from croatia, with love

croatian catholic church - 502 W 41st St- map it here

Happy Monday everyone! Today, I wanted to show something a little different. This picture was taken yesterday from a bus on my way to Mistuwa, a Japanese supermarket in New Jersey. The route to the Lincoln Tunnel is not exactly the most appealing. But if you pay attention, you can always find little things that make you smile. Like this one, which is an advertising for Jana, a Croatian spring water you can find on the shelves of your grocery store in New York. On that light blue wall you can read "with love from Croatia". And below, Croatian Catholic Chuch New York. Does that mean they provide the holy water? Hmmm?

Here's a peek at that church:

and here goes the sun

the new york times building - 242 W41st St - map it here

This one is for our friend Hilda who is sick of the monsoon and asked to see some sun. So here's our little friend in the Manhattan sunset. Hey, you ask. I deliver.

_____
Previous posts with view of the NYT Building:
• http://nycdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2008/08/14
• http://nycdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2008/08/
• http://nycdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2008/06/
• http://nycdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2008/04/
• http://nycdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2008/01/

approaching thunderstorm

the new york times building - 242 W41st St - map it here

And a few moments before...

___
Previous posts with view of the NYT Building:
• http://nycdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2008/08/
• http://nycdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2008/06/
• http://nycdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2008/04/
• http://nycdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2008/01/

purée de pois

the new york times building - 242 W41st St - map it here

This is the picture I would have posted yesterday if Flickr and Blogger were not both suffering from an indigestion.
I took this dramatic photo of The New York Times building from the window of my office yesterday morning. It was quite a spectacle to watch the approaching storm develop, hear the sky coughing and then this "purée de pois" taking over the city. A "purée de pois", pea soup in English, is how we call this type of weather in French. When visibility is very low. But if you look hard enough, you can probably distinguish some buildings to the left.

___
Previous posts with view of the NYT Building:
• http://nycdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2008/04/
• http://nycdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2008/01/
• http://nycdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2008/06/

sleek silhouette

sleek silhouette, première mise en ligne par • Eliane •.

This sleek silhouette of the Financial District was taken from the Brooklyn Bridge. Yes, a few minutes apart from the pictures of the two last posts.
Some call it lomography, I call it having fun with your phone. I like the unexpected result that is so far from what you really see but pretty damn cool.

run, run, run

brooklyn bridge - above the east river - map it here

Allez hop, another little one from the Brooklyn Bridge!
Isn't that bridge so photogenic?

pretty clouds on a blue-blue sky

brooklyn bridge - above the east river - map it here

This Monday, as I was in the Financial District on a beautiful day, I just felt like taking a little détour and walking on the Brooklyn Bridge on my way home. And I could not resist taking a picture of those pretty little clouds through the net of the bridge cordage. Aren't they just charming? Maybe I should join The Cloud Appreciation Society? For those of you who feel inclined, here's their manifesto:

WE BELIEVE that clouds are unjustly maligned
and that life would be immeasurably poorer without them.

We think that they are Nature’s poetry,
and the most egalitarian of her displays, since
everyone can have a fantastic view of them.

We pledge to fight ‘blue-sky thinking’ wherever we find it.
Life would be dull if we had to look up at
cloudless monotony day after day.

We seek to remind people that clouds are expressions of the
atmosphere’s moods, and can be read like those of
a person’s countenance.

Clouds are so commonplace that their beauty is often overlooked.
They are for dreamers and their contemplation benefits the soul.
Indeed, all who consider the shapes they see in them will save
on psychoanalysis bills.

And so we say to all who’ll listen:
Look up, marvel at the ephemeral beauty, and live life with your head in the clouds!

