Midtown, Lexington Avenue at 56th Street

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

Here you are, walking in midtown, seeing the everyday sights and suddenly you glance downtown and there's.a scene from a Russian fairy tale.  Actually it's  a synagogue.  Central Synagogue.  I was surprised.  From the front, it's not so exotic; it's impressive, but not surprising.  Go here, to learn everything there is to know about Central Synagogue.

Upper East Side, Lexington Avenue between 71st and 70th Streets

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

Having dawdled enough, I went back to Bella Blu, and found that, although they weren't as crowded as before, there still was no seating outside. Well, inside wasn't bad.





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

Inside it looked kind of grottoesque, but anytime I can have a glass of wine at a table with a white table cloth and it's not even dinner; it's lunch, I can tolerate a little decorative excess. I had bread salad with tomatoes and cucumbers, very simple, very delicious. Berries for dessert. I'd go back.





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

Here it is after I left. Any table you want.  My camera tells me it was 3:02. And since they serve lunch until 3:30, that allows plenty of time.




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Upper East Side, Lexington Avenue between 71st and 72nd Streets

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Now I'm walking up Lexington toward 72nd Street. Below are three shots of the block between 71st and 72nd Streets taken from different spots. The first is looking north, the second looking south and the third, across the street, looking east. Would you know they were the same block?



Mary Sargent © 2009 …….. click to enlarge







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






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







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


And here is a straight on shot of the building on the corner of Lexington and 71st Street.  Isn't it nice?

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Upper East Side, Lexington Avenue between 70th and 71st Streets

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


Next to Sam's Souk is York Barber Shop. In tiny type below their name, it says "Since 1928". I didn't walk in and ask for a haircut, but Brooks of Sheffield did.


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Upper East Side, Lexington Avenue between 70th and 71st Streets

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


Here's a shot from Sam's Souk's window to provide you a little relief from all those damn buildings.  Please enlarge this photo.  You won't regret it.

The sign in the window said, "Blow Out Sale! Everything Must Go! 70% off everything!!" Unfortunately, I can't buy anything when I'm on a photowalk, because I'm carrying enough as it is. Does this mean he's going out of business? Funny how you can feel a pang of loss even though you didn't know the thing existed until a few minutes ago.


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Upper East Side, 71st Street at Lexington Avenue; Lexington Avenue between 71st and 70th Streets

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


It was after 1:00 and I was beginning to get hungry, so it was a lucky thing that I was approaching Lexington Avenue, the avenue of many restaurants. I walked down Lexington to 70th Street and then up to 72nd Street. I had spotted a likely restaurant on the downtown side, but it was a little crowded, so I decided to give them some time.






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


This is the west side of Lexington between 70th and 71st.






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


And this is back at the corner of 71st and Lex.

I'm trying to give you an overview of the block. I know that many a time you've exclaimed, oh, I just wish I had an overview! Well, here it is.


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Midtown, Lexington Avenue at 45th Street

Today I went on a photowalk to 173rd Street in Washington Heights. It was cold. I was looking for two specific buildings as Gladys requested. I got em. Coming back, I missed the last step on the subway stairs and fell down with my camera still hanging around my neck. I heard it hit the concrete. But it's okay and I'm okay. I'm just telling you this because when you see that I'm posting a photo from two years ago, you'll know it wasn't my fault. I did my best, subjecting myself to frigid weather and injury.

But I can't download my photos. I have a card slot in my computer which won't read, and my camera connection is unacceptable also. This happened once before and in the morning it had fixed itself. So I hope an overnight rest will work the same magic this time. In the meantime . . .



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

On January 23, 2007, I was working on Park Avenue South and I took a lunchtime photowalk. Subway to Grand Central, then Lexington to 45th Street. I took this shot first merely to record the street sign, then later liked the group of six people all looking in different directions and cropped it way down. Now I like the full shot. What do you think?


