Hell's Kitchen, Ninth Avenue Between 36th and 37th Streets

Mary Sargent © 2010 ………………….………….....… ………………….. click to enlarge

As I mentioned at the beginning of this walk, I was headed to a Pakistani restaurant for discussion of a Pakistani book (The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid).  The restaurant is known to some as Kashmir 9; to others as Pakistani Restaurant, and it gets mostly great reviews (for food, not atmosphere).  However, I stumbled on a Restaurant Inspection Report which left me a little queasy, and I'm not easily made queasy.  I had a couple of vegetarian dishes which didn't impress me, but then I thought maybe meat dishes are the thing to get.  I didn't get sick, which is good.

The book?  Well, as usual, the group was split.  I was on the negative side this time because I didn't like the way the story was told.  But I did like getting the viewpoint of the protagonist.

And so this walk has ended and now it is Daylight Saving Time and Spring comes tomorrow along with a whole new walk.

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Hell's Kitchen, 34th Street Between Eighth and Ninth Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2010 ……………..…………….. click to enlarge

An awfully pretty synagogue here on 34th Street.  It is the West Side Jewish Center.  I couldn't find out when it was built.  Its official site (above link) doesn't seem to know and Wikipedia's article is very short and fragmented.  Anyone?

But do go to Wikipedia to see its photograph of the synagogue from 2007, showing a huge movie poster for Angels and Demons on the side of the building.  Amusing, since the Vatican described the movie as "an offence against God."  Well, amusing to me, anyway.  The congregation was also okay with it and appreciated the extra income.

Looking at this photograph, it appears that the buildings next to it would cover the view of the side of the synagogue, but I have a wider view of it which shows that they are, in fact, back of the side of the building.  Believe it or not.  And you'll have to leave it there because I'm not going to drag that photo out and edit it and post it and copy it.  I know it's not that late, but I'm reforming.  Trying to.
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3/21/10 - Rita kindly points out that Emporis tells us the Center was constructed in 1924.  Thank you!

Hell's Kitchen, 34th Street at Eighth Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2010 ………………….…………… ………………….. click to enlarge

New walk, new month.  Only a week behind now.  Last Sunday, March 7th, I went downtown to meet up with the Booker Prize Book Club.  The book under discussion was The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid (short-listed, not a prize winner).  The main character is a Pakistani, and so we met at a Pakistani restaurant on Ninth Avenue.  Where else?

This photo was taken at 6:30 p.m.  One week later, it would still be daylight.  Let's hear it for Daylight Savings time!  It is a time when I am happy with my government.  It was George Bush (yes!) who extended DST by a month.  Three weeks earlier in the spring and 1 week later in the fall.  Way to go, George!  By the way, I just learned that it is not Daylight Savings Time; it is Daylight Saving Time.

And so, this is where I got off the A train at 34th and Eighth.


NOTE:  I shouldn't have to point this out, but a copyright notice means that you should NOT download any photographs.  It is an infringement of copyright law.  It is stealing.  Please stop.  You can always link to them but don't take them.

Hell's Kitchen, 46th Street Between Ninth and Tenth Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2008 ………. click to enlarge

Even with the extra hour of sleep we had today, I still didn't get out of bed in time to do a photowalk. What to do? Luckily I found a nice shot from my November 4, 2006 photowalk that I wasn't able to use then. So here it is, a two year old shot, good as new.

I also redid the first shot from that walk, so you can see how changing to Photoshop was probably a good idea.



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

Compare with the original one posted.

I'll do my best to get out tomorrow. But if not, there're a few more good ones from 2006 you haven't seen.


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Hell's Kitchen, 33rd Street Between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues

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

There's the starkness of the streets (see yesterday) and then there's this. I'm thinking this would make a good jigsaw puzzle.

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Hell's Kitchen, 33rd Street Between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues

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

Continuing the walk of May 23.

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Hell's Kitchen, Tenth Avenue Between 34th and 33rd Streets

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

Twenty years ago, our hero would have been standing here, looking moodily into the distance with a cigarette in his mouth. Now it's a cell phone. There's just no romance anymore.

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Hell's Kitchen, 34th Street Between Eleventh and Tenth Avenues

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

And across the street from subtle lady is this rather more dramatic scene (relatively). Birches in New York? I didn't know.

