West Village, Cornelia Street

Mary Sargent © 2006

Another shot on Cornelia Street.

I’m becoming more observant since beginning this blog, but I still need to work on it. I can’t picture where this shot is located on the street. Or for that matter, the last shot or the next shot. And the street is only one block long. And I’ve walked it dozens of times. I’m like the autistic author of Animals in Translation (a WONDERFUL book, if you haven’t read it, rush out and get it right away), who sees the details, but not the whole picture.

The author's name is Temple Grandin; she's quite remarkable and appealing.

West Village, Cornelia Street

Mary Sargent © 2006

Last Sunday, that miserable rainy day, I had brunch at Inside on Jones Street (fried oysters and baked grits with white cheddar and, of course, a bloody mary). A lovely little restaurant with windows opening onto a quiet street.

Attentive followers of this blog may remember that a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned looking forward to eating at Inside and photographing Cornelia Street. Luckily, by the time we arrived, the rain had stopped and stayed stopped long enough for me to fulfill that wish.

Upper West Side, No. 1,2,3 Subway stop at 96th Street

Mary Sargent © 2006

So leaving the neighborhood, I took a final few shots from the subway platform. This is one of the ones I like. If you want to see nothing BUT subway shots, check out Express Train, the wonderful photoblog of Travis Ruse who commutes from Park Slope to Midtown and posts a subway shot every day.

Someday I’m going to make permanent links to these sites I mention. I’ll get to it.

Upper West Side, 95th Street Between West End Avenue and Broadway

Mary Sargent © 2006

Week ago Saturday, I took a bag of clothes to the Salvation Army on 96th Street just west of Broadway and then walked 96th Street to Riverside and back on 95th Street. That stretch of 96th Street is dull, dull, dull, or at least it was that day and in that hazy uninspiring light. The only good shot I got was a close-up of a truck, very nice, but really belongs in a different photoblog. Maybe CloseupPhotoblog.com.

So back on 95th Street, this fascinating house. So flat, so white, so unfinished. See the light above the door? I must come back at night.

Upper East Side, 78th Street Between Second and Third Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2006

I won’t say it again. Tomorrow we leave this and move to the more retrained and austere Upper West Side.

Upper East Side, 78th Street Between First and Second Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2006

Who knew the Upper East Side was so colorful? Or did I already say that?

Upper East Side, 78th Street Between York and First Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2006

Who knew the Upper East Side was so colorful?

Upper East Side, East River at 78th Street

Mary Sargent © 2006

Now I’m at the end of 78th street on the overpass, looking down. Of all the down shots I took--of traffic, of a guy lying on a bench, of a guy walking his dog, this is the one I’m showing. Water. Staring at water. Tension releasing from body.

I could easily have made this water look bluer, but, you know, it just wouldn’t be the East River, would it.

Upper East Side, 78th Street Between Cherokee Place and East End Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2006

Almost to the end of the street and here’s this sun dappled scene with the bright blue scaffolding. They’re all over town this summer. Have they always been bright blue? Didn’t they use to be that dull green color? Anyway, they’re now bright blue and create quite a festive scene in the sunshine.

You’ve probably never heard of Cherokee Place. Cherokee Place is one block long between 77 and 78, lined with the sides of apartment buildings, about 6 stories tall,on one side, very narrow sidewalk, not really meant for much walking, and the fenced in John Jay Park on the other. Oh, what the hell, I’m going to show it to you.



Mary Sargent © 2006

And that's Cherokee Place.

Upper East Side, 77th Street Between Lexington and Third Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2006

So satisfying, all those rectangles. But I think Active Driveway (you'll have to enlarge to see it) and the triangle of sunlight are necessary. Do you think Mondrian would have liked it?

Upper East Side, 77th Street Between Park and Lexington Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2006

I usually wouldn’t show two photos of the same site, but these look different enough and I like them both enough that I’m violating that rule. Anyone object?

Upper East Side, 77th Street Between Park and Lexington Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2006

New territory! Doctorland. And, of course, museums. But last Wednesday, my day off, off I went to see the doctor at Lenox Hill Hospital. Afterwards, I walked 77th Street to the East River and back on 78th. But right outside the front door of the hospital was this sweet little shot. I’m not sure why it seems sweet to me, but I’m thinking it must be the rosy colors. Don't forget to enlarge it. Just click.

Upper West Side, 73rd Street Between West End Avenue and Broadway

Mary Sargent © 2006

Initially I passed over this one, as a kind of quick throwaway shot, but I kept coming back to it. I’d be interested to know what you think, positive or negative.

Upper West Side, 73rd Street Between West End Avenue and Broadway

Mary Sargent © 2006

Enough digression. Back to the street! Here’s one I’m betting a few of you will like a lot. I know I do.

Upper West Side, Pier 72, 72nd Street at West End Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2006

Neither is this one my usual kind of photograph, it being an interior. Here’s the story. Hunger struck late afternoon, far from the madding crowd on Columbus Avenue. I spotted the Pier 72 at West End Avenue, glanced in through the open windows and saw a few customers. Stepped in. Everyone sprang from their tables ready to assist me, if need be. Ha, ha, I thought, those weren’t customers after all. I stayed anyway. and in fact had quite a tasty egg salad sandwich with fresh lettuce leaf and sour pickle. I wouldn’t hesitate to go back.

However, when I asked about the ladies’ room, the waiter pointed to these stairs leading down to the basement and said Be Careful. Since these are photographed from the bottom, you will know that I made it down. Had to show you.

Upper West Side, Broadway at 72nd Street

Mary Sargent © 2006

Not my usual kind of photograph, but I have a soft spot for these old ladies crossing Broadway. And I’m making a mental note to wear vivid colors when I get old.

