Horrible and Miserable

Hunt's Point is not the first place visitors or photographers want to go. And that's fine with me - no crowds, no competition. It has the most extraordinary conglomeration of commercial establishments I have ever seen. In an article in the New York Times entitled "Motor City," the area is referred as a "grease monkey mecca, with almost 200 junkyards, garages and used auto parts shops packed into a couple of square miles." Subsequent to the article, a resident who seemed quite offended sent a letter, stating that there was an "explosion of vibrant artist and performance communities and theaters, as well as a bustling community that works hard to improve Hunts Point's quality of life."
There may in fact be one, but any pioneering activities certainly misrepresents the situation. I can't say that I combed every square meter of the place, but I did cover some ground, and this is one of the most blighted looking areas I have ever seen (however, I haven't been to Camden, New Jersey, yet.) See another photo here.

Its very extreme nature is what makes it such a photographer's paradise. Everything it does have is bigger and better - junkyards, used auto parts dealers, garages, prostitution, and the Hunt's Point Terminal Market. And garbage bags - it is unfortunate that I did my article on plastic bags before I visited here - I was awed by a collection ensnared by barbed wire.

I'm neither a Luddite nor the type to romanticize the edgy - I don't prefer vinyl over CDs or a Holga or Lomo camera over my digital. I don't mind a clean neighborhood or renovation. I would prefer an afternoon in the Tuillierie Gardens of Paris over a stroll through Greenpoint, Brooklyn. But I do have a fascination with the very dull, mundane, boring, nondescript, or if I am lucky, the really horrible. I have posted on many subjects of this nature, in some cases even a place or building for which there is no reason to give a second glance. Why? Because these subjects force you to look and be aware, to find something of interest. I do love the the glorious, wonderful, beautiful, and magnificent - so easy to enjoy. It's the horrible that is a challenge to appreciate.

I am reminded of a passage in Annie Hall where Woody Allen says that life is divided into the horrible and the miserable and that you should be thankful that you're only miserable. Perhaps thats one of the things I like about Hunt's Point - it makes me happy that I am only miserable :)

Related Postings: Tribute, Travesty in Travertine, Secrets of Ozone, Mary Celeste

No MSG

At one time in New York City, MSG and its avoidance were big dining concerns. In April 1968, Robert Ho Man Kwok wrote a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine, and coined the term "Chinese restaurant syndrome." In 1969, an article appeared in Science Magazine which linked the syndrome to MSG. Many symptoms were attributed to the Chinese Restaurant Syndrome like numbness, chest pain, headache, nausea, rapid heartbeat, drowsiness, and weakness. The whole issue is extremely contentious - glutamate is an amino acid which occurs naturally in many foods. Scientists are divided and no definitive studies have linked MSG specifically with these symptoms.
In NYC, we have the largest Chinatown in the USA and Chinese food has been one of New York City's most popular cuisines. So, understandably, amid all this, concern for MSG reached a fever pitch particularly when eating Chinese food - consumers were worried and waiters interrogated about the presence of MSG in meals. Restaurants responded and soon the phrase "No MSG" appeared on Chinese restaurant windows and menus everywhere, a counterpoint to the ubiquitous "No Radio" in automobile windows on the streets (see my story here).
But there is an unbridled audacity here in New York City and even with heightened sensitivity to many issues, many will act in opposition to prevailing attitudes and practices. I have seen a woman in a vegetarian restaurant wearing a full length fur. So I should not have been surprised, that even after 4 decades of anti-msg sentiment, I would walk into a store in Chinatown in 2009 and find a virtual MSG section. This store is apparently completely unfazed by any concerns about MSG. It was not a small inventory of a branded version like Accent or a few containers hidden discreetly. No, here at Tan Tin Hung at 121 Bowery, you could find a long shelf of the white powder in clear plastic bags with generic type in bright red prominently displayed in the first aisle. There were variants in granular size and bag weights. You can buy it by the pound here.
This is America, and although it is getting more difficult to poison ourselves and others, we still have the right to have headaches if we want :)

