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

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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?


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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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