New Building

New building is always going on in this area of Midtown, no matter how bad the economy is.

Manhattan was like that in the 1930's, too...while building ground to a halt in Chicago and San Francisco and many other places, they continued to build in New York, completing Radio City Music Hall and the Empire State Building in the middle of the depression.

Fire at Ameerican Academy of Dramatic Arts

Fire (without much smoke) draws lots of fire engines on Madison Avenue.

It is the American Academy of Dramatic Arts....in the Stanford White Building that used to be the swank women's Colony Club.

Other shots show how fast photographers are on scene and setting up.

Antique Shop

Have shown this shop in Murray Hill before...guess it is built in an old Firehouse...always looks so inviting

Servicemen's Club

This club for Servicemen ( official name is something like Aviators, Sailors and Soldiers Club) always makes me think of the USO around WW II....have known a Coast Guardsman who stayed there once....saw the interior, DOES look very 1940's (or I should say, used to...they may have rehabbed it)

Grand Central Plaza

Must have walked past this Murray Hill "Grand Central Plaza" many times without really being aware of it...

Snowbound, more or less

This is midtown Manhattan with all the cars snowed in, just think of the boroughs...

More snow due soon. Thanks to La Nina and the high stuck over Greenland....

Digging Out

Trapped driver has crew help dig him out

Clear Night over New York City

An older man I know was flying over NYC recently at about 12:30 a.m. and got this aerial view of the city at night..

That is Staten Island in the foreground, Jersey to the left,
Brooklyn and Manhattan in the background ( way back are Queens, and the Bronx coast).

Nice relief from pictures of nothing but snow.

East 35th Street- Snow

Ah, the Winter Wonderland!

More and more snow!

People are busy milling about despite all the snow and slush and water moats...walking in the street is sometimes the only option.

Kids are home from school today!

Courtyard

Snow again!

Backyard courtyard gets a new layer, with more to come...

Another 6 inches or more tonight...

Abandoned couch still in snow

After several weeks, this couch is still out on 35th Street, now with new snowfall on it and more to come...

Who is supposed to pick this up, anyway?

New Bistro

Tung Sing? Is that Chinese or Vietnamese or what?

Anyway, new place maybe worth trying out.

Inside Brother Jimmy's

Brother Jimmy's is a local Southern restaurant ( it features all sorts of items like collard greens and hush puppies etc.)

Very popular with youngish/college/yuppie types

Very few black people

Nice menu...

Is Obama a Pawn of Wall Street?

IN the last year, I have read and heard more and more commentary about the Wall Street bailout and that Obama is too subservient to Wall Street.

The real problem seems to be how expensive it is to run for office in the United States ( it is getting to be a problem in other countries too).

I am always glad when some candidate spends millions and millions of their own money and loses. The reason for this, however, may be just that they never bothered to build up a broad base of support for their own candidacy. Most of Obama's Presidential run contributors made relatively small donations.

But their is a lot of evidence that as a culture the U.S. has grown much greedier and there is more civic corruption in places like California than there used to be.
Places like Iowa I suspect have less corruption just because there is less money to be made ( and less drug money in particular).

Leave a comment if you disagree with me.

Mineral birds

You could call it kitsch, but I think these gemmy little birds at Astro Gems and Minerals are cute.

Minerals

It is cold here today ( like most of the U.S.) and cold crystals in store window seem appropriate.

Working in the Cold

Here a work crew is toiling away in really freezing temperatures on a Sunday...

Guess people get used to working outdoors in weather like this. I just keep walking when it is this cold, and hate having to wait for buses etc.

Will probably have to wear more layers.

Chinese Restaurant

Used to be more Chinese restaurants around here... who knows what prompts cycles in these things.

Architectural Detail

Some very ordinary office building from the 1920's probably has interesting stone detail trim...

Looking up around here, you are always noticing sights like this.

Cosmetics and Spa Ad

Window on Park Avenue South shows off brands of cosmetics I have never heard of...but then why should I?

Banner proclaims spa on Fifth Avenue....

Doggie Grooming Etc.

Cute place in East 60's advertises doggie grooming and boarding....

Chrysler building again

All around East Midtown, the Chrysler building keeps peeping out at you...

Love it, it is such a distinctive and beautiful building. People did not appreciate it for years after it was built...

Saloon

AT THE MOMENT, the New York Jets are still in the playoffs so people are still interested...for the moment.

This figure is mended at the crotch...victim of some drunken vandalism no doubt.

Setback buildings

In the 1930's, the city passed a law requiring "setbacks" on taller buildings as a way of letting in the sky.

In the 1960's, towers were allowed again as long as they had open plaza space.

The setback buildings are more interesting to look at. A lot of the plazas are so sterile.

33rd Street Lexington Avenue Subway ( "IRT")

The 33rd Street station on what for me will always be the Lexington Ave. IRT train ( no matter how they change the designations)--

This station is not exactly homey or anything, is it?
Needs some restoration because it has basically nice details.

Decor slow to come down

A lot of people are slow taking their Christmas decor down.

So what, in this case...hope they leave the lights up permanently.

Slow garbage pickups

It may just be an illusion, but it seems like there is more and more garbage on the streets...

Let's see if they pick this up today.

They are predicting more snow for tomorrow, which will make it even worse if they don't clean this stuff up.

Lexington Avenue

Cold, grey Martin Luther King Day finds traffic light most places.

Doorway

This doorway in Murray Hill still has a holiday feel somehow...

Awaiting the Next Holiday

It is never too early, it seems, to start marketing for the next Holiday...

Oh why not, Christmas decorations are coming down.

Martin Luther King Day

Astro Gems- Figurines

Seems to be a big bird motif in this window at Astro Gems on 34th Street....pretty.

Discarded trees

Went for a walk today..

Nice bright sunshine and just above freezing, mild winds...

What I mostly saw were tons of discarded Christmas trees.

Startled

I didn't bother to ask these people if I could take their picture ( I was mostly interested in the dog enjoying the snow)...

Wow, do they look startled.
You have to watch it taking pictures of people even in Midtown Manhattan...
some people get all paranoid about it.

Supermarket Prices

The government tells us there is no inflation, but don't believe it..

Will have to look over these local supermarket prices to see if there is anything that really is a bargain...

Food and other prices just seem to be going one way, and that is always up of course.

Independent Hardware Store

Big hardware store on 29th street ( where I buy my fluorescent bulbs) may be only independent place for miles...

Seems independent hardware stores have almost all been replaced by chains ( True Value and Ace).

Nuthouse is open 24/7 and has quite an array of material including stuffed toys!

Oh, that Garbage

Garbage remains piled up and some has been snowed on, like abandoned couch on 35th Street which I have shown before ( without snow on it).

Borders Bookstore

Local bookstore has people sitting around at tables reading and drinking coffee.

Looks cozy on a very cold January evening...

Loews Cineplex

Art Deco or "Moderne" (?) lobby of the local Loews Cineplex...

Read somewhere Loews builds these Cineplexes on a modular structure.

But this one was built some time ago....if you have one like it near you, let me know.