January 2, 2010
That's a Jellyfish
(New England Aquarium, Boston, MA)
Posted by jpchan at 7:59 PM
Filed under: Places
December 23, 2009
A Winter Night in the Projects
(NYCHA Martin Luther King Houses, 115 St, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 11:44 PM
Filed under: Places
December 22, 2009
Lot B LGA
(LaGuardia Airport, Terminal B Parking, Queens)
Posted by jpchan at 9:15 PM
Filed under: Places
December 16, 2009
Dim Sumptuous
(East Manor, Kissena Blvd, Flushing)
Posted by jpchan at 11:46 PM
Filed under: Places
December 12, 2009
Switchback
(Bed Bath & Beyond, Broadway & 65 St, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 2:04 PM
Filed under: Places
November 15, 2009
Deep River Apartments
Blue Velvet fans know that the best way to get past the doorman in this building is by wearing an exterminator's uniform.
(Carolina Apartments, Market St, Wilmington, NC)
Posted by jpchan at 4:38 PM
Filed under: Places
November 7, 2009
Tic Tac Bags
I think Loehmann's inspires the same excitement amongst its customers that Fry's does for theirs. Is there a woman that doesn't love this store? Is there a nerd that doesn't love Fry's?
(Loehmann's, Broadway & 73 St, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 8:26 PM
Filed under: Places
October 25, 2009
In Rainbowz
(Rainbow Drive In, Honolulu, HI)
Posted by jpchan at 9:08 PM
Filed under: Places
October 24, 2009
Over Honolulu
(Diamond Head State Monument, Honolulu, HI)
Posted by jpchan at 9:00 PM
Filed under: Places
October 20, 2009
In Kihei
(Kalama Park, Kihei, HI)
Posted by jpchan at 1:30 AM
Filed under: Places
October 19, 2009
Vertigo Suite
Posted by jpchan at 1:25 AM
Filed under: Places
September 26, 2009
NYFF @ ATH
(Alice Tully Hall, Broadway & 65 St, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 6:01 PM
Filed under: Places
July 18, 2009
Future HL Part 4
My parting shot from the unfinished phase 2, looking north from near 23 Street. Looking forward to taking the "after" version of this photo when this section of the line opens next year.
(High Line, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 10:40 PM
Filed under: Places
July 17, 2009
Future HL Part 3
Looking south down what I think is Phase 2 of the project, opening next year. Too bad the surface isn't smooth enough for a killer bike/skate park before the green stuff and benches come in.
(High Line, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 7:43 PM
Filed under: Places
July 16, 2009
Future HL Part 2
This is from the south side of the rail yards, looking east.
That pointy building in the distance looks kind of familiar. The building on the right is one of those filing cabinets for widows and young professionals that Manhattan is especially good at manufacturing lately.
(High Line, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 7:04 PM
Filed under: Places
July 15, 2009
Future HL Part 1
The first phase of the High Line is open and it's a smash. If you haven't visited yet, you need to.
Today I was lucky to go on a tour of the parts not yet open to the public.
This photo is of the section that loops around the West Side Yards, just south of the Javits Center. We're looking to the southeast here.
(High Line, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 11:16 PM
Filed under: Places
July 14, 2009
Great Lawn!
(NY Philharmonic @ Great Lawn, Central Park, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 7:20 PM
Filed under: Places
July 12, 2009
Rice To Riches To Rules
(Rice To Riches, Spring St, Manattan)
Posted by jpchan at 11:21 PM
Filed under: Places
July 11, 2009
In The Court of Beacon
Bloomberg Tower has a really cool mid-block space, but it's too bad there's not more to entice the public to come in.
Hard to believe that beneath this uber-urban block development lies a (rather nice) Home Depot.
(Bloomberg Tower, 58 St & Lexington Av, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 11:39 PM
Filed under: Places
July 6, 2009
Empirical Eating
(Empire Diner, 22 St & 10 Av, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 8:54 PM
Filed under: Places
July 5, 2009
Casey At The Stamp
(Casey Rubber Stamps, 322 East 11 St, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 2:57 PM
Filed under: Places
July 3, 2009
Closing in 30 Minutes
(Strand Bookstore, 12 St & Broadway, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 11:18 AM
Filed under: Places
June 11, 2009
NYPL, Thursday Afternoon
(New York Public Library, 5 Av & 41 St, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 10:12 PM
Filed under: Places
May 23, 2009
Architectural Salvation?
First heroin, then gentrification, now Skynet. The East Village is a magnet for bad things.
(The Cooper Union, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 10:52 AM
Filed under: Places
May 20, 2009
No Pocky For Lever House
(Lever House, 52 St & Park Av, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 8:18 PM
Filed under: Places
May 16, 2009
From CB
At the end of a quiet street in Brooklyn is Chez Bushwick, where I was lucky to be among those enjoying an evening of great work by my man Jon Pratt.
(Chez Bushwick, Boreum St, Brooklyn)
Posted by jpchan at 10:16 PM
Filed under: Places
April 21, 2009
Wingman
(United Express, EUG-DEN)
Posted by jpchan at 2:05 AM
Filed under: Places
March 21, 2009
Where You Stand
(Broadway & Spring St, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 6:08 PM
Filed under: Places
March 17, 2009
CE3K: 2009
I was biking home through Central Park one night when I saw a light up ahead on the Park Loop. I figured it was a low-flying NYPD helicopter and paid it no mind. It was hovering directly in front of my path, illuminating the ground with a strong spotlight. I wanted to avoid the light but there was no way to do it without going off the road and into the grass. Plus, something drew me to the light. Something I couldn't explain. I rode right into the spotlight and stopped. I looked up but could see nothing but blinding light. The earth shook and the trees swayed like in a hurricane. My bike and my heart rattled so loudly I thought I would shatter into a thousand pieces.
Then, suddenly, the light was gone.
The next few weeks were a strange time. Jo couldn't understand why I had sunburn on only half of my face. I would catch my cat whispering whenever I turned my back. I made strange sculptures with my mashed potatoes. I kept trying to change my iPhone ringtone to some song I'd never heard before but couldn't stop humming.
One night, while working late at the office, I decided I had to get out. I thought I'd pick Jo up at school, since her class was just about to get out. When I got out of the 66 Street Subway Station, I saw the lights. The mothership was landing. And I finally recognized the song I coudn't get out of my head. The musical juggernaut had come to take me.
(Juilliard School, 65 St & Broadway, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 9:50 PM
Filed under: Places
February 26, 2009
Beauty Bar
I don't drink, and even if I did I couldn't afford to do it at The Campbell Apartment. But I appreciate this goregeous room just the same. Thankfully, it costs nothing to just visit and gawk.
(Campbell Apartment, Grand Central Terminal, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 1:40 PM
Filed under: Places
January 8, 2009
Northeast Corridor POV
(Amtrak, Maryland)
Posted by jpchan at 4:32 PM
Filed under: Places
January 4, 2009
Chihuly at RISD
(RISD Museum of Art, Providence, RI)
Posted by jpchan at 11:00 AM
Filed under: Places
November 4, 2008
Woo Hoo!
This is my last election as a Brooklyn resident, but I'm pretty sure that's not why everyone is calling it a historic moment.
All joking aside, it felt great to pull the lever for Barack. Godspeed, my man.
(P.S. 92, Parkside Av, Brooklyn)
Posted by jpchan at 5:57 PM
Filed under: Places
October 30, 2008
Stairway To Juilliard
The world's best performing arts school just got even swankier with a dramatic new stair and waiting area on 65 Street. Check it out with your own butt and feel the artistry.
(Juilliard School, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 11:15 PM
Filed under: Places
October 24, 2008
Flatbush Avenue: Remixed
It's loud and smells bad when they repave your road in the wee hours, but that's the price of progress - or maybe just maintenance.
The cyclist in me did wonder whether the guys painting stripes would add a bike lane...if I slipped them a twenty.
Posted by jpchan at 3:41 PM
Filed under: Places
September 28, 2008
His Name Is Sasquach
...and he eats house trees for breakfast. He is known to frequent parts of our nation's capital but had never been caught on camera until now.
(Washington, DC)
Posted by jpchan at 2:39 PM
Filed under: Places
September 14, 2008
The Visitor, Part 2
(Bklyn Blggng HQ)
Posted by jpchan at 9:50 PM
Filed under: Places
September 13, 2008
The Visitor, Part 1
(Bklyn Blggng HQ)
Posted by jpchan at 12:57 PM
Filed under: Places
September 9, 2008
Bklyn In Rainbows
Whoa, I'm way behind in posting here due to another crazy busy summer. So here comes the backlog...
(Fenimore St, Brooklyn)
Posted by jpchan at 8:17 PM
Filed under: Places
July 28, 2008
Where Cash Is Only Prince
(Queens-Midtown Tunnel, Queens)
Posted by jpchan at 11:22 PM
Filed under: Places
July 3, 2008
Rhody Fireworks
This July 3 in the Ocean State feels like July 4 everywhere else, thanks to legal sales of fireworks.
This DIY extravaganza almost torched a beach and burned a dozen teenage girls when a candle went off-course, but that didn't stop the show. Now that's the spirit of '76.
(Riverside, RI)
Posted by jpchan at 10:19 PM
Filed under: Places
June 16, 2008
Photogenic Birdz
Posted by jpchan at 6:27 PM
Filed under: Places
June 7, 2008
Truly Gritty Urban Theatre
These pigeons greet EST patrons in their own special way.
(Ensemble Studio Theatre, 52 St & 10 Av, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 11:21 PM
Filed under: Places
May 29, 2008
On The Tram
(Roosevelt Island Tram, East River)
Posted by jpchan at 5:10 PM
Filed under: Places
May 20, 2008
Chopper
(East River & 34 St, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 12:50 AM
Filed under: Places
May 10, 2008
This Is Not An Improvement
This is not an improvement over the previous facade.
This looks like a cheap PC case.
This looks like a refrigeration unit.
This looks like a Bose Acoustic Wave.
This is a facade that won't grow on anyone, gay or straight.
This is an improvement that won't be missed by anyone when it gets its own improvement twenty years from now.
(Museum of Arts and Design, Columbus Circle, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 12:35 PM
Filed under: Places
May 1, 2008
Audition
Want to be an officially sanctioned subway musician? You've just missed this year's auditions, but there's plenty of time to get ready for next year.
(Grand Central Terminal, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 10:47 PM
Filed under: Places
April 21, 2008
See See
(Columbus Circle, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 8:14 PM
Filed under: Places
April 20, 2008
DUMBO
(John St, Brooklyn)
Posted by jpchan at 4:02 PM
Filed under: Places
April 16, 2008
To Cross
This button does not inspire confidence.
(Roosevelt Av, Queens)
Posted by jpchan at 7:15 PM
Filed under: Places
April 15, 2008
Elmhurst
(89 St & Roosevelt Av, Queens)
Posted by jpchan at 4:21 PM
Filed under: Places
April 14, 2008
Stop Moon
(Fenimore St & Flatbush Av, Brooklyn)
Posted by jpchan at 11:21 PM
Filed under: Places
April 11, 2008
Loft, Targeted
(42 St & Broadway, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 11:08 PM
Filed under: Places
April 6, 2008
Pixelated
Although it looks like my iPhone's resolution just dipped south of a PXL's, the truth is I shot this scene of Ground Zero through a fence.
