Times Square, 41st Street Between Eighth and Seventh Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2007 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

A quiet, you might almost say tranquil, shot, with those pale colors. Remember this is in the midst of flashing, neon Times Square.

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Times Square, 40th Street at Eighth Avenue

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Here's one these old buildings, complete with fire escapes, dear to me. I like to imagine living there.

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Times Square, Eighth Avenue Looking North From 39th Street

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Here's a shot of this fabulous building which we saw from another angle in November 2006. At the time, I didn't know what it was, I was just totally startled and delighted. Later I discovered it is the Westin Hotel built in 2002. It's so easy not to keep up in this city. Nyc-architecture.com has more photographs and reprints of articles by 5 critics. I was surprised to see that Paul Goldberger, a critic I usually like, writes a stodgy, disapproving article. Apparently many people think it is in bad taste. Dear me.

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Times Square, Eighth Avenue Between 40th and 39th Streets

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Color! XX DVDs! I should have realized I was walking in the wrong direction.

Here's a long shot. Should we come back in a year and see if these buildings are still standing?

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Times Square, Eighth Avenue Between 40th and 41st Streets

Mary Sargent © 2007 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

So back to the beginning. I got off the A train at 40th Street and the brand new New York Times building was the first thing I saw. For a good review by – who else? – New York Times writer, Nicolai Ouroussoff, click here. Also, on that page, look for the link to a slide show of dramatic photographs, showing inside and out and up and over, which I can't do here.

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Midtown, Bryant Park at Sixth Avenue

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I wanted to go for a walk Christmas morning when the streets were quiet because most people were still at home, or so I thought, and I decided to try the Times Square/Bryant Park area. I took the A train to 42nd Street, walked across 41st to Bryant Park (that's Eighth to Sixth Avenue) and then turned around and came back. I still do not know if most people were at home this morning because I didn't get out until 2:30, and by that time, they were definitely out.

I'm showing you this shot at Bryant Park at the end of my walk because, by golly, there is a Christmas tree! See, way there in the back? Those tent-like things in the middle ground are the temporary setups for the holiday gift fair. And in the background is the back of the main branch of the New York Public Library.

Tomorrow we'll start at the beginning.

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Inwood, 207th Street at Broadway

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In keeping with this blog's longstanding tradition of eventless postings, here is a non-Christmas photograph on Christmas Eve.

I'm happy with it. It looks kind of sweet to me, in a Little Town of Bethlehem sort of way.

Merry Christmas everyone! Don't forget the cookies for Santa.

Inwood, Broadway at 204th Street

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Now back to Broadway and here at 204th Street is the Dyckman House, built about 1784 and now a City Museum. For some very early history involving a trespassing goose, and for the ballad, The Dyckman House, check out pages 223-227 in Ballads of Old New York by Arthur Guiterman.

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Inwood, Academy Street between Vermilyea Avenue and Broadway

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Inwood, Academy Street between Vermilyea Avenue and Broadway

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I turned west on Academy Street – and look at this! A close inspection reveals it is built like a . . . a . . castle! Not a playful castle, mind you, this is serious. It is a junior high school, Public School 52, as engraved over the doorway. The Public Schools Report identifies it as Is 52. I don't know what Is stands for. Can anyone tell me? The Street Book says that Academy Street was named for Public School 52, "a Tudor-style building . . . [which] was pulled down in 1957." That means this one was built after that. Somehow it's hard to imagine this school being built in the late 50's, 60's, or later. Another puzzle to investigate in the distant future.

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Inwood, Vermilyea Avenue Between 204th and Academy Streets

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I arrived at the Post Office on Vermilyea at 204th Street, and after waiting in line quite a little while, discovered I had forgotten my wallet. Since I had also forgotten my cyanide tablets, I decided to just deal with it. The postal worker said she'd hold my stuff, so back home I went to get some money, not forgetting my mission to get some shots on the way. Like this one.

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Inwood, Vermilyea Avenue Between 207th and 204th Streets

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Mary Sargent © 2007 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

Same block as last night, here is a handsome apartment building and complex. Every now and then, my eyes fix on a building and I want to know all about it. Many times I can't find out a damn thing about it. This is one of those times.

Of course, I'm talking about 30 minutes or so of research. Someday . . .

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Inwood, Vermilyea Avenue Between 207th and 204th Streets

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Inwood, Vermilyea Avenue Between Isham and 207th Streets

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Well, there goes the vermilion theory. Now I'm wondering how common it is to paint the bottom sections of apartment buildings with contrasting, bright colors. Is it just here in Inwood? Did we invent this?

I'll have to go back and browse in the archives.

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Inwood, Vermilyea Avenue Between 211th and Isham Streets

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The vermillion theme continues.

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Inwood, 211th Street at Vermilyea Avenue

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This is where Vermilyea ends; it's to the left of last night's photo. This is the back of P.S. 98, a PK through grade 4 school known as Shorac Kappock. Couldn't find out anything about the name (I guess, Jewish) but I did find out that as of school year 2004-2005, the enrollment by ethnicity was 3 Asian, 8 Black, 4 White and 770 Hispanic. The neighborhood is primarily Hispanic, but I'm surprised the enrollment is that unbalanced.