[from The Cloud Appreciation Society website: http://www.cloudappreciationsociety.org]

pause financière

financier - 62 Stone Street - map it here

A quick one today, taken during my lunch break in the Financial District where I am attending a training this week. Not too much blabla here. I just think it's cute. And refreshing.
Oh and, this is from Financier, a French (or French style?) eatery in the Financial District. The café au lait was good but the sandwich (in the bag) deserved a much crispier baguette than this chewy overpriced thing. Look no further than this cute bag and its matching sandwich box for the extra price. Or was it the three cornichons they offered that didn't help crunching the price? Hmm...

winking at a friendly sailor

45th floor, somewhere in the Times Square area

This is the south side of our office lobby, which overlooks the Hudson River (here you can see NJ across) and has great views of the rest of Manhattan. The model sailboat you see on the table is a tribute to a colleague who left us too early, about two years ago, in the beginning of August. I think he would have liked it.

be afraid... be verrrrrrrrrrrrrry afraid!

bleeker street, somewhere between mercer street and broadway - map it here

'nough said.

let's crack the code!

bryant park, midtown manhattan - map it here

[apologies for the bad picture - detective work here]

I found something quite fascinating the other day. Maybe you can help me crack the code?

See that beautiful lamppost? It is located along Bryant Park in midtown Manhattan. On the background, you can see the pretty façade of the American Radiator Building (aka Bryant Park Hotel), dark brown with golden highlights. But back to our lamppost. I noticed that every lamppost has a barcode, a little bit above eye level. And of course, I now wonder why...

Sometime ago I heard something about barcodes being used in a new trendy way in association with cell phones. That you would see a barcode on a restaurant or a building, take a picture of it with your camera phone and by a mechanism that I don't recall, it would point you to online content such as reviews, menus, point of interests, etc. All that was still a prototype I think. So when I saw our lamppost here, I was very excited. Apparently it is all the rage in Japan where they use it in advertising. But is it really what is going on here?

A little Q&A in the New York Times a few years ago, explained how lampposts in a Brooklyn neighborhood had barcodes on them. They were put by Con Edison to monitor them: each time they would test a lamppost, they would put a barcode on it. By scanning it, they could have a quick health check.

Somewhere else, I read that barcodes on traffic lights and other "street equipments" could be used in automating parking enforcement: the officer writing your ticket would scan the barcode to point to the location of violation and so on.

So what do you think it is? Have you seen those around??

Here's another one, on a traffic light:

YES, it's been a year already

gray's papaya - 2090 Broadway # 1 - map it here

I had completely forgotten about it but yes, the first post of this blog was exactly a year ago! So today, I am bringing you back where it all began: the window of Gray's Papaya, a local hot doggery claiming that its hot dogs are as good as filet mignons. One year ago...

If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you will see that they were encouraging our mayor to run for president. And, they were promising free hot dogs on inauguration day!

Today is also theme day and the theme for August is metal. I am now scratching my head to link this post to the theme, to which I had registered forgetting about the blog anniversary. I think I can leave you with two quotes, vaguely appropriate here:
"Water makes metal rust, so imagine what it can do in a stomach." (Jean-Marie Gourio)
and
"Metal detectors in airports are so sensitive that I avoid to eat spinash before boarding on a flight." (Philippe Geluck)
Well, rest assured that you won't get any spinash at Gray's Papaya and your beverage of choice should of course be a papaya drink.

There are 183 blogs participating in this theme day. Which means there are at least 182 much better interpretations of the theme! Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Happy August, everyone!

on ne joue pas avec la nourriture!

breakfast table - somewhere in the Upper West Side
(wasa, ricotta, fresh figs, freshly ground pepper, honey, yellow raspberries, green tea)

"Don't play with your food! ", used to say my parents. To which I would now reply: "pfff!!!" and roll my eyes.
See, I have started this new little project: breakfast pictures. They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so better start on the right foot!
Why do I bother? First, designing a pretty plate is so much fun.
Second, everything tastes so much better when it looks good. Simple ingredients have more flavors when elegantly presented.
And third, it's a way of eating better, healthier food. When you have to prepare it and compose a pretty picture, you have to opt for variety, colors, contrasts, ... you have to experiment and use your imagination.