(WTC PATH Station, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 9:26 PM
Filed under: Places
April 5, 2008
Dog Run
(Washington Sq Park, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 11:55 AM
Filed under: Places
April 3, 2008
Color Full
(Long Island City, Queens)
Posted by jpchan at 8:56 PM
Filed under: Places
April 1, 2008
All The Time Is Ice Time
So today it's sixty and people are still skating. I guess skate season goes longer than I thought. How do they keep the ice from melting?
(Rockfeller Center, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 9:17 PM
Filed under: Places
March 31, 2008
Icy Last Looks?
Wollman Rink is still open? It was like fifty degrees today.
(Wollman Rink, Central Park, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 9:44 PM
Filed under: Places
March 30, 2008
Building Boom
Look carefully: those are doors, dude.
(42 St & 6 Av, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 11:02 PM
Filed under: Places
March 26, 2008
I Always Wanted To Be A Tenenbaum
(Convent Av & 144 St, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 9:59 PM
Filed under: Places
March 25, 2008
The Apex
(Atlantic Av & Van Sinderen St, Brooklyn)
Posted by jpchan at 9:51 PM
Filed under: Places
March 24, 2008
Old Red Hook, Meet New Red Hook
(Beard St, Brooklyn)
Posted by jpchan at 9:42 PM
Filed under: Places
March 23, 2008
Be Very Afraid
Now that NYC has been the safest large city in the U.S. for several years running, it's getting harder and harder to find truly scary places within the five boroughs.
The East New York Station on the LIRR Atlantic Branch is one of those places. The station itself lies underneath the Atlantic Avenue viaduct and even in broad daylight looks like mole person territory.
But the forlorn platforms are nothing compared to the crypt-like pedestrian underpass that connects them. On a recent ride around Brooklyn, I used the underpass to get across Atlantic Avenue.
It was deserted and and full of blind corners, and frankly, I was scared shitless and wondering what I was doing in that maze with a Bike Friday, an iPhone, and no weapons of any kind (except my razor wit, of course).
As it turns out, the Chinese geek with the funny bike was the scariest -- and only -- thing in that tunnel while I was down there. Other than my imagination.
I memorialized the moment with my iPhone and got the heck out of there.
(LIRR East New York Station, Brooklyn)
Posted by jpchan at 10:42 PM
Filed under: Places
March 16, 2008
An Easy Shot
Part of the dirty secret of NYC photoblogging is that the place is just so darn photogenic. You can be lazy like me and still find something interesting just about everywhere you look.
Posted by jpchan at 11:31 PM
Filed under: Places
March 9, 2008
Slanted At Enchanted
Pick a bonfire, any bonfire. At Enchanted Forest, fire is on the house.
(Enchanted Forest, Austin, TX)
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 PM
Filed under: Places
March 8, 2008
This Ain't New York
A theatre created by folks that love movies and food? Alamo Drafthouse, where have you been all my life? You make me want to cheat big time on my beloved Gotham.
(Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, South Lamar, Austin, TX)
Posted by jpchan at 9:56 PM
Filed under: Places
March 7, 2008
No Sleep Until ORD
Our trip to SXSW starts with an automated midnight phone call canceling our 6:30am flight out of LGA. A frantic phone call to a real-life AA rep later, we're booked on a 6am to ORD and advised to show up at LaGuardia at 4:30 to get a good spot on the standby list for a flight from Chicago to Austin. The car service picks us up in Brooklyn at 4am.
Long story short, we land in Austin around 6:30pm, utterly exhausted. No opening night party for us!
(O'Hare Airport, Chicago)
Posted by jpchan at 9:43 PM
Filed under: Places
March 1, 2008
BBQ & Big Hair
I may not be a fancy-pants world-traveled gourmand, but I'm pretty sure nothing goes better with ribs than a Whitesnake video. Nothing.
(Daisy May's BBQ, 46 St & 10 Av, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 7:17 PM
Filed under: Places
February 27, 2008
Cortlandt Alley
I love Manhattan, but sometimes I wish the the folks behind the grid included alleys in their plan.
Alleys are mysterious and banal, hella useful and a waste of space. They're everything that happens in your living room before the guests arrive.
(Cortlandt Alley, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 9:07 PM
Filed under: Places
February 26, 2008
Graybar Passage
(Grand Central Terminal, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 9:29 PM
Filed under: Places
February 25, 2008
NYPL
Just passing by the Humanities and Social Sciences Library makes me feel learned, even if the first thing I think of is Ghostbusters.
(New York Public Library, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 8:35 PM
Filed under: Places
February 24, 2008
Yankee Stadium: New
(Yankee Stadium, The Bronx)
Posted by jpchan at 4:20 PM
Filed under: Places
February 23, 2008
A New Asha
(New Asha Restaurant, Victory Blvd, Staten Island)
Posted by jpchan at 4:01 PM
Filed under: Places
February 21, 2008
Gowanus, Brooklyn
(Union St Bridge, Brooklyn)
Posted by jpchan at 8:31 PM
Filed under: Places
February 15, 2008
Pit Stop
Anyone who's ever received a toy Hess truck for Christmas will undountedly have a soft spot for this giant oil company. Talk about nefarious marketing!
(44 St & 10 Av, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 4:09 PM
Filed under: Places
February 10, 2008
Rush Hour, WTC PATH
(World Trade Center PATH Station, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 6:56 PM
Filed under: Places
February 9, 2008
Civic Minded
(Route 9A, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 11:54 PM
Filed under: Places
February 2, 2008
Dicapo Opera Theatre
One of my favorite things about NYC is that you can never know it all; what you don't know will always be immense. Kinda like life itself.
This was my first time to Dicapo and I have to say it was pretty cool. I'd never heard contemporary opera before nor did I know opera could be performed in small venues. Check it out if you get a chance.
(Dicapo Opera Theatre, Lexington Av & 76 St, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 1:59 AM
Filed under: Places
February 1, 2008
Above The GCP
(Grand Central Parkway, Corona, Queens)
Posted by jpchan at 7:48 PM
Filed under: Places
January 30, 2008
This Van Is A-Rockin'
This is a pretty bad-ass paddywagon, made even more bad-assed by the precariously perched cherry light.
(NYC Police Museum, Old Slip, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 8:50 PM
Filed under: Places
January 28, 2008
Glow, Trees!
(Bowling Green, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 9:22 PM
Filed under: Places
January 27, 2008
Man Go For Mango
Jo likes the new Mango store for the clothes, but I like it for the generous man-seating.
(Mango, Broadway & Prince St, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 8:30 PM
Filed under: Places
January 14, 2008
Two Brothers From Japan
There once were two Japanese brothers who dreamed of becoming big and famous in the world of retail.
Uniqlo, the older brother, began selling stylish, affordable clothing to young people. He soon became rich and popular. Muji, the younger brother, followed his brother into the business, but added a twist to the elder's formula by selling goods of all kinds to older people that were plain but also kind of pricey. He too became wealthy and well-known.
Uniqlo moved to Soho a few years ago and Muji folowed suit last year. Muji's neighbor CB2 has a similar story, having recently moved to lower Broadway a few blocks down from her older sister.
(Muji, Broadway & Grand St, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 7:14 PM
Filed under: Places
January 12, 2008
T&S&J
(Tea & Sympathy, Greenwich Av, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 1:59 PM
Filed under: Places
January 9, 2008
Stonehenge On Canal St
Little is known about the civilization that built this stone beast at the foot of the Manhattan Bridge.
(Canal St & Bowery, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 9:45 PM
Filed under: Places
January 8, 2008
Rear View
The rear of the Charging Bull is not as popular as the front, but a lot more fun. I can't help but smile at the tourists that gleefully pose for the rear view; they always look like they've discovered a great secret. Seeing them have such fun makes me feel grateful to live here.
(Bowling Green, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 8:18 PM
Filed under: Places
December 30, 2007
Car Cravings
For a multitude of reasons, the USA would be a much better place if we reoriented our cities and towns towards transit based development. Getting Americans out of cars and onto trains, buses, bikes, and our feet would drastically cut our oil consumption and go a long way towards combating our obesity epidemic. Freed from car dependency, our towns and cities could return to the human-scaled and pedestrian-friendly communities many of them originally were. As we spent more time walking in our own neighborhoods and sharing rides on trains and buses with our fellow citizens, we might see a resurgence of American community life and public participation.
With 2008 upon us, it's not too much to say that the future of our country literally depends on kicking our addiction to oil.
The key to changing the car culture is to first recognize that this isn't a religous argument. Even as a die-hard transit advocate I don't believe that cars are evil or that they should be banned. In fact, automobiles are wonderful inventions and they've given us unprecedented personal mobility and freedom. They're not going away any time soon not because of some conspiracy by oil and automobile companies (though these may certainly exist), but because cars are darn useful and people enjoy driving them.
The real problem is automobile dependency. A community (or a country) dependent on cars as the primary means of personal transport is going to be inherently more dispersed, more costly, and most likely less equitable than one built around transit lines.
There are many solutions out there, from carbon taxes to outright bans on automobiles in cities. In my opinion, the best and fairest solutions are those that make drivers pay the true cost of driving. (A lesson in negative externalities awaits those interested.)
Or maybe we could just make cars really expensive. As promising as low-emission vehicles are, a billion people driving Priuses is way worse for the environment than ten million driving gas guzzling 911 GT3s (MSRP US$107,500). And taxing the heck out of those ten million Porsche owners might buy us a lot of nice new trains and buses.
Full disclosure: the 911 was my childhood dream car -- and still is.
(Inskip Porsche, Warwick, RI)
Posted by jpchan at 9:02 PM
Filed under: Places
December 29, 2007
Shellfish Shopping
I wish I could buy my crabs and lobsters this way in NYC.
(Port Judith, Rhode Island)
Posted by jpchan at 9:06 PM
Filed under: Places
December 26, 2007
Boxing Day
Who put the X in Boxing Day? Is it the same person that put the X in OS X (even though that's really a ten, and these Xs at the new Apple Store?
(Apple Store, 14 St & 9 Av, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 8:06 PM
Filed under: Places
December 25, 2007
Xmas Day
(ABC Carpet & Home, Broadway & 18 St, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 9:11 AM
Filed under: Places
December 24, 2007
Xmas Eve
(Wal-Mart, Kearny, NJ)
Posted by jpchan at 5:21 PM
Filed under: Places
December 22, 2007
Shake It Up
Alas, the only time there isn't a line at Shake Shack is when it's closed. I think this is the first time they're staying open through the winter, so hopefully the lines won't be as bad as they are in warmer weather.
(Shake Shack, Madison Sq Park, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 3:39 PM
Filed under: Places
December 12, 2007
Under The GW
Posted by jpchan at 5:01 PM
Filed under: Places
December 9, 2007
The City of New York, Late 2007
(Bowery & Delancey, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 5:03 PM
Filed under: Places
November 25, 2007
Times New HQ
I'm a Times addict. I look at the site at least a dozen times on an average day, a figure that's only gotten larger now that I've gone iPhone. Their new headquarters looks awesome, and I hope someday to go inside and check it out.