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Spanish Harlem, Lexington Avenue Between 109th and 108th Streets

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

Cousin Claire said I MUST go to the Conservatory Gardens while the weather was still good. I try to please, and so last Wednesday after a visit to my podiatrist, noticing how good it felt to walk without pain, I decided to nip on up. I was at 54th and Lex and I took the No. 6 train up to 110th Street to get a short photowalk in.

Lexington Avenue up here does not have the charm it has farther downtown. The avenue seems wider and is flanked by big blank apartment houses. This was the first interesting spot I came to.

And here's a closeup of the menu in the window.


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

Notice the only English word on this menu is Lunch.
Uh, words, I mean, like Lunch Special. Chocolate. Tea. Oh, never mind.

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Gramercy, Lexington Avenue Between 22nd and 23rd Streets

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


This photograph was taken one year ago to the day on a lunchtime walk. Does that make up for not having a current photo? I wonder where those two are today. Are they still together? Do they still have their jobs?

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Upper East Side, Lexington Avenue Between 84th and 83rd Streets

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

Here's another shot that typifies Lexington Avenue to me. You got your shoe repair, your locksmith, your eBay drop off store.

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Upper East Side, Lexington Avenue Between 85th and 84th Streets

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



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Upper East Side, Lexington Avenue Between 85th and 84th Streets

Mary Sargent © 2007 ……… click to enlarge

This is what Lexington Avenue looks like - with these old 4 story apartments with fire escapes and stores at street level. I've always liked the idea of living above the store. That's what's wrong with my apartment building in Inwood; there's no store at street level. Can't even get a cup of coffee without walking blocks. Might as well make it myself.

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Upper East Side, Lexington Avenue Between 86th and 85th Streets

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

Having discovered my mistake and reversed my direction, I've turned onto Lexington Avenue, heading downtown. This is a side view of The Lucida. New York seems to be in the midst of a construction boom; I see this all over town.

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Upper East Side, Lexington Avenue at 61st Street

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

There's nothing like getting home at 2:30 a.m. and posting to your photoblog and trying to come up with something pithy or pissy to say about it or anything at all. Let's see. This is the last shot of this October 5th walk. It was taken after the doctor visit, after taking my new prescription to the drug store, after having an expensive and enjoyable lunch at Circus while waiting for prescription to be filled, and then waiting at the traffic light to go back to the drug store on Lexington.

Where I was tonight was the Metropolitan Opera to see The Marriage of Figaro, very good, the Countess especially good, the production pale and sun filled. And afterwards a nightcap at Fiorellos with conversation about how weird things are and getting old; you can probably see how the subjects are related.

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Upper East Side, Lexington Avenue between 66th and 67th Streets

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

This is the back entrance to the Park Avenue 7th Regiment Armory, built 1877-79. The AIA (American Institute of Architects) Guide calls it "a friendly brick fortress."

In time, we'll get to the Park Avenue side, but if you can't wait, take a visit to the nyc architecture site.


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Upper East Side, Lexington Avenue between 64th and 65th Streets

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

A drycleaner's window.

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Upper East Side, Lexington Avenue Between 61st and 62nd Streets

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

This is not Park Avenue, not Madison Avenue, not Fifth or Third or Second. This is scruffy, busy, interesting Lexington Avenue. Even the name is more interesting. Notice Gotham City Comics on the 2nd floor above the liquor store.




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

Wouldn't you like to have a hardware store like this in your neighborhood?

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Upper East Side, Lexington Avenue at 61st Street

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

This was just a shot to mark my location, but . . . well, I know it would look better with edges, but still . . . Use your imaginations.

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Upper East Side, Lexington Avenue Between 60th and 61st Streets

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

Time for a new walk. Last Friday, I took my camera out at lunchtime, took the No. 6 to 59th Street and walked up Lexington to the 68th Street stop, then back to the office.

I don't look forward to the avenues as much as the side streets because they're wider, so it's hard to shoot across the street, and they're often not as interesting as the smaller side streets. But Lexington is different.

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Lexington Avenue Between 59th and 60th Streets

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

Another truck photo! I must say, I'm fond of them. The full name printed on the side of the truck is Force Transfer, which sounds oddly threatening.