Parade

See this video of a parade in the city, this was near Washington Square Park. Go Korea!

Marco ...... Polo!

Have you ever played polo? Like the game where you use a big hammer looking thing and you're on a horse...yea that one, well these guys in the lower east side played polo on bikes...it was pretty amazing!

Music in the City - Washington Square Park

Check this video out of a Jazz Band playing in Washington Square Park.....

Beethoven - big dog.....man size

I keep on hearing that dogs don't get that..that big, nothing that can take you head off. I also hear that dogs and their owners look-alike. While strolling around one weekend, I came across a giant big dog, something that looked like Beethoven on ARod's steroids, like what I expected to see in the Sandlot. It was huge, we'll I'm sure there are bigger, but this dog was drooling like his mouth was a faucet. Everyone stopped to take a picture of this behemoth. He looked harmless, cute almost, aside from the fact that he probably could eat a baby whole!

Cherry Blossoms

"There's nothing better than walking into a garden with flowers falling around you"...yea weird right, but honestly it's not too bad, especially when Japan is the next best thing...

The kid/doghouse

Here's a group of students making what looks like to be a luxurious kid/doghouse in Union Square.

First he liked it...so did the dog


Not so much anymore.

The cat guy

I see this guy with a cat on his head, and my impulse is to take a picture of him. I grab the camera out and I hear this lady shout, "hey joey..joey!!" I take the picture and try to pretend that it didn't happen when this dude says, "did you get the picture," of course I did, then he says, "we're looking for food." Now while this guy was saying this, he wasn't like a few feet away, he was like spiting in my eyeballs, cornering me. After one of these things happen to you, you get a little shook up, I gave him a few quarters and walked away. That was definitely a picture that didn't have to be taken...next time.

Personal Space

People in New York have no sense, nay respect of personal space. Like none, sneezing, biting their fingernails, absolutely none!!!! I'm in queens on a Saturday when everyone's getting a seat on the subway, I mean everyone, even the animals...dogs I mean. I'm waiting patiently on the platform, (not 9 3/4) 30 Ave, and I'm watching behind to see if the train is coming and out of no where, this woman decides to stand right in front of me, like literally in front of me, and there's gotta be about 20 people waiting for the subway, not the usual 200... The picture above was right after she arrived....I could not believe it. Too close for...anyone.

Pollen Alert

have you ever heard of a high pollen alert? Living in CA, i've never even imagined something like that....but as luck would have it and since anything and everything happens in this crazy city....this is a high pollen alert!!!

CHECK IT OUT!!!

http://www.weather.com/outlook/health/allergies/pollenalert/10001

Summer day in the fall

It's tough to prepare for a summer day when you're always wearing sweaters and jackets. One sunny day not to long ago the weather warmed up, and continued to get hotter, till it was like summer; nearly that early morning sweaty morning that turns in to nausea...Here's a photo of a girl clearly not handling it well, mind you this was 8:00am. For a second I laughed...cause if you don't it's just mean...

Advertising....

I'm walking around in Soho and I see this bag that says "Desigual" I'm thinking that, that person shopped there and got the bag, Bloomingdale's brown bag right. So I'm at a shoe store and see it again, and again and again!!! It's like the hottest thing since a summer day in the middle of a New York winter, and again and again I see this damn bag! What's so great about this store. I must have walked 3-4 blocks in Soho, nearly covering it all when finally I see this guy handing out 'that' bag, and this new store called "Desigual." It's pure genius, people walking around one of the busiest shopping areas in the world and giving out free bags, what's better than this! It definitly got me interested and while I know an ad sales guy, I never believe any of it....me....believer!

Lets put it like this, I saw the bag twenty times in about a 50 yard stretch....!!!!

Sleepin again

There's shopping, eating, drinking...you name it, but what I notice a lot of people doing is falling asleep, like all over the place, in the subways, at work...everywhere. On a hot day if you're not in a clothing store or a restaurant, you're probably in a book store and NYC does not have a shortage of those. There's the strand, mcnally, barnes & nobles, borders.....So while I was at a borders in Columbus circle I sat down and read a magazine and I look over to my left and see a guy nearly seizuring...you know that bobbing your head routine, and occasional slurp of your saliva...nothing was wrong but he was sleeping and snoring. Here's him in action...lack of...

Corner Bistro - zagat rated..psst

The number one rated burger joint in NYC supposedly has the(e) best burger in the world, like ever! Big, juicy, crunchy, and the fries...amazing.....Sounded too good to be true, and as luck would have it, it was. The food at the Corner Bistro was moderately good, and I'm talking about 2:00am food. Nothing good ever happens after 2:00am nor is the food ever decent, anywhere. Where's the most popular place to get food after 2:00am.....7 eleven! So I get there one afternoon around 1pm, and this burger joint is more like a dive bar. It was dark (mind you on a sunny day) inside, probably so you couldn't see what was on the floor. There were all sorts of elderly people drinking, and shooting the shit. I order a burger, fries and a McSorleys beer. The burger was crumbly, the fries were like potato chips, but the beer, was amazing! McSorelys beer definitely delivered. From the look of the food and bar, one would just think the food has to be good, not to mention everyone on this crazy island says it's good, but it's not. No way, I'm from the west and while I really hate to advertise and pretend like the best comes from there, the burgers are waaaaayy better over there. I mean miles!!!!! I'm disappointed, not just in the food, but the following of that place. The funny thing about that place is that right before I left this woman walks in with a label machine and asks for her usual, which is something in a small glass, probably a brandy and a then asks for a knife, then she chats it up with the bartender. Like that's her home. Mind you it was 1pm! This is the Starbucks for old people!

