Scribbles and Photos

Attic with a View The Series #1:   Hudson Rail Yard #2:   Just Two Hooks Hanging Out at the Yard #3:   Tinker Toys #4:   Tinker Toys in Reverse

Scaffolding in Primary Colors This is the other side of the tinker toys from my last post ( Tinker Toys ).  I spent a lovely (albeit cold) afternoon watching them put a part of this together a while back.  It hasn't changed much -- other than the fact that the construction guys are up on the 13th floor somewhere which makes it a little less exciting to visit. Scaffolding in Black & White The Series #1:   Hudson Rail Yard #2:   Just Two Hooks Hanging Out at the Yard #3:   Tinker Toys

Central Park Fall Tuesday -- December 2, 2014 -- is the third anniversary of #GivingTuesday, a global movement that was started by the 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation 2012.  It's the non-profit antidote to black Friday and cyber Monday.  This year over 13,000 organizations will be participating as will countless individuals and communities. I'll be kicking off my end of the year giving (yes, I am one of those people) with donations to: The AGS Health in Aging Foundation City Meals on Wheels Partnership for the Homeless Happy Thanksgiving! Orange Boat House Empty Spaces The photos are from a rainy day walk I took in Central Park a few weeks back.  I chronicled my walk in the empty spaces period (it was a shorter walk than the number of posts might suggest): #1:    Gapstow Bridge #2:    Rock Climbing #3:   Wollman Rink #4:   Paths #5:   The Dairy #6:   Shakespeare #7:   The Mall #8:   The Band Shell #9:   Bethesda Terrace #10: 

Tinker Toys It's kind of weird that the building on the southern end of Hudson Yards has glass going up on one side and yet is all scaffold on the other.   The scaffolding so reminds me of tinker toys (as opposed to an erector set) -- crazy good in a multi-colored sort of way. Tinker Toys in Black & White The Series #1:   Hudson Rail Yard #2:   Just Two Hooks Hanging Out at the Yard

Just Two Hooks Hanging Out at the Yard One thing about a big construction project ( Hudson Yards ) is that it takes cranes of all sizes to put it together.  The interesting thing about this particular construction project is that the Highline provides a pretty good view of the details -- like these crane hooks that were just hanging about on a recent Sunday afternoon walk along the Highline.  Hanging Out The Series #1:   Hudson Rail Yard

Hudson Rail Yard Recently, I took a couple of walks along the  Highline  -- an elevated park created from an out-of-use rail trestle that runs along the West side of Manhattan.  A new section opened in the past several months that winds it way around the Hudson rail yards and the massive construction project that is  Hudson Yards .  Spanning 28 acres, it is the largest private real estate development in US history.  Unfortunately for those of us who love trains, when it's all done, it will cover about three quarters of the rail yard.  Best better get our pictures while we can! Hudson Rail Yard -- Looking North

Right Angle The Series: #1:   Bedazzled #2:   Orange Pop #3:   Very Wet #4:   Triangle #5:   Co-existing

The Series: #1:   Bedazzled #2:   Orange Pop #3:   Very Wet #4:   Triangle

Triangle The Series: #1:   Bedazzled #2:   Orange Pop #3:   Very Wet

Very Wet The Series: #1:   Bedazzled #2:   Orange Pop

Orange Pop #1 in the Series:   Bedazzled

Bedazzled (1) Just before the end of my little rainy day jaunt in Central Park (it began at   Gapstow Bridge and ended at the Imagine mosaic with many a stop in between). I spent some time looking down.  At fallen leaves to be exact.  Rain fall and fallen leaves make for some interesting compositions. Bedazzled (2)

What better spot to end this impromptu tour of Central Park on a rainy day than at the Imagine mosaic that is the centerpiece of Strawberry Fields , a living memorial to the singer, song-writer John Lennon. I love this mosaic but it is hardly ever as peaceful as it was on a rainy day at the beginning of November.  Imagine.

