Park Avenue Scultpure with Lights

Small seasonal sculpture with lights in the island of Park Avenue and 34th Street...

Is it a horse?

24 hour health club

Think the idea of a 24 hour health club is perfect for the "City that Never Sleeps"..

Getting to it these past days must have been a problem.

Flu

As if you had to be reminded...

NYPL- Science, Industry, Business

The Library of Science, Library and Business is a large place located on 34th Street and Madison Avenue where the old Altman's department store used to be.

Great for researchers.

Another water hazard

Most people just make big circles to avoid this sort of situation...as I said.

I walk on the other side of the street if I can see what is happening...

Happy McDonald's

Caught McDonald's at a slow moment in the late afternoon. Place is usually packed...

Never eat there myself unless it is an emergency.

Water Hazard- East 35th Street

Temperatures are milder, but melting snow makes it rough on pedestrians.... how deep is this water? You can't tell unless someone else tries it or you try it.

OK if you wear high top boots I guess. I have been wearing my snow/slush boots which get me through most situations.

Access

Getting around plowed snow can get to be a problem.

Trash collecting

Snowfall slows down everything, including garbage removal...

City Snow

All the white stuff starts turning grey, brown and black pretty soon...

Second Avenue- Snow

Snow glare is a real problem trying to take photos ( although it is nice to have the bright sunlight).

Sun is not melting any snow however,--temperatures are well below freezing and will be so for another day or so.

Tomorrow conditions will be much the same as today...a little better on the main streets I guess...but then we will get a lot more traffic tomorrow, too.

East 35th Street- Snow

Pictures do not give you an idea as to how hard it really is to get around here..

East 35th Street just looks tranquil in the snow, doesn't it?

Traffic on 2nd Avenue is very light. That is just as well because on a couple of blocks the sidewalks are impassable and you have to walk in the avenue...

The First Snowfall in NY This Year

This picture gives no idea how impacted most of the city and environs really are..

This area of Midtown has parts, like this, that are pretty well dug out.

Other places the snow is drifting etc.

In suburbs and on main highways things are bad.

window box

Glad people aren't taking down lights and decorations right away...

Wait a second, Christmas was just yesterday.

Let's see what things look like in a week or so.

More Kale

This is same building as has the fountain....lots of decorative kale here, too.

Fountain still going

Sunday morning...as first snow flakes of blizzard fall, apartment building's fountains are still going....

Starbucks

More last minute shoppers at Starbucks...

Cold!

A lot of people crave ice cream in winter...looks odd, arctic weather and people eating ice cream.

Girls on 35th Street

This was from Christmas eve...more last minute shoppers.

Messiah at UU Church

Unitarian Church announces its Candle Lighting and performance of that old standby, "The Messiah" on Christmas Eve

Shopping Late

It's Christmas Eve, but not too late for some last minute shopping!

bebe

Like Aeropostale, get feeling "bebe" is aimed at younger shoppers.

Bright pinks, huh?

Aeropostale

Guess Aeropostale caters to younger shoppers...

Can't think of many older people interested in the "T-Shirt Riot"

Adorbale dolls

Last chance to get adorable doll for some little girl, on sale.

Wonder what kinds of dolls are "in" these days.

Is Barbie still a best seller?

Christmas Reading

Borders book store is pushing Tom Clancy's latest thriller,
"Dead or Alive" as Christmas reading...

This is an important time in the year for book sales. Probably for used books too.

I have a detective story set in Cornwall that I have yet to get to, --I have renewed it six times.

Maybe this weekend.

Get your Santa Hats!

Today is one of the biggest shopping days...the last minute crowds.

I have never had a Santa hat ( or an Elf hat for that matter)-- nor have I wanted one--today would have been the day to pick one up cheap at Rite Aid.

If I wanted one.

Nativity Scene

St. Vartan's Cathedral has a very modernistic nativity display...lights on tubular frames --outlines of figures.

Stretch Limo

Just when I think I have seen the longest stretch limo yet, an even longer one comes along...

This next to Grand Central Terminal.

Upper Floors of Empire State Building

Something went wrong when I was trying to upload this photo...please see other post about Empire State for reference.

Upper Floors of Empire State Building

Upper floors of Empire State Building are interesting...

Here are shots of building as it usually seems and then closer in on upper floors.

I know this is breaking my promise not to show any pix of Empire State. I have been naughty and hope Santa will forgive me.

2nd Ave building lights

I am noting these decorations not because they are elaborate, but because they exist at all.

