Broome Street in SoHo

SoHo is the former manufacturing district south of Houston Street (and bounded on the east by Lafayette Street, on the west by the Hudson River and to the south by Canal Street). The neighborhood is characterized by Belgian block streets and cast iron–facade buildings with enormously high ceilings—made to accommodate manufacturing equipment—and gargantuan windows, built to flood the floors with sunlight in the otherwise dimly lit gas-lamp days. Beginning in the 1960s and lasting through the 1990s, the district was the live/work playground of many of the city's most famous artists. Today those glorious 19th-century buildings, are occupied by retail stores and some are co-operative apartments, such as the beautiful building in the top photo (right) which is also known as Haggin Building, Silk Exchange Building, or the French Telegraph and Cable Building.

Orchard Beach in Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx

Orchard Beach is a public beach that is part of the Pelham Bay Park in the borough of the Bronx. The man-made beach consists of a hexagonal-block promenade, a central pavilion with food stores and specialty shops, two playgrounds, two picnic areas, a large parking lot, and 26 courts for basketball, volleyball, and handball. It is operated by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and is most recognized for its unique crescent shape. It is surrounded by acres of natural forest, marshlands, and coastline. Urban planner Robert Moses came up with the concept and planned its construction. The process involved filling in approximately one third of Pelham Bay with landfill, followed by a total of 1.2 million cubic yards of sand brought by barge from Sandy Hook, New Jersey and the Rockaways in Queens. The landfill was placed among Rodman's Neck, Twin Island, and Hunters Island.

Colors of the Union Square Summer Greenmarket

Union Square Greenmarket is the city's flagship greenmarket, where New Yorkers have access to homegrown produce, pretzels, meats, cheeses, jams, honey and flowers, and a chance to meet the local farmers, bakers, and harvesters that bring them to Union Square. Most of the items are organic or naturally-grown.

"Audrey Hepburn" and "Temper Tot" Murals on Mulberry Street in Little Italy

Brooklyn-based artist, Tristan Eaton recently created this eye-catching mural, entitled Audrey Hepburn, a 12-foot-by-7-foot multicolored mural of silver screen legend Audrey Hepburn on the southeast corner of Mulberry and Broome streets, on a wall belonging to Caffe Roma. Eaton juxtaposed a black and white illustration with patterns of abstract color to create the visually captivating portrait. Set within a white box, the large area of vibrant colors boldly pop out against the red brick wall. 

Another eye-catching street artwork is a four-story mural of a green creature called "Temper Tot" by Ron English on a parking-lot wall in the heart of Little Italy. It depicts a grouchy child with a muscular body before or after a tantrum wearing cutoff jeans. The not-so-jolly green giant frowns upon Mulberry Street, across from the Church of the Most Precious Blood, a 125-year-old Roman Catholic parish that hosts the Feast of San Gennaro. Reaction on Mulberry Street ranged from “hideous” and “disgusting” to “funny and creative.” The murals are part of the Little Italy Street Art Project, a group founded last summer to build up the neighborhood as a creative destination and to cultivate a broader view of Little Italy among New Yorkers.

61st Street-Woodside Station (Flushing Line)

This is the 61st Street – Woodside station in Queens at sundown. It is an express station on the IRT Flushing Line of the New York City Subway located at 61st Street and Roosevelt Avenue in Woodside, Queens. It opened on April 21, 1917. This station has two island platforms and three tracks. The two outer tracks are used for the full-time 7 local service while the bidirectional center track is used for rush hour peak-direction 7 express service.

Manny Vega's Mosaic Mural, ESPIRITU in East Harlem

 

Byzantine hip-hop visual artist, Manny Vega created this mosaic mural called ESPIRITU, a visual prayer in glass and stone for the here and now. Vega's art aims at creating "a place for all people to recognize themselves as members of a global community." He believes that through shared information about our histories, customs, and belief systems, we can reflect, compare and continue to learn from one another. The mosaic is located at the corner of 105th Street and Lexington Avenue in East Harlem. East Harlem is known for its murals and mosaics documenting the aspirations, trials and history of a generation of Latinos and Puerto Ricans acclimating to life in New York City.