(40 St & 8 Av, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 8:12 PM
Filed under: Places
November 20, 2007
From Floor 13
(6 Av & Spring St, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 9:47 PM
Filed under: Places
November 12, 2007
Orange in Austin
Orange is everywhere in this town, from the sea of Longhorn-wear to
the fauna. That's school spirit!
(Zilker Botanical Garden, Austin, TX)
Posted by jpchan at 1:07 AM
Filed under: Places
November 5, 2007
Lincoln Road, Last Week
(Lincoln Rd, outside Prospect Park Station)
Posted by jpchan at 8:59 AM
Filed under: Places
October 21, 2007
Photoboothed
I know I can do this at any Apple Store, but somehow it's just more fun at Fry's.
(Fry's Electronics, Burbank, CA)
Posted by jpchan at 3:56 PM
Filed under: Geekout
October 20, 2007
Kiss Me On The Moonbus
If someone were gonna go through the trouble of building a detail-perfect scale model of a scene from 2001, you'd think the infamous "ham sandwich" sequence aboard the Moonbus wouldn't make the cut.
You'd be wrong, though. Who can forget these classic lines?
Lunar Bureaucrat #1: Well, anybody hungry?
Dr. Floyd: What we got?
Lunar Bureaucrat #1: You name it.
Floyd: What's that, chicken?
Lunar Bureaucrat #1: Something like that. Tastes the same, anyway.
[laughter]
Lunar Bureaucrat #2: Any ham?
[searches through cooler]
Lunar Bureaucrat #1: Ham...ham...ham...ham...there.
[hands him the sandwich]
Lunar Bureaucrat #2: Good.
Floyd: Ah, they look pretty good.
Lunar Bureaucrat #1: They're getting better at it all the time.
Post script: It took all the willpower I had (not to mention the fear of severe embarrassment at airport security) to keep me from taking home an M2019 blaster while visiting this store. Another customer bought two while I was there.
(Monsters in Motion, Placentia, CA)
Posted by jpchan at 3:26 PM
Filed under: Geekout
October 18, 2007
This Mobile Life
I'm in a L.A. for a few days. I'm sitting poolside under the palms. I don't have anything psuedo-deep or amusing to say about the flight, my rental car, or the differences between here and NYC. Probably because I am, in fact, sitting by a pool under palm trees. In October.
(Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood, CA)
Posted by jpchan at 1:22 PM
Filed under: Places
September 26, 2007
Flushing Rising
As a matter of kitsch, I'll miss the old 1940s ski lodge-like main building at QBG, but its replacement is way more functional and correctly-sized, if a little trendy looking. Taken along with the equally sleek Flushing Branch of the Queens Library, it's looking like New York's second Chinatown is finally getting some architectural bling.
(Queens Botanical Garden, Flushing)
Posted by jpchan at 11:15 PM
Filed under: Places
September 23, 2007
A Cousin's Wedding
(Queens Botanical Garden, Flushing)
Posted by jpchan at 11:12 PM
Filed under: Places
September 7, 2007
Undr Th Bklyn Brdg
Real life is the best set designer you could ever hope for.
(Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
August 21, 2007
As Jo Goes, So Goes The Nation
Jo doesn't even work at Dari Bee, but that doesn't mean she can't flash her fearsome whattdya lookin' at kid, I'm on break look to anyone that glances her way. (The waitress outfit was for a shoot we'd just finished.)
(Dari Bee, Riverside, RI)
More Dari Bee:
Dari Bee Redux/Closed For The Season
Rhode Trip: Ice Cream At Dari Bee
Posted by jpchan at 9:12 AM
Filed under: Places
August 14, 2007
I Feel Like This Sometimes
(Petco, Broadway & 92 St, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
July 3, 2007
ATL Day 3.3: Airport Zoetrope
The Treo camera that I make this blog with pretty much sucks, but as the cliche goes, the best camera in the world is the one you've got with you when you need the shot.
(Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, Atlanta)
Posted by jpchan at 12:01 AM
Filed under: Places
July 2, 2007
ATL Day 3.2: Mixed Messages
Dustin, on the other hand, is both full of personality and efficient.
(Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, Atlanta)
Posted by jpchan at 10:00 PM
Filed under: Places
July 1, 2007
ATL Day 3.1: Flights To & From
Posted by jpchan at 9:57 PM
Filed under: Places
June 30, 2007
ATL Day 2: The Earth Is A Pot
On Saturday, the city too busy to hate became the city too hot to be walking around lost for an hour-and-a-half. But if I hadn't gotten lost I wouldn't have seen this great sign.
(Ponce de Leon & Moreland, Atlanta)
Posted by jpchan at 9:17 AM
Filed under: Places
June 10, 2007
The Fine Print
(Riverside, RI)
Posted by jpchan at 12:42 PM
Filed under: Places
June 7, 2007
Delish
(Bouley Bakery, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 12:41 AM
Filed under: Places
May 18, 2007
Ferry Orange
(Staten Island Ferry)
Posted by jpchan at 11:01 AM
Filed under: Places
April 8, 2007
QTIP Rehearsing
The second reading of NO TIME FOR CHAMPIONS went quite well. We had a wonderful standing-room-only audience and I've got lots of ideas for making the play better. Thanks Jo, Ralph, Paolo, Les, Kent, Erwin, and the cool people at QTIP for making it happen.
(Queens Theatre in the Park, Queens)
Posted by jpchan at 8:38 PM
Filed under: Places
March 31, 2007
Broadway Below
(Broadway & 57 St, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 11:45 PM
Filed under: Places
March 12, 2007
EWR, 5:30 a.m.
I don't fly out of Newark very often, but it seems to me like the usability gap between EWR and JFK has really narrowed. Even up until a few years ago, getting to and around JFK was a complete nightmare. And once you got there, you were met with horrible service and scary, dilapidated facilities. There’s nothing like coming back to New York exhausted on a red-eye, only to be sneered at by the girl at TCBY because you’re taking more than a millisecond to decide between toppings.
For poor people like myself, getting to JFK used to mean taking the A to Howard Beach and changing to the free (but frustrating) shuttle bus for the terminals. You remember that bus, don’t you? It had only two speeds: zero m.p.h. and 75 m.p.h. – on two wheels. One moment you’d by zooming across long-term parking sideswiping cars, the next moment you’d be stuck in traffic on the loop road wondering if you’d be sleeping on the floor of terminal 9 because you missed your flight. It was just the thing to put you in the mood for a 14 hour coach seat to Tokyo, in the last row of non-smoking seats next to the smoking section.
Now instead of the bus you take AirTrain, which is fast and clean (though the seats are getting a bit worn), which lets you save all your travel stress so you can spend it at the TSA checkpoint instead. Sure, the ride to the terminals is now $5 instead of free, but even in my penny-pinching opinion, it’s worth it. In any case, it certainly seems like a better deal than the cramped and bouncy $5 ride on AirTrain EWR.
Newark is still a really easy airport to get to and around, so I’m certainly not knocking it. It’s just that JFK has finally gotten within striking distance of being the premier NYC airport that it’s supposed to be.
Now if they can only work on the TCBY…
(Newark Liberty International Airport, NJ)
Posted by jpchan at 7:36 PM
Filed under: Places
March 11, 2007
Red Velvet
If you're even a little curious about the red velvet craze that's sweeping New York, I can't think of a better place to start than Daisy May's. Run, don't walk. This photo doesn't do it justice.
(Daisy May's BBQ, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 12:15 PM
Filed under: Places
February 28, 2007
Paper Pup
I know mall pet stores are supposed to be terrible places to buy animals like dogs and cats, but you can certainly see why there's a market for them. How can anyone resist something this cute?
(Willowbrook Mall, Wayne, NJ)
Posted by jpchan at 11:38 PM
Filed under: Places
February 7, 2007
Sunshine & Ocean
(Brooklyn)
Posted by jpchan at 8:39 PM
Filed under: Places
February 4, 2007
Station New Haven
(New Haven, CT)
Posted by jpchan at 3:12 PM
Filed under: Places
January 31, 2007
Rest Now
(New Jersey)
Posted by jpchan at 6:20 PM
Filed under: Places
January 6, 2007
Way Out
(Battery Park, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 12:12 AM
Filed under: Places
October 6, 2006
NYMPD
(Shea Stadium, Queens)
Posted by jpchan at 3:20 PM
Filed under: Places
October 5, 2006
Amazingly Protected
(Shea Stadium, Queens)
Posted by jpchan at 9:06 PM
Filed under: Places
October 4, 2006
Responsible?
(Bedford St, Brooklyn)
Posted by jpchan at 7:57 AM
Filed under: Places
August 27, 2006
Vaguely Retrosexual
(Soda Pop Shop, Montclair, NJ)
Posted by jpchan at 3:25 PM
Filed under: Places
August 4, 2006
Steel Birds
(City Hall Park, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 3:50 PM
Filed under: Places
July 29, 2006
Escape The Heat Wave
(Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, 65 Bayard St, Manhattan)
More Ice Cream:
Dari Bee Redux/Closed For The Season
Rhode Trip: Ice Cream At Dari Bee
I You We Scream!
Posted by jpchan at 10:26 AM
Filed under: Places
July 25, 2006
In Line At Sau Voi
(Sau Voi, Lafayette & Walker St, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 9:35 PM
Filed under: Places
July 11, 2006
The Street Below
(549 West 52 St, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 9:32 AM
Filed under: Places
July 5, 2006
After The Fireworks
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
July 4, 2006
I See The Light
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
July 1, 2006
Departures
(AirTrain Station, Newark Liberty International Airport, Newark, NJ)
Posted by jpchan at 1:24 PM
Filed under: Places
May 30, 2006
Happy Birthday, Geoff
Hey Bulldog is one of my all-time favorite Beatles songs. The bass playing is just killer. Sing along, won't you?
Sheepdog
Standing in the rain,
Bullfrog
Doing it again
Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles
What makes you think you're something special when you smile?
Child-like
No one understands,
Jack knife
In your sweaty hands,
Some kind of innocence is measured out in years
You don't know what it's like to listen to your fears.
You can talk to me
You can talk to me
You can talk to me
If you're lonely you can talk to me
Big man
Walking in the park
Whigwam
Frightened of the dark
Some kind of solitude is measured out in you
You think you know me but you haven't got a clue
You can talk to me
You can talk to me
You can talk to me
If you're lonely you can talk to me
[Hey]
Hey Bulldog
Hey Bulldog
Hey Bulldog
Hey Bulldog
Hey Bulldog
(Clinton Hill, Brooklyn)
Posted by jpchan at 7:39 PM
Filed under: Places
May 12, 2006
Mag Lite
(Whole Foods, Union Sq, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 9:49 PM
Filed under: Places
May 6, 2006
LA: Star Power (Part 1)
Today’s screenings included Tanuj Chopra’s Punching at the Sun and Mike Kang’s The Motel. I really dug the surreal touches in Punching, a Queens story about a Pakistani teen dealing with loss. As for The Motel, I’ve now seen it three times and it just gets better with each viewing.
Afterwards, it was another crazy night hanging out with my new LA posse. To protect the guilty, I won’t name names, but they’re a fun bunch of amazingly talented and cool filmmakers, actors, and festival programmers. (Sorry, Mel Torme wasn’t one of them.)