This is a smaller building, which usually don't have much in the way of Christmas lights at all.

Palm Too

Palm Too is not so far up 2nd Avenue from where I live.

Don't know what its official rating is ( Zagat, Michelin, etc.) but have always heard about it as a very popular place...

As is the original Palm restaurant ( Palm too= Palm Two).

My question about modern furniture is: is it comfortable?

Half the couches and chairs look like if you didn't have a back problem before using them, you will afterward.

And what is it with these chairs suspended from the ceiling?

Was hoping to get a shot of the man kneading the pizza dough but I think he had just finished when I got there.

There really are not that many pizzerias around here...there is one very cheap one ( 99 cents) that I wouldn't go to.

Iron Sushi

Sorry, I don't like Sushi ...there are enough Sushi places around here, though.

The 30 Movies in 30 Minutes

The Thirty Movies in Thirty Minutes Quiz

Got this from Facebook.

Think you have to be of a certain age for this to work...( at least over 30 I am sure)

The idea is to make a list of the thirty movies that have had the biggest impact on your life in about 30 minutes.

This turns out to be harder than it sounds and also easier...the hard part is after you have posted the list you start thinking of all sorts of other movies and wish you had listed them instead of something else.

Here is my list:

1. Citizen Kane

2. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie

3.Modern Times

4.Loves of a Blonde

5. Jules and Jim

6.That Obscure Object of Desire(Bunuel)

7. The Immigrant (Chaplin)

8. The World of Apu ( S. Ray)

9.The Maltese Falcon

10. Casablanca

11.The Big Sleep

12. The Wizard of Oz

13. Brief Encounter

14. The Belles of St. Trinian's

15. Goldiggers of 1933

16. Forty Second Street

17. The Best Years of Our Lives

18.Rashamon

19. Throne of Blood

20.Ikiru

21. Battleship Potemkin

22. Ivan the Terrible

23. The Fireman's Ball

24. The Great Dictator

25. The Magnificent Seven

26. Slumdog Millionaire (this is recent of course-- just me)

27. La Chienne

28. The Milky Way (Bunuel)

29. Shoot the Piano Player

30. High Noon

I won't go into my second thoughts here.

Wendy's on Fifth Avenue

All sorts of fast food outlets thrive near shopping outlets on 34th Street and Fifth Avenue.

Big Tasti D Lite

To my surprise, found that Tasti D-Lite has even bigger shop on Lexington Avenue..

It was getting dark but street lights and store ad lights had not come on yet.

Grey afternoon

Little tree lights glisten in one window in old building in Kips Bay.

Pine Tree Lodge

Really inviting pub is just down the street from me.

Shame I don't drink.

This is a comfy neighborhood diner that seems a lot more inviting to me than Starbuck's.

It is open 24 hours a day and a has blueberry muffins...coffee is good, too.

Rosa's Moved

Yeah...Rosa's Pizzeria and Pizza Man have moved!

Pizza Man Gone, Also Pizzeria!

Noticed the other day that one of my favorite pieces of street sculpture had disappeared again!

This is the Pizza Man outside Rosa's Pizzeria on 2nd Avenue.

Was going to go ask them what had happened today ( Pizza Man was just recently refurbished)--

Then saw a new sign in doorway saying Rosa's had moved to the Empire State Building ( of all places).

Too cold to go over there today and look for it....

Will try to find relocated Rosa's on another outing.

Murray Hill side streets

There are signs of Christmas all over the area...

Subdued ones, like shown here, in one of the nicer areas of Murray Hill.

Still have not been up to see the tree at Rockefeller Center...may not make it at all this year. I am jaded about it I guess.

Tudor City Christmas

The park in Tudor City is decorated and just waiting for a snowfall.

Walking difficulties

I am always amazed how many people in Midtown are getting around with the help of wheelchairs, walkers, crutches and canes.

So many people with disabilities will not be stopped, not even on the coldest days.

Nativity Scene

Here's something I have not seen much of -- a nativity scene in window in Murray Hill.

This one is fenced off from sidewalk...for some reason apparently these scenes get vandalized a lot.

Salvation Army

HERE'S the Salvation Army at work outside Grand Central Terminal.

Supposed to be freezing cold here tomorrow...hope these workers are prepared for it.

Vintage Clothing Sale

Interesting that Vintage clothing store on Fifth Avenue calls it a "Recession sale" and not a "Holiday Sale"....

Astro Gems Christmas Display Window

Astro Gems and Minerals window bedecked for the holidays... find it festive!