Manhattanville, 135th Street Between Convent and Amsterdam Avenues

FOUR DAY VACATION

I'm going to DC tomorrow and I'll be back and posting Sunday night. You may take advantage of my absence to study the archives.



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


I skipped ahead for this photograph. I wanted to leave you with something inspiring.

See map.

Manhattanville, Morningside Avenue at 125th Street

Mary Sargent © 2009 …….. click to enlarge

I know I've photographed this diner before and I thought I'd posted it, but I can't find it anywhere in the blog. It must be one of those I had to skip because I ran out of time. So on Saturday when I saw it was closed, I had a moment of regret; it was the regret of seeing another colorful, long-time, neighborhood place close.

Then tonight, I found this and felt like weeping. I didn't know. I want to be in there when it's raining listening to the juke box. Nevermind, I don't know who Solomon Burke is; I'm sure I'd like him. Well, thanks to the magic of youtube, now I know, and now I wanna be there when it's raining listening to the juke box.



Mary Sargent © 2009 …….. click to enlarge


Here's a straight on shot.


See map.

Manhattanville, 125th Street Between St. Nicolas and Morningside Avenues

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

It's been awhile since I've posted a truck shot. Isn't this a beauty?

You say you hate truck shots? Well, nevermind, then.


See map.

Manhattanville, 125th Street Between St. Nicolas and Morningside Avenues

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

Here's a pretty pastel spring shot and what's more, it proves that there is such a place as Manhattanville.

See map.

Manhattanville, St. Nicholas Avenue at 125th Street

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

Last Saturday when the weather was finally gorgeous and I was free to pick any street in Manhattan, I looked at my map and chose Convent Avenue in West Harlem. Convent Avenue is a partly curvy street that runs from 125th Street to 153rd, where it merges with St. Nicholas Avenue. It was named for a . . . convent, yes, the Convent of the Sacred Heart, which burned down in 1888. But enough history.

This is where I got off the subway at 125th Street. The first thing I saw was this arresting sign and it caused me to wonder a couple of things. One, what the hell is it advertising? Two, are there people back behind there?

-------------------

5/5/09 - No, no, Convent Avenue starts on 127th, although it should start on 125th.

See map.

Gramercy, 29th Street Between Third and Second Avenues

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

We have crossed Third Avenue and are now in Kips Bay, but only for one brief moment because this is the last shot of this walk.

I included it because it's so weird. You might almost think that white clapboard house is a paper cutout slipped in under the tree.

See map.

Gramercy, 29th Street Between Park Avenue South and Lexington Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2009 ……… click to enlarge

One of my favorite kind of shots. The blankness of it. Or is it the 2D aspect of it?

See map.

Gramercy, 29th Street Between Park Avenue South and Lexington Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2009 ……… click to enlarge

I was attracted to this building because of the unusual architecture spanning the two wings. It certainly serves to make a very ordinary building look imposing. I don't know if there's a special name for this – anybody out there know?

This is Yeshiva University Schottenstein Residence Hall for women.

See map.

Gramercy, 29th Street Between Park Avenue South and Lexington Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2009 ……… click to enlarge

I have things to tell you about this photo, but it's much too late to be coherent. Please wait until tomorrow. Thank you.

See map.

Gramercy, 29th Street Between Park Avenue South and Lexington Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2009 ……… click to enlarge

Spring on East 29th Street.


See map.

Gramercy, 29th Street Between Park Avenue South and Lexington Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2009 ………. click to enlarge

Here's another little hotel on a Manhattan side street. Hotel Deauville. Unlike the last one, though, this one gets good reviews. And so cheap! Maybe I should start a collection of these little hotels. You never can tell when you might need one.

See map.

Gramercy, Park Avenue South Between 28th and 29th Streets

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

I loved Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. If you have any interest in food and restaurants, you must read it. Very funny. He was the chef at Les Halles and I couldn't wait to go there. It's pretty, right? Real Frenchy. One of the first.

