Night Lighting of One Bryant Park (Bank of America) and 4 Times Square (Conde Nast) Tower Spires

The lighting of the The Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park (green) and the Conde Nast Building at 4 Times Square (yellow) provides a stunning night imagery on midtown's skyline. The two towers are often lit up in identical or complementary colors at night.

“The idea is that the two of them can work in sync. They can talk to each other,” said Michael Hennes, a senior associate ofCline Bettridge Bernstein Lighting Design.

The spire atop the 4 Times Square building (also known as the Conde Nast building,) is a powerful broadcast antennae while the One Bryant Park light is purely decorative, Hennes said. The two spires are connected underground via ethernet and controlled from One Bryant Park, he said.

The 51-story One Bryant Park tower became the city’s second-tallest building when it was completed in 2010. It’s 1,198 feet tall, including the 253-foot spire, according to the building’s specifications compiled by Durst. Certified LEEDPlatinum, the office tower is home to many of Bank of America’s corporate operations as well as the corporate headquarters of the Durst Organization, which developed the skyscraper.

JEAN and VALERIE, Fashion Bloggers "Of A Certain Age"

Valerie and Jean are fabulous fashion bloggers who believe in "growing old with verve." It was wonderful to meet them last Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum. They are featured in a new book by Joanna Avillez called "Life Dressing: The Idiosyncratic Fashionistas," the essential guide for irreverent women everywhere. The book contains 48 pages of a fashionary tale of two women who dress to live while embracing the joy of aging and gray hair. For more of Valerie and Jean's fashion, and their new book, you can visit their trendsetting blog, Idiosyncratic Fashionistas.

"Desert Rooftops", A Sculpture Installation at an Empty Lot in Times Square by David Brooks

The Art Production Fund is presenting an art installation by David Brooks called “Desert Rooftops” at 46th Street and Eighth Avenue. The installation is worth noting not only for its size and unusual look but also for the fact that it’s built on top of the last empty lot in one of the densest neighborhoods in all of Manhattan. The installation uses asphalt-shingled rooftops to create a vision of an overdeveloped land in a dynamic composition reminiscent of a rolling, dune-like landscape. The sculpture is picturesque and familiar, offering a much-needed sense of humor to help digest the somber environmental issues we face today. Brooks' sculpture references art history, giving a nod to artist Robert Smithson's earthworks and artist Gordon Matta-Clark's building cuts. The installation will be up until February 5, 2012. David Brooks is an American sculptor and installation artist whose work considers the relationship between the individual and the built and natural environment. He obtained his BFA from the Cooper Union and his MFA from Columbia University. 

Apple Store at Grand Central Arriving Soon

Grand Central Terminal will have a new 23,000-square-foot Apple store, taking the place of the Métrazur in the terminal's north and northeast balconies. According to published reports, the store will be Apple's largest in the world. No word yet on the exact opening date but the sign says it is arriving "soon."

Lady Gaga Co-Designed Window Display and "Gaga's Workshop" at Barney's New York

"Gaga's Boudoir" (a room where every single item is made of hair)

Entrance to Gaga Workshop



videos from BarneysNewYork

Singer and songwriter Lady Gaga co-designed the holiday season's window display at the luxury specialty retailer, Barney's on Madison Avenue. The window art, including "Gaga's Boudoir" which is made entirely of hair, was revealed just before midnight last Monday, November 21. Barney's creative director Dennis Freedman, who collaborated with the singer and fashion director Nicola Formichetti on the project, said, "The hair window is an extraordinary one. Basically, Gaga and Nicola had a dream of making her boudoir, with her in it, and every single thing in the window had to be made out of hair". Formichetti sketched a picture of Gaga lying down on a day bed surrounded by a cabinet, a mirror and a chair. From there, Freedman says the team, "literally created a room out of hair that is truly a work of art."

In addition to the Gaga window art, Barneys opened also last Monday its "Gaga Workshop", a spin on Santa's workshop. Some 5,550 square feet space at Barney's showcases clothes, jewelry and other items inspired by the singer for sale this holiday season. A portion of the sales will be donated to the Born This Way Foundation - a charity set up to help fight youth inequality.

Behind The Glass - Hollister “Surfer Dude” and “Betty” Store Greeters/Models at Hollister Fifth Avenue Flagship Store

Shirtless “surfer dude” and “Betty” store greeters behind the glass at the Hollister Fifth Avenue flagship store.

