Al-Karappi, the Great Frozen Eye of Tehran

Washington Square Park is still full of chess players, though many of their tables will be "relocated" as construction further alters/dominates the park. That's progress! This fellow arrived from another dimension, I believe -- he looked right through me! (click pic for enlargement)

50s Chrome and Steel Beauty

This beautiful Mahoney built diner sits abandoned on West Side Highway near Houston Street. Its last official business name was RIB, and back then, in the late 90s, it served good burgers and brews. Before that it was a semi chic wannabe Mexican place, before that who knows. But what is remarkable, is that even though abandoned and now vandalized, the diner retains its chrome loveliness. It still shines, its colors are rich, and the thing is as solid as a rock. They knew how to build back in the 50s!

More Inspiration, Less Work

Perhaps these homeless gentlemen of the fashionable meatpacking district would enjoy a new Saab?

West Side Lock Up

Bayview Correctional Facility. Has a nice ring doesn't it? A closer inspection of this riverside Art Deco building reveals that once upon a time it most likely housed a shipping line, or perhaps a govt. port facility. Once I started to snap pics of the beautiful nautical reliefs which adorn the side of the structure, security ran me off. Welcome to the West Village!

Love Those Cows!

As the meatpacking district turns into fashion avenue, old hulks like this slowly disappear. But who couldn't love these adorable cows, painted onto the meat market's facade?

Walking the High Line, part two

Yet another pic from my illegal journey down the High Line!

Walking the High Line

Today, I sneaked onto the High Line, the 70 year old freight line that once ran through the lower West Side, then closed in the 70s. Here's a few pics -- watch the link to the right "Walking the High Line," for more to come....

East Village Art

Renegade, guerrilla art abounds across lower Manhattan, particularly in the East Village, a lone holdout to the gentrification that is demolishing the character of much of the West Village, Soho, etc. Some might call this graffiti, but look closely and you can see some real talent, painted on mortar and brick.

Frank Gehry on West Street

New York Times: Mr. Gehry’s structure, the most fanciful of these, looks best when approached from a distance. Glimpsed between Chelsea’s weathered brick buildings, its strangely chiseled forms reflect the surrounding sky, so that its surfaces can seem to be dissolving. As you circle to the north, however, its forms become more symmetrical and sharp-edged, evoking rows of overlapping sails or knifelike pleats. Viewed from the south, the forms appear more blocky. This constantly changing character imbues the building’s exterior with an enigmatic beauty. And it reflects Mr. Gehry’s subtle understanding of context. Rather than parodying the architectural style of the surrounding buildings, he plays against them, drawing them into a bigger urban composition. The sail-like curves of the west facade seem to be braced against the roar of the passing cars. The blockier forms in back lock the composition into the lower brick buildings that extend to the east.

West Side Good Humor!

Leon Pendarvis bought his dad's Good Humor truck (built 1966), refurbished it, then hit the streets to sell ice cream. Dressed nattily and always in good humor himself, Leon brings more than cold'n'creamy refreshment to the West Village. Leon, here's to you, buddy!

Chez Jacqueline BBQ?

Chez Jacqueline is a long time MacDougal Street business, offering the best in provincial French cuisine. Only I wonder one thing. Why is there a sawed off pick-up truck cab on top the restaurant? Are they serving some illegal foie gras up there? Does the clientele get half-off on taters, barbeque and Bud on weekends? What gives Chez Jacqueline?

Portugese Tiles

At Bleecker and 11th....

Out with the Old, In with Alexis Bittar

Note the beautiful, veritably inlaid detail work on the majestic cast iron column to the left of the frame, and the graceful storefront window, both constructed no doubt later than the 1930s. Then consider the anorexic Alexis Bittar model, her tautly stretched skin aiding her rather Nazi like, comfortingly blank stare. Welcome to the new Bleecker Street. Bolshy Yarblockos it ain't pretty....sorry!

ONE WORLD ONE TASTE ONE KNISH

Located at 137 East Houston Street in the newly gentrified East Village, Yonah Schimmel is a saving grace amid the onslaught of development occuring in an area that only a few (3?) years ago still savored its industrial past. A walk down neighboring Ludlow Street is to experience Yunnies in all their glory. Anyway, Yonah Schimmel still makes old fashioned kugel and knishes as he has since the turn of the century -- the last one! While celebrating a friend's Father's Day we stepped into Yonah's and gorged ourselves on blueberry kugel. YUM! Schimmel's knish is even better, available in mushroom, sweet potato, cabbage, kasha, onion, broccoli, vegetable and spinach flavors. This place is an oasis of charm, and good eats! Let's pray that he can hold off the money men, developers, bankers, and bedheads. See http://knishery.com

Raceway Diner

I have this thing about old neon and chrome Diners. I've driven all over New Jersey to photograph and gawk at them, eat their home cooked meals and marvel at their history. Like New York's vanishing urban architecture, diner "googie" is becoming just as rare. A drive down NJ state highway 22 will bring you face to face with numerous hulks of the 50s diners age, but this Diner beauty resides in Yonkers, across from the raceway. This week's "gotta get out of town" pic.

Washington Square Park -- A Look Back

From Jeremiah's Vanishing New York: "New York has been changing since its inception. That's obvious. Blocks and buildings rise and fall. Seventy years ago, half of Houston Street vanished from the city--and the city survived. But today the rate of change has become excessive. Block after block after block, New York is devoured. We don't get one Avalon building, we get three. We don't get one Marc Jacobs store, we get half a dozen. Such is the inevitable march of progress today.

The things worth looking at in this city are dwindling. What we take in visually becomes our thoughts. When we look in the window of a pawnshop, we see stories--wedding rings tell of love lost and betrayed, guitars speak of dreams deferred, typewriters tell more tales than we can imagine here. What will our thoughts become when all that's left to see are the blank faces of condstrosities?"

http://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/

Slicing, Dicing, Veg-o-matic Man

"Attention ladies and gentlemen for a demonstration of one of the greatest wonders of the nuclear age! This handy dandy machine will perform all your kitchen duties, no muss, no fuss, and it even allows extra time for dessert!" Yet another sale for Union Square's most inventive salesman.

Hogs N Heifers

Everyone's favorite meatpacking bar. Even the cops get treated well here.

Washington Square Tapdance

Washington Suare Park attracts jazz musicians, giant singing troupes, Turrets Syndrome soloists, and one guy who sings to his upright bass like he's about to have a heart attack. Here, three revelers strut and croon in the old, pre-renovation park.

Jazz Lives!

Though I tend to cover the disappearing face of real New Yawk, one thing is not disappearing, something that is a major part of our city's legacy to the world: JAZZ! Here's trumpeter Steven Bernstein and band at a lower east side haunt.