(Sunset & Vine, Hollywood, CA)
More VC Filmfest 2006:
Many Movies, Many Parties
Off to VC
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
May 4, 2006
LA: Off to VC
I'm heading to LA for a few days to attend the 2006 VC Filmfest where my shorts Take It Or Leave It? and Dry Clean Only will be playing. So far, it's the only festival to screen both films, which means it is also quite possibly the best film festival ever in the history of celluloid. So if you're in LA this week and next, come check out my stuff and the other terrific films of the fest.
Though I'll only be here through the weekend, I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of movies and hanging out with many of the cool people I've met at previous festivals - and meeting new ones.
(AA flight #1, JFK-LAX Somewhere over central New Jersey)
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
April 19, 2006
AirTrain JFK
(JFK Airport, Queens)
Posted by jpchan at 7:42 PM
Filed under: Places
April 5, 2006
Apocalypse, Next!
Whenever my out-of-town town friends mock my tolerance for the daily inconveniences and humiliations of NYC life, I can usually chalk it up to their obvious jealousy and feelings of inferiority of living in a lesser city.
But after spending ten minutes in the rain to enter, twenty minutes to check-out, and $130 on barely a week’s worth of food at a store that's only just now come to New York, all I can say is: hey, at least we have a 24 hour subway.
(Trader Joe's, 14 St, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 7:59 AM
Filed under: Places
March 31, 2006
Opening Night Party
I didn't make it to the Seven.11 opening night because of the other rehearsal, but the after party was great!
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
March 24, 2006
SF/SJ: From Every Angle
Grids + Hills = Awesome Vistas.
I miss SF and the festival already. It was fun to screen here and meet so many cool people. Can't wait 'till next year.
(Filbert St & Kearny St, San Francisco, CA)
More SF/SJ:
SF/SJ: The Lunch Aquatic
SF/SJ: Colma Stays!
SF/SJ: Sloganeering
SF/SJ: Slanted Screens
SF/SJ: Tourists Shot For Shot
The SFIAAFF
Chapeau Shopping
Bay Area Transit Is Rapid
The Guest Cottage Life
I Visited The Mothership
Special West Coast MICW
You Heard?
Babe's Mufflers
Flight To
Posted by jpchan at 2:16 PM
Filed under: Places
March 16, 2006
SF/SJ: Bay Area Transit Is Rapid
Getting around the Bay Area is remarkably easy, with or without a car (though with a car is better). Some observations:
- VTA bus drivers will cheerfully cut you a break if you’re short on bus fare. (It’s kind of like the pay-what-you-wish policy at the Met.) I’m a little embarrassed to say that I was able to confirm this on three different trips in San Jose.
- 4 in 5 SF Muni bus drivers don’t care at all if you have the correct fare or a valid transfer, so just get behind the white line already you damn tourist.
- BART still looks more or less like it did in THX 1138.
- I’m the only one not driving in the SF bus lanes.
- Next time I’m in SF, I’m definitely riding the Milan streetcars on Market St. They’re beautiful and loud as heck.
- I’m averaging one illegal u-turn per day in SF.
(Fremont BART Station, CA)
More SF/SJ:
The Guest Cottage Life
I Visited The Mothership
Special West Coast MICW
You Heard?
Babe's Mufflers
Flight To
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
March 15, 2006
SF/SJ: The Guest Cottage Life
I'm behind in my writing, but Dixie the dog doesn't seem to mind. We're enjoying each other's company and the small bits of sun we've seen.
(San Jose, CA)
More SF/SJ:
I Visited The Mothership
Special West Coast MICW
You Heard?
Babe's Mufflers
Flight To
Posted by jpchan at 3:52 PM
Filed under: Places
March 11, 2006
SF/SJ: Babe's Mufflers
I haven't seen much of San Jose yet, but I have a feeling I'm off to a great start.
(Babe's Mufflers, 808 The Alameda, San Jose, CA)
More SF/SJ:
Flight To
Posted by jpchan at 10:00 PM
Filed under: Places
March 10, 2006
SF/SJ: Flight To
I'm heading to the Bay Area for two weeks to relax, write, and attend the San Francisco Asian International Film Festival, where my short Take It Or Leave It? will screen. It's been more than four years since I've been out to that part of the country and I can't wait.
During this first week I'll be staying with my aunt and her husband in San Jose writing in their guest cottage (sounds fancy, huh? I hope I don't have to sleep too close to the lawnmower). The following week, I'll move up to my cousin's place in SF for the festival week. Ah, the glamorous life of the itinerant deadbeat.
Some random thoughts about travelling as I sit here on the flight:
- If you have to be up at 6:30am for a 9:15am flight, then 2:00am is a bad time to teach yourself DVD Studio Pro so you can dupe ten DVDs to take to the festival.
- If you are taking the A train to JFK and don't know which car is optimal for getting off at Howard Beach-JFK, look for the one with all the airline workers.
- If you are north of 34 St in Manhattan, it's faster to take the E to Jamaica and getting the AirTrain there instead of taking the A.
- If you are travelling alone and want to maximize your chances of sitting next to an empty seat, choose an aisle seat in the center section, because the middle seats of the center section are always the last to go.
- For me, the inflight movie is always more interesting a few minutes at a time, with the sound off. I like seeing how the shots work together without the crutches of dialogue and music. On this flight, they're showing Goal! and The Family Stone. The former looks a lot more interesting.
- In twenty years of semi-regular flying, I have never, ever seen anyone use the back-of-the-seat airphone. Ever.
- It's not enough to select a seat next to a powerport, you also have to make sure the powerport actually works (mine doesn't).
(AA Flight 179, JFK-SFO)
Posted by jpchan at 6:17 PM
Filed under: Places
March 7, 2006
Thinking Differently At Hai Sun
You can often tell how good (or bad) a New York neighborhood is by the way the local Chinese take-out looks. In the worst neighborhoods, thick sheets of plexiglass or even metal grates separate take-out workers and customers. It’s unwelcoming to say the least, but considering the violence and racial taunts many of these workers endure on a daily basis, I can't exactly blame them.
Still, I'm happy to say that Hai Sun stands out among the others in my (rapidly) gentrifying neighborhood for its classic open-counter design. This is especially brave considering that even our local Popeye’s Chicken workers hide behind bank-style bulletproof glass – even though that’s where our local cops often eat.
As for the food, well, it’s actually not bad for what it is, though my favorite place these days is Peppa's Jerk Chicken down the street. (No plexiglass or grates there either.)
Posted by jpchan at 9:54 PM
Filed under: Places
March 3, 2006
Vietnam Veterans Plaza
Posted by jpchan at 8:37 AM
Filed under: Places
March 2, 2006
The Corn Exchange Bank
Posted by jpchan at 8:53 AM
Filed under: Places
February 24, 2006
Broad Water
Posted by jpchan at 8:52 AM
Filed under: Places
February 13, 2006
A Snowy Night
They say we broke the one day snowfall record (26.9 inches) this weekend, but it sure didn't seem like that much, at least in my part of Brooklyn. This shot was taken a few hours after the snow began on Saturday night.
Posted by jpchan at 8:43 PM
Filed under: Places
February 4, 2006
Signs Of The Recent: Checkpoint
(Broadway & Pine St, Manhattan)
Related posts:
Signs Of The Recent: Geisha Podiatry
Signs Of The Recent: Fun Vs. Doubt
Signs Of The Recent: Hotlights
Posted by jpchan at 12:28 AM
Filed under: Places
January 28, 2006
Under The Brooklyn Bridge #2
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
January 27, 2006
Under The Brooklyn Bridge #1
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
January 26, 2006
Payless Bank
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
January 24, 2006
Alfred E. Smith Houses
Posted by jpchan at 9:26 AM
Filed under: Places
January 23, 2006
Off Track
This is a subculture I know nothing about, but would like to someday.
(OTB, Bowery, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
January 22, 2006
Vertigogogo
We'll start with this...what do you want me to start with? The Golden Gate Bridge? Now watch. Watch this. Here we go. There. [He steps up.] There. Now. I look up, I look down. I look up. I look down. There's nothin' to it. YIKES!!!! What the HECK, Midge?
-Vertigo (mostly...)
Posted by jpchan at 7:56 PM
Filed under: Places
January 20, 2006
Wat Is Duch?
If you know, please tell me.
(Grand St Station, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 10:33 AM
Filed under: Places
January 19, 2006
Greetings From The Bowery
Why is our city better than yours? Because we have places like the Restaurant Supply District, goshdarnit.
Posted by jpchan at 8:58 PM
Filed under: Places
January 18, 2006
Muni-Meter
(Flushing)
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
January 16, 2006
Canal & Lafayette (Night)
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
January 13, 2006
Office Cubicle
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
January 11, 2006
Mobile Post
(Water St, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
January 7, 2006
Brokeback BAM
(Flatbush Av, Brooklyn)
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
January 6, 2006
LGA: Arrivals, Departures
I love airport people watching, especially the welcomes and farewells at the head of the pier. They're the small moments that reveal so much.
Related Post:
The Bear And The Snowman
On The Way
The $80 Question
Posted by jpchan at 11:08 AM
Filed under: Places
January 5, 2006
LGA: The Bear And The Snowman
Question: why in the world does that bear look scared?
Answer: he found out that the Snowman is the air marshal on his flight.
Related Post:
On The Way
The $80 Question
Posted by jpchan at 6:55 PM
Filed under: Places
January 4, 2006
LGA: On the Way
Taking the subway to the M60 to LaGuardia is cheap, and mostly fast. The M60 part is always the most stressful, though, if you're like me and you try to cut it as close as possible to flight time. Sometimes the bus moves too slowly, sometimes the bus goes so fast you think it's going to go up on two wheels and tip over.
(Astoria Blvd, Queens)
Related Post:
The $80 Question
Posted by jpchan at 9:39 PM
Filed under: Places
January 3, 2006
On The Northeast Corridor Redux
The parts of northern New Jersey that you can see from the Northeast Corridor are mostly sad: dirty, ancient factories and warehouses, tired old working-class homes...all the stuff a town wants to tuck away and hide when the neighbors come over. I always wanna get out and take more photos, close up.
(NJ Transit NEC, Newark, NJ)
Related post:
On The Northeast Corridor
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
December 27, 2005
Boxing Day/MoMA: Atrium
I'm embarassed to say that it wasn't until yesterday that I finally visited the newly renovated MoMA. It was worth the wait.
Posted by jpchan at 10:00 AM
Filed under: Places
December 25, 2005
Merry Christmas
Posted by jpchan at 6:12 PM
Filed under: Places
December 23, 2005
Pret A Chandelier
(Pret A Manger, Broad St, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 2:24 PM
Filed under: Places
December 22, 2005
Unlucky Strike: Under The Bridges
There's rumblings that today might be the last day of the strike, so maybe that's why the sun seemed particularly bright on my ride to work this morning.
(Brooklyn Bridge from under the FDR, Manhattan)
More Transit Strike:
My New Commute
Unlucky Strike!
More Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges:
On The N
Overcast/Manhattan Bridge
Two Bridges
Driving On The Manhattan Bridge
Customer Service
Posted by jpchan at 12:05 PM
Filed under: Places
December 21, 2005
Unlucky Strike: My New Commute
To get to work during the strike, I've been biking over the Manhattan Bridge. Flatbush Avenue has been a parking lot yesterday and today, but on my trusty Bike Friday, traffic is not an issue.
