A photographers paradise

Getting creative

Looking from Brooklyn towards Empire
State Building through Washington Bridge 

He who must be obeyed

I like this place

Wall st area across the Hudson River

Jane's Carousel

Looking from Brooklyn Bridge

Crossing Brooklyn Bridge

It’s a beautiful Sunday morning and I am on a train going South. Look at all those confused tourists asking questions, that was me this time last week. Have I just jinxed myself by having that thought? No, all is well I make it to my destination, Brooklyn.

Up the steps from the subway and I am in a beautiful green park, a feeling of calm washes over me, its time to explore. Lots of tourists seem to be walking down, I assume that is towards the water so I head that way. What’s that, a bridge lined up perfectly in between the buildings. What, you can see the Empire State Building perfectly framed. Snap, snap, zoom, stand in middle of road, opps, there is a car, get off road, back on road. Snap, snap.

I am in Dumbo, a section of Brooklyn that once was full of big industrial factories now it is has a massive art and tech scene, even Etsy have their head office here.

Now I walk down the water for more photos of Washington Bridge, there is even a little beach so I put my hand in the Hudson River and conquer another part of the world. Along the boardwalk, around the streets, up lanes and down dales. Snapping away at the factories, bridges and street art. Did I not mention street art yet? One of the very first pieces I see is an Obey symbol. Lucky I wore my Obey tshirt today. A french tourist valiantly tries to get a photo of me in the t-shirt with the art on the wall, alas the lighting is all wrong and it is not to be.

Moving further along I go to the very end of the promenade for great views of Wall St area of the city across the water. There is even a blimp flying around behind the large buildings.

It’s a very hot day there are families and friends having fun in the sun everywhere, at one little girls party they are throwing water bombs at each other until it ends in tears.

Coming back along the promenade from another direction I come across Jane’s carousel, a merry-go-round. Time for action. I whip out two dollars in a flash, have my ticket and I am on my horse Trixy in record time. The music starts up, we start off slow and then gather speed. Then round and round we go with flashes of the Washington Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge, Hudson River and amused parents. Love it.

Lots more exploring and then I am at the stairs that lead to Brooklyn Bridge. Goodbye Brooklyn, hello tourist city. The bridge is packed, one side for bikes, one side for walkers. But lots of the tourists don’t get it and there is a lot of screaming, whistle blowing and swearing. The Bridge is 130 years old and suspended on cables, it’s a fascinating bit of engineering. Cars are roaring along below the pathway with the odd screech of breaks that makes everyone on the bridge jump. Finally I make the 1.7km hike unscathed.

What a lovely way to spend a sunny Sunday.

Lady of the night

Time to head a few blocks down 5^th avenue with the million other tourists to one of my favorite places, Rockefeller Centre. With tickets ready I am through security and ushered to the lift. This time I know what to expect but I still love it. The roof of the lift is clear glass and there are lights on every floor as we ascend it looks and sounds like we are going warp speed on the Starship Enterprise.

Right I made it, everyone is crowding around watching the sun go down. Then gradually it starts to happen, the light changes, Times Square gets brighter and then the World Trade Centre twinkles in the fading light. I wonder if that is intentional. But all eyes are on the Empire State Building. The colours mingle, the cameras snap and and a smart bunch of Indian guys are using their iPhone lights to illuminate faces to get better photos, this quickly catches on and everyone is doing it.

Eventually it is totally dark and for as far as the eye can see in every direction New York is an intricate maze of dazzling lights. A sight to be seen.

Grit and street art

Flatiron in the morning sunshine

Invadr

Highline

Typical building in the area

By GilfNYC an artist from Brooklyn

The Strand Bookstore

Down into the subway I go and emerge at 23^rd street at the iconic Flatiron building. Photo’s done, now its time to get moving I have a target in my sights, will I get it? I can tell I have come down from the rarified air of uptown as I walk along the street over post Friday night vomit, beer bottles and rubber gloves. 

Keep on going, one more block and yes I don’t even have to hunt for it, its there in plain view my first American Invader, and its one of his bigger pieces looking a little bit damaged now. Tick. Conveniently Invader placed his work close to steps for the Highline so up I go to escape the grottiness. The Highline is an old elevated railway track that has been converted into a garden, it’s a neat idea and glorious in the sun. Gives quite a different perspective of the old buildings and even glimpses of the Hudson River.

I get to the end of the Highline and there is market stalls. Yes, bracelets my favourite holiday shopping item. Hmm, which one will I have? The guy is very patient whilst I try them all on. Now I have a very unique souvenir of New York.

On to continue the leisurely street art hunt. A few good pieces, fire trucks running around and a teddy bear suspended from a rope in the air across an intersection. Is it art or a joke? There is another closed book store, am I ever going to find a bookstore in this city?

