Agapi Stassinopoulos, as well as fashion designer John Varvatos. The pianos pictured above are located at Greeley Square and Times Square in midtown Manhattan.

World's Largest Lego Model: Star Wars' X-Wing Fighter In Times Square

Last week, LEGO unveiled a full-scale Star Wars' X-wing fighter in Times Square. At 44 feet long, with a 43-foot wingspan, the massive model plane is the largest LEGO structure in history. It contains 5.3 million LEGO bricks built around a steel frame and weighing nearly 46,000 pounds. It’s 42 times larger than the X-wing LEGO set sold in toy stores, but like its miniature counterpart, this version can be easily disassembled. The structure took 17,000 hours and 32 LEGO builders working around the clock in the Czech Republic. As part of a display that also included life-sized LEGO models of Darth Vader, Yoda, and R2D2, it was on view for several dayas to promote an array of "Star Wars" productions, including the animated TV miniseries “The Yoda Chronicles” on Cartoon Network, the animated series “Rebels,” and the J.J. Abrams film set to hit theaters in 2015. Following its Times Square stint, the X-wing will land permanently at LEGOLAND California.

Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day, a federal holiday to honor soldiers observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. soldiers who died while in the military service. Three years ago, a giant bronze sculpture called "Unconditional Surrender" created by the acclaimed artist, Seward Johnson was displayed at 44th Street and Broadway in Times Square, the exact spot the famous kiss took place. The sculpture was inspired by the famous moment in Times Square on August l4, 1945, the day that WW II ended.

The "Disneyfication" of Times Square

According to the Times Square Alliance, more than 50 costumed characters  work in Times Square. The crossroads of the world has become "family-friendly" with the presence of buskers dressed as cartoon/movie characters soliciting tips from tourists who pose for photos with them. However, there were some isolated incidents involving bad behavior by some of these costumed characters that regulation is being proposed. 

"Super Mario groped the woman," says Times Square Alliance president Tim Tompkins. "Elmo was ranting anti-Semitic things. Spider-Man punched a woman in the face. Now a kid was attacked by Cookie Monster. And those are just ones where there's been an arrest! We've anecdotally heard there's a lot more that's been happening. One of my staff members said an Elmo patted her backside when she was walking through Times Square on a crowded day." 

When it rains...

Here are some sights in midtown Manhattan this rainy weekend. The images were captured on Sixth Avenue, Times Square and Third Avenue.

Dream Yosacoy Festival

The Dream Yosacoy Festival Committee held "DREAM YOSACOY MATSURI" in Times Square last month. It's a Japanese dance festival, and performers danced in traditional costumes and music. Also part of the festival was audience participation with "naruko" (clapper), a symbol of the festival.

At The Stagedoor: Two-Time Oscar Winner TOM HANKS Making his Broadway Debut in Nora Ephron's "Lucky Guy"

Two-time Academy Award winning actor, Tom Hanks makes his Broadway debut in Nora Ephron's final work, "Lucky Guy." Hanks plays Mike McAlary, a gutsy New York City newspaper columnist who won a Pulitzer Prize for exposing that a Haitian immigrant had been sodomized by police in 1997. “Lucky Guy” has been nominated for six Tony Awards, including best play and best leading actor for Hanks. "Lucky Guy" plays the Broadhurst Theatre located at 235 West 44th Street. After the matinee show yesterday, Hanks greeted his fans and signed autographs outside the stagedoor.

Inside Out New York City: Artist JR Decorates Duffy Square Ground With Black-And-White Portraits

The French street artist known as JR launched a new project called "Inside Out New York City." JR installed a photo booth truck in Times Square where anyone can create poster-sized self-portraits that people can keep or paste on the ground in Duffy Square. In this latest installation in Times Square, the first set of black-and-white portraits were taken ahead of time in the roaming photo booth truck in neighborhoods affected by Hurricane Sandy. The aim of this project is to show an inclusive image of New York City. The project runs through May 10.

She Hearts NY

She's one of the countless buskers in Times Square who poses for photos with tourists. And she loves New York.