The Architectural Embodiment Of Democracy . . . And A Great Place To Gab On Your Cell Phone!

Posted: March 5th, 2010 | Filed under: Manhattan

The Rose Main Reading Room at something called the “Stephen A. Schwarzman Building” . . .

New York Public Library, Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, Midtown Manhattan, October 13, 2009

New York Public Library, Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, Midtown Manhattan, October 13, 2009

New York Public Library, Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, Midtown Manhattan, October 13, 2009

Rose Main Reading Room, New York Public Library, Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, Midtown Manhattan, October 13, 2009

Rose Main Reading Room, New York Public Library, Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, Midtown Manhattan, October 14, 2009

Rose Main Reading Room, New York Public Library, Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, Midtown Manhattan, October 15, 2009

Rose Main Reading Room, New York Public Library, Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, Midtown Manhattan, October 19, 2009

Driving Through New Jersey

Posted: March 5th, 2010 | Filed under: Out Of Town

The New Jersey Turnpike between 7A and the Lincoln Tunnel:

New Jersey Turnpike Near Exit 8A, Middlesex County, New Jersey

New Jersey Turnpike Near Joyce Kilmer Service Area, Middlesex County, New Jersey

New Jersey Turnpike Near Exit 13, Union County, New Jersey

New Jersey Turnpike Near Exit 13, Union County, New Jersey

New Jersey Turnpike Near Exit 14, Essex County, New Jersey

New Jersey Turnpike Near Exit 15, Hudson County, New Jersey

New Jersey Turnpike Near Exit 15, Hudson County, New Jersey

When you cut through Trenton from Philadelphia via US 1, there’s one of those fantastic “stealth” cell phone towers designed to look like, say, a tree. It took a while but I finally figured out that this one is the TowerCo PA2036 Stealth Tree Tower in Morrisville, Pennsylvania:

TowerCo PA2036 Stealth Tree Cell Phone Tower, Falls Curtis Equipment, 65 My Lane, Morrisville, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia And Vicinity, Fall-Winter 2009

Posted: March 5th, 2010 | Filed under: Out Of Town

Catching up on various Philadelphia-area stuff from the end of 2009 . . .

After shooing away skateboarders at LOVE Park, the City gave them free reign under I-95 in FDR Park:

FDR Park, South Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

FDR Skatepark, FDR Park, South Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Dream Garden mosaic at the Curtis Center:

The Dream Garden, Curtis Center, 6th Street and Walnut Street, Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Elsewhere in Center City, the I.M. Pei-designed Society Hill Towers (what’s with this guy anyway, getting props for these hulking monstrosities in the middle of low-slung neighborhoods? He’s also responsible for the Silver Towers in Greenwich Village, which was recently landmarked and similarly absurd . . .). The intriguing Rohm and Haas Building. Foglietta Plaza, somewhat forgotten between Society Hill and Penn’s Landing. Welcome Park. Great meal at Jose Garces’ Amada Restaurant.

In South Philadelphia, the Holiday Inn Stadium, which is actually a lot bigger than it looks from the baseball stadium:

Holiday Inn Stadium From Section 331, Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 4, 2009

(The Holiday Inn was featured on an episode of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia.)

Driving through Frankford and Kensington to visit Philadelphia Brewing Company (they have tours on Saturday and the beer is highly recommended!). In Frankford, Womrath Park, which Jen said was the site of various punk shows in the late 1990s (and which was also known as “Hooker Park” back then).

In Port Richmond, Byrne’s Tavern and Green Rock Tavern, which has a JFA paisley skateboard (check out those rail and tail guards!) that must be 25 years old . . . wow:

Green Rock Tavern, 2546 East Lehigh Avenue, Port Richmond, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Jim’s Steaks in Northeast Philadelphia.

Main Street and Dekalb Street in Norristown over in Montgomery County.

