Upper West Side, 63rd Street Between Broadway and Central Park West

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

This is just east of our little apartment building of 2 nights ago. This is the Young Men's Christian Association (chiseled on the front of the building), otherwise known as the Westside YMCA. It is described in the AIA Guide as a "neo-Romanesque pile . . . complete with machicolations, arched corbel tables, and other medieval encrustations." Built in 1930. Here is its page in nyc-Architecture.com.

From Dictionary.com, the definition of machicolation: A projecting gallery at the top of a castle wall, supported by a row of corbeled arches and having openings in the floor through which stones and boiling liquids could be dropped on attackers.

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Upper West Side, 63rd Street Between Broadway and Central Park West

And now, if I just turn to the left . . .


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

There's Lincoln Center.

And inside they're performing Die Walkure.


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Upper West Side, 63rd Street Between Broadway and Central Park West

Last night, Saturday, I went down to Lincoln Center to give away an orchestra seat (Center, Row O, on the aisle) to Die Walkure. I had seen Das Rheingold the night before and it was horrible, awful, ludicrous. The production, I mean, by the Kirov. I just couldn't stand to go back. You understand, I love Wagner and The Ring; I just hated this production. The seat was pure gold – given to me by someone who could not attend.

Afterwards, I walked 63rd Street to Central Park, then up to 68th Street, back down Broadway, and after stopping at Barnes & Noble to look at books (did not buy any), came back home.

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

West 63rd Street is right in the thick of it, with Lincoln Center across Broadway, Lincoln Plaza Cinemas around the corner and tall apartment houses up the block. And here is this dear old apartment building with its fire escapes in front, shorn of its neighbors but holding on. I'm posting four photos of it because I love these last three.


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




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




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