Upper West Side, 72nd Street Between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West

Mary Sargent © 2006

Okay, finally up-to-date. Sunday, home from vacation, having missed Saturday’s farmers’ market, I went down to Fairway on 74th Street and Broadway to get some Jersey tomatoes. Took my camera and covered 72nd and 73rd Streets.

Sunday was a beautiful summer day, sunny and hot, but not too hot, summer as it should be, and the whole world was out. People thronging the streets, people having late brunch at tables outside the restaurants to the east of Broadway. Just imagine that, because you won’t see any photographs of that. This is more like what you’ll see here.

West Village, Jones Street

Mary Sargent © 2006

Still Jones Street. Remember to click to enlarge.

West Village, Jones Street

Mary Sargent © 2006

Time to get more current. Last week on Tuesday, August 8, the day before we left for Maine (my brother and sister-in-law and I), the three of us met our cousins at Pearl Oyster Bar on Cornelia Street. You might wonder why I would go to a 'fantasy of a Maine clam shack’ in New York City when the very next day, I would be in the actual state of Maine. Take yourself to Pearl Oyster Bar and have a lobster roll and wonder no more.

Afterwards, instead of photographing the very photogenic street of Cornelia, full of small good restaurants, I walked one block to Jones, which, like Cornelia, is one short block between Bleecker and West 4th Street. Jones is more austere and has one restaurant only, I think, named Inside. I look forward to eating at Inside and then photographing Cornelia.

Inwood, 212th Street Between Tenth Avenue and Broadway

Mary Sargent © 2006

Maine. Great weather, beautiful country, good friends and lobster. And wine. Umm hmm.

But enough of that. Now, it’s good to be back. Here’s a beauty, don’t you think? Junk though it is. This is still in the group of photographs I took on my neighborhood walk two weeks ago.

Inwood, 212th Street at Tenth Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2006

I’m driving to Maine tomorrow morning (yay, vacation!) so this will be my last post until Saturday night. Can’t stay away too long.

I leave you with this clean and simple and, dare I say, perfect photo. I’m not saying it’s a great photo or the best photo, or intriguing or beautiful or terribly interesting, anything like that. I’m just saying it’s perfect.

Inwood, Tenth Avenue at 212th Street

Mary Sargent © 2006

The preceding 5 photographs were taken over a week ago on Saturday, July 29th. I went out the next day because, according to my map, there is no 214th Street. Did I imagine it? No, 214th Street is right there where it should be, and it appears to have been there a long time. I’m not going to show you a photo of the sign. In terms of map time, I picked up only a tiny corner of Tenth Avenue at Post Street, but in terms of photographs, another story.

The sign on the blue building reads #117 Fashion. I keep reading it as Fascism.

Inwood, 207th Street at Broadway

Mary Sargent © 2006

Somewhere on my list of things I’m grateful for is that men will walk the streets with red t-shirts on their big broad backs. Thank you!

And there’s what’s left of the OLD Dunkin’ Donuts sign. The new one, just up the block, was featured on July 8th.

Inwood, Broadway between Academy and 204th Street

Mary Sargent © 2006

Now heading home, around and up Broadway. This car was parked right off the sidewalk. Love this photograph; the car seems so dear, somehow.

Yesterday I came upon New York City Walk by accident, and was just knocked out. I know that other people have had this project and, yes, completed it, but seeing a photograph of his map, that looked like my photograph of my map, except that EVERY street was marked off in black, was a real thrill.

This guy did it in two years. I’d like to say he’s a real inspiration, but, no, I tend to take short ambling walks, which don’t add up fast, and I’ll probably die with the project incomplete. I imagine being on my death bed, saying, not just yet, please, I have a few more blocks to walk.

Inwood, Sherman Avenue Between Isham and 207th Street

Mary Sargent © 2006

Now, turning onto Sherman, here’s this sweet little blue church. I wish I’d photographed the store with blue awning on the other side of the street (reflected in the door). With car in front.

Inwood, 213th Street at Tenth Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2006

One of my friends doesn’t like the cars in my photos. She feels that they get in the way of the things she's more interested in seeing. I feel exactly the opposite. I really like the cars, both conceptually (they’re part of the city) and compositionally (shapes and colors). I was looking at this photo and wondering if I would have used it if there had been no cars parked in front. Maybe, but I kind of doubt it. I’m curious as to what the rest of you think, not just about this photograph, but cars in my photographs in general.

Inwood, Tenth Avenue at 214th Street

Mary Sargent © 2006

Last weekend I walked around on the Eastern side of my neighborhood, Tenth Avenue and down Sherman to Broadway and back up Broadway. Sherman runs parallel to Broadway, but then ends at Broadway where it curves around. This was Saturday’s walk. Starting at Dyckman (200th Street), the subway runs above ground along Tenth Avenue and then up Broadway where Tenth Avenue joins Broadway around 218th Street. This photograph is taken from under the elevated subway tracks looking West. As you will see in the following photos, this area is very blue.

Apologies for all this map talk. I can’t help myself. Just don’t get me started on the saga of Tenth Avenue.

Tribeca, Ericsson Place

Mary Sargent © 2006

This is Ericsson Place on the other side, the north side. I’m beginning to wonder if I got this right; there seems to be too much going on for one little one-block street. Next time I’m down there, I’ll double check. In the meantime, here’s the last Ericsson Place shot. I have to laugh every time I look at it. But you won't think it's funny unless you enlarge it. Just click



Mary Sargent © 2006

And this is an update of the map posted at the beginning of this blog, which shows (the update shows) the barely detectable changes since I renewed my ambition. No matter. I have time.