THE RINK BAR at ROCKEFELLER CENTER

The Rink Bar at Rockefeller Center is one of Manhattan’s hottest outdoor cocktail and dining place right on the ice area of Rockefeller Center's famous Ice Skating Rink, hence Rink Bar. This is a restaurant that is open for the late spring, summer and early fall months. The Rink is actually an extension of the Rock Center Cafe that has been in business for years on the north end of the ice. The Rockefeller Center is located at 5th Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets. The Rink Bar and restaurant’s website is at http://rapatina.com/rinkBar/

BETHESDA FOUNTAIN

I took advantage of the beautiful morning we had last Sunday and went to the park. I captured these images of Central Park's Bethesda Fountain, one of my favorite spots to visit.

From CentralPark2000.com:
Bethesda Fountain
The Angel Of The Waters
[Unveiled 1873]
Sculpted: 1868
Sculptor: Emma Stebbins 1815-1882 • USA
Gift of New York City

The definitive crown jewel of Central Park, is one of the most famous and universally loved fountains in the world, Bethesda Fountain. Designed by Emma Stebbins, the centerpiece of the "Angel of the Waters" was the only sculpture commissioned as part of the original design of the Park naming her the first woman to receive a commission for a major work of art in New York City. Located on the lower level of Bethesda Terrace, this neoclassical winged female figure symbolizes and celebrates the purifying of the city’s water supply when the Croton Aqueduct opened in 1842 bringing fresh water to all New Yorkers. For this reason she carries a lily, the symbol of purity in one hand while her other hand extends outward as she blesses the water below. The stimulus for the idea of the "Angel of the Waters" comes from the Gospel of Saint John, Chapter 5, the story of an angel bestowing healing powers on the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem. Beneath the eight-foot gilded bronze statue are our smaller four-foot figures symbolizing Temperance, Purity, Health, and Peace. The base of the fountain was designed by Calvert Vaux with detail work by Jacob Wrey Mould.

THE RICH BITCH...and it's not LEONA HELMSLEY

In today's New York Post front page: RICH BITCH. NO, NOT LEONA - HER DOG JUST INHERITED $12M. New Yorker LEONA HELMSLEY, the hotel magnate also known as the “QUEEN OF MEAN” died Monday at age 87. During a tax evasion case, she was quoted as snarling “only little people pay taxes.” According to Leona's will, her 8 year-old female Maltese named TROUBLE gets $12M. A trustee is expected to supply cash for security, dog walkers and gourmet chow. She also left millions to her brother, two grandchildren, chauffer, her charitable trust, but none to two other grandchildren.

@ the stagedoor: DAVID HYDE PIERCE

DAVID HYDE PIERCE posed for photos with his fans at the stage door of the Al Hirschfeld Theatre after a matinee performance of the new Broadway musical, CURTAINS last August 12. Mr. Pierce was born on April 3, 1959 in Saratoga Springs, New York. He is a Screen Actors Guild, Tony and Emmy Award winning American actor, best known for his role as psychiatrist Dr.Niles Crane on the popular sitcom FRASIER. Last June, he won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his role as Lt. Frank Cioffi. CURTAINS plays the Al Hirschfeld Theatre which is located at 302 West 45th Street.

FREE HUGS!

A scene in Times Square one Sunday afternoon. FREE HUGS, his sign says. But more often than not, tourists kept walking, or stared and frowned, searching for the catch. I didn't hug him. I just took his photo. The Free Hugs Campaign is an Internet-spread movement that appears to have started in June 2004, and was widely publicized in 2006 by a music video on YouTube (see below). The campaign involves individuals who offer hugs to strangers in public settings with the intention of making others feel better. The original organizer has stated in interviews that the purpose is not to get names, phone numbers, or dates. The video on YouTube was released on September 22, 2006, and by December 2006, had gained over 17 million views. According to the video summary, it was recorded in Sydney. In the video, the main character who is giving out hugs, "Juan Mann" walks through the Pitt Street Mall holding up a sign with the words FREE HUGS written on it. Music for the video is provided by Sick Puppies, an Australian band. Shimon Moore, the lead singer of the Sick Puppies who worked at the mall, shot the footage which he later compiled into a video for the song. Initial distrust of Juan's motives eventually gave way to a gradual increase of people willing to be hugged, with other huggers helping distribute them. In this age of social disconnectivity and lack of human contact, a hug may sometimes make a difference.

NYC hearts MAC

This is a night time capture of the new Apple Store on Fifth Avenue in the city that never sleeps. The underground store features a distinctive 32-foot glass cube entrance which sits atop the public plaza in front of the General Motors building across from the Plaza Hotel and Bergdorf Goodman on 767 Fifth Avenue between 58th and 59th Streets, just steps away from the entrance to Central Park. All that is visible of the store from the street is its glass cube entrance. The cube contains no structural steel and instead relies on a system of glass beams and stainless-steel fittings. The design received a Business Week/Architectural Record Award in 2006.The glass cube provides wall-to-wall natural sunlight to the 10,000-square-foot store. The glass staircase spirals down the center of the cube onto the floor of the store. The building was innovatively designed by the architectural firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson. The store is the first and only Apple store that is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. There are friendly and trained staff members who are available 24 hours a day to provide free face-to-face customer support on the store floor and along the combined 45-foot "Genius Bar," "iPod Bar" and "The Studio." Just like the Apple store in SOHO, the Fifth Avenue store offers free workshops and events on topics ranging from getting started to using the iPod, iPhone, iTunes, and iPhoto. Below is a video tour of the Fifth Avenue and SOHO stores in NYC, from "thecreativeone."