So, ... what did you have for breakfast? I need ideas! Colorful, pretty, healthy ideas!

flipping through the pages of a beautiful manga

Kinokuniya bookstore www.kinokuniya.com - Avenue of the Americas, across Bryant Park - map it here

Let's travel through the pages of a good manga, Vagabond by Inoue Takehiko, which I discovered thanks to Monika N. She also pointed me to a great Japanese bookstore, Kinokuniya Books, which is located just across from Bryant Park and which is now part of my favorite lunch break destinations. I got lost more than once in the beauty of the origami papers, they have cute tshirts and gifts with an exotic edge. They even have a little coffee shop upstairs and those credit card size subway and NYC maps.

flower dress in a flower setting

•••, première mise en ligne par • Eliane •.

Have you ever felt that some people complete the landscape? That if they would just move a few meters it would not look as pretty? That's what I thought when I saw this woman reading a book among the flowers. You could easily miss her but her beautiful orange bag was all I could see. Then her pretty dress. Then some overweight people I had to crop out of the scene (sorry guys) .

pigeon mamma

Riverside Park (around W73rd St, above the highway) - map it here

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's blurry again. That artistic touch is back. I stumbled on this old woman feeding the local pigeons after a stroll in Riverside Park. The park is below, along the Hudson River. After a nice bike climb, you reach the other part of the park and Riverside Drive. I noticed this strange woman, just as I had finished climbing the curve and turned back.

It reminded me of this post, much better executed, by fellow New York blogger Ken Mac who found the Greenwich Village pigeon mamma. Notice the difference with the Upper West Side pigeon mamma who brought a bird cage with her own bird, so dear birdy could socialize among its peers. Or... could it be to steel a pigeon or two for dinner? You need four for this recipe of pigeon farci au foie gras et mangues poêlées (pigeon stuffed with foie gras, with shallow fried mango). I know, I know... never blog on an empty stomach.

spring 2009 collection

spring 2009 collection, première mise en ligne par • Eliane •.

In the little park adjacent to the Cathedral of St John the divine, way up in the Upper West Side, this white peacock was very proud to parade. It really looked like a fashion show and he loved the attention! We were 3 to take pictures of this true diva.
More pictures of this fashion scoop...
Look at that gown!

So versatile.

Like in all good fashion shows, here comes the bride.

Notice the accessories: tiaras are in!

And yes, some models do eat.

urban discovery

W80th between B'way and Amsterdam Avenue - map it here

I know it's a little blurry but let's think of it as an artistic effect, ok?
So why do I show you this? Well, the flowers are pretty, the brownstone is beautiful and this bohemian exuberance is quite charming. But there is something else... Can you spot it? It is something you would not expect to see in Manhattan. That you would not expect to see in any city for that matter. See it now? No? Let's show you an extra one!

Got it now? No?

____________
I know... I know... I've been slightly undisciplined lately and have "forgot" the daily aspect of this blog... No post since Monday, bad me!

-- backlog is now updated --

sweet!

316 Kent Ave, Brooklyn (seen from the East River) - map it here

Sometimes, I can be slightly distracted. Which is how today, I enjoyed a little tour on the East River and can bring you a picture of the Domino Sugar refinery in Williamsburg.
See, the idea was to take the free shuttle to Red Hook for a little shopping stop at Ikea. Arriving at pier 11 where the ferry leaves, I see one right there. For sure, that should be my ride. So I go at the end of the queue and am asked by the New York Taxi crew member for my ticket. A ticket? That's new. Where do I get a ticket? We need a ticket now to go to Ikea? Where? "Go, embark", she said. So I get in.
To my surprise, the boat starts its journey in the exact opposite direction. First stop: Fulton Ferry Landing in Dumbo, near the Brooklyn Bridge. Then Hunters Point in Long Island City. Then East 34th Street near the United Nations. Then to South Street Seaport. And finally back to where this all started.
I got in a commuter water taxi by mistake! But I enjoyed the visit immensely. :)

blue mirage, redux

IAC building - 555 W 18th St - map it here

Saturday, I showed you the left side of this beautiful building designed by architect Frank Gehry. This is the missing piece.
I initially took this picture just to remember where the building was located (11 ave. @ W18th street) and because I wanted some cars to get an idea of its scale. Then I noticed that this is just where the highline is located. You can see it if you click on the picture to enlarge it.

a cup of devil

Grom - 2165 Broadway - map it here

Sunday we had to decide between two sins. Let's show you which ones got the better of our sweet tooth: pistachio and espresso were our sins du jour. Yum!!!

belgium exposed

Belgium exposed, première mise en ligne par Alan Carter.