No, it's not Jewish; it's Indian! So I'm informed by my consultant, Flying Lady. Shorakkappok was the Algonkian name for a spot by Spuyten Duyvil somewhere up here between the Bronx and Manhattan where the Indians waited for the tide to go out to make the crossing easier. The name meant "sitting down place". Whew.

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Inwood, 211th Street at Vermilyea Avenue

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Vermilyea Avenue ends here, begins at Dyckman. It is totally an Inwood Avenue and, according to The Street Book, was named for the family of Isaac Vermeille, who settled in upper Manhattan in 1663. Otherwise, you might think it was named for vermillion.

Inwood, 211th Street Between Broadway and Vermilyea Avenue

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I told you it was gray.

211th Street is only two short blocks long, angling off Isham Street and running between Broadway and Tenth Avenue. Because it is west of Tenth Avenue, its house numbers begin with 500. At least I think that must be why.

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Inwood, Corner of Broadway and 211th Street

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This is the last stop of the fabled A train. And across Broadway is Isham Park, a small but lovely park that is an alternate route to Broadway (the other being the 111 steps of citystairs).

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Inwood, Just off Broadway Between Isham and 212th Streets

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Today was not ideal for a photowalk, it being gray and threatening to rain, but you go on your walk with the weather you are given. Plus, I had to go to the post office to mail some books. Do you know about BookMooch? It's a great booktrading website – so far I've given away 13 books and received 21. And I'm not cheating! You get extra points for some things, like mailing to a foreign country. Anyway, now mailing those books is more of a chore than it was when I was employed. All of you employed people know what I'm talking about. It's one of those little things that I miss. The copy machine, of course, is major.

So here at the beginning of the walk is a new painting on the side of New Edition Drycleaners. I showed you a closeup first so you can see the funny face above which didn't exist in older versions. To see those, go here and here.



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Hudson Heights, Riverside Animal Clinic at 187th Street and Ft. Washington Avenue

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Finally made it to the vet and here is the resident cat, now a Christmas cat. I hope I will be forgiven showing a non-street shot. C'mon, it's Christmas.

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Hudson Heights, Citystairs between Overlook Terrace and Ft. Washington Avenue at 187th Street

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Home from DC. It was a great trip, saw a wonderful Hopper show at the National Gallery, saw old friends at the book party, tested a new good restaurant, and got lots of sleep. Bill is a good host.

And now home to looks like lots of rain – I may not get to do a new walk for a couple of days. Here, we're still on the citystairs at 187th Street, on the way to the vet, where I stopped to admire this abstract section.

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Hudson Heights, Citystairs between Overlook Terrace and Ft. Washington Avenue at 187th Street

Last post until Sunday night. I'm off to DC to visit my son, Bill, the historian, where we will go to a book party for the fabulous Doug Garner who has just published Forest Park Highlands. Check it out.



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This shot is taken standing at the middle landing of the citystairs at 187th Street, looking up at a building on the side.


And here's a shot of those stairs, looking down. Did you ever think New York was so hilly?


Mary Sargent © 2007 ………. click to enlarge


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Hudson Heights, Overlook Terrace Between 186th and 187th Streets

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Long time readers may remember this mysterious structure from last January. Someone has been remodeling.

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Hudson Heights, Overlook Terrace Between 186th and 187th Streets

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Hudson Heights, Bennett Avenue Between 184th and 186th Streets

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This building was toward the end of the block, and next to it was a yeshiva, so I assumed it was a synagogue, but there was no sign to name it or confirm it. Manhattan Block by Block gives it a name: Kehal Adath Yeshurun, but does not say what it is. Wikipedia spells it Khal Adath Jeshurun and calls it a congregation, a "full-service community" which includes, among other things, a synagogue. Still don't know for sure if this is the synagogue. If anyone out there knows, please let me know.

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Hudson Heights, Bennett Avenue Between 184th and 186th Streets

Mary Sargent © 2007 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

Or look down.

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Hudson Heights, Bennett Avenue Between 181st and 184th Streets

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I had planned some bold new walk today after therapy on 86th Street, but then realized I was one can away from being out of cat food. So instead, I took the subway up to 181st Street and finished Bennett Avenue on my way to the vet. It was cold today, glove weather, and by the time I got there, my fingers were numb, so maybe it was better not to be bold today.

Not much to look at street level on this stretch of Bennett Avenue, had to look up. Look at that sky! I even decreased the saturation.

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Inwood, Broadway at 215th Street

Mary Sargent © 2007 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

This is the garage for M&T Management. I look at it every day as I wait for the light to change.

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Inwood, Elevated Subway Platform at West 215th Street

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Going home after my pre-Thanksgiving dinner walk last Thursday, I've just gotten off the uptown train and I'm looking across to the downtown platform.

You can almost imagine this guy is staring down at the Manhattan River. Except, of course, there is no Manhattan River. That I know of.

Inwood, Post Avenue Between Academy and Dyckman Streets

Mary Sargent © 2007 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

Farther down the block, there is an identical facade except that there is no green paint detailing the swaglike thing and the molding; it's all that reddish brown color. Here, there's a super with a decorator sensibility, I suppose.