No Frills

You wake up one morning and something or somethings are different - like the morning of 9/11. I've been through recessions, but not like this one. I recently spoke to one of the suppliers for my business - Quebecor World - the second largest printer in the world. Sales were down 35% in 2008 and they owe $735 million on revolving credit. We have a wave of bankruptcies - Circuit City closing 155 stores, Sharper Image, Linens 'n Things... These are household names and really big numbers - stores closing, percentage of sales down, money owed.
Certainly the media does not help, and I don't want to add fuel to the fire. But you make assumptions. Like National Wholesale Liquidators will be there forever. I thought bankruptcy lawyers and discount retailers were supposed to be the survivors in a faltering economy.
But the New York Times reported in November 2008 that National Wholesale Liquidators was filing for bankruptcy and closing nearly all their stores. So I was shocked this week to find closing signs with announcements of a 90% off sale. Now these kinds of discounts are frequently touted but rarely to be seen, but the 90% off was real - $2.99 items selling for 29 cents. It was a real fire sale - by the time I got there, nearly an entire store was stripped clean. See the interior here - amazing.
This store served the needs of many. Everyone I know had been in at one time or another to purchase something from the inventory of 120,00 items. They carried many brand name closeouts. Food could be found, along with hardware, electronics, housewares, clothing, paper goods, etc.
There was no charm in this store or ambiance whatsoever. In fact a spokesman for the company said:

"Contrary to most chains, the store pays no attention to presentation, or to customer expectations, but only to what can be bought on the world market most cheaply. 'We buy closeouts, end runs, overruns, imports,' [chain spokesman] Pidgeon said. "When someone makes 5,000 cases too many of a product, we buy it. Those cases end up in piles on the concrete sales floor."

Yet somehow the complete lack of charm was their charm. No chills, no thrills, no frills...

About the Company: National Wholesale Liquidators is based in Hempstead, New York. It was founded in 1984 by Eva Rosen and remained a family owned business (Carl, Eva Rosen and their children). The company had over 50 stores in 12 states with nearly 2000 employees. Reasons for closing were a cut in their credit line ($15 million cut by General Electric) and declining consumer sales.

Itching and ...

Two things about this car parked in the streets of Manhattan stand out - it really looks out of place and it is so pristine.
There are many unique considerations about owning an automobile in New York as opposed to someone outside the city. They generally are used less frequently by owners so the occasions to flaunt them are fewer and no opportunity to display them in your driveway in front of your McMansion. They are often street parked - either on an occasional or permanent day-to-day basis, so they are vulnerable to whomever and whatever. They are much more expensive to maintain here with parking that runs several hundred dollars per month along with high insurance costs. And except for the extremely wealthy who may have drivers, a car will still only meet some of your travel needs - trains, buses, taxis and walking will still be the staple transportation diet around town for residents even with cars. Most will use their automobiles to leave the city. Hence, for most, automobiles in New York City take on a much more utilitarian role - a car here is really a luxury, an indulgence and a sports car even more so. So a sight like this Plymouth Prowler will turn heads (read more about this car here). When I took this photo, I waited for a group of tourists to finish their photo opportunity.
When you park a car like this on the streets of New York City, like it or not, you are taking a risk and making a statement. There are chances of dents and dings from parkers and pedestrians. Auto theft. Vandalism. Park a Lamborghini on the streets of New York City and you are saying you have money to burn.
And then there is something that I have seen before and is difficult to erase from my mind. That surface is so smooth, shiny, it's just itching. I don't want to say it - I don't even want to think it, but everyone knows what every itch is saying and what mom always told you not to do - scratch it ...

Photo Note: Cars make a great photo subject - it's hard to go wrong with a gleaming vehicle like this. I have done a number of postings related to cars and bikes: Hoopmobile, Who See the Red, Machine, Extreme Cadillac.

Tết

One of the unique advantages of being in a very large melting pot like New York City are the cultural events and celebrations. Today is the lunar new year - Tết for the Vietnamese and Chinese New Year ...
Yesterday, on the eve of the lunar new year an annual parade was held in Chinatown but I opted for the Lunar New Year celebration and Flower Market at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to experience a broader range of Asian cultures, particularly Vietnamese. DVL Dance Vietnam was doing a presentation in the Palm House, however an enormous line had formed well in advance and no seats were available.
All events were indoors and most of the programs family oriented. My understanding was that Tết is an enormous celebration in Vietnam - the largest of the year with preparations weeks in advance. You can read more about it here.
Lunar New Year Celebrations are spread out over a period of time here - calendars show activities and least another week. Today there is an Firecracker Ceremony & Cultural Festival in Chinatown. Sunday February 1st is the annual Chinatown Parade. Saturday, January 31, 2009 is the Lunar New Year Parade - January 31, 2009. There are many more activities this week.
I also took a trip to Tan Tin Hung, 121 Bowery in Chinatown, which carries the largest range of Vietnamese groceries in the city. Prominently placed right at the entryway was Banh Tết and Banh Chung. These are Vietnamese cakes with sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves (Banh Chung is wrapped in dong leaves), eaten during the Vietnamese Lunar New Year. The sign in magic marker on cardboard in Vietnamese was a badge of authenticity ...