Cold, however, is. I don't have fancy all-weather gear, so I'm pretty grunged-up with layers of t-shirts, fleeces, and long underwear. By the time I get to the office, I'm cold and sweaty. Today, it took me a full two hours to defrost.
On the brighter side, I'm getting some much-needed exercise. And because so many people are using the bridges now, it's also a nice communal experience.
(Manhattan Bridge)
More Transit Strike:
Unlucky Strike!
More Manhattan Bridge:
On The N
Overcast/Manhattan Bridge
Driving On The Manhattan Bridge
Posted by jpchan at 1:03 PM
Filed under: Places
December 20, 2005
Unlucky Strike!
The TWU transit strike is illegal, selfish, and stupid. Nobody doubts that our transit workers have hard jobs and are often underappreciated. But the union demands have been outrageous and are an insult to the riders. Most transit riders earn way less than the typical transit worker and lack public sector job security. In rejecting the MTA's latest proposal of a nine percent raise over three years and modest concessions, the TWU apparently think they deserve better raises than the cops, firemen, teachers, and most other working people in this City got this year.
Shame on the reckless TWU leadership for subjecting its rank and file to the fines and lost pay this strike will bring upon them. And shame on them for stranding millions of people on a 22 degree day less than a week before Christmas. If there's any justice, they'll get what they deserve for holding the City hostage like this. Sadly, all of us are already paying a price for their selfishness.
Posted by jpchan at 2:57 PM
Filed under: Places
December 18, 2005
Graveyard Shifts
Posted by jpchan at 2:06 PM
Filed under: Places
December 15, 2005
Start Choppin
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
December 14, 2005
Snouts
Posted by jpchan at 9:07 AM
Filed under: Places
December 13, 2005
Fast(est) Food
Posted by jpchan at 9:10 AM
Filed under: Places
December 10, 2005
Passing The Park
(Bowling Green, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
December 9, 2005
Departures
On a sign somewhere: You Don't Have to Be from Yaphank to Work Here, But It Helps!
Posted by jpchan at 9:35 AM
Filed under: Places
December 8, 2005
Feliz Figurines
Posted by jpchan at 9:23 AM
Filed under: Places
December 5, 2005
Chelsea Trees
Posted by jpchan at 9:42 AM
Filed under: Places
December 4, 2005
First Snow Of The Season
(My fire escape, Brooklyn)
Related posts:
Well Into The Hundreds
On a Rooftop in Brooklyn 2
On a Rooftop in Brooklyn
Heavy & Light
Posted by jpchan at 11:30 AM
Filed under: Places
December 3, 2005
Undulating Signs Of The Ferry
(Whitehall Ferry Terminal, Manhattan)
Related posts:
Whitehall and I 4
Whitehall and I 3
Whitehall and I 2
Whitehall and I
Always A Diversity of Opinion
Posted by jpchan at 1:19 PM
Filed under: Places
December 2, 2005
The Bull & The Xmas Tree
(Bowling Green, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 11:06 AM
Filed under: Places
December 1, 2005
What's The Magic Word?
Posted by jpchan at 9:36 AM
Filed under: Places
November 26, 2005
Dari Bee Redux/Closed For The Season
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
November 25, 2005
Catching Up On The News
(Mei Lai Wah Coffee House, 64 Bayard St, Manhattan)
More Mei Lai Wah:
Service
Ordering
No Smoking Inside
Monday Is Cat Week: Box Cat
My Cup Of Tea
Uniform
July, Forthwith!
Three Questions for Karen
Posted by jpchan at 12:14 PM
Filed under: Places
November 24, 2005
Service
(Mei Lai Wah Coffee House, 64 Bayard St, Manhattan)
More Mei Lai Wah:
Ordering
No Smoking Inside
Monday Is Cat Week: Box Cat
My Cup Of Tea
Uniform
July, Forthwith!
Three Questions for Karen
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
November 23, 2005
Ordering
(Mei Lai Wah Coffee House, 64 Bayard St, Manhattan)
More Mei Lai Wah:
No Smoking Inside
Monday Is Cat Week: Box Cat
My Cup Of Tea
Uniform
July, Forthwith!
Three Questions for Karen
Posted by jpchan at 8:13 AM
Filed under: Places
November 22, 2005
No Smoking Inside
(Mei Lai Wah Coffee House, 64 Bayard St, Manhattan)
More Mei Lai Wah:
Monday Is Cat Week: Box Cat
My Cup Of Tea
Uniform
July, Forthwith!
Three Questions for Karen
Posted by jpchan at 7:59 AM
Filed under: Places
November 20, 2005
My Cup Of Tea
(Mei Lai Wah Coffee House, 64 Bayard St, Manhattan)
More Mei Lai Wah:
Uniform
July, Forthwith!
Three Questions for Karen
Posted by jpchan at 5:39 PM
Filed under: Places
November 19, 2005
Uniform
(Mei Lai Wah Coffee House, 64 Bayard St, Manhattan)
More Mei Lai Wah:
July, Forthwith!
Three Questions for Karen
Posted by jpchan at 3:25 PM
Filed under: Places
November 16, 2005
Synagogue For The Arts
Posted by jpchan at 11:14 PM
Filed under: Places
November 12, 2005
Park, Battery, City
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
November 9, 2005
Drive Closed
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
November 8, 2005
Broadway/20
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
November 3, 2005
Wall St
(Wall St & Broad St, Manhattan)
All around Wall St:
Stereo Umbrella
Looking Up
We Had a Winner
Time Out From the Rat Race
Four Minutes
Church vs State (vs Market)
DT via EC #1
Posted by jpchan at 10:29 AM
Filed under: Places
November 1, 2005
Dakota
Posted by jpchan at 9:11 AM
Filed under: Places
October 29, 2005
Red Hook Dusk
Posted by jpchan at 12:13 PM
Filed under: Places
October 28, 2005
Court/Atlantic
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
October 27, 2005
Branch Brook Park Station
Mortellito Memorial (2003) by Tom Otterness
(Branch Brook Park Station, Newark City Subway, Newark, NJ)
More Otterness Mania:
Lost in the Land of the Lost
Posted by jpchan at 10:51 PM
Filed under: Places
October 26, 2005
Price Rite
Posted by jpchan at 8:50 AM
Filed under: Places
October 14, 2005
All The Time: 34/7
Posted by jpchan at 9:13 AM
Filed under: Places
October 12, 2005
Metroparkinglot
Posted by jpchan at 9:03 AM
Filed under: Places
October 10, 2005
Dupont Circle Station
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
October 9, 2005
Hirshhorn
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
October 7, 2005
One Broadway
Posted by jpchan at 6:06 AM
Filed under: Places
October 6, 2005
Canal & Lafayette
Posted by jpchan at 9:03 AM
Filed under: Places
October 2, 2005
Alien Invasion!
As soon as I raise $200 million, I'm going to shoot a really badass alien invasion movie. Here's the first shot. [click for full size]
Posted by jpchan at 3:22 PM
Filed under: Places
October 1, 2005
Blooming In The Kitchen
(Home, Brooklyn)
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
September 29, 2005
S.I. Blues
Posted by jpchan at 9:08 AM
Filed under: Places
September 26, 2005
Rhode Trip: Ice Cream At Dari Bee
Posted by jpchan at 10:38 PM
Filed under: Places
September 25, 2005
Rhode Trip: Narragansett
(Narragansett, RI)
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
September 24, 2005
Rhode Trip: We Are All Made Of Starfish
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
September 21, 2005
Rhode Trip: Photographing The Swans
I'm taking a much-needed short vacation away from New York, so the next few days I'll be reporting from beautiful Rhode Island.
(East Bay Bike Path, Barrington, RI)
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
September 17, 2005
Changing Acts
(42 St, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
September 15, 2005
Across 125 St
Posted by jpchan at 11:09 PM
Filed under: Places
September 14, 2005
Tandem Bikes
I think these two make the cutest couple.
(East 10 St, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 8:49 AM
Filed under: Places
September 11, 2005
Kiss Me On The (B41) Bus
Posted by jpchan at 11:41 PM
Filed under: Places
September 10, 2005
In A Garden State Yard
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
September 9, 2005
New York City Hall
Have you registered to vote yet?
More City Hall:
We Are Taking Sugar Water Shower
Civic Pride: City Hall
Nantra & Bijou
Posted by jpchan at 9:18 AM
Filed under: Places
September 7, 2005
Church Street Post Office
Posted by jpchan at 9:48 AM
Filed under: Places
September 6, 2005
In A Garden State Garage
(New Dover St, Edison, NJ)
Posted by jpchan at 8:18 AM
Filed under: Places
September 4, 2005
Domestic, Numeric
(Brooklyn)
Posted by jpchan at 9:10 PM
Filed under: Places
September 3, 2005
Overgrown But Not Understood
Posted by jpchan at 3:14 PM
Filed under: Places
August 23, 2005
BWAC~CAWB
Posted by jpchan at 8:33 AM
Filed under: Places
August 22, 2005
Sitting In The Park
Posted by jpchan at 7:36 AM
Filed under: Places
August 20, 2005
Lake Hopatcong
Posted by jpchan at 10:07 AM
Filed under: Places
August 18, 2005
Roosevelt Island 10044
Posted by jpchan at 8:15 AM
Filed under: Places
August 15, 2005
Overcast/Manhattan Bridge
(Manhattan Bridge)
Posted by jpchan at 7:27 AM
Filed under: Places
August 14, 2005
Back Of The Cab
(5 Av, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 11:54 PM
Filed under: Places
August 11, 2005
In Re Coast v. Coast
Most of the younger – and even many of the older – rappers I regularly work with insist that the east coast/west coast schism is a phenomenon of the hip-hop era. They soon learn the error of their beliefs, however, when I take them on a little field trip to Battery Park and give them a history lesson about this memorial – and its rival in San Francisco.
Posted by jpchan at 11:44 AM
Filed under: Places
August 9, 2005
Jackson Heights
Posted by jpchan at 8:31 AM
Filed under: Places
August 5, 2005
Sculpture for Living
Posted by jpchan at 8:25 AM
Filed under: Places
August 3, 2005
Absolut Unintended?
I haven't seen an Absolut vodka ad in a while, but apparently they've returned with a vengeance.
Posted by jpchan at 8:34 AM
Filed under: Places
August 2, 2005
A Million Suds
Posted by jpchan at 8:27 AM
Filed under: Places
August 1, 2005
Blue Sky (Mine)
Posted by jpchan at 8:33 AM
Filed under: Places
July 30, 2005
Viva Via Viaduct
Posted by jpchan at 1:11 PM
Filed under: Places
July 28, 2005
Vespa Valet Parking
Posted by jpchan at 8:27 AM
Filed under: Places
July 22, 2005
Petland
Posted by jpchan at 7:26 AM
Filed under: Places
July 12, 2005
Two Bridges
Posted by jpchan at 7:36 AM
Filed under: Places
July 10, 2005
360 Sunset in Red Hook
Whenever you start to get the crazy idea that you need a lot of money to have a good time in this city, get on your bike and get over to Red Hook on a beautiful summer's evening. The crazy idea will disappear with the sunset.