Florida Gulf Coast, November 6-11, 2009

Posted: March 2nd, 2010 | Filed under: Out Of Town

Another trip to Longboat Key, Florida at the beginning of November . . .

They were selling Yankees gear in the JetBlue terminal at JFK on the morning of November 6:

Yankees World Series Merchandise For Sale, Terminal 5, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Queens, New York, Queens, New York, November 6, 2009

Meanwhile, flying over a thoroughly dejected city of Philadelphia:

Center City Philadelphia From Airplane, Philadelphia, Pennsyvlania, November 6, 2009

The beach at Longboat Key. I think this is a Great Blue Heron:

Longboat Key Beach, Longboat Key, Florida, November 8, 2009

Longboat Key Beach, Longboat Key, Florida, November 8, 2009

There’s this great vestigial ranch house sitting abandoned among the resorts along the beach:

Longboat Key Beach, Longboat Key, Florida, November 8, 2009

Longboat Key Beach, Longboat Key, Florida, November 8, 2009

Longboat Key Beach, Longboat Key, Florida, November 8, 2009

Hurricane Ida kicked up relatively big waves on the 9th of November:

Longboat Key Beach, Longboat Key, Florida, November 9, 2009

We stayed, as usual, at the Four Winds Beach Resort. Here are pictures of the St. Mary Star of the Sea Church.

In Sarasota, Central Avenue in the Rosemary District and the Boatyard Boardwalk Shops.

We went back to the Star Fish Company in Cortez, which deserves all the accolades it gets, plus some — excellent fresh fish in a low-key setting. The Peel & Eat Gulf Coast shrimp are fantastic (we don’t really eat the shrimp they serve up in New York, so this was a treat — not trying to be snobby, just that shrimp flown in from elsewhere usually sucks — at the same time, it was really depressing to see the local Publix sell those shitty Thai shrimp rings — yuck), as are the mullet and grouper (can’t remember which is which, but I think the first is the grouper and the second is the mullet):

Peel and Eat Shrimp, Star Fish Company, 12306 46th Avenue West, Cortez, Florida, November 9, 2009

Fish Dinner, Star Fish Company, 12306 46th Avenue West, Cortez, Florida, November 9, 2009

Fish Dinner, Star Fish Company, 12306 46th Avenue West, Cortez, Florida, November 9, 2009

Long Island City, Fall 2009

Posted: February 24th, 2010 | Filed under: Queens

The Queens West Sportsfield:

Queens West Sportsfield, 5th Street and 47th Avenue, Hunters Point, Long Island City, Queens, October 1, 2009

Queensbridge Park:

Queensboro Bridge From Queensbridge Park, Long Island City, Queens, October 20, 2009

You’ve perhaps heard of the Little Red Lighthouse. This is the Little Red Comfort Station at Queensbridge Park:

Comfort Station and Queensboro Bridge, Queensbridge Park, Long Island City, Queens, October 20, 2009

What’s called by one local newspaper Lake Vernon Boulevard at the stalled River East project:

River East Site/Lake Vernon Boulevard, 44-02 Vernon Boulevard, Long Island City, Queens, October 20, 2009

The whimsical Recycle-A-Bicycle Urban Garden underneath the Queensboro Bridge along Vernon Boulevard:

Recycle-A-Bicycle Urban Garden, Vernon Boulevard and Queens Plaza South, Long Island City, Queens, November 4, 2009

Other stuff: A Drive Across the Queensboro Bridge; Silvercup Studios; Century Rubber Supply on Jackson Avenue.

The North Recreation and Interpretive Area of Gantry Plaza State Park is one of our new favorite spots. Every week we’d head down there after work to hang out. A series of pages from those days, which I’ve posted all in one chunk. First, trying to capture the moon setting over Lower Manhattan from the North Recreation and Interpretive Area of Gantry Plaza State Park on August 25, 2009:

North Recreation and Interpretive Area, Gantry Plaza State Park, Hunters Point, Long Island City, Queens, August 25, 2009, 9:37 p.m.