Acquired Taste

New Yorkers can be extremely ethnocentric. I have frequently had discussions about popularity of the arts in the United States and many believe, for example, that opera is very popular in America. If you stood in Lincoln Center on a night where Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti were singing and tickets were nowhere to be found, of course it appears that opera is very popular. If you go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on a nice weekend day, it appears that the masses are interested in fine art.
But the reality is that fine arts, classical music, ballet and opera are haute cuisines and many, such as opera, are consumed by a very small, rarefied, older, well-heeled audience or students. These facts escape many New Yorkers who only see the world through very special glasses. Travel through America and you will find how few have ever attended an opera or even know who Puccini is.
Admittedly, these fine arts are not a necessity, but like any form of education or culture, they greatly improve a person. They are not practical. Unfortunately most things in this country fall to a common denominator - that which can be quantified or used as a tool to do something that can be quantified. So the sciences are always favored over the arts which are routinely cut from school programs. I say this as someone who saw himself as strictly a science and math person when younger - the last thing I expected in life was that I would be doing photography or writing.
Like it or not, to get most people interested in the arts, you need a hook and for most, a little drama will serve as that hook. Something large, incredibly ornate or very expensive usually provides the drama needed. So to take someone to the Metropolitan Museum of Art who has no particular love of art, my first choices are the Egyptian wing or medieval armor (seen in the photo). People understand armor and most are fascinated by weaponry and other accoutrement of the world. The large imposing figures on horseback are very compelling. With some luck, this experience may served as an appetizer, possibly leading to larger meals of art later on.
Now many would say, why force feed a person with these things? If something is not immediately satisfying, why bother? Because I believe art, like many finer things, is an acquired taste. Appreciation and love comes with exposure over time. The full depth and breadth of Beethoven's work can not be instantly appreciated - difficult for many to understand in a world of immediate gratification. But the pleasure one can derive from something more sophisticated can be great. For most people, if they look back over their lives, they see incremental improvements in taste and standards with no desire to go back. Enjoying finer things and haute cuisine are not snobbery for its own sake, just a different perspective of those with an acquired taste ...

Shrine to Beef

In reviewing my photo archives, I came across a series of images that astounds me now as much as the day I took them. Why astounded? Because in Manhattan, the last thing I ever imagined was a place that for all intents and purposes looks like a shrine to beef (see photos inside here). Even the outdoor signage and name seemed like it belonged in Texas or Michigan. I never posted the photos because at the time I found them too rough and was looking to a future opportunity to photograph the store in a more flattering light. In retrospect, a silly consideration, after all this is the reality of the place and its environment. It would be difficult to photograph this place in a way that exudes bucolic charm or is more polished.
Perhaps I have lived too insular an existence, but New York City, particularly Manhattan, always seemed to be a city of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fish. Of course I know that meat is eaten here - virtually every menu in the city has meat. But a store like this seems so out of place. We do have a gun shop (see here) or shooting ranges like that in the private club Tiro A Segno, but this is not the place where many mingle with members of the National Rifle Association.
Western Beef has 21 stores in the five boroughs. This places sells all types of meat along with many other grocery items. Since the time this photo was taken (2006), the store has moved from 403a West 14th street shown in the photo in the meat packing district to 16th street. According to their website, "Western Beef, Inc. establishes supermarkets primarily in inner-city neighborhoods abandoned by many other supermarket chains." This was certainly true of the area at one time - on a stroll through the meatpacking district one would see trucks, sides of beef hanging from hooks, entrails being packed into drums and prostitutes at night. The area was defined by beef at every business level - wholesalers, distributors, retailers and restaurants like Old Homestead.
However, now the area is très chic with fashion boutiques, hotels, the Diane von Furstenbrug complex and a new Apple Store. As the meat packing district becomes completely gentrified, perhaps we should consider opening a museum to preserve the history of the area, perhaps calling it Shrine to Beef :)

Related Posts: Roof Gem, Meatup, Old Homestead, Pastis, Secret Society, Gun Shop.