Panorama-rama:
360 Katz's
(Waterfront Museum, Pier 44, Conover St & Reed St, Brooklyn)
Posted by jpchan at 10:53 AM
Filed under: Places
July 8, 2005
Security, Heightened
More Bowling Green:
Bowling Green Grow The Rushes
Step Up To The Customs House
And It Was All Yellow
Flight by A Woman
A Whiter Shade of Bowling Green 3
A Whiter Shade of Bowling Green 2
A Whiter Shade of Bowling Green
The Secret of My Success
A Stranger Downtown
Posted by jpchan at 7:20 AM
Filed under: Places
July 6, 2005
Eastern Terminal
Posted by jpchan at 8:04 PM
Filed under: Places
July 3, 2005
At a Cousin's Wedding
Posted by jpchan at 10:57 AM
Filed under: Places
July 2, 2005
Pudding Heads for Spring Street
Further fotos of favorite food facilities:
Your Pork Chop House Excellency
Fay-Da Window
Heart Stupid
360 Katz's
Love @ Two Boots
Yuletide on Pell Street
Posted by jpchan at 10:13 AM
Filed under: Places
June 29, 2005
Under the Milky Way
Title reference: The Church
(The Cathedral Church of St John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Av, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 7:07 AM
Filed under: Places
June 27, 2005
Good to See You
Posted by jpchan at 7:54 AM
Filed under: Places
June 25, 2005
Shopping @ Sahadi's
Posted by jpchan at 8:19 AM
Filed under: Places
June 24, 2005
Madder Roses
If you love great spaces and haven't yet been to the NYPL Rose Reading Room, stop reading this stupid blog right now and get your ass over there.
And Car Song by Madder Rose would be a great song to listen to while you're there. With headphones, of course.
Releated Post:
Lions in Winter
Posted by jpchan at 6:37 AM
Filed under: Places
June 23, 2005
Terminal Tackle
In another life -- or maybe much later in this one -- I'm going to open a store just for the sake of being able to give it a cool name like this one.
Posted by jpchan at 7:53 AM
Filed under: Places
June 14, 2005
No Reality Distortion Field Here
I admit it: I'm a sucker for a well-done speech. And Apple/Pixar CEO Steve Jobs' Stanford University commencement speech (excerpts also available via video) is a great one.
Posted by jpchan at 10:46 PM
Filed under: Places
The Radio Gives Me Static
Posted by jpchan at 8:21 AM
Filed under: Places
June 13, 2005
Chain Chain Chain
I suspect that one of these mornings, this chain is gonna break, but I could be wrong.
Posted by jpchan at 8:29 AM
Filed under: Places
June 12, 2005
Driving On The Manhattan Bridge
As many New Yorkers know, the mnemonic for the Lower East River Bridges is, from south to north, BMW: Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg.
BTW, my very educated mother just sent us nine pickles, even though every good boy deserves fudge, IMHO.
Posted by jpchan at 10:00 AM
Filed under: Places
June 11, 2005
Prospect Parts: Peristyle
Posted by jpchan at 9:08 AM
Filed under: Places
June 9, 2005
Bowling Green Grow The Rushes
If you've never visited Bowling Green, you're missing out on one of the real jewels of the city. New York City's oldest park is an oasis of calm in the Financial District and, for a few years now, has even offered free Wi-Fi. So come on down and get your nature on and your geek on in one place.
Related posts:
Step Up To The Customs House
And It Was All Yellow
Flight by A Woman
A Whiter Shade of Bowling Green 3
A Whiter Shade of Bowling Green 2
A Whiter Shade of Bowling Green
The Secret of My Success
A Stranger Downtown
Posted by jpchan at 8:07 AM
Filed under: Places
June 7, 2005
Trees Lounge
From Jean Dubuffet's Groupe de Quatre Arbres (Group of Four Trees), 1972.
Trees Lounge is a cool little film by the great Steve Buscemi.
Posted by jpchan at 8:03 AM
Filed under: Places
June 1, 2005
The Long And Winding Ramp
If you wanna get your wonk on, check out "People, Parking, and Cities," a great article from the University of California Transportation Center about the relationship of parking, density, and sprawl in Los Angeles. It's not the story you usually hear about LA and it's well worth the relatively quick and accessible read.
Posted by jpchan at 7:08 AM
Filed under: Places
May 30, 2005
Step Up To The Customs House
Posted by jpchan at 6:46 AM
Filed under: Places
May 29, 2005
Heavy Into Port Jeff
Posted by jpchan at 7:05 AM
Filed under: Places
May 28, 2005
We Are Taking Sugar Water Shower
Related posts:
Civic Pride: City Hall
Nantra & Bijou
Posted by jpchan at 8:50 AM
Filed under: Places
May 27, 2005
You're Tossing Your Seeds Around
Posted by jpchan at 8:18 AM
Filed under: Places
May 24, 2005
(Way) Larger Than Life: The Movie
These giant portraits of Time Warner TV personalities are unnerving. They remind me a lot of the similarly outsized Nancy Burson photos I saw a while back, but with even more menace.
Aren’t huge public portraits are usually associated with fascism? Neal Gabler wrote a great book about our Republic of Entertainment, but maybe the Republic has devolved into an Empire.
Damn, I think I just unintentionally made a Star Wars reference. I guess I'm just a tool of the media conglomerates after all. And I'm not even getting paid for all this product placement. Gosh!
Posted by jpchan at 8:01 AM
Filed under: Places
May 23, 2005
What Fools These Mortals Be!
Posted by jpchan at 8:36 AM
Filed under: Places
May 21, 2005
Empire of the Sunset
Posted by jpchan at 7:58 AM
Filed under: Places
May 19, 2005
My Bicycle Spaniard, My Poor Restless Soul
Is everyone spending more time on a bike and less time in front of a TV or computer this year? Don't forget your New Year's Resolution.
Bicycle Spaniard is beautiful song by Cracker.
Posted by jpchan at 8:17 AM
Filed under: Places
May 18, 2005
High Above Morningside Heights
I've kinda been avoiding churches ever since accidentally watching The Omen on TV when I was nine. But I'm glad this past weekend I had the chance to attend a friend's screenplay reading in the tower of Riverside Church. The view was amazing -- and the screenplay is going to be quite good when it's finished.
So go see Rehana's movie when it's out, and try to avoid The Omen if you're under ten.
Posted by jpchan at 8:32 AM
Filed under: Places
May 17, 2005
The Last Of The Famous International Playboys
I know this is last week's news, but I had to let it sink in a while: is the UN really coming to Brooklyn? And why, being that I'm in favor of most of the proposed new development for Brooklyn, do I have mixed feelings about it?
I think it's because the rumored site for the UN's temporary relocation is MetroTech Center in Downtown Brooklyn. MetroTech is a nicely-done 1990s urban renewal project that's home to an unusual (but apparently successful) combination of corporate, government, and academic tenants. Polytechnic Universitiy, FDNY, Verizon, Bear Stearns, SIAC, and the NYC 911 call center all call MetroTech home. MetroTech is important to New York because it's an economic anchor for Downtown Brooklyn and provides an alternative for corporations that might otherwise move their back office operations to Jersey City.
So how does the UN fit in? I don't think it does. The UN at MetroTechTM would bring security and traffic hassles to an area that's already congested -- and on the upswing.
Why not look at the UN relocation as a way to bring some wealth and attention to a part of Brooklyn that could use it? I think the Brooklyn Army Terminal or Red Hook would be ideal. The subway access would be bad, but I'm sure the UN could afford to set up a water shuttle between the Brooklyn waterfront and Manhattan. If they go to Red Hook, they might even get to hang out with Ikea. Swedish meatballs, yum.
[Yeah, the Morrissey reference is a stretch, but whatever, it's a cool song.]
Posted by jpchan at 8:15 AM
Filed under: Places
May 16, 2005
You Can't Put Your Arms Around An Ambulance
Ever since I watched Bringing Out the Dead, I haven't been able to look at an NYC ambulance at night without hearing this Johnny Thunders song in my head. Go rent it now and you'll see (and hear) what I mean. And let's take a moment now to honor our FDNY EMTs.
[iTunes recommended for the audio features on this site.]
Posted by jpchan at 8:28 AM
Filed under: Places
May 14, 2005
Brooklyn Junction, What's Your Function?
Most days, I'm an economic determinst, but even those that believe economics explains most behavior have to admit that politics, culture, history, lack of imagination, and good ol' inertia are sometimes equal partners in the human adventure.
How else could you explain Brooklyn Junction? The Junction, as it's known, lies at the crossroads of Flatbush Avenue and Nostrand Avenue, two of the borough's busiest thoroughfares. It's home to Brooklyn College's 15,000 students, it's the terminal for the 2 and 5 subway lines, and it's a transfer point for several bus routes.
Here, in the heart of 2.5 million strong Brooklyn, you have all the ingredients for a major center of culture and commerce. Instead, you've got a lot of fast food, unremarkable shops, and some parking lots. I'm not saying we need a mega mall here (as has been proposed), but a little imagination, a little political will, and a few bucks could turn this into a seriously cool destination for Brooklyn.
Posted by jpchan at 11:16 AM
Filed under: Places
May 13, 2005
Glass, Concrete and Stone
It's nice to see a non-hipster/yuppie new business going up on the Lower East Side. I say this, of course, after buying Earl Grey Creme tea at Moby's Teany Cafe and having drinks with fellow NYC photobloggers at Magician. Gentrification is such a head-trip sometimes.
Glass, Concrete and Stone is a great David Byrne song that I first heard while watching the even greater film Dirty Pretty Things. That story is about illegal immigrants in London, one of whom wants to come to New York to work in a cafe. Is Teany hiring?
Posted by jpchan at 8:36 AM
Filed under: Places
May 7, 2005
And It Was All Yellow
Posted by jpchan at 8:48 AM
Filed under: Places
May 6, 2005
Civic Pride: City Hall
As an urbanist, I'm a little embarassed to admit that I've only been in New York's City Hall twice in my life. The architecture is beautiful.
I think parts of the building, including the rotunda, are open to the public, although the intimidating police checkpoints at both entrance gates seem to suggest otherwise. To enter, you'll have to put your bags through the x-ray and walk through a metal detector, but you don't have to explain why you're visiting.
The rotunda alone is more than worth this minor hassle. Make sure also to get your photo taken on the steps while shouting something and shaking your fist, for the full City Hall experience.
Related post:
Meet Me at the Corner of Dirt & McGirt
Posted by jpchan at 8:43 AM
Filed under: Places
May 5, 2005
Chase/Bank
Posted by jpchan at 8:27 AM
Filed under: Places
May 2, 2005
Sakura Matsuri: 36 Views
In honor of both Hiroshige and Naomi Iizuka, I shot these pictures yesterday at Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Sakura Matsuri cherry blossom festival. It was packed, and I was disappointed not to see many women wearing kimonos this year, but the weather was beautiful and so were the cherry trees.
[As always, clicking on the image above will display it at the original size. If anyone decides to use this as desktop wallpaper, let me know how it looks...]