What’s that green ahead, my navigation must be working today. Its Washington Square Park. Once I get in it’s a curious mix of locals, tourists, hobos and a guy playing a piano. Time for an icecream, $3 thank you Mam. So formal. Now I am going to sit down in the shade and enjoy the music.

Onwards to shopping, lots of little funky shops intermingled with street art, Elizabeth St is my favourite. A new handbag and a few other things to be squashed into my luggage at some later date.

Ok time to get serious about finding a bookshop lets hop on the subway back to Union Square and head up Broadway to the Strand. Its getting very hot and being Saturday people are everywhere. Now this is a bookshop, 4 levels, starts with books about New York, then classics. This place is good, a true example of the saying, everything is bigger and better in America.

Back on the subway to home, let’s dump this stuff and get ready for tonight’s event. Do I wear the top of the rock sequined number or make art not war? Decisions, decisions.

Excess with style

Roosvelt Tram ride with Queensboro bridge

Outside Holly Golighty's flat
from Breakfast at Tiffany's

A room inside the Frick mansion

Now I understand the saying as busy as Grand Central Station

One of the many examples of art adorning
the buildings of the Rockerfeller Centre

Jeff Koons installation in progress at Rockfeller Centre,
this one is Dino and will be covered in flowers in a few weeks time

Me at Top of the Rock with
Empire State Building in background,
I did not want to leave

First order of business is to walk a few blocks down the road, then whip out the metrocard and swipe onto the Roosevelt tram for a journey across the water. We travel high above the water, alongside the Queensboro bridge with sunlit views of Manhattan. A very pleasant experience. Coming back is a different story its peak hour, the carriage is packed and there is barely enough room to breath. Someone I still manage to take photos over the top of some guys shoulder.

Now for a walk through the Upper East side to a very important location on 71^st street. The streets are lined with big blocks of flats pouring out people on their way to work. So this is where everyone lives. There is some guy standing on a street corner handing brochures. We have a little chat. He says, “I was born in New York, live in New York I want to represent the people of New York and the odd Australia tourist” I have met my first real live democrat.

Finally I am on the right street and thankfully there are about 10 old brownstone houses in amongst the masses of flats. Yes, it is still here. I have found the outside of Holly Golighty’s flat from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. I wonder if that nice lady wandering along the street will take photos for me. Yes, she will. Success.

Now that was all just a warm up to get to the Frick Museum when it opened at 10am. I like the look of this place from the outside an imposing 5^th Avenue mansion built by a family who made their money in steel. There are half a dozen people waiting out the front for the museum to open and a sign that says no children under 10. This feels like an exclusive club compared to all the other museums. The clock chimes 10 and we are in. I wander from room to room in awe of the art Clay Frick collected. A Vermeer here, Rembrandt there, a Renior tucked behind the staircase. Giovanni Bellini’s “The Ecstasy of St. Francis” stops me in my tracks. Then the audio guide tells me that Hans Holbein’s painting of St Thomas More will make you go weak at the knees and it really does. Clay Frick collected pictures that where pleasant to live with I am really glad he made lots of money in steel and then did something amazing with it. Amanda would love this place. With great reluctance I exit though the gift shop and leave.

Onto the subway and down to Grand Central train station. A quick shake shake burger to keep me going and the next tour starts. This is a pretty impressive space stuck in the middle of an amazing city. The guide tells us about all the interesting techniques the builders used to get people to walk faster when exiting by gradually narrowing the corridors or not lingering in a particular place by lowering the roof. But he does go on a lot, so once I learn we are not going to the whispering gallery, I bail out. Now can I find the gallery myself? I ask at the information desk, left, left, down the ramp. Hmm, which left. Then ask at another place. Then see a ramp and think I may as well try this one. Yes, it is it. Other tourists are here doing the same thing, there is noise and people everywhere. However if you stand on one side of the area and whisper into the wall. The person on the other side 20 metres away can hear you. Everyone is in fits of giggles, ok well maybe mainly me.

Now time to walk back up town, via library-massive, HBO shop-essential and New York Yacht Club, where they used to keep the Americas Cup till Australia won it and took it away! Finally I make it to my destination, the Rockerfeller Centre.

There are 19 buildings between 48^th and 51^st street that make up the Rockerfeller Centre, most built in the 30’s. Starting with the art and architecture tour, Jonathon explains the history behind the Rockerfellers and then takes us around to explore his favourite bits. Art deco is abundant, as well as politics and cooperation between countries. Most of these works are done between the two wars and peace is a strong theme. I can’t begin to explain the number of great ideas and works we see. Most I would not even have noticed if I was walking around by myself. The final part of the tour is in the plaza where the ice rink and famous tree are at Christmas time. What’s that big green thing in the middle, it’s a Jeff Koons installation in progress!

Thanks to Jan for recommending this tour, so worth it.