Stemming the Tide

There is a nervousness in this country like nothing I have ever seen. Worry runs deep and New York City, with all its wealth, has not escaped. It is difficult to find places where all feels well and even in affluent neighborhoods, many retailers do not look or feel well. Even the Haves worry about the plight of the Have-Nots, because, perhaps, for the first time, some of the Haves see a possibility of joining the ranks of the Have-Nots.
Yesterday was inauguration day and President-elect Barack Obama takes the helm at one of the worst times in this country's history. In spite of a renewed hope fueled by a new, young administration, the markets plunged over 4%. There had been an expectation of a nice bounce, but the realities outstripped any false euphoria. Everyone realizes this is a very grave situation. Today's New York Times headline reads "After a Day of Crowds and Celebration, Obama Turns to Sober List of Challenges." Sober is the operative word.
City Harvest, founded in 1982, is the world's first and New York City's only food rescue program. The organization rescues 60,000 pounds of food per day, delivers to more than 600 community food programs throughout the five boroughs of New York City and serves over 260,000 people weekly. Read more at their website here.
Even the soup kitchens and food pantries themselves have problems - a shortage of donations of food supplies and the increase in the numbers of people using food services. An article in the New York Times last November reports a steep rise of between 20-40% of demand for food aid nationwide. Read the article here.
I do believe, however, in the resourcefulness of humankind and our ability, when inspired and focused, to achieve the unexpected and stem the tide. A President can only do so much, but a good leader goes a long way to provide impetus. Let us hope that President Obama is that man ...

Photo Note: This photo shows a City Harvest delivery of food to the soup kitchen St. Benedict the Moor Center at 283 St. Ann's Avenue in the Bronx.

Wild Ride

On my recent excursion to Hunt's Point in the Bronx, I saw many incredible sights and this diner was one of them. My friend's immediate comment was that this must be an insurance wreck - i.e. arson for insurance money. In the 1970s, areas like the South Bronx saw a wave of arson. I have no idea if this was the case with this diner - I was just dumbfounded to see something like this completely open to the public. Nothing was cordoned off. I was able to walk freely through the rubble amidst broken shards of glass, metal framework while avoiding electrical conduit hanging from the ceiling. See here for photo of the inside.
Hunt's Point is not typical of the Bronx and I will do that borough justice in time. But it has had its disproportionate share of urban blight and is one of the poorest areas in the United States. Areas like the South Bronx have been virtually synonymous with urban decay. Like most areas in the city that have seen decline, the South Bronx has more recently experienced revival and renewal.
There is a wide variation of urban environments and neighborhoods in the Bronx, some quite affluent like Riverdale and others with strong cultural and ethnic roots like the Italian district at Arthur Avenue (see my posting here). The borough has a large amount of parkland - Van Cortlandt Park, Woodlawn Cemetery, the Bronx Zoo, Pelham Bay Park, Crotona Park, Claremont Park and the New York Botanical Gardens. With the exception of the zoo and botanic gardens, the Bronx is not a destination, so most residents or visitors to New York City will never see much or any of the borough.
I expect that most readers of this website will not make a pilgrimage to Hunt's Point or other neighborhoods like it. For a wild ride through the five boroughs, jump on this train ...

True North

I am usually up before sunrise, but not typically on the streets until somewhat later. With sunrise even earlier much of the year than it is mid winter, I rarely see a site like that which I witnessed heading east on Prince Street Saturday morning at 7:47 AM.
Something few New Yorkers know is the angle at which Manhattan deviates from north-south (or that is deviates much at all). New Yorkers believe Manhattan's avenues run north-south and crosstown streets run East-West, but there is only a casual relationship between true north and the avenues. It is extremely useful, however, to think of orientation in Manhattan in that way.
With the establishment of the Commissioners' Plan of 1811, which established an orthogonal grid north of 14th, avenues were run parallel to the long axis of Manhattan, not actually north-south. The deviation from true north is significant - 29 degrees to be exact - read the New York Times article here. This does not prevent, however, seeing sites like that in the photo. One of the most interesting phenomenon in the city is the occurrence of Manhattanhenge, a biannual occurrence where the setting sun aligns with the crosstown streets of Manhattan's main grid. On these days, the Sun fully illuminates every cross street from river to river during the last fifteen minutes of daylight, with the setting sun's center exactly on the street’s center line. I saw this for the first time May 28, 2007 - see my photos and article here.
If you are familiar with View of the World from Ninth Avenue (see photo and story here), you know how extraordinarily ethnocentric New Yorkers are. How important is magnetic north really? Perhaps what we have is 29 degrees of irrelevance and we should more correctly say is that magnetic north deviates from Manhattan's center line which every New Yorker knows points true north. :)

