Murray Hill, 28th Street Between Third Avenue and Park Avenue South

Mary Sargent © 2009 ………. click to enlarge


Don't miss the little face at the bottom.

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Kips Bay, 28th Street Between Third and Second Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2009 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

I have crossed Third Avenue, so we are now in Kips Bay, according to Wikipedia. Kips Bay is named for the Dutch farmer, Jacobus Kip, who had a farm in this area when New York was New Amsterdam. It ran from Second Avenue and 35th Street to the East River, which, at that time, formed a bay. Ergo, Kips Bay. Wikipedia is undecided whether or not to use an apostrophe with Kips (Kip's), so sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. I decided to omit the apostrophe at all times because it is easier, although incorrect.

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Murray Hill, 28th Street Between Lexington and Third Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2009 …….. click to enlarge

Look what we have here – our first black and white photograph. Compare to the color version below and I think you'll see why I did it. With a digital photograph, black and white is as easy as pressing a button.

This is the church of Our Lady of the Scapular & St. Stephen, usually referred to as St. Stephen's, and I took no photos of it in my prior walk. I moved along faster in those days. I didn't stop and gawk at every damn thing. I was more into the walk, I think, wanting to get more streets marked off.

St. Stephen's has significant architectural, artistic and social history (designed by James Renwick, murals by Constantino Brumidi, largest Catholic parish in the country in 1860), but despite the efforts of Community Board 6 and others, it has not been given landmark status. Read all about it here, if that kind of thing interests you.

By the way, do you know what a scapular is? In the Catholic sense, I mean. I didn't. It's something worn over the shoulders, front and back that has protective qualities. You can read all about that here, if that kind of thing interests you.




Mary Sargent © 2009 …….. click to enlarge

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Murray Hill, 28th Street Between Lexington and Third Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2009 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

On this block, I was looking for the spot I photographed two years ago, but in the dark, I couldn't recognize anything. When I got home, though, I could match up Asia Deli & Grocery.



Mary Sargent © 2006 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

This is the old photo. I miss Luncheonette. I can't tell if the second story is still painted blue-green in yesterday's photo. Now I want to go back in the day and see what's going on. NO! I'll never finish this as it is.

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Murray Hill, 28th Street Between Park Avenue South and Lexington Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2009 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

So, as I was saying, last night I went to a dinner meeting – it was the meetup of Dinner and Philosophy Now in NYC. I had been looking at groups on meetup.com and decided to check this one out. I love to argue, I mean, examine ideas, and it seemed that this might provide an opportunity to do that. None of my friends share this love so I'm frequently frustrated. They just say, okay, okay! Now can we talk about something else!

For anyone unfamiliar with meetup.com, it's a site that organizes all kinds of interest groups, book clubs, sports, knitting, drinking, anything you can think of. You find something you're interested in, go to the meetings and meet other people interested in the same thing.

This was my first time trying it and I was pleased.

So I was headed to the restaurant Dolcino on Second Avenue. I had already walked this part of 28th Street, but I didn't have a photograph from this block; also, I thought it would be fun to photograph the same sites as I did two years ago, but this time it would be at night. I'll give you links to the old ones when I post them.


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Murray Hill, 28th Street Between Park Avenue South and Lexington Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2009 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

I went to a dinner meeting in this neighborhood tonight and since I needed some new photographs . . . I'll explain all tomorrow – it's too late tonight.

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Murray Hill, 28th Street Between Third and Lexington Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2006 …………………………….. click to enlarge

This is the last shot from my lunchtime walk a week ago Friday, ending in a crescendo of color and complexity. Very different from the beginning.

After shooting this scene for a few minutes, I was stimulated enough that I could face going back to my beige office with the metal filing cabinets.

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Murray Hill, 28th Street Between Second and Third Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2006 …………………………….. click to enlarge

I've decided to use more categories (neighborhoods) rather than fewer, so here, making its first appearance, is Murray Hill. Wikipedia says the boundaries are from 42nd to 29th Streets and Fifth to Second Avenues, and The New York Times in 1982 "loosely defined" it as having borders at 42nd and 34th Streets and Madison Avenue and the East River. Combining the two, I'm calling it Murray Hill if it's south of 42nd Street, west of Second Avenue, north of 29th Street and east of Madison Avenue. I'm going to have to change some titles.

So this is Murray Hill last Friday, a cold, bleak day, not as cold as this Friday, but bleaker. I love this building, at least photographically speaking. I can't tell you how much time I spent trying to decide which shot, of the many I took here, to show you. They're all similar, but there's enough difference between them to make me vacillate. I hope this is the right one. Be sure to notice the window coverings.