Morningside Heights, 110th Street Between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues

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

The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine faces Amsterdam Avenue, and its grounds spread over 11.3 acres, from 110th Street to north of 112th Street and Amsterdam to Columbus Avenues. This is the southern border along 110th Street. Here we see . . . construction! What are they up to? I asked myself, and no sooner did I ask then I was googling. Well, after much tedious research, I discovered – you'll never guess. Yes! They're building an apartment house on the Cathedral's grounds!

It was only when I began writing this post that I looked for a link directly to the Cathedral and it was then I discovered the most exhaustive information about the project is right on their site. Slide shows and all. But it's always good to have a little controversy from the New York Times to balance the positive reporting from the Cathedral.

On another subject altogether, I don't think I've ever seen a structure that looked more like a face than this one at center. It had to have been done on purpose, don't you think?

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Morningside Heights, 110th Street Between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues

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

These building scaffoldings are everywhere and usually they mess up shots, but sometimes they make them.

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Morningside Heights, Columbus Avenue at 110th Street

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We're standing in Central Harlem, looking across Columbus Avenue to Morningside Heights where that building has the longest drycleaner/laundry I've ever seen. The yellow and orange sign defines it.

Columbus Avenue stops here – across 110th is Morningside Drive which is narrower, curves around Morningside Park and deadends at 122nd Street. You may be aware that Columbus Avenue used to be Ninth Avenue, but I bet you don't remember that Ninth Avenue lives again 91 blocks uptown.

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Upper West Side, Broadway Between 110th and 111th Streets

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

Back to civilization at last. See Tomo over there? Feeling like a little bite or two would be good right about now, I stopped in and took a seat at the sushi bar. My first time there. It was a pleasant enough thing to do, but the food was on the wrong side of average. The online reviews seem to blame it on being close to Columbia, students being so undemanding. Nobody mentioned their biggest crime, though, which is not giving you a damp hot towel to wipe the city grime off your hands. No, we don't do that, I was told. I think all restaurants should do that, not just Japanese restaurants, and particularly city restaurants and particularly New York city restaurants.

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Morningside Heights, Riverside Drive at 110th Street

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

What do you notice about this photo? A wider shot than you've ever seen on this blog? Yes! I got a new zoom 10-22mm – can go much wider than my standard 18-55mm BUT not so tight. Soooo. I guess I'll have to tote two lenses around. Or shoot wide one time, tight another? Still sorting it out.

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Morningside Heights, Riverside Drive Between 111th and 110th Streets

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

This is the local splitoff of Riverside Drive where drivers can exit the Drive and enter the city fray.

And below is the street I had to check out to see if it was walkable. It leads from 110th Street into Riverside Drive and has no sidewalk, but it turns out you can walk down the left side. So I did.



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

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Morningside Heights, 111th Street Between Broadway and Riverside Drive

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After the doctor visit on Thursday, I came back uptown to begin the official photowalk. I wanted to buy vitamins at 110th Street anyway, and it was an enchanting day for the park and there was this little piece of street on my map that was bothering me; I couldn't tell if it was walkable or not. Needed to find out.

This is what spring looks like on West 111th Street.

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Morningside Heights, Riverside Drive Between 111th and 110th Streets

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

This photograph is out of order but I wanted to show you what a gorgeous spring day it was today. It was the kind of day when strangers passing you on the street say, isn't it a beautiful day? Well, one did. It was the kind of day to edge your photowalk over into the park.

Happy Spring everyone.

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Morningside Heights, Broadway between 112th and 111th Streets

I'm home sick tonight, missing seeing Happy Days, by Samuel Beckett, which is supposedly the best play in our lifetimes, starring the fabulous Fiona Shaw. Instead, here I sit at my computer, learning Photoshop.

The first photograph is edited with Photoshop and the second with Picasa, which is what I've been using all along. See the difference? Not unless you enlarge.


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

I'm just a beginner, though; I should get better. Or at least know more. Picasa is great, easy to use and free, and its straightening tool is way better than Photoshop's, but Photoshop does about a thousand times more things, with more teeny distinctions than you can imagine.



