Upper West Side, 72nd Street at Broadway

Mary Sargent © 2008 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

Here's the new building, across the street from the old one. I remember watching as it went up, several years ago, and having expectations that there would be something inside, other than turnstiles and stairways. It is a larger than necessary building, built in the Beaux Arts style – I was thinking flower stalls and fruit stands. Shoe shine? Some amenities. But nothing. Just empty concrete space.

Barbara asked last night why did they build the new one? Mainly because people were practically falling onto the tracks, it was so crowded. Anyone who's been at that stop knows that the platform is unusually narrow, and that there were only 2 narrow stairways on each side. They extended the platform (served by the new building), and added 4 stairways and also made it possible to cross from uptown to downtown without paying another fare. They did NOT, however, widen the platform. Too expensive, says the MTA.

Anyone craving more pictures will find some nice ones here.

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, 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.