85th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Tim Burton's Boy B

Millions of spectators lined the streets of Manhattan this morning for the 85th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. For many families, the parade has become a family tradition. The parade got its start in 1924 and included live animals. It was not until 1927 that the live animals were replaced by giant helium balloons. Since the beginning, the balloons have been based on popular cultural characters and holiday themes. This year, Tim Burton's "Boy B." balloon made an appearance in the parade.

"Dancing With The Stars" Season 13 Champion And Finalists Visit "Good Morning America" At ABC Studio

J.R. Martinez  

Rob Kardashian

The finalists of this season's "Dancing With The Stars" visited the morning program "Good Morning America" at ABC Studios in Times Square this morning. Leading the cast was this season's winner, army veteran J. R. Martinez and his partner Karina Smirnoff. They were joined by finalists, TV personality Rob Kardashian and his partner Cheryl Burke, and TV personality/actress Ricki Lake and her partner Derek Hough. 

J. R. Martinez is also an actor and motivational speaker. He was a former U.S. Army soldier. In 2003, he sustained severe burns while serving the army in Iraq. He had undergone many surgical procedures to reconstruct his face. His audacious story of survival and courage is an inspiration to many people.  

Debate Over Horse-Drawn Carriages in Central Park Continues

Last Sunday, a few protesters from the Win Animal Rights (WAR) movement gathered near Central Park holding signs against horse-drawn carriages that cater to Central Park tourists. One sign says, "Romantic? Bleeding Horse Still Working". There is a renewed passion to end the use of horse-drawn carriages after recent reports of horses collapsing on the streets. According to Elizabeth Forel, president of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages (CBHDC), the latest horse collapse, was not the second in two weeks but rather the third. On October 28, a horse bucked and nearly hit several taxis after racing along 59th Street. The most recent horse accident occurred Friday, November 4, during the evening rush hour, on 60th Street and Broadway. A horse named Luke bucked, causing his hind leg to get caught in the carriage's shaft, which led to his fall. On October 23, a 15-year-old horse named Charlie collapsed and dropped dead on West 54th Street and Eighth Avenue while in transit to work. The horse had been licensed to work in August. Mayor Michael Bloomberg was recently quoted in the New York Times as saying that: "They're well taken care of. The horses here are supervised by the health department, the A.S.P.C.A."

Silver Cellophane-Wrapped Candy Art Installation by Felix Gonzalez-Torres at MoMA

On exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art is an expanse of an "endless supply" of candies individually wrapped in silver cellophane. The shimmering installation is  called "Untitled" (Placebo). Visitors are invited to take a piece of candy from the pile which is eventually replenished. The process represents continuous depletion and regeneration. The installation was created by the artist after his partner died of AIDS-related complications in 1991.  González-Torres was considered within his time to be a process artist due to the nature of his 'removable' installations by which the process is a key feature to the installation. He is best known for understated intstallations using everyday materials such as lightbulbs, newspapers and candy. Many of his installations invite the viewer to take a piece of the work with them: a series of works allow viewers to take packaged candies from a pile in the corner of an exhibition space and, in so doing, contribute to the slow disappearance of the installation over the course of the exhibition.

The Art of Fabric Sculpture: "Soundsuit" by NICK CAVE at Sotheby's

American fabric sculptor,  dancer and performance artist Nick Cave (b. 1959) created this piece called "Soundsuit" in 2001. Made of mixed media, the structure is 109 x 38 x 31 inches. It was on display at Sotheby's as part of the Hunters and Gatherers: The Art of Assemblage auction on November 18. Nick Cave is best known for his wearable fabric sculptures that are bright, fun, whimsical, and other-worldly. The artwork auctioned at Sotheby's exemplifies his unique creations.

VERSACE for H&M Hits the Sales Racks

Shopping bag artwork

Window display at 731 Lexington Avenue store

Window display at 731 Lexington Avenue store

Window display at 731 Lexington Avenue store

Window display at 731 Lexington Avenue store

Window display at 731 Lexington Avenue store

Inside H&M on Fifth Avenue

Today, Versace for H&M hit the sales racks in stores in New York City. The collection went on sale at 8:00 AM and as expected, most items sold out very quickly.