Hunt's Point

Do you want to see food distribution on a gargantuan scale? I had no idea that the Hunt's Point markets in the Bronx were that big. What I envisioned was a large building with open stalls. What I saw was something the size of a small town.
Hunt's Point is the largest food distribution center in the world. It occupies 329 acres and is broken up into three primary large distribution centers, each handling different commodities: New York City Terminal Market (fruits and vegetables), Hunts Point Cooperative Market (meat and poultry) and the New Fulton Fish Market.
I expected to visit an open produce market brimming with fruits, vegetables and merchants frenetically shopping and trading. Instead I was greeted with an entrance like that of the Holland Tunnel. No fruits or vegetables were to be seen. I saw chain link fences and many grim and amazing sights - I will feature a few of these in the coming days.
I was a little naive perhaps - after all this is BIG business, not a place to expect the charm and ambiance of a farmers market. For that, you go to Union Square ...

A Note about Hunt's Point: These markets and other smaller ones occupy a large portion of a peninsula in the Bronx neighborhood known as Hunt's Point. There are over 800 businesses employing 25,000 workers. Hunt's Point is also a residential area with over 40,000 residents. However, it is a low-income area where over half live below the poverty line - this is one of the poorest districts in the United States. Crime is rampant with drugs and prostitution. Although crime rates have fallen, Hunt's Point reports the highest violent crime rate in New York City.

Related Posts: Union Square Greenmarket, Union Square.

Unconditional Love

I made an assertion in yesterday's posting (about the Temple of Dendur at the Metropolitan Museum of Art) concerning harsh critics. Look at some of the following excerpts from Paul Goldberger, architecture critic for the New York Times. This is from an article which appeared in 1990 at the end of a 23 year construction program with the Museum working with architect and master designer Kevin Roche.

"Now, 23 years later, Mr. Roche's work, one of the longest-running and most ambitious construction programs of any museum, is finally done. ... It's not news that most of these efforts have ranged from disappointing to downright awful. Somehow, Mr. Roche and the museum have never quite brought out the best in each other; their relationship has been like one of those marriages that don't end but don't soar, either."

His critique included the new American Wing and courtyard and the Temple of Dendur. You can read the entire article here. You see what we are dealing with here in New York City?
I am not a trained architect or critic, but these seem like very harsh words for spaces which everyone I know seems to love. Including many educated in the arts.
Today's photo is one of one of my favorite spaces in the whole museum: The Carroll and Milton Petrie European Sculpture Court (read about it here at the Met Museum site). This also did not escape Mr. Goldberger's article, however he seemed to love this space:

"But now, at the end of it all, comes at last an occasion to celebrate. The brand-new sculpture court is an oddly likable place, as close to a magnificent folly as the Metropolitan has ever produced."

Of course, complements from an architecture critic must be filled with caveats, reservations, conditions and qualifications, so we also find:

"The sculpture court is rather too tall and narrow, and these wrong proportions make its success all the more fascinating: few things in architecture are more pleasing than watching an architect get away with breaking the rules."

How about just an unequivocally good review? A joyous celebration with unrestrained applause? Ok - I don't have a critic's reputation to maintain, so, I am not afraid to say that I love that space and all the others in the museum. It's a joy to walk through the Met and see all the works of art, sculpture and antiques in the variety of environments created for them. And I say this with unconditional love :)

Space

One of the most valued things in a city is space and in New York City, to have it is to have one of our most precious commodities. Indoors, when arranging things in an office, retail store or home, we often speak of taking up or using valuable real estate. We mean it literally. In many cases we jockey and maneuver things to gain inches. Parking, laundromats, parks, retail shops, sports, recreation, the arts, universities - everything here has a crucial space component. The success or failure of most small enterprises is largely a function of overhead costs with space rental as the biggest element. When leaving the city, one of the most pleasant things is the relative ease of so many of life's activities and chores, with space as a primary reason.
So for me, and I am sure many others, one of the most striking things when entering the Sackler Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is the enormous amount of open space indoors. At the risk of sounding like a rube, this amount of space almost feels like an indulgence, a luxury, a sin against those of us who parse our world and value every parcel.
At some level, the use of personal space in New York City must be justified or one risks being grouped with our porcine friends. With public space, one must answer to harsh critics, including a body of individuals trained in architecture, design and urban planning. The larger the space, the greater the justification needed and good design. With an enormous place like this you had better have a great reason and design for so much space - something, perhaps, in the order of an Egyptian Temple, which is just what we have.
So there is an inner sense of relief when your eye sees and mind realizes what has been done here - the Temple of Dendur has been moved stone by stone from Egypt to the USA and reassembled in this room built exclusively for it. Unquestionably a worthy candidate for its own wing in the Metropolitan Museum of Art at Fifth Avenue and Central Park. A reflecting pool in front of the temple and a sloping wall behind it, represent the Nile and the cliffs of the original location. The stippled glass on the ceiling and the north wall diffuse the light and mimic the lighting conditions in Nubia.
The temple had to be removed from its location in Egypt - it otherwise would have been submerged by the rising waters of the Nile behind the new Aswan High Dam. The government of Egypt offered the temple to the United States in 1965 in recognition of the aid America had provided toward saving a number of Nubian temples doomed to be permanently flooded by the construction of the High Dam. A competition for its location included the Smithsonian in Washington, DC and Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. In 1967, the temple was awarded to the Met. More than 800 tons of stone were moved and shipped in over 600 crates. The temple was installed in the Sackler Wing in 1978. You can read more about the temple here.