All I can say is it was so disappointing that I lay awake writing letters in my head to him. Dear Tony, casual is one thing, inept is another. And another thing . . . Of course, he was long gone as chef there, but still, it's his restaurant.

When you read books you love, do you kind of assume a special relationship with the author and have mental conversations with him/her?

See map.

Gramercy, Park Avenue South Between 28th and 29th Streets

Mary Sargent © 2009 …… click to enlarge

Across the street (west side) some construction. According to the web, it will be a luxury hotel; the Gansevoort Park. Hmm. I just wonder a little bit about the timing.

See map.

Gramercy, Park Avenue South Between 28th and 29th Streets

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

Here we go with another short convenience walk, one I took Monday, on my way to my Philosphy Meetup at Dolcino. I'm getting my hopes up for a nice long walk tomorrow; it seems it may be getting warm at last.

But first take a look at the fabulous colors nail salons and their customers use.

See map.

Upper West Side, 105th Street at Broadway

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

This is the final shot of this April 5 pre-dinner walk. Toast has replaced Carne. What was there before Carne? Do you remember, Luka? I haven't been to Toast yet; Henry's, right across the street, always exerts its magnetic draw. However, as frugality sets in, I should probably give it a try.

The link to Toast is to its Morningside Heights location; there is nothing online about this 105th Street site. Apparently the food uptown is good, but the servers are rude.

Have you noticed how this building has been stripped of half of its façade? I confess I looked at it a long time before I noticed. People, we must notice more! Beginning with me; after all, I'm the artist. Not that you aren't; I just mean, let's see, I mean I'm the artist-in-charge, here.

See map.

Upper West Side, 105th Street Between West End Avenue and Broadway

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

By now, Luka has met up with me and she says, oh, this is a nice building; Madeleine L'Engle used to live here. Christopher Gray mentions the Cleburne in Streetscapes and especially likes this "great drive-through entrance". But what that means, I do not know.

See map.

Upper West Side, 105th Street Between Riverside Drive and West End Avenue

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

The Historic District just scoops out these white stone buildings and that's it for the south side of the block. See how the individual houses are the same only different? The two end buildings at one end pretty much match the two end buildings at the other and then the next two do the same and then the center two have big bowed fronts. Luka said when she saw them some years ago, flowers were all over the balconies. And maybe they will be again this year if it EVER GETS WARM.



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


These two buildings are the second and third buildings from the left.


See map.

Upper West Side, 105th Street Between Riverside Drive and West End Avenue

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




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

On page 3 of this link is a map of the historic district, showing that most of the north side of 105th street is included in the District, but since I was unaware of the District at the time, I took these pictures instead.

See map.

Upper West Side, 105th Street Between Riverside Drive and West End Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2009 …click to enlarge

Now I have walked back from 106th Street and I've turned east onto 105th. Here is a closer view of the front of the building we saw last Monday. Can you imagine this being your house? Well, I gotta go home now, you'd say – Mom's calling me to dinner.

Just don't think living here would make you happy. Do you remember the baking powder Davises who once lived here? Theirs was not a happy home if you can believe what you read in the newspapers. I refer you back to this article where it is reported that during a bitter divorce, Mr. Davis accused Mrs. Davis of trying to have him declared insane and of making him a prisoner in his own home.

See map.

Upper West Side, Riverside Drive at 106th Street

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

This is the equistrian statue of General Franz Sigel, posing beautifully in the afternoon sun. You say you've never heard of General Franz Sigel? Me either. Let's look him up.

Hmm, quite a colorful character. Read about him here. For non-readers, here is the bare outline: he was born in Germany, moved to the United States in 1852, joined the Union Army when the Civil War began, rallied German immigrants to the Union cause (see song, I Goes to Fight Mit Sigel) but ultimately was relieved of his command for "lack of agression". X

Well, that changes things.


See map.