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Inwood, Post Avenue at 204th Street

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The rest of Post Avenue was lined with standard apartment buildings, uh, except for this block of Swiss chalets, putting up a brave front.

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Inwood, Post Avenue Between 207th and 204th Streets

Mary Sargent © 2007 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

Talk about your color! Did I go to the right part of town, or what?

Do not be misled by the post title into thinking that this block is three blocks long. On this side of Tenth Avenue, there are no 205th and 206th Streets. On the other side, there are, as well as 201, 202 and 203. Streets up here do pretty much as they please without having to conform to the stodgy downtown grid.

Here, I'll show you:

Inwood, Tenth Avenue Between 207th and 206th Streets

Mary Sargent © 2007 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

If you scroll down to last night's post, you'll see the bottom corner of this ambitious mural, looking down from the subway stairs. Now I'm on the street, looking up.

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Inwood, Tenth Avenue from the 207th Street Subway Stairs

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Color promised and delivered. This is taken from the elevated subway stop at 207th Street.

This walk had to be brief so I took the subway one stop, walked the length of Post Avenue (3½ blocks) and came on home.

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Inwood, Citystairs, 215th Street Between Park Terrace East and Broadway

Mary Sargent © 2007 ………………………….. click to enlarge

I headed out this morning for a brief photowalk before I went downtown to Luka's for Thanksgiving dinner. It was beautiful, warm and smelling good and lots of yellow leaves on the stairs. I couldn't resist this shot taken by the stairs before the proper walk started.

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Upper West Side, 87th Street Between West End Avenue and Riverside Drive

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Assuming I can get out early tomorrow for some new photographs, I will try to find some color. I know some of you can't take day after day of this brown, gray, ivory stuff.

And how might I be able to get out early on Thanksgiving? Because I'm in the blessed position of being invited to someone else's Thanksgiving dinner and being told, and this is key, not to bring anything! Except some wine. If I am forced to say what I'm thankful for, that'll be it.

See, the trouble with having everyone say what they're thankful for is that everyone says the same thing: family and friends. You'd be a heel not to. They even did that on the Chris Matthews show last Sunday. Really boring.

But, okay, just to join in, I'm going to say I'm thankful for my Faithful Readers. Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

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Upper West Side, 87th Street Between West End Avenue and Riverside Drive

Mary Sargent © 2007 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

Notice something strange and wonderful about this photo? No cars! It's street cleaning day on this side of the street and everyone parked on this side had to move their cars. I must say I like having a clear view here, even though I've argued in favor of cars in the past.

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Upper West Side, 87th Street Between West End Avenue and Riverside Drive

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For the next few nights, I want to show you townhouses on West 87th Street because they're all so individual in their details and so interesting. It makes me feel how rich we are to have all this to look at.

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Upper West Side, 87th Street Between Broadway and West End Avenue

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Here's a photograph of a parking garage. Nice, huh? Wait, wait. Notice the windows above? Here's a wide shot of the building.



Mary Sargent © 2007 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

I assumed it was an apartment building, now empty, and went over to ask the guys about it. The one on the left said, no, that's where we park the cars! Well, says I, do you know what it was originally? What it was built for? He called in a consultant, the guy on the right, who told me that it was originally a stable! Horses stayed up there! But still, isn't that odd for a stable? Is that the way they built stables in the city? I need to find out.

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Upper West Side, 87th Street at Broadway

Mary Sargent © 2007 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

Yesterday morning, after therapy, I walked two blocks on West 87th between Broadway and Riverside Drive. At Riverside the wind was so fierce, I abandoned my plan to walk south a block. I just turned around and came back. The hardships I endure for this blog. Wind! Bright sunlight!

I'm pretty sure this empty store was a good Vietnamese restaurant (before it was a Malaysian restaurant), but I can't look it up because I can't think of its name. If you remember, let me know. I miss their curried okra.

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Inwood, Citystairs Between Park Terrace East and Broadway

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This was at 8:30 this morning on the citystairs or stepstreet that go(es) between Park Terrace East and Broadway. There are 10 flights of 11 stairs each, and I should know because I walk them every time I go to the No. 1 subway, which is often. That makes 110 steps.

Anyway, the sunlight was gorgeous, almost stunning.

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West Village, West 4th Street at Sheridan Square

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Okay, I'm still not current. It rained all day today. Tomorrow, for sure. This was taken one year ago, November 14th. It looks awfully late, but I had just gone downtown after work to get some chocolate at Varsano's which I've already carried on about.

Which reminds me . . . I'm due for a visit.

Across the street is Boxers, a bar/restaurant that no longer exists. I remember the dismay I felt when I first saw it had closed. At night, it was too crowded and noisy for my taste, but in the middle of the day, it was a quiet, low key spot and the perfect place to stop for lunch after shopping at Varsano's and sit by the window and think about how great it was not to be at work.

The thing is, I only discovered that a couple of years ago and only did it twice. Did you ever notice how if there's something you do that you like and you do it at least twice, in later years (or months) you say something like, "That was a great place, I used to go there for lunch . . . " and it sounds like you did it all the time?

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