Watching what seemed to be a recent graduate’s picture being taken for a portfolio of some sort at the North Recreation and Interpretive Area of Gantry Plaza State Park on September 1, 2009:

North Recreation and Interpretive Area, Gantry Plaza State Park, Hunters Point, Long Island City, Queens, September 1, 2009

The setting sun and some pictures of the Pepsi-Cola sign from the North Recreation and Interpretive Area of Gantry Plaza State Park on September 8, 2009:

North Recreation and Interpretive Area, Gantry Plaza State Park, Hunters Point, Long Island City, Queens, September 8, 2009, 7:21 p.m.

Pepsi-Cola Sign, North Recreation and Interpretive Area, Gantry Plaza State Park, Hunters Point, Long Island City, Queens, September 8, 2009

Just when they open the park, more work, this time for a children’s play area in the North Recreation and Interpretive Area of Gantry Plaza State Park, from October 6, 2009:

North Recreation and Interpretive Area, Gantry Plaza State Park, Hunters Point, Long Island City, Queens, October 6, 2009

Four Wongs (And One Yee Li) Make A Night

Posted: February 19th, 2010 | Filed under: Feed, Manhattan

Back in October, BATC friend Mary organized a duck tour of Manhattan’s Chinatown that included some of her favorite low-budget spots for roasted duck and Peking duck. She called it a duck tour — we’re calling it a Duck Walk. We visited five (!) places in about six hours: Big Wing Wong, Hoy Wong, Big Wong, Hsin Wong and Yee Li.

Big Wing Wong Restaurant, 3:40 p.m.:

Roasted Duck, Big Wing Wong Restaurant, 102 Mott Street, Chinatown, Lower Manhattan, October 10, 2009, 3:40 p.m.

Hoy Wong Restaurant, 4:33 p.m.:

Peking Duck, Hoy Wong Restaurant, 81 Mott Street, Chinatown, Lower Manhattan, October 10, 2009, 4:33 p.m.

Big Wong Restaurant, 5:11 p.m.:

Big Wong Restaurant, 67 Mott Street, Chinatown, Lower Manhattan, October 10, 2009, 5:11 p.m.

Hsin Wong Restaurant, 6:10 p.m.:

Hsin Wong Restaurant, 72 Bayard Street, Chinatown, Lower Manhattan, October 10, 2009, 6:10 p.m.

I’ll take this as an argument for eating out more often:

Fortune, Hsin Wong Restaurant, 72 Bayard Street, Chinatown, Lower Manhattan, October 10, 2009, 7:08 p.m.

We needed a break after Hsin Wong, so we took a short walk and visited Mei Dick:

Mei Dick Barber Shop, 37 Mott Street, Chinatown, Lower Manhattan, October 10, 2009, 7:31 p.m.

Yee Li Restaurant, 8:14 p.m.:

Peking Duck, Yee Li Restaurant, 1 Elizabeth Street, Chinatown, Lower Manhattan, October 10, 2009, 8:14 p.m.

Mary asked us to rate the places. Here were my notes:

  • 1. Yee Li — though [this came at the end of the night and] we were stuffed, I think this may have been the best, plus [we liked the] floppy fish [which writhed on the ground near the tanks in front of the restaurant after getting dropped by one of the chefs]
  • 2. Hoy Wong — [A local] favorite, right? I kind of agree . . . though the server may have extra beered us to inflate the check
  • 3. Big Wing Wong — hard to remember, but I recall comparing this halfway through and thinking it was solid
  • 4. Hsin Wong — then again, Hsin Wong (friendly server, right?) was pretty good, too — maybe switch with Big Wing Wong (or is that wong to say?) [Ed note: Ugh!]
  • 5. Big Wong — if memory serves, this was saltier and not as fatty

I later learned from something called “Yelp” that Yee Li is apparently owned by the same people as Hsin Wong, which could account for some of our difficulty differentiating the different ducks.