Posted by jpchan at 8:40 AM
Filed under: Places
May 1, 2005
The True Administration of Justice
Posted by jpchan at 10:14 AM
Filed under: Places
April 30, 2005
Shadow Garden
(From Shadow Garden and Community Island/Pond, 2001, by Carl Cheng, Pier 11, Manhattan)
Posted by jpchan at 10:27 AM
Filed under: Places
April 27, 2005
Looking Up
(from Looking Up by Nancy Burson, April 13-29 at 60 Wall Street Atrium)
Posted by jpchan at 8:30 AM
Filed under: Places
April 26, 2005
Spin City
The right way to do something you feel self-conscious about -- like being the only adult unaccompanied by a child on the Times Square Toys "R" Us ferris wheel -- is to just do it and enjoy it and ignore the puzzled and fearful stares of the other riders. The wrong way to do it is to act like a child yourself, yelling and screaming while on the ride, crying uncontrollably when it's over, and soiling your pants in the Lego section.
Really, just trust me on this one.
Posted by jpchan at 8:34 AM
Filed under: Places
April 20, 2005
Street Signs
I'm a fan of the vaguely-retro street signs the Downtown Alliance installed several years ago all over Downtown as part of a plan to improve wayfinding. The white type on black is classy and clean, the photos provide a visual link to familiar landmarks, and the address numbers are a big help. It'd be nice to see these signs in other parts of the city.
I found this collection of signs at a garage on Washington St that the Alliance uses for their shuttle buses.
Posted by jpchan at 8:11 AM
Filed under: Places
April 12, 2005
To Sir With Love
Sir Norman Foster's Hearst Tower is going to be one heck of a cool place when it's done. Built on top of a 1928 art deco building by Joseph Urban, the tower features an unconventional diagonal grid framework and is the first "green" office building in New York City.
It's too bad most of us will never get a chance to see the inside when it's completed next year. Any Hearst employees wanna invite me up for a visit when you move in?
Posted by jpchan at 8:14 AM
Filed under: Places
April 8, 2005
Rector Street Bridge
Posted by jpchan at 7:21 AM
Filed under: Places
April 7, 2005
Fourteenth Street Union Square
Getting dumped is no fun. Getting dumped via a call on your cell when you're waiting for friends at Union Square is even worse. Fortunately, that was a long time ago and it hasn't happened again since. Just to be safe, though, I turn off the ringer whenever I'm in this part of the park.
Posted by jpchan at 7:45 AM
Filed under: Places
April 5, 2005
Pahk Yah Cah in Haavad Yahd
Things I'm Gonna Try Not to Say Today
1. [name] in the house!
2. I wanna take it to the next level.
3. Sure, I'll sponsor you.
4. There's no capital Z in "Asian."
5. Well, I got honorable mention once.
6. OK, super-size it.
7. Hella.
8. Sorry, I thought these were free samples.
9. I had this dream last night that I was stabbing you.
10. Spare any change?
Posted by jpchan at 8:31 AM
Filed under: Places
April 2, 2005
Replacement/Equinox
Before this corner became home to this branch of the swanky Equinox health club a few years ago, it was a movie theater called the Art Greenwich. I remember seeing a film there several years back with someone. I think it may have been a date, but I don’t remember her name. I don’t remember the movie. What I do remember is that near the end of it, the projector jammed and the film burned and melted. I recognized what was happening because I’d seen it depicted in movies before. But I’d never actually seen it happening in front of me. Film on film on film.
The mostly full house sat in silence for several seconds, wondering if this was somehow part of the show. When it was clear that it wasn’t, chatter arose while we waited for someone to come tell us what was going to happen. Nobody did. Some started to leave, including myself and whomever I was with. The lobby was deserted except for exiting patrons – not an employee in sight. My friend and I laughed about it, then went somewhere for dinner.
I’d think about this story perhaps a few times a year, whenever I happened to pass by the theater. Eventually the Art Greenwich closed, the building came down, and another one went up.
The first time I passed by the now-open Equinox was in 2002. Hanging in the windows were giant black-and-white photographs of celebrities. The one that caught my eye was an incredibly hot portrait of Chiaki Kuriyama, who plays Go-Go Yubari in Kill Bill Vol. 1. I was in rush to go somewhere and starting to feel like a bit of a pervert for leering at the photo, so I reluctantly pulled myself away. I came back a few weeks later just to look at the photo again, but it was gone. Bummer.
Now when I pass this corner I’m reminded of the photo and the longing to see it again, and only rarely of the burned-out movie and the date whose name I can’t remember. The new building had replaced the old one on this corner, and now it was beginning to replace it in my memories.
Note: before anyone else brings it up, I just wanna say that the photo of Chiaki was not of her in a schoolgirl outfit, OK? Gosh!
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Posted by jpchan at 1:58 PM
Filed under: Places
March 31, 2005
Scenic Vista
(Battery Park)
Posted by jpchan at 3:41 PM
Filed under: Places
March 27, 2005
Cut Rate
(Fulton St & Ryders Alley)
Posted by jpchan at 2:28 PM
Filed under: Places
March 24, 2005
Cars, Snow, Cold
(Houston St & Lafayette St)
Posted by jpchan at 12:03 AM
Filed under: Places
March 22, 2005
The Iceman Zambonith
I don't care who you are or how far you had to travel to get here or where you have to be in an hour. When you come here to skate, you play by my rules. And my rules say that every ninety minutes, you get your ass off the ice so I can resurface the most famous and most perfect piece of ice on the motherfrickin' planet.
(Rockefeller Center)
Posted by jpchan at 3:00 PM
Filed under: Places
March 18, 2005
HBS Case Study 11201: Moderately Extreme Makeover
Sales rose 73% at the former Disappointment Smorgasboard following a comprehensive re-branding effort.
(Willoughby St & Lawrence St)
Posted by jpchan at 2:27 PM
Filed under: Places
March 16, 2005
The Sphere
I think the proposed WTC memorial is a good one, but I can't imagine how it'll match the quiet power of this 9/11 survivor.
(The Sphere by Fritz Koenig, formerly at the World Trade Center Plaza, moved to Battery Park in March 2002)
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Posted by jpchan at 10:49 AM
Filed under: Places
March 12, 2005
Street Level
(Allen St)
--------
Posted by jpchan at 5:09 PM
Filed under: Places
March 11, 2005
The Unbearable Heaviness of...Adulthood
Act your age and get your mind out of the gutter why don't you. This ain't that kind of website.
(Eyes by Louise Bourgeois, Wagner Park)
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Posted by jpchan at 12:38 PM
Filed under: Places
Blue Ice
(Broadway & Park Pl)
--------
Posted by jpchan at 7:39 AM
Filed under: Places
March 9, 2005
Stairway to Academia
Monumental staircases aren't too common in new public buildings, which is a shame because this one at the NYU student center is quite nice. I'm guessing this is my alma mater's take on the famous Low Library steps at our uptown rival, Columbia. Except ours is air conditioned, ya Ivy League haterz.
(Kimmel Center for Student Life, New York University, Washington Sq South & LaGuardia Pl)
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Posted by jpchan at 8:52 PM
Filed under: Places
March 8, 2005
Christo in Bklyn?
I loved The Gates, but I'm kinda worried that these copycat mega installation art projects will cheapen the whole concept.
(Brooklyn Borough Hall)
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Posted by jpchan at 12:01 PM
Filed under: Places
March 7, 2005
Flight by A Woman
(Broadway, north of Bowling Green)
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Posted by jpchan at 2:58 PM
Filed under: Places
March 3, 2005
Chatham Towers
(Worth St & Park Row)
--------
Posted by jpchan at 9:42 PM
Filed under: Places
March 1, 2005
A Whiter Shade of Bowling Green 3
Cass Gilbert is the man.
(Bowling Green & the US Customs House)
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Posted by jpchan at 1:38 PM
Filed under: Places
A Whiter Shade of Bowling Green 2
Cool and comfy seating.
(Bowling Green)
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Posted by jpchan at 1:36 PM
Filed under: Places
A Whiter Shade of Bowling Green
The pink tint on the trees is from the camera, making them look like cherry blossoms, which is pretty cool.
(Bowling Green)
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Posted by jpchan at 1:35 PM
Filed under: Places
February 27, 2005
Arc d'Washington
Wow, the restored arch is stunning.
(Washington Square Park)
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Posted by jpchan at 7:19 PM
Filed under: Places
February 25, 2005
Snow Signs
(Battery Park)
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Posted by jpchan at 9:59 PM
Filed under: Places
The Secret of My Success
Blandly Positive/Reassuring Things I Say When I Don't Want to Say What I Really Think
(especially useful at the office)
1. It makes a lot of sense.
2. Yeah, I hear that.
3. I think you're onto something there.
4. Sounds like a plan.
5. There's something to be said for that.
6. I think it's inherent to the process.
7. It's not really you; these computers just aren't configured correctly.
8. Word, negro.
("Charging Bull," Bowling Green)
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Posted by jpchan at 9:05 AM
Filed under: Places
February 24, 2005
Times Square Snow 2
(Broadway & 48 St)
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Posted by jpchan at 10:32 PM
Filed under: Places
Times Square Snow
(49 St & 7 Av)
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Posted by jpchan at 10:29 PM
Filed under: Places
Downtown Dehumidifier
Hot sticky New York summers are a thing of the past now that the world's largest dehumidifier has entered operation in Lower Manhattan.
(One Liberty Plaza)
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Posted by jpchan at 7:07 AM
Filed under: Places
February 23, 2005
51 Nassau St
"Eight bucks for a house sign at Home Depot? I can make my own for nuthin'."
(Nassau St near Maiden Lane)
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Posted by jpchan at 8:39 PM
Filed under: Places
February 19, 2005
Heart Stupid
I heart the BBQ at Biscuit, even though I'm sure my heart doesn't heart it. The $8.90 half rack of ribs (includes two sides!) is just too delicious to stay away from. Did I mention the key lime pie is pretty good, too?
(Biscuit, 367 Flatbush Av, cash only)
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Posted by jpchan at 6:21 PM
Filed under: Places
February 18, 2005
Requiem for a Mullet
I hope blogging doesn't turn out to be the mullet of this century, because I still haven't fully recovered from the one I had last century.
(Blue Chip Hair Salon/Mohan Jewlery, New St. Haircuts left, jewels right.)
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Posted by jpchan at 2:41 PM
Filed under: Places
Trade Center
(World Trade Center PATH Station)
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Posted by jpchan at 1:46 PM
Filed under: Places
February 17, 2005
Customer Service
A long time ago, my Mom told me that in Japan those gratuitous racy scenes on TV and in movies are called "customer service" (i.e., giving viewers what they want).
I'm fully aware that BKLYN Blggng hasn't had much motherboro content lately, so I hereby offer a bit of customer service until I can get out and shoot some more Brooklyn scenes. I heard a rumor about a version of The Gates coming to Prospect Park that involved do-rags, so maybe I'll wait for that.
(Brooklyn Bridge, from the Fulton Fish Market)
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Posted by jpchan at 10:07 PM
Filed under: Places
February 16, 2005
Nantra & Bijou
Viva public art!
(from Animals, Buildings, Cars and People by Julian Opie, City Hall Park)
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Posted by jpchan at 4:22 PM
Filed under: Places
February 13, 2005
The Gates 7
Big thanks to the artists and NYC and everyone that helped make this happen. This is an awesome gift to the City. Everyone should go see it.