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Hell's Kitchen, 34th Street Between Eleventh and Tenth Avenues

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

It's hard to make her out because she's cleverly camouflaged, but if you look very carefully, you'll be able to see a woman leaning against the stairs. Hint: her back is turned to us.

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Hell's Kitchen, 34th Street Between Eleventh and Tenth Avenues

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

Free of our burdens, we stolled across 34th Street and here, just off 11th Avenue, was this darling courtyard. How great to be able to keep your bike outside and protected. It's enough to make you want to live all the way over here.

The gate was ajar, so I stepped inside to get some bike shots ... ... . ......... And suddenly, a FLOCK of women swooped in and disappeared inside 545 West 34th Street.


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

Hell's Kitchen, 34th Street Between Eleventh and Twelfth Avenues

So we're pretty much caught up. These photos were taken less than a week ago, last Wednesday, when I went down to the Javits Convention Center to help Flying Lady pack up her booth in the National Stationery Show. She has a brand new company selling note cards and if you go to her website, you can see her photography and some of mine, as well (but you've already seen mine).

Her guy, Geoff, came to haul her stuff off, leaving us free to go in search of something to eat. These are taken at the side of the Center as we wait for him.



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

You can tell, just from the look of these guys, that it's a gorgeous day, can't you?


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

This is just one tiny corner of the Javits Center. That is one huge place.


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Hell's Kitchen, 46th Street Between Ninth and Eighth Avenues

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

Same block. Can't resist. Something about this guy makes me happy.

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Hell's Kitchen, 46th Street Between Ninth and Eighth Avenues

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

Now we're back into civilization. You can tell because here there be restaurants. In fact, this block is called Restaurant Row, and I'm sorry I can't tell you how many restaurants on it, but I didn't think of counting them at the time. A lot of pre-theater business.

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Hell's Kitchen, 45th Street Between Eleventh and Tenth Avenues

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

I've been thinking about which word is more evocative: sunlight or sunshine. I think sunlight. Today is a rainy November day, yesterday was a rainy November day and tomorrow it will rain again, and I'm looking at this photograph taken nine days ago and thinking how sunlight can make a dirty white plastic fence something pleasing to look at.

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Hell's Kitchen, 45th Street Between Twelfth and Eleventh Avenues

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

Now walking back east. This is last Saturday, Nov. 4.

It's the fire plug.

By the way, for those of you who live in New York, don't miss the Brice Marden exhibit at MOMA. I was converted last night. He had just sort of annoyed me before, in a vague, uninformed way, but now I forgive him whatever it was because, damn, some beautiful stuff there. Especially the drawings. Here's a link to some images, but you won't know what it's all about unless you see the real thing.

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Hell's Kitchen, 46th Street Between Eleventh and Twelfth Avenues

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

This is the last block of 46th Street before the West Side Highway and the Hudson River. It's an unusually active block for being out here on the edge – there's a construction site where they're probably putting up billion dollar apartments because, of course, what rich person wouldn't want to live in this adorably gritty neighborhood? And on the corner, there's an H&H Bagel plant and retail store, which I'm not going to show you because we don't have time, and the photo wasn't that good, but there's a photograph on their website if you are obsessive, which I sincerely hope you are. I wish I had been hungry.

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Hell's Kitchen, 46th Street Between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues

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

I look up a lot more than I used to. The great thing about doing this is you can do anything you damn please, you can look up, over, stare, gawk, study your map, and it doesn't matter what people think, whether they think you're a tourist or just dimwitted, because you know better, you know you're a Street Photographer. Yeah.

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Hell's Kitchen, 46th Street Between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues

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

This is a perfect photograph.

Yes, it is.

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Hell's Kitchen, 46th Street Between Ninth and Tenth Avenues

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

Last Saturday I went to get a haircut at David Ryan's on West 46th Street. See map. If I were on top of things, I'd have a link to a photo of my haircut. Not on top of things. Afterwards I walked 46th Street to the river and back on 45th Street.

This is a pretty and frothy shot that reminds me in its prettiness and frothiness of this Cornelia Street shot last summer.

Hell's Kitchen, 59th Street Between Eleventh and Tenth Avenues

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

Back home after a very fine trip to Michigan. Must diet.

This continues my West Side walk of September 16; I'm walking back from 12th Avenue on 59th Street, and it's feeling a bit less neglected as I go.




Map update. It's coming along.