Bonus points go to Yee Li for their useful “Mr. Wipes”:

Mr. Wipe, Yee Li Restaurant, 1 Elizabeth Street, Chinatown, Lower Manhattan, October 10, 2009, 8:13 p.m.

No clue how you’d pronounce “Lrmgobao” toilet tissue:

Yee Li Restaurant, 1 Elizabeth Street, Chinatown, Lower Manhattan, October 10, 2009, 8:42 p.m.

Also at Yee Li, this fortune that I’m still trying to figure out:

Fortune, Yee Li Restaurant, 1 Elizabeth Street, Chinatown, Lower Manhattan, October 10, 2009, 8:51 p.m.

So many places insist they don’t use MSG — then you see something like this on the street outside:

Monosodium Glutamate Container, Bayard Street and Elizabeth Street, NW Corner, Chinatown, Lower Manhattan, October 10, 2009, 9:02 p.m.

I believe this is known as the universal symbol for “happy ending”:

84 Bayard Street, Chinatown, Lower Manhattan, October 10, 2009, 9:06 p.m.

Historic Philadelphia Jail!

Posted: February 16th, 2010 | Filed under: Out Of Town

A visit to the Eastern State Penitentiary in the Fairmount neighborhood of Philadelphia back in October:

Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Avenue, Fairmount, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Barber Chair, Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Avenue, Fairmount, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Avenue, Fairmount, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Cell, Cellblock 1, Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Avenue, Fairmount, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Al Capone’s well-appointed cell, restored to what it looked like when he had a stint there:

Al Capone's Cell, Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Avenue, Fairmount, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Some of the facility has been restored, but sections such as Cellblock 12 retain their dilapidated Romantic charm:

Cellblock 12, View From Second Floor, Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Avenue, Fairmount, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Nice views of Center City from the Exercise Yard:

Baseball Diamond, Central Guard Tower and Center City Skyline From Exercise Yard, Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Avenue, Fairmount, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

September 26-27, 2009

Posted: February 10th, 2010 | Filed under: Out Of Town

Out to Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania for the Bloomsburg Fair . . .

September 26, 2009

Drove past the Meadowlands Sports Complex on an accident-related detour and saw Giants Stadium one last time:

Meadowlands Sports Complex, East Rutherford, New Jersey, September 26, 2009

Because of the detour, we couldn’t figure out how to get to Tick Tock Diner in Clifton so we tried a new one, the Versailles Diner on Route 46 in Fairfield.

The Pine Brook Motor Lodge in Pine Brook, New Jersey on the way to Interstate 80:

Pine Brook Motor Lodge, 12 Route 46 West, Pine Brook, New Jersey

The Bloomsburg Fair:

Bloomsburg Fair Court of Champions, Agriculture Hall, Bloomsburg Fair, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, September 26, 2009

Didn’t notice the hilariously snippy comments in the flower arrangement competition in the Horticulture Hall the last time we went to the fair:

Horticulture Hall, Bloomsburg Fair, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, September 26, 2009

We of course overindulged in pit beef and pierogies:

Beef Sandwich, Top Of The Beef, Bloomsburg Fair, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, September 26, 2009

Pierogies, Christ The King Church Homemade Pierogies, Bloomsburg Fair, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, September 26, 2009

And then there’s the livestock:

Swine Barn, Bloomsburg Fair, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, September 26, 2009

Swine Barn, Bloomsburg Fair, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, September 26, 2009

And poultry and rabbits:

Poultry & Rabbit Exhibit Building, Bloomsburg Fair, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, September 26, 2009

Poultry & Rabbit Exhibit Building, Bloomsburg Fair, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, September 26, 2009

And an exhaustive Russ Berrie Figurine collection in the Arts and Crafts Hall:

Russ Berrie Figurines Collection, Arts and Crafts Hall, Bloomsburg Fair, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, September 26, 2009

Slept at the Pine Barn Inn in Danville.

