Kips Bay, Asser Levy Place Between 23rd and 25th Streets

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

As promised. Enlarge this photo and look at what's incised above the arches:

Free Public Baths …………..City of New York.

I know I claimed that this is not documentary photography, but I think I've broken that rule now and again. This is definitely documentary. I just had to show you what the City of New York built for people who lived in tenements without running water. Actually, it's probably more accurate to say that they built it that way because that was their sense of what public buildings should look like. Whereas, now . . .

The door on the left is for men and the door on the right for women. Or was. I entered through the door for men since it was the open one and found myself in a large open room. It's a community space now with a gym and a swimming pool.

Kips Bay, Asser Levy Place Between 23rd and 25th Streets, Looking North

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

New Area. On Thursday, September 21, I took a lunch time walk, well actually, I took a taxi to 26th and First Avenue, and walked down to Asser Levy Place. I'm trying to use broad categories of neighborhood identification, but Asser Levy Place is east of First Avenue next to the East River and it doesn't belong to any big neighborhood as far as I can tell. I've been consulting Wikipedia when I need help and Wikipedia points to Kips Bay.

So Asser Levy Place is only two blocks long and surrounded by big medical complexes and the Veteran's Administration Medical Center and that lovely reflective building which I couldn't identify. But wait till you see what's on the street to the left of this photograph. That's tomorrow night.