From the Museum website:
"On the outer walls--between earth and sky--are carved scenes of the king making offerings to deities ... This king was actually Emperor Augustus of Rome, who, as recent master of Egypt, wisely had himself depicted in the traditional regalia of the pharaoh. Augustus had many temples erected in Egyptian style, honoring Egyptian deities. This small temple, built about 15 B.C., honored the goddess Isis and, beside her, two deified sons of a local Nubian chieftain, Pedesi and Pihor."

The temple is a majestic sight indoors or out at any time. It is a popular photography subject, particularly at night when it is illuminated and can be viewed from Central Park (where the museum and Sackler wing sit).
Sometimes the human spirit just needs a little extravagance, not defined in practical terms. All the better when done in an appropriate way as befits the Temple of Dendur. Sometimes we need a parade and sometimes we need some space ...

Related Post: Let's Have a Parade, Gratuitous in Nature.

Pierogi

I have written often lately of diners and comfort food. And for pure classic comfort, it's hard to beat the Ukrainian/Polish/Russian diners in the East Village, with names like Ukrainian East Village, Kiev (closed), Polonia, Little Poland, Odessa, Teresa's, B & H Vegetarian (formerly B & H Dairy), Stage Restaurant and Neptune.
Honestly, I am no longer a big fan of food like this. This cuisine's popularity with young people is built around bulk and value. At one time, I went through a phase, which many New Yorkers do, where the lure of inexpensive and large quantities was irresistible. But over time, the appeal of food based primarily on value looses its appeal.
Inexpensive starchy foods fit the bill for the hungry, cost conscious diner. And a virtual necessity with a visit to any Eastern European diner is the pierogi (or pirogie and other spelling variants).
So with a number of friends, I recently went on an excursion to Odessa's, a Ukrainian diner at 119 Avenue A - Btwn 7th St & St. Marks Pl in the East Village, with the pierogi as an unarticulated, assumed part of the brunch mission. One of my compadres ordered plates of both boiled and fried pierogies. I only had one in stages of halves - that was adequate to satisfy my appetite.
For those unfamiliar, the pierogi is an Eastern European dumpling made of unleavened dough, served boiled or pan fried and filled with any number of items - potato and cheese is very popular, served with butter and sour cream. They are eaten by the Polish, Ukrainians, Russians, Belarusians, Lithuanians, Latvians, and Slovaks, with the pierogi sometimes going by different names.
The menu also features items like kasha varnishkas, blintzes, potato pancakes and challah bread. If you want to wage war on the dietary guideline of no more than one starch per meal, head for Odessa or one of its kin and you can make a meal of nothing but starches :)

Small Achievements

Perhaps I have spent a little too much time confirming that 2366 is the last street address on Fifth Avenue and that this sign is the last intersection with Fifth Avenue signage. But it is something I really wanted to know, so on my recent excursion to the Bronx, we circumnavigated this area. I examined street signs and subsequently did online address lookups and map analyses. I am reasonably sure that 2366 Fifth Avenue is the end of the line. Apparently this factoid is of little interest. I found nothing written anywhere - no articles at all regarding the fact that 2366 is the last numbered address.
Fifth Avenue is arguably the most important street in Manhattan. It runs North South in the center of Manhattan. It originates at Washington Square Park with the first numbered address at 1 Fifth Avenue. The avenue runs to 142nd Street #2366) and the Harlem River Drive. Where Fifth Avenue intersects crosstown streets, they are designated East or West at Fifth Avenue, which serves as the zero point in crosstown street address numbering - i.e. numbers get larger as you move east or west of Fifth at 100 per block (with some exceptions and large block divisions like Madison and Lexington Avenues). In its long trajectory, Fifth runs through a variety of neighborhoods - the Village, midtown with its iconic flagship retailers, the gold coast along Central Park and finally, Harlem.
For most of my adult life I have lived near the beginning of Fifth Avenue, so its end was always a distant small mystery - perhaps more accurately a small curiosity. A mirage just out of view. Not compelling enough to really pursue. But these little things can nag and in time reach a critical mass where it is better to get closure and put it to rest.
The Fifth Avenue "mystery" reminds me of Sudoku. One reason for the popularity of the game is (was?) the appeal of a puzzle, just challenging enough, that is a discrete task with exactly one clear solution. Completion gives a person the satisfaction of a perfect, small achievement. Let's toast to small achievements :)