Now to get in the line and go to the very top of the Rockerfeller Centre, called Top of the Rock. Its quick and easy and I am here, Central Park is laid out in front of me, on the other side all the buildings of Manhattan with Empire State Building dominating the skyline. This is a perfect view. Time for a photo frenzy with all the other tourists. Now I find a ledge and sit in the shade and just soak up the changing light on all the buildings whilst the sun goes in and out behind the clouds. Reluctantly I have to leave my perch and head for home.

Must get sustenance, ready to collapse, not much on 5^th avenue except street vendors with big pretzels. I know I will go into the Shops at the Plaza and all is solved. What’s that a shop just for the Plaza, I go in and just can’t resist a little old fashioned book of essays on New York. I go to pay, would you like it gift wrapped Madam. Oh, yes please. Out comes the exquisite Plaza tissue paper, delicate wrapping ensues, followed by a gold embossed sticker. But wait there is more; the lovely guy is doing a total Mr. Bean. Now more tissue paper is waved in the air and folded to line the bag, then the bag is expanded with a flourish to the left and right and all is put together. It was worth buying a $10 book just for the experience of the gift wrapping, I think I will go back tomorrow and do that again.

A magical day finished with a flourish.

Art, culture and neon signs

The Dream by Rosseau one of my favorite jigsaw
 puzzles I do on the iPad, I like the
tigers and lions that sneak out of his paintings

How small is the melting clocks by Dali

Starry, starry night by Van Gogh

My personal interpretation of modern art,
 man with iPhone and soup cans

Is this modern art or not?

Happy days

The Chandelier

The New Years Eve ball at Times Square,
the other 364 nights of the year they have
a digital photo show starting at 11:59

Wake up refreshed and excited about another day in New York. Out the front door and it’s raining, lucky I only have to go down the road a few blocks to MOMA for the first event of the day.

I am walking down 6^th Avenue and the taxis are doing their usual honking, it’s the soundtrack of New York to me. Today these bright yellow machines really stand out against the grey and dismal weather.

MOMA is a mad house, however the ticketing and security people know what they are doing, so its up to the 6^th floor I go to start the art fest. I walk a few metres from the escalator and there is The Dream, Rousseau, impressive, now I find Salvador Dali’s ‘Persistence of memory’ the one with the melting clocks, it is tiny. Its go on an on, Andy Warhols soup cans are actually quite interesting in real life. This is the best modern art museum I have ever been to and the iphone app is a good guide.

My next port of call for Day 5 is the Majestic Theatre, it’s pretty easy to navigate straight down to 44^th street. Now I have to fight my way through all the people lining up to see Matilda, been there done that in 2013. Out of my way please.

However I am a 26 years behind on seeing the Phantom of the Opera as it opened on Broadway on 26^th January, 1988. That’s Bicentennial Day for those of you old enough to remember, that day we sat on the foreshore of Sydney harbour watching the tall ships float by. 

Waiting for the show to start I start chatting with a lady, surprise, surprise. She starts talking about how she is from New Mexico and with her extended family they have all driven across America in RVs and caravans to visit New York. Well I’ll be, a long conversation about free camping and mobile parks keeps us both pleasantly occupied.

The show starts with a bang and does not stop, music, dancing, sadness, happiness, confusion, comedy. This show has it all. I recognise the music and love it, but did not realise it was from Phantom. The costumes are wonderful, the actors are magic and thankfully I listened to Jan’s tip and had an idea of the plot before I turned up. However I did not know how the story ended and had to wait till the very end to find out what happened to the girl.

All in all a truly memorable experience, I can see why it is the longest running show on Broadway.

By the time I emerge from my happiness cocoon in the Majestic Theatre the sun has come out. Now to Muji, one of my favourite shops in London (and recently in Melbourne). Purchases selected and paid for, what’s this at the exit a stamp and sticker stall? You mean I can decorate my notebooks for free? Lets go, I start having fun and as we are in Times Square this attracts a crowd of people who then come into the store, clever marketing.

Time to head for home through Times Square, the dazzling neon signs and over the top shops. Let’s go in and check out the full sized ferris wheel inside Toys-R-Us. Gee, you can even go for a ride on it. Times Square is crazy, crowded and colourful but so far I still prefer other parts of New York.

A day at the museum

View from Central Park looking west

John Lennon memorial

Butterfly enclosure, a side exhibition

Rose Centre for Space and Earth
 a modern addition to an old museum

Looking good

Biodiversity room

Theodore Roosevelt, born in New York,
 adventurer, explorer, president of the museum
 and 26th president of the United States, all round interesting guy 

View from MAD, Museum of Art and Design of Columbus Circle

The walk with Ricki (Part 1 of today) feels like more than enough excitement for one day, but lets push on and do the rest of the day now. What better way to follow up a nature walk than with a visit to the American Museum of Natural History.