Mary Sargent © 2008 …………Picasa………....…….. click to enlarge
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Now I'm out of photographs since I couldn't go out today for a new photowalk. Things better improve tomorrow! It's one thing to miss Happy Days; it's quite another to miss a new photograph.

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Morningside Heights, Broadway at 112th Street

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


Across the street from Tom's.


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Morningside Heights, 112th Street Between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway

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And so, as we come to the end of our spiritual journey across 112th Street, what's this I see up ahead? Is it? Could it be? Yes!




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


Tom's Restaurant. Undoubtedly, more well known across the universe than the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. You'll have to trust me that this is the restaurant, but I never lie just off a spiritual journey.


Never mind, I just drummed up some evidence.


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Morningside Heights, 112th Street Between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway

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

Walking back to Broadway, toward the middle of the block is a church of another sort, built in 1990. The Seventh Church of Christ, Scientist. Included in the building is a 22 story apartment building. A breathtaking transition from medieval to extra modern.

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Morningside Heights, 112th Street Between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue

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You can see that this street is not heavily traveled because I was standing in the middle of it with my back to oncoming traffic as I took 4 shots of the cathedral. I did look over my shoulder between shots.

This is the Cathedral of St. John the Divine which we've seen pieces of from other angles in nicer weather. (WHY didn't I go out yesterday?)

This was another post office trip, this time to 112th Street.

Morningside Heights, Grounds of Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Amsterdam Avenue at 111th Street

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

The things you see when you're just walking around with your camera. I saw this gorgeous thing as I was walking back to the Biblical garden.

And here's a few more shots.


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




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




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


For more about the peacocks, go here.

When I got to the garden, every bench was taken, so I didn't linger. No photographs.

Morningside Heights, Amsterdam Avenue at 111th Street

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

Here's the top of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine from 111th Street. You'll have to wait until I walk 112th Street for a full frontal shot. As you can see, the cathedral is still being built. It was begun in 1892 and it is still being built. As you might imagine, there were some setbacks along the way. For the full story go here.


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

I walked onto the grounds, looking for a little garden way in the back that I remember from when I lived here. I'd come here sometimes and be the only one here. Then on September 11, 2002, Luka and I sat in the garden while inside they were reading the names of all those who died in the terror attack the year before.

Here's the side of the cathedral.

Morningside Heights, Amsterdam Avenue at 111th Street

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

Here 111th Street stops at Amsterdam Avenue and here we have this, uh, sculpture called the Peace Fountain. I've never seen anything look more unlike a peace fountain than this monstrosity. From the website Sacred Destinations: The Peace Fountain depicts the struggle of good and evil. The forces of good, embodied in the figure of the archangel Michael, triumph by decapitating Satan, whose head hangs from one side.

Decapitation for peace! There's a rallying cry.

Morningside Heights, 111th Street Between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue

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

Leafy.

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Morningside Heights, 111th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam

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

The only street, I mean block, I walked, on Sunday, was 111th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam. I used to live around the corner on 110th Street and I don't remember ever walking on this block – and therein lies its charm. There's no reason to walk there unless you live there. And hardly any reason to drive there because it ends at Amsterdam where the grounds of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine block it. So here's this lovely, leafy, quiet residential block right off Broadway where the action is and the subway is and, of course, where the Westside Supermarket is. Oh, if only I had millions.

Go here to see a couple of long shots, both looking east.

I'm showing you this shot because it's the only time I've ever seen razor wire look good.

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Morningside Heights, Amsterdam Avenue Between 118th and 116th Streets

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

This is the last shot of my October 7 walk, now turning on Amsterdam and walking downtown to 110th, then back to Broadway and subway home. Columbia University to the right in this shot.

Morningside Heights, 120th Street Between Broadway and Amsterdam

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

This is the Columbia School of Engineering and Applied Science. Try to get a look through the front windows to see the tubing hanging down from the ceiling, and the big wheel-like things. A bit primitive? Or do I just not know my applied science?