Empty Bridge This bridge is a stop for many a formal engagement picture but not on a rainy Saturday in November.  On that day, the Bow Bridge was pretty devoid of foot traffic.  It marks the point where I decided I was a bit too cold to walk the rest of the way home and turned off for points west and the park exit as 72nd street. Bow Bridge on a Rainy Day

OK, not technically an empty space but if you've ever been around Bethesda Terrace (the main architectural feature of Central Park) on a sunny day you'll understand how empty it felt to this New Yorker out for a rainy day walk in Central Park on the eve of the NYC marathon (this series of posts  starts with Gapstow Bridge  and follows me north on a rainy day walk through Central Park). The Arcade Bethesda Arcade The Minton Tile Ceiling in the Bethesda Terrace Arcade is a must see for anyone visiting the park.  Most (as evidenced by the picture above) are more fascinated with the fountain that lies beyond the arcade.   On a rainy day, it was nice to pause in the arcade, swap out my lenses, and take shelter from the rain.  The lights were lit so the ceiling made for a particularly warm glow against the gray day outside. Minton Tile Ceiling The Fountain I have yet to take a picture of the Bethesda Terrace Foundation that I think does it justice.  My rainy day ja

It wasn't a great day to be a food vendor in Central Park.  Saturday, November 1, 2014 that is. Slow Day at the Cart

The Mall The mall is the grand boulevard of Central Park -- it is typically crowded with vendors, performers, artists, walkers, runners, and dogs.  It draws tourists and New Yorkers alike.   The mall stretches from the park drive up to Bethesda Terrace.  It was pretty deserted on a rainy Saturday with New Yorkers walking their dogs or hurrying along to the next destination and tourists hastily consulting maps and checking off that they'd seen the mall. It may not have been completely empty but surely it was emptier than I've ever seen it. Empty Benches

Will stands at the southern end of the mall -- informally known as Literary Walk.  His was the first statue to be commissioned.  I am waiting for a sculpture of a woman to be added to the pantheon of writers featured here.  My vote?  Emily Dickinson of course! William Shakespeare

The Dairy I don't spend a lot of time at the Dairy -- it just never seems to be on the route I typically take when walking in the park below 72nd Street.   There are some notable exceptions -- my 2012 search for the Sing for Hope Pianos ( I am Opus the Octopus and I Love Music ) and last year's Jazz & Colors Festival (which is returning to the park this year -- sadly on a day I can't go (whine)). Warm Lighting Beckons on a Rainy Day Like the Paths (my last post), the porch (for lack of a better word) of the Dairy was not entirely empty the visitor center/gift shop had just opened and a man was sorting his things while sheltering from the rain. Rainy Day Shelter

There are loads of paths and walkways in Central Park and my favorites are typically up in the northern hinterlands.  Mainly because they are less crowded than those below 72nd street.  Not so on the first Saturday in November (this is the fourth in a series that chronicles my rainy day walk through the lower park and that starts with Gapstow Bridge ). The walkway below is usually quite crowded given that it it is a fairly straight route for those who want to cut across the park from East to West (or West to East for that matter).   The only people stirring when I was there last Saturday were three guys.  On a normal (busy) weekend day,   Driprock Arch  houses a musician (saxophone or violin being the norm) and the puddle marks the summer home of many a blower of big bubbles ( Blowing Bubbles ).   Driprock Arch The path below is one of the western exits from Bethesda Terrace -- taking you towards Cherry Hill, Strawberry Fields, and -- most importantly to me -- the stand of

Wollman Rink on a Rainy Day I can honestly say that I have never seen  Wollman Rink  completely empty.   There were a few people lurking on the North side taking photos but in general, it was a very empty and lonely rink last Saturday morning.  It was just a tad bet before opening time so maybe it got a bit busier later in the day. The Terrace Overlooking Wollman Rink

Umbrella As I was leaving the rocks overlooking the Gapstow Bridge , a Japanese couple was arriving.  I hope they got some good shots of her overlooking the bridge. There is another set of rocks along the path that meanders its way north from the pond that is home to lots of rock scramblers who often take as a starting point the stairs to the path that wends its way around this outcropping.  It's not particularly tall but makes for a good vantage point overlooking Wollman Rink. Scrambling Rocks

Gapstow Bridge - Fall 2014 (from the Rocks) It is not too often that I have the lower part of Central Park to myself.  There are ballfields and a playground on the West side and the always picturesque Gapstow Bridge and the Pond on the East.  It's the starting point for many a carriage and, more recently, pedicab ride. So too, street performers populate the park south of 72nd street -- ranging from those who blow bubbles ( Blowing Bubbles ) to those who merely stand (Standing Still , Liberty Calling) to dancers, musicians, opera singers, puppeteers, and magicians (sadly I have posted no photos to my blog of these folks but they do exist -- particularly around the Band shell, Literary Walk, and Bethesda Terrace). Gapstow Bridge -- Fall 2014 (from the Path) Knowing the marathon was today (November 2nd), I decided to brave the elements (rain and a bit of wind) for a photo walk yesterday.  I have to give credit where credit is due as my little rain jacket from #NorthFace