But first I have to get there from the model boat lake. After yesterday’s experience of getting lost in Central Park I let google show me the way to the next target Strawberry Fields and the John Lennon memorial. As I approach the memorial it is packed, finally I get my turn for the obligatory photo and take some time to imagine the world as a better place.

Navigation is easy now, past the Dakota apartments where John Lennon lived and up the street to the museum. There are rows and rows of dinky little yellow school buses pulling up and gorging out screaming kids. After the obligatory bag check, ticketing and map procurement I start with the oldest rock in the collection as it is from Australia. Why is this not on the highlights tour and I am the only one interested in it?

Armed with trusty map, I find the butterfly exhibition to indulge in my obsession. Now onto the Planetarium, I have wanted to go to one of these for years, and ever time I get close something happens and I miss out. With about 500 school kids and 10 adult tourists we wait in the pre show area, the noise from the kids is deafening is this worth it? Should I escape now? Finally the doors open and we are ushered into the space age planetarium  aglobe suspended in the middle of the museum wing. The show starts with a bang and does not stop taking us on a journey through how the beginning of the universe was discovered by scientists. Amazing and so worth it.

Now to tackle the 4 floors and hundreds of exhibits I quickly give up on the museum’s iphone app, Explorer, it has little information and does not include locations of the exhibits. Back to printed map and my prepared highlight list. I wont take you though all the exhibits, some are old, some are new, a couple of my favourites are oceans, with a full sized model of a blue whale and biodiversity, that links all the elements of nature together. As I see different items, like Rapa Nui a 2 metre high stone statue from Easter Island I can’t stop thinking I am in the movie, Night at the Museum.

Time now to exit through the 3 floors of the museum gift shop and then I hop on the subway to Columbus Circle. A quick side trip to the MAD, the Museum of Art and Design, thanks for the tip Andrea. Back in my uptown apartment it’s time for a rest. There is a message from home, bed is like a haystack. I wonder what Rosco has done? Lets have some dinner and watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s for a glimpse of 1961 New York and my favourite girl, Audrey. That haunting music from the song Moon River gets me every time.

Rambling with Ricki

Ricki at model boat lake with
birding list and binos

Blue Jay at the start of the walk

Northern Cardinal

Hummingbird is in here somewhere

Red bellied wood pecker

This morning I have an early rendezvous planned with Ricki, a New York birder. I met yesterday at the model boat lake in Central Park when she showed me Pale Male a famous Red-Tailed Hawk who has lived on 5^th avenue for many years. Our goal is to see the number one bird on my list that is not in Australia, a hummingbird. Ricki knows where there is a nest so it’s worth a try, probably a 50/50 chance of seeing it.

Leaving bright and early I start the walk up to our meeting place at 71^st street. Dogs are everywhere but I can’t get distracted I don’t want to miss Ricki. Arriving at the allocated spot, I see it is called Hunter’s Gate that’s appropriate. Ricki arrives a moment later and we start on the small winding path, trees and bushes surround separating us from the street and the main grassy areas of the park. Within a few metres there is a beautiful blue bird hoping on the path in front of us, it’s a blue jay. How cool is that. Then there is an American Robin (much larger than our robins) and a common grackle, dark and boring. How is it that a minute into the walk and I have three new American birds! Much using of binoculars and camera ensues the birds, are very well behaved and stay around for the fun.

Now what’s that calling in the trees it’s a Grey Catbird, Ricki is excellent and identifying the birds by their calls. Ricki, what’s this beautiful red bird with the peak, it’s a NorthernCardinal, and there’s another. Who cares about the hummingbird this is amazing birding.

But its time to move on, we walk down a little glade and onto a bridge at the very end of the lake. Ricki takes back (her) binoculars and see’s if she can find the hummingbird on the nest. She can! It’s well hidden in amongst a lot of branches with big green glossy leaves. I have my turn and I think I see the nest, but there is no bird so not sure if I am looking at right spot. The nest is small, only just over an inch wide. She flys back and it on the nest, I see it, I see it, it’s a Ruby throated hummingbird! Can this holiday get any better? Ricki and I are both as excited as each other, she is the best.

After calming down its time to move on, we may as well try for a woodpecker, it’s late in migration so not very likely. We arrive at the spot and he is there. A red bellied woodpecker, on a tree 3 metres in front of us. Wow. What’s that calling? A Northern Flicker (another type of woodpecker) high up in the trees, with the binoculars I see it in all its glory with the shafts of gold along the front of the wings. American birds have amazing colours and patterns. This one looks like it would not be out of place in Times Square.

We keep moving along the path and the word must have got out I was here as a black throated warbler visits now. Ricki has to keep moving so she can get to work on time we chat about how Central Park is managed as we walk over to the model boat lake. A final look through the binoculars at Pale Male and we say good bye. 

 

A big thanks to Ricki, for sharing her experience and love of birds with me. That is a day I will never forget.