Note: What's at 2366 Fifth Avenue? The 369th Regiment Armory, NY National Guard, built in 1923 and designed by Van Wart & Wein. See photo here.

Arthur Avenue

I will admit I have been very remiss in my treatment of the Bronx. In nearly 3 years doing this website, I have never done one posting on the Bronx. However, the Bronx really has much less of interest to the outsider than Queens, Brooklyn or Manhattan. But it is one of the five boroughs of New York City and there are things worthy of a visit.
If you read this blog regularly, you know I have a close friend from my college days who grew up in Brooklyn and relocated out west. I look forward to his periodic visits - he is always game for nearly any adventure and knowledgeable about virtually every corner of the city.
With no agenda, I proposed the Bronx Zoo. However it was before lunch and food was our prime consideration. Both confident we could forage our way to a meal, we headed to the Bronx as tourists on a frigid, windy, winter day in his rented car.
As we navigated the maze of highways, signs for the Bronx Terminal market at Hunts Point appeared and I mentioned this was on my hit list for New York Daily Photo. Undaunted by the suggestion, he immediately obliged. So, off we went to explore an area that no one visits for recreational purposes. This area has all the charm of the commercial freight area at an international airport and there is no reason on earth why anyone (without specific business there) would want to visit on a day off. Which is exactly why we chose to go there. I will feature a number of our discoveries next week.
However, something was nagging me the entire trip. I had read and been told about one particular area of interest in the Bronx, but I could not recall what or where it was. Food was now more of a priority and my friend said there was an Italian area in the Bronx. Uninterested in combing an entire borough, I suggested we ask two police officers in their vehicle. Embarrassed (after explaining I was a seasoned New Yorker, only lacking in my city knowledge of the Bronx) I asked for areas of general interest and voila - they were very accommodating and immediately volunteered Arthur Avenue which I immediately recognized as the area I had been told about and turned out to also be the Little Italy district my friend was looking for. Comforted knowing both our exploration needs had been met, we were off to Arthur Avenue for lunch.
Arthur Avenue is a district centered around Arthur Avenue and 187th Streets - read more about it here. We were quite pleased with our initial impressions - the area looked very authentic, particularly on a winter weekday where the only inhabitants appeared to be locals. We parked in front of Addeo & Sons Bakery on Hughes Street, which runs parallel to Arthur Avenue itself. My friend purchased some cookies while I asked a customer if he recommended Umberto's Clam house which we had just driven by, prominently located at Arthur and 186th Street. Instead he steered us to Tra Di Noi located at 622 East 187th Street. Our fellow diners appeared to be Italian and the menu was in Italian with no English translations - a good sign. Lunch was great. I hope to visit again when the weather is more inviting to explore the Arthur Avenue Market ...

Previous posts of Adventures with a Mad Man: New York Moment, Partial Remission, Hot Dogs and Fries, The Unexpected. It Behooves One.

National Drama Queen

There are some things so absolutely integral to this city that to write of them in a general way is to inform no one of anything - who has not heard of the theater district or Broadway theaters? To take in a Broadway show in New York City is really one of the best uses of the phrase de rigueur. Trips to the city to see shows from the surrounding areas often are a person's first, if not only, experience to New York.
Cable television and the Internet have dramatically changed our world - there is infinitely more knowledge and exposure to products and culture. And the character of the city itself has changed - unfortunately gentrification has homogenized the planet and there really is less for many to visit urban areas. Many of our unique businesses have disappeared, being replaced with large chain stores which can be found outside New York. This phenomenon has been written about for some time. In 1995, a New York Times article appeared which referred to "The Malling Of Lower Broadway."
There are things, however, that do require population density and an artistic community to exist. One of those things is the theater district. Individual shows do travel to local theaters but for breadth and depth, New York City is the place to go.
Like retail, the theater has also suffered from rising costs. To survive, shows must be capable of supporting a large overhead, so like film, there has been an aversion to risk. Shows are mounted which are much more formulaic, with elements that tend to give shows the "Broadway show" character that many newcomers to theater expect. We find a stable of old standbys, revivals and shows which tend to be highly derivative of historical successes. And ticket prices are extremely high. There are always discounts available, however, and prospective theater goers would be well advised to investigate the options.
Streets lined with marquees like this one in the photo (Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theater at 247 West 44th Street), signals loud and clear that you are in New York City and nowhere else. Most of us do look for constants, anchors we can hang on to - the heart of nostalgia. When I pass through Times Square and the theater district, I am reminded of my first visits to New York and how different and exciting it was. The theater district is such a perfect icon for New York - a city which is itself so theatrical in character. I dub it National Drama Queen :)