(Central Park)
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Posted by jpchan at 11:15 PM
Filed under: Places
The Gates 6
(Central Park)
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Posted by jpchan at 11:14 PM
Filed under: Places
The Gates 5
(Central Park)
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Posted by jpchan at 2:03 PM
Filed under: Places
The Gates 4
(Central Park)
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Posted by jpchan at 2:02 PM
Filed under: Places
The Gates 3
(Central Park)
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Posted by jpchan at 2:01 PM
Filed under: Places
The Gates 2
(Central Park)
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Posted by jpchan at 2:00 PM
Filed under: Places
The Gates 1
Here we go...
(Columbus Circle)
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Posted by jpchan at 1:58 PM
Filed under: Places
February 8, 2005
On the boats and on the planes...
If our country is going to detain lots of immigrants for no good reason, then it probably makes sense to also lock up a few sculptures related to immigration, just to be on the safe side.
("The Immigrants" by Luis Sanguino, Battery Park)
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Posted by jpchan at 4:14 PM
Filed under: Places
Birds Above
The sign, if we were in France, might say: "Des chapeaux sont recommandès."
(Battery Park)
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Posted by jpchan at 3:41 PM
Filed under: Places
February 5, 2005
Lions in Winter
Alternate names for Patience & Fortitude, the New York Public Library lions:
1. Bookish & Dateless
2. Chicken & Broccoli
3. PlayStation & Xbox
4. Siegfried & Roy
5. Illiteracy & Unemployment
6. Brad & Jennifer
7. Drunk & Disorderly
8. The New Hot 97 Morning Crew
9. Readin' & Rithmatec
10. Barnes & Noble
(NYPL Humanities & Social Sciences Library, 42 St & 5 Av)
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Posted by jpchan at 11:16 PM
Filed under: Places
February 4, 2005
What in the world...?
DINDUPG
(Tugboat Helen McAllister, South Street Seaport Museum Collection. Call +1-212-748-8610 to join the volunteers restoring this and other historic vessels.)
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Posted by jpchan at 11:29 AM
Filed under: Places
Civic Serendipity
I know plenty of people live by the motto "seek and ye shall find," but it's never worked for me. Many of the best things in my life -- friends, jobs, bags of unmarked $100 bills -- eluded me until I gave up looking for them.
Photoblogging is no different. You can walk up and down the streets of the City for days, cameraphone in hand, looking for something kitschy and never find it. It's only when you've sworn off blogging forever and go out to smoke some clove cigarettes that you stumble upon the red Honda Civic with "TRUST NO ONE" emblazoned on the windshield complete with parking ticket and Jersey plates -- a hat trick of found irony.
And then, for just a second in time but with an intensity that keeps you buzzing for weeks, you feel a deep connection with the universe and are convinced that somehow everything is going to turn out okay.
(Broad St & South St)
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Posted by jpchan at 7:16 AM
Filed under: Places
February 1, 2005
Waiting for the Eye Doctor
my yearly exam
doc's chattin' away next door
trying my patience
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Posted by jpchan at 9:35 PM
Filed under: Places
January 30, 2005
Whitehall and I 4
You can see Governors Island just beyond the ferry ramps from the comfort of the new waiting room. I wish I'd been able to catch the always-gratifying sight of a boat about to dock during this visit. Well, that's just another reason to come back.
(Whitehall Ferry Terminal, Manhattan)
Related posts:
Whitehall and I 3
Whitehall and I 2
Whitehall and I
Always A Diversity of Opinion
Posted by jpchan at 11:15 AM
Filed under: Places
Whitehall and I 3
The use of supergraphics seems dated to me (although I enjoy it at the entrance), but I really like the interplay of line, light, and shadow when the sun is out.
(Whitehall Ferry Terminal, Manhattan)
Related posts:
Whitehall and I 2
Whitehall and I
Always A Diversity of Opinion
Posted by jpchan at 11:13 AM
Filed under: Places
Whitehall and I 2
The new waiting room is a junior version of the soaring steel and glass pavilions you see at newer airports.
(Whitehall Ferry Terminal, Manhattan)
Related posts:
Whitehall and I
Always A Diversity of Opinion
Posted by jpchan at 11:12 AM
Filed under: Places
Whitehall and I
The starting point (if you don't live in SI) to NYC's best cheap date just went upscale, so you can feel a little less like a cheapskate bringing someone here before splitting the check at Gray's Papaya. Can it really be that the spectacular Staten Island Ferry ride is still free? Yes.
(Whitehall Ferry Terminal, Manhattan)
Related post:
Always A Diversity of Opinion
Posted by jpchan at 11:10 AM
Filed under: Places
January 25, 2005
The Big Drink
Quench a City's thirst
With Hudson River Cocktail
Ice cold refreshment
(Battery Park)
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Posted by jpchan at 9:41 PM
Filed under: Places
January 24, 2005
Heavy & Light 2
(Broad St)
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Posted by jpchan at 7:02 PM
Filed under: Places
On a Rooftop in Brooklyn 2
Posted by jpchan at 7:01 PM
Filed under: Places
January 23, 2005
On a Rooftop in Brooklyn
I guess it was a bona fide blizzard after all.
Posted by jpchan at 11:55 AM
Filed under: Places
January 22, 2005
Heavy & Light
Not sure if what we're getting this weekend qualifies as a bona fide blizzard, but whatever it is, I love it. A good dumping of snow always transforms the City, hushing its noise, covering its eyesores, lightening its mood.
All kids love snow -- and more adults should. So bundle up, watch your step, stay off thin ice, don't eat yellow snow, and enjoy yourself.
Posted by jpchan at 1:09 PM
Filed under: Places
January 16, 2005
NYC > AC 8
When choosing a beachfront condo, make sure beach chair storage is included in your common fee. If it's not, you may find yourself, er, saddled with unanticipated charges.
(Atlantic City)
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Posted by jpchan at 8:36 PM
Filed under: Places
NYC > AC 7
Lucy the Margate Elephant has been around for a real long time, but she still looks great.
(Atlantic Av, Margate)
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Posted by jpchan at 2:52 PM
Filed under: Places
NYC > AC 6
Ventnor City is a quiet town (at least in January) next door to Atlantic City. There's a lovely beach and some beautiful old homes here.
(Ventnor City Beach)
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Posted by jpchan at 2:51 PM
Filed under: Places
NYC > AC 4
Das upsidedown boot.
(Boardwalk, Ventnor City)
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Posted by jpchan at 2:50 PM
Filed under: Places
NYC > AC 5
Woof.
(Ventnor City Beach)
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Posted by jpchan at 2:50 PM
Filed under: Places
January 15, 2005
NYC > AC 3
Finally arrived in AC, in a quiet residential area far from the casinos. Between losing my shirt at Pai Gow and getting slapped by a cocktail waitress last time I was I was at TropWorld, it's just as well I'm nowhere near the floor.
(Boardwalk, Atlantic City)
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Posted by jpchan at 11:47 PM
Filed under: Places
NYC > AC 2
EZ-Pass is great, but old-school toll baskets have their own charms. If we had a sunroof, I might have tested my hook shot.
(Atlantic City Expressway)
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Posted by jpchan at 7:34 PM
Filed under: Places
NYC > AC
Helping a friend move some stuff to an apartment in Atlantic City is as good a reason as any for a road trip. Getting behind the wheel every now and then is fun.
This stretch of the Autobahn Gardenstaten is where NJ's version of the Ruhr Valley begins. I've never seen the famous (and gigantic) German industrial area, so I can't compare, but this one is pretty darn impressive. With the airport on one side, the seaport on the other, and a forest of factory smokestacks as far as you can see, it's like a blue-collar version of Manhattan.
It always reminds me of the opening shot of Blade Runner. It also always makes me wonder if NYC should have traded all these dirty industries for a cleaner but less diverse service-based economy. It's no fun to live next door to a filthy factory, but it's also not great to have your entire workforce pushing paper, sweeping floors, flipping burgers, or performing in one-person mixed-media shows.
Large-scale manufacturing will never return to New York, but perhaps more could be done to encourage small, clean, "boutique" manufacturers that can employ those who don't have the skills or desire to work in an office job. A more diverse range of industries would be good for NYC.
(NJ Turnpike, near Newark Airport)
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Posted by jpchan at 7:33 PM
Filed under: Places
January 14, 2005
Public Service Announcement 2
And this is for everyone in sunny climes who could use a little change in the weather.
(Brooklyn Heights from Lower Manhattan)
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Posted by jpchan at 10:25 AM
Filed under: Places
Public Service Announcement
This small bit of sunshine and warm weather is for everyone enduring a gray rainy day in NYC (and elsewhere).
(Long Beach, CA, March 14, 2004)
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Posted by jpchan at 9:46 AM
Filed under: Places
January 6, 2005
Church vs State (vs Market)
I wonder what would happen if there were only one spare bulb left and both the flag and the tree needed it.
(New York Stock Exchange, Broad St & Wall St)
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Posted by jpchan at 8:05 AM
Filed under: Places
January 5, 2005
A Six, A Gull, A Statue
I was going to make this entry a haiku (what else?) that would be this homage (aka look-how-smart-I-am-reference) to the William Carlos Williams poem "The Great Figure," which I know only by way of the Charles Demuth painting "The Figure 5 in Gold," which I knew only as "that cool painting at the Met with all the 5s in it" until I Googled it.
But the truth is that haiku, to say nothing of pretention, takes work and I'm just too tired right now to make the effort. So please enjoy this nice photo of a metal sign, a bird, and the Statue of Liberty on its own terms.
(Battery Park)
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Posted by jpchan at 8:12 AM
Filed under: Places
January 4, 2005
DT via EC #1
This is Hell, this is Hell
I am sorry to tell you
It never gets better or worse
But you'll get used to it, after a spell
For heaven is hell in reverse
-Elvis Costello, "This Is Hell"
(Trinity Church, Wall St & Broadway)
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Posted by jpchan at 4:06 PM
Filed under: Places
December 27, 2004
A Stranger Downtown
Two months ago, the department I work in moved from Brooklyn to Lower Manhattan. It was a change I wasn't looking forward to for various reasons, not least of them being that I am just as fearful and intolerant of the unknown as all those people I like to complain about.
But almost from the first day here, I realized I was wrong in my preconceptions. Not only do I like this neighborhood, but I'm growing to love it. I like the hidden little chocolate factory that serves up tasty pain au chocolats and steams the milk even when you order just a regular coffee. I like the cream-colored lab with the sad-looking face that sniffs for bombs in cars entering the Stock Exchange security zone . I like looking out at the harbor, where the sight of all that water and sky remind me that even a little life is worth living, if only to be a part of the bigger, beautiful world. Most of all, I like being a stranger and a tourist in NYC again, not knowing where this street leads or what that store offers.
The City may have started here, but it left this place behind long ago in almost every way - the streets wind and cross each other at odd old angles, everyone leaves promptly at 5pm, and there isn't a hipster-gentrifier-artiste to be found. A unusually urbane pop psychologist might say that all the post 9/11 hand-wringing about how to revitalize Lower Manhattan can be traced back to guilt over how it was allowed to decline in the first place, even before the terrorist attacks. (A pop political pundit might counter that the fault really lies with greedy Downtown property owners, but that's another non-haiku blog entry.).
Whoever's right, I'll guiltlessly enjoy Downtown as long as I'm here.
(Photo: the old US Customs House at Bowling Green on a recent night.)
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