Saturday, November 30, 2013

"Jewel of Park Avenue"

The wash of bright colors along the Helmsley Building facade creates a festive profile for the building at night on Park Avenue. Built in 1929, the tower stands guard over the avenue. Last year, a new lighting scheme, designed by Al Borden of Philadelphia-based The Lighting Practice with LED lights was installed. Overall, more than 700 color-changing LED lights have been installed on the building, programmed into a computer than can coordinate a fanciful light show. 

Friday, November 29, 2013

Autumnal London Plane Trees At Bryant Park

Bryant Park is bordered in its northern and southern sides by tall London plane trees (Platanus acerifolia). These trees can grow up to 120 feet in height. These photos were taken at the northeastern corner of the park. 

Thursday, November 28, 2013

87th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

The big balloons soared between Manhattan skyscrapers this morning for the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. There had been some concerns about whether the wind could keep the giant balloons grounded, but the cherished tradition prevailed, although the balloons were flown lower. These images were made at the winter village of Bryant Park with the skating rink in the foreground. Happy Thanksgiving!

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

View From 7 World Trade Center

This is the view of Lower Manhattan from the 40th floor of 7 World Trade Center, which is located at 250 Greenwich Street. The most prominent building in this view is the Woolworth Building, the neo-Gothic structure designed by architect Cass Gilbert and completed in 1913. It is one of the oldest skyscrapers in the United States.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Aaron Curry's 'Melt to Earth' Sculptures on Display in the Josie Robertson Plaza at Lincoln Center

Lincoln Center is currently exhibiting 14 large-scale abstract sculptures by visual artist Aaron Curry. "It could be an orgy, a dance, a play—I'm going to leave it up to the viewer," Aaron Curry said of installation. Called "Melt to Earth," this collection of 14 of Mr. Curry's abstract sculptures—some as high as 19 feet and as heavy as 1.2 tons—are on display at Lincoln Center's Josie Robertson Plaza until the end of January.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

The Grand Central Terminal Centennial Holiday Light Show


The Holiday Light Show makes its return to Grand Central Terminal for its Centennial year. The show runs from November 21 through December 26, everyday from 5:00 PM - 11:00 PM. The show lights up the windows on the west side of the Main Concourse above Michael Jordan's The Steak House N.Y.C. and Cipriani Dolci.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Long Island City Graffiti Mecca, 5 POINTZ NYC, The Day Before It Was Whitewashed

The graffiti destination in Long Island City called 5 POINTZ has been whitewashed by the owners of the building. Starting Monday afternoon, the owners painted over the colorful murals that once made this a mecca for graffiti artists. The old warehouse and former landmark for graffiti artists would eventually be razed and turned into luxury condos, after years of debate and legal wrangling. These photos were taken last Sunday, the day before the graffiti art was covered with white paint. 

Monday, November 18, 2013

Yankee Stadium

Yankee Stadium is a baseball venue located in the South Bronx, and the home ballpark for the New York Yankees, one of the city's Major League Baseball(MLB) franchises. It opened in 2009 replacing the original Yankee Stadium, which opened in 1923 and closed in 2008. The new ballpark was constructed across the street, north-northeast of the original stadium. Much of the stadium architecture incorporates design elements from the previous Yankee Stadium to pay homage to Yankee history. Although stadium construction began in August 2006, the project of building a new stadium for the Yankees is one that spanned many years. It is the most expensive baseball stadium ever built in the country.

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Empire State Building Lit Up In Colors Of The Philippine Flag For Super Typhoon Victims

The iconic Empire State Building is lit up in red (bottom), blue (middle), yellow (fins and halo) and white (top), the colors of the Philippine flag to raise awareness and support for the typhoon-ravaged country. The tower was lit up in Philippine flag colors for two consecutive nights (November 15-16). Last week, super typhoon Haiyan (named Yolanda in the Philippines) hit the Philippines with reports of more than 5,000 estimated casualties, and an excess of 9 million people affected. It was one of the most devastating storms ever to make landfall on a number of counts. Because the Philippines sits on the western rim of the Pacific Ocean, the most active area for tropical cyclones, the country gets more than its share of disasters. Just a month ago, a strong earthquake hit the central Bohol and Cebu provinces. The recovery effort from that earthquake was still underway before Haiyan came. Please help the victims in their efforts to rebuild their lives. Here is a link to a CNN article for a list of ways to help.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge and the Roosevelt Island Tramway

This is the Ed Koch  Queensboro Bridge, also known as the 59th Street Bridge and the Roosevelt Island Tramway. The cantilever bridge connects Manhattan with the neighborhood of Long Island City in Queens, passing over Roosevelt Island. To the left of the bridge is the freestanding Roosevelt Island Tramway.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Central Park Autumn Scene

This image was made in Central Park last weekend. The photo was processed with Aviary soft focus.

Monday, November 11, 2013

McDonald's in Lights

This is the largest metropolitan McDonald's restaurant in America, located at 42nd Street in the Theatre district. The 17,500-square-foot McDonald's restaurant is housed in the landmark Candler building. It features a full-length theatre marquee with 7,500 light bulbs.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Balloon Dog (Orange) by Jeff Koons on Display at Christie's (Rockefeller Plaza)

Jeff Koons' sculpture, Balloon Dog (Orange) is on display in front of Christie's at Rockefeller Plaza as part of the Post-War and Contemporary Art auction. This work in stainless steel is one of the most beloved of all contemporary sculptures because it celebrates childhood, hope and innocence.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

West 14th Street

This is the view of West 14th Street from the High Line. 14th Street is a major crosstown street in Manhattan, and an important business location. It is also considered the northern boundary of Greenwich Village, Alphabet City and the East Village, and the southern boundary of Chelsea, Flatiron/Lower Midtown, and Gramercy.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

"Canstruction" - Food Can Sculpture Exhibit And Food Drive At Lower Manhattan's Brookfield Place World Financial Center

Canstruction® is an extraordinary annual design competition and a unique food charity  in the world. Now on exhibit are the structures made entirely of unopened cans of food. Teams of architects, engineers, contractors, and the students they mentor created these sculptures for the competition. After public public viewing, they are dismantled and donated to City Harvest for distribution to those in need. Admission is free, but visitors are asked to bring a can of high quality food to the exhibition’s collection station. The exhibit runs through November 13 at Brookfield Place World Financial Center at 220 Vesey Street.