Library Walk

Along Library Way on East 41st Street between Park Avenue and Fifth Avenue, the sidewalk is called Library Walk, a celebration of the world's great literature. In 1996, the New York Public Library, the Grand Central Partnership and the New Yorker Magazine convened a panel of esteemed lovers of the written word and came up with a collection of literary quotations. These quotes were cast in bronze by New York sculptor Gregg LeFevre and then laid out as sidewalk plaques on E41st Street in 1998. Featured above are some of the sidewalk plaques on the north side of the street. The facade of the New York Public Library is in the background in the first and fourth photos.

Inside the Park Avenue "Voice Tunnel"

Mexican-Canadian artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer's interactive light and sound art installation inside the Park Avenue Tunnel called Voice Tunnel was the signature event of this year's Summer Streets program that took place during the last 3 consecutive Saturdays.  Lozano-Hemmer outfitted the 1,400-foot long Park Avenue Tunnel with loudspeakers and 300 theatrical spotlights that produce glimmering arches of light along the tunnel’s walls and ceiling. The tunnel was illuminated with pulsating lights "powered" by visitors' voices. Louder speech increased the lights’ brightness proportionally, creating a Morse-like code of flashes throughout the tunnel. The individual voices were heard as pedestrians walk through the tunnel, on 150 loudspeakers, one beside each light arch and synchronized with it. At any given time, the tunnel was illuminated by the voices of the past 90 participants: as new participants speak into the intercom, older recordings got pushed away by one position down the array of light fixtures, so that the content of the piece changed constantly. (Description of the art installation from the Summer Streets official website).

Indian Independence Day Parade 2013

The annual Indian Independence Day Parade marched down Madison Avenue in Manhattan yesterday featuring marching bands, dancers, civic organizations, pipe bands and floats depicting Indian culture. India became independent from British rule on Aug. 15, 1947. Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare, flagged off the parade. Mayoral candidates Christine Quinn, Joe Lhota and John Catsimatidis also joined the colorful celebration of Indian Independence Day.

Board Cutout Recreation of Edward Hopper's "Nighthawks " Painting on Display in Flatiron Prow Artspace

The Whitney Museum recently unveiled their life-size board cutout recreation of Edward Hopper's "Nighthawks" painting in the Flatiron Prow Artspace, the glass-walled,  ground floor exhibit space of the Flatiron Building. The painting is one of the most famous and beloved paintings in the world, and it features three people sitting in a 1940s diner which most likely never actually existed. It is possible that the painting was inspired by the Flatiron building because of the similarity in shape. The display of the recreation in the Flatiron Building is for promoting the ongoing exhibition called "Hopper Drawing" at the Whitney Museum. 

National Can-It-Forward Day with Award-Winning Chef, Ted Allen at Union Square Greenmarket

National Can-It-Forward Day was held earlier today at the Union Square Greenmarket. The event featured Food Network’s Chopped host, two-time Emmy and James Beard award-winning chef,Ted Allen. Participants learned to pick up some fresh, local food and safely pickle and otherwise preserve them using the Ball brand mason jars. Ted Allen was the food and wine specialist on the groundbreaking Bravo television series "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy".

42nd Street and Broadway

This is 42nd Street, a major crosstown street in Manhattan known for its theaters, especially near the intersection with Broadway in Times Square. Times Square the only zone in the city where tenants are required by a zoning ordinance to display bright signs on the outside of their buildings.