Who you gonna call!!!

I've never seen one of these, but it's a comforting feeling while walking in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in New York. Or is it?!

THE SHIRT

3 people bought the same shirt. I didn't see any instruments, no boy band there....I guess they thought it was cool.

Playing in the Park

The weather was nearly 'there' in NYC. For an entire weekend, it was summer-like conditions, but still the parks are not ready, here's a park worker yelling at sun bathers and film school students. It definitely made my day to see people jump over the railings and then jump back over because they were kicked out.

There were even signs, and gates!

THE CASE OF THE WIG

I came across a wig lying near a bank the other day. I don't know what happened, but here's what I think it happened.

THE CASE OF THE WIG

One day after a long day of work Blah (his/her name for now) decided to go out and get a drink. Blah and a few friends decided to go to Chinatown because they weren't making their quotas, and besides being broke, they were cheap.

So they got a drink and some sleazy dive bar, where English is the 2nd language and proceed to order something alcoholic but sweet and a few bucks. They're drinking and drinking when they realize that the guy having the worst day, Blah is sucking the table because he's drunk, no one has got him water and he thinks that sooner or later ..... (well who really knows what drunk people think). So his friends realize that he's wasted and decided that some bread might do him some good. They go to a local bakery, Taipan Bakery.


The bread is great and the pastries are even better, so they order a bit of both and they're supposedly soaking up their alcohol, when out comes the alcohol, pastries and other disgusting stuff, probably because the last thing they ate, was a bit puke-colored, green tea custard.


After puking they decide that its best if they go home. They're stumbling, like a babies first step, and are almost at the subway stop when they see some good looking girls. Being drunk, they holler a few stupid remarks, and as luck would have it, they get beat up a bit.... So they're back on course for the subway, when out of nowhere what do they see....a WIG!!!


They put it on, play around a bit, puke some more and finally go home. But what drunk people actually make it home on the subway. They all fall asleep and while going to queens they forget to get off and are in Coney Island, the get off somewhere....and decide to camp out. They're night was stupid and weird and they fall asleep on the steps of an apartment. Not theirs, but in Manhattan. Lucky bastards!

The End

Sitting on the Dock

When the weather is nice in NYC, no where is better, here's a few pics of a small little dock in Chelsea. This was before the rain came.

Getting Lost

I was near home, got lost and found a cute restaurant, like all Bakeries in NYC, they had Red Velvet Cupcakes, they were ... and I quote, "Too Moist" (like that's a bad thing). The restaurant was called, "Sage General Store" in Long Island City.

Japanese food + cotton candy = ....

Kenka in St. Mark's square in NYC is one of the funnest restaurants around, besides having really good food (Japanese), dirt cheap beer ($8 pitchers - always!), the worst chairs you can't buy, and a open room that all the customers can watch cooks smoke in, it has..... and not just any cotton candy, but many flavors, not to mention the fact that you get to/have to make it yourself. When out, what's better than ramen, Sapporo, dirty cooks smoking and Cotton Candy!!!

Nap time

Ever had a really tough day at work? Like so tough that you just need some alone, 'you' time? While I was eating lunch I could tell this guy wasn't having the greatest of days, and a few minutes later he fell asleep. Besides being on heavy construction machinery and the possibility of running people over, it was hilarious.

Movie set

While walking through Bryant Park I noticed a big sign, as it happens it was a sign for the same movie that had a bit of a problem lately. Remember hearing about a Movie stunt gone wrong? Roads were slick, people were hit with cars? Yea that's the same movie! If you haven't heard check out this article.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Architecture Richard

Check out these cool pics of buildings in New York (mostly in the Lower east side).

Brooklyn

Ever heard of "hipsters?" I don't know where the term came from nor do I care, as a New Yorker, I know where you can find some, Brooklyn. I unfortunately don't live there, but while taking a visit, it's fun to see the great parts of Brooklyn, then the not so good ones. It's funny, cultural, interesting and above all kinda scary!

Really, it's not scary, but ... just follow the people. When in brooklyn, do as the hipsters!

I don't remember what was in the bag...well because I paid good money to forget!

The Chipshop

The best fish and chips come from ..... well who really knows...but we all know that 'great' fish and chips come from London (and CT, Santa Cruz...Boston, and NYC). We really don't care why...they have the pound, Harry Potter, cute small cars, bangers and mash, the Beatles, tea time, but more importantly FISH and CHIPS. While watching some cooking show I saw a story on a restaurant, The Chipshop which apparently is known for it's amazing-cholesterol filled food. They are the ones that deep fry snickers, Twinkies, even pizza, and make amazing Fish and Chips. So one day I decided to check it out.

The food was flat out amazing. You know when you're kinda feeling down and want something nice and fried and as luck would have it the restaurant has fish and chips so you order them only to discover that about 15 mins into diving in you're full on the thick crispy batter? That did not happen at The Chipshop. The food makes you finally discover that it's not the fish that makes Fish and Chips sooo good, it's the batter!!!! You almost want more as soon as you're done, but the deep fried snickers and Twinkies really cause your undoing. As Mr. Baseball (movie) once said, "Japan takes everything and makes it her own," I know it's the same for NYC. Check it out some time...you'll love it! They even have recession special, and don't forget to order the supposedly spicy Ginger beer (it's damn good!)