September 27, 2009

For breakfast, ate a Cheesesteak Omelette at the New Bloomsburg Diner (mmm):

Cheesesteak Omelette, New Bloomsburg Diner, 161 East Main Street, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania

Drove through Catawissa on our way to Knoebels Amusement Park in Elysburg:

Knoebels Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pennsylvania

Rode on The Phoenix and Twister roller coasters, two wood-frame thrill rides at Knoebels:

The Phoenix Roller Coaster, Knoebels Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pennsylvania

Twister Roller Coaster, Knoebels Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pennsylvania

Here’s what The Phoenix is like:

Rode on the Skyway up to the top of one of the hills in the valley there:

Skyway, Knoebels Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pennsylvania

Bought pumpkins at Richard’s Scattered Acres Farm Market just down the road from Knoebels:

Richard's Scattered Acres Farm Market, Pennsylvania Route 487, Elysburg, Pennsylvania

Drove through Mt. Carmel on our way to Centralia to see the Underground Mine Fire steaming at the surface of the abandoned town:

Underground Mine Fire, Centralia, Pennsylvania, September 27, 2009

Ate fantastic pumpkin soft serve at May’s Drive In in Ashland, Pennsylvania:

May's Drive In, Memorial Drive and Centre Street, NE Corner, Ashland, Pennsylvania, September 27, 2009

Made it to the Tick Tock Diner in Clifton, New Jersey on the way home for dinner:

Tick Tock Diner, 281 Allwood Road, Clifton, New Jersey, September 27, 2009

Arizona, September 16-20, 2009

Posted: February 4th, 2010 | Filed under: Out Of Town

September 16, 2009

Ate at a couple of new places — America’s Taco Shop in Central Phoenix (named for its proprietor and not necessarily the country), Cyclo Vietnamese Cuisine in Chandler, Angel Sweet Gelato in Chandler and got drinks at SideBar in Central Phoenix.

September 17, 2009

A trip out of Phoenix to Jerome and Prescott via Black Canyon City and the Black Canyon Greyhound Park, which was a dog track and not a dog rack:

Black Canyon Greyhound Park, Old Black Canyon Highway, Black Canyon City, Arizona

Then the World’s Largest Kokopelli in Camp Verde:

World's Largest Kokopelli, Krazy Kokopelli Trading Post, 1620 Finnie Flats Road (Arizona State Route 260), Camp Verde, Arizona

Through Cottonwood, then up the hill to Jerome, the old mining town that was resurrected as a tourist destination. The Main Street is quaint, its Upper Park is a nice vantage point from which to take in the scene and there is surprisingly good wine to taste at the Caduceus Cellars Tasting Room, founded by the lead singer of Tool (no kidding!). You can also try the Caduceus wines at the Jerome Grand Hotel’s restaurant, which has really nice views of the Verde Valley:

Wine Tasting, The Asylum, Jerome Grand Hotel, 200 Hill Street, Jerome, Arizona

View of Jerome and Verde Valley From The Asylum, Jerome Grand Hotel, 200 Hill Street, Jerome, Arizona

We returned to Phoenix via Prescott, stopping by Whiskey Row across from Courthouse Plaza and getting a drink at one of its older saloons:

The Palace Restaurant and Saloon, 120 South Montezuma Street, Whiskey Row, Prescott, Arizona

There are a lot of old motels on Gurley Street as you’re heading out of town and the road through Prescott Valley illustrates the sprawl still happening in the exurban Southwest:

5600 Market Street From Arizona State Route 69, Prescott Valley, Arizona

Back in Phoenix we ate a late dinner at Hanny’s in Downtown Phoenix. A cool example of a repurposed space downtown, Hanny’s the department store closed in the 1980s and fortunately was never gobbled up by real estate speculators:

Hanny's, 40 North 1st Street, Phoenix, Arizona

September 18, 2009

Ate at Gallo Blanco in The Clarendon Hotel — again, nice to see Phoenix using/reusing old spaces instead of always tearing down and building up. The Clarendon Hotel has a bust of journalist Don Bolles in the lobby. A quirky Phoenix historical footnote, Bolles was murdered by a car bomb in 1976 while investigating organized crime in Arizona. Kind of weird to think that that happened in Phoenix — you associate that kind of thing with other places — Chicago, New York, I guess Russia these days. But when you’re visiting, stop in at the Clarendon (it looks good now!) and check out the memorial to Bolles:

Don Bolles Bust, The Clarendon Hotel, 401 West Clarendon Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona

Christown Lanes is a bowling alley with a great 1960s look:

Christown Lanes, 1919 West Bethany Home Road, Phoenix, Arizona

Someday, maybe not any time soon, people will start to take a closer look at 1980s boom-style architecture like the Security Title Plaza building on Central Avenue:

Security Title Plaza, 3636 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona

I read that Circles Records & Tapes in Downtown Phoenix finally closed in December:

Circles Records & Tapes, 800 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona, September 18, 2009

September 19, 2009

Photographing sunsets is a compulsive and addictive behavior:

Sunset, Phoenix, Arizona, September 16, 2009, 6:30 p.m.

Some remnants of Downtown Phoenix:

New Windsor Hotel, 546 West Adams Street, Phoenix, Arizona

City Center Motel, 600 West Van Buren Street, Phoenix, Arizona

September 20, 2009

A Diamondbacks game at Chase Field:

D. Baxter the Bobcat, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Colorado Rockies, View From Section 127, Chase Field, Phoenix, Arizona, September 20, 2009

September 8-14, 2009

Posted: January 31st, 2010 | Filed under: Manhattan, Out Of Town, Queens

I always liked the view from the rooftop parking garage at The Shoppes At Northern Boulevard, otherwise known as the place where there’s a Chuck E. Cheese on Northern Boulevard:

Manhattan Skyline From Rooftop Parking Lot, The Shoppes at Northern Boulevard, 48-18 Northern Boulevard, Long Island City, Queens

The Employees Must Wash Hands sign at the Forest Hills Trader Joe’s is funny, and a departure from the usual generic version:

Employees Must Wash Hands, Trader Joe's, 9030 Metropolitan Avenue, Forest Hills, Queens, September 8, 2009

St. Vincent’s Hospital Manhattan has been in the news a lot lately. The 60s facade of its 36 Seventh Avenue building is charming, for a hospital:

St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan, 12th Street and Seventh Avenue, NW Corner, West Village, Manhattan

The whimsical birdhouse-type contraptions at McCarthy Square in the Village don’t look as if they’re Parks Department-approved, and that’s a good thing:

McCarthy Square, Seventh Avenue, Charles Street and Waverly Place, West Village, Manhattan

Another iteration of a Barneys ad on the side of the building next to the Tiles For America display in the West Village:

Tiles For America New York City Memorial, Seventh Avenue and 11th Street, West Village, Manhattan, September 9, 2009

The Ace of Cakes guy was at the Beard House:

Duff Goldman, Beard House, 167 West 12th Street, West Village, Manhattan, September 9, 2009

The Tribute in Light from a corner of Long Island City:

Tribute in Light from Borden Avenue and Vernon Boulevard, Hunters Point, Long Island City, Queens, September 12, 2009

Maxwell’s in Hoboken:

Maxwell's, 1039 Washington Street, Hoboken, New Jersey

On the way back from Hoboken, I noticed an ancient paint “ghost” under about 250 paint layers on the 7 train tracks in the 5th Avenue-Bryant Park subway station. It’s not there anymore (or it is, just under a new layer of paint):

7 Train Platform, 5 Avenue-Bryant Park Subway Station, Midtown Manhattan, September 14, 2009