I feel a little bad that for the Belgian national day, I just took you to a popular Belgian place but did not have a Belgian flag to show you.
Alan Carter was kind enough to let me use his hilarious picture of a unique Belgian flag snapped in Brussels. Thank you, Alan!
Alan says, and he is totally right, that this picture illustrates perfectly l'esprit swanzeur bruxellois. The swanze is a special word in Brussels slang. It refers to the facetious, joker personality of the inhabitants of Brussels.
My little country is experiencing an identity crisis these days. And although we are not exactly chauvinistic, since this crisis started, people have started displaying the national colors. Flags are showing up at the windows. And as you can see, some can be more committed than others.

vive la belgique!

vive la belgique!, première mise en ligne par • Eliane •.

Today, I have a special thought for my little country on its national day. I wish it many, many more. And I just hope the bunch of moron politicians who manage it took this opportunity to have a few beers together and resolve all those silly problems. We deserve much better.
And of course, I had to stop at Le Pain Quotidien to pick up the lunch du jour (a gauffre de Liège and a tartine au poulet curry).
Bonne fête à tous les Belges!
Goed feest aan alle Belgische!

hesitating between two sins

Grom - 2165 Broadway - map it here

On which one to set your heart? Hmmm... decision, decision...

a blue mirage

IAC building - 555 W 18th St - map it here

This building is quite amazing. When you see it "in person", it looks as if its panels were made out of blueish plastic. It looks as if you would touch it, you could make it move a little. It looks a little surreal. And in picture, it also looks surreal. nearly fake. It almost looks like a drawing, like one of those architectural renderings of what the "real building" would look like. Its lines are swaying even more.

Where and what is this beauty? This is the IAC Building designed by architect Frank Gehry. It is located on the West Side of Manhattan (click on the "map it here" link under the picture for exact location). You can learn more about it here: http://www.iacbuilding.com

trompe-l'oeil (le soir)

Five Times Square - map it here

Yesterday post proved me that you were not paying attention! We spend time coming up with meaningful tags and you guys don't even read them? What's that about? Seriously! ;)
So today, concentrate, as I have to give you a little exercise. Those attentive among you will figure out easily what is going on here. The others will just have to pass their turn and go back three spaces.

So above is "trompe l'oeil (by night)" - nope, it's not about the hot guy with his stylish hat in the foreground. And here below is "trompe l'oeil (by day)" - and nope, it's not about Sheer Genius. Concentrate people, concentrate.

:-)

somewhere in Midtown Manhattan

This is what happens when you lock professional adults in a conference room and leave them to their own device for two hours straight.

light headed?

Calyon Investment Bank - 1301 Avenue of the Americas - map it here

Yesterday, I showed you how to loose your pants on Fifth Avenue. Today, I found someone who lost her head on Sixth Avenue.

baggy jeans

baggy jeans, première mise en ligne par • Eliane •.

We always marvel at those women capable of trotting in their Manolo Blahnik stilettos in the cobblestone streets of the Meatpacking District. But fair is fair: let's recognize it takes special skills to be able to walk all day long with your pants falling to your knees. So I say kudos to this gentleman for making it seems effortless
And no, I will not practice this at home. Nor should you.

parlez-vous français?

, première mise en ligne par • Eliane •.

As aujourd'hui is le quatorze juillet, here's a little leçon de vocabulaire on the bretelles of this employée of the French Institute/Alliance Française. Bisous à tous and vive la France!

(for those of you who need a little help with all those exotic words, here's one of the sites I like: http://www.wordreference.com/fr/)

[catching up!]

Hallelujah!!! I seem to be able to post again. So I am catching up!

I must admit that I was not a happy camper this past week: the perspective of loosing all my scheduled posts did not seem that appealing to me. I don't know about you but I'm not digging this kind of boo boos.
INot sure what I did to fix this but it seems to be working. Good. But that does not mean Blogger and I are best friends again. I'll need some serious apologies. Sans blague.