Note: The term Broadway theater refers to a group of 39 theaters defined both by size (minimum of 500 seats) and location in the theater district. Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway theaters are also defined by size, not location. Off Broadway with between 100 and 500 seats and Off-Off Broadway with fewer than 100 seats.

When They See It

This is the image that greets me many days on my way to and from work when I pass by the window of Eli Klein Fine Art at 462 West Broadway in SoHo. For those unfamiliar, West Broadway is the prime artery through the center of SoHo, where many of the area's galleries were located during the neighborhood's renaissance. Most have closed owing to escalating rents, but a few remain.
I am neither a student, connoisseur or critic of art, so I leave assessment of this sculpture to others. However, this does illustrate one of the dilemmas I have wrestled with over the decades I have lived in this city - the apparent contradiction in what constitutes good and bad art. My experience is that most in the art world are very reluctant to say that there is any objective standard for art. Criteria like personal appeal are cited as valid ways of judging art. Yet in practice, most artists and critics are quick to make a qualitative judgement about any art and whether it is good or bad - inherent in that judgement is the implication that this is an educated opinion, implying some standards. To the unschooled in art, one is left with the feeling that there are standards but that they are either difficult to define or perhaps only known to their secret society. A feeling of art snobbery lingers in the air.
I am reminded of what is considered to be one of the most famous phrases in the history of the Supreme Court. In 1964, a United States Supreme Court decision, Jacobellis v. Ohio, involved whether the state of Ohio could, in light of the First Amendment, ban the showing of a French film called The Lovers (Les Amants) which the state had deemed obscene. Vary disparate opinions were given by the justices at the time but the most well known was that of Justice Potter Stewart who said that the Constitution protected all obscenity except "hard-core pornography." He went on to say he could not define it but "I know it when I see it." Perhaps this is the secret for the trained critic or artist - they know good or bad art it when they see it ...

About the Gallery and sculpture: "Eli Klein Fine Art is committed to presenting important exhibitions of new Chinese art." Their website is here.

Stain Your Soul

If you find anything about this photo of Pennsylvania Railroad Station attractive at all, then I am pleased, because this place is one of the least liked in New York City. Perhaps you have to be a native New Yorker or architecture critic to really appreciate this. And I have misled you by using a photo of the interior - the exterior is what really is a visual blight on New York City's canvas - see the exterior here.
Now, take a look at these photos of the previous magnificent Beaux Arts structure by McKim, Mead & White which was torn down in 1964 to make way for the new building complex. Be forewarned you will find the experience upsetting and will ask why - look here if you dare.
Now you see why New York Times architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff calls it the greatest crime in architectural history. In an article in the Times, New York City, Tear Down These Walls, Ouroussoff says:
"No site in New York has a darker past than this one. The demolition of the old Pennsylvania Station, the monumental McKim, Mead & White Beaux-Arts gem that stood on this site until 1964, remains one of the greatest crimes in American architectural history. What replaced it is one of the city’s most dehumanizing spaces: a warren of cramped corridors and waiting areas buried under the monstrous drum of the Garden."
Ouroussoff's statements are hardly an exaggeration. In a city like this, it is rather shocking to have a major nexus used by millions to be so underwhelming, particularly since it is many visitor's first impression of the city. I imagine the utilitarian function of a train station and immediate impact provided by the city around it suffice to distract visitors from the appearance of the Penn Station / Madison Square Garden Complex. Some may feel that it is no worse than many train stations worldwide which are unattractive and located in some of the least desirable locations. But this is a world class destination city. We have standards and options.
Plans have been made for rebuilding. From the New York Times article:
"Over the years the city has entertained dozens of proposals to improve the station, but none have amounted to much of anything. A decade ago Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan unveiled a multibillion-dollar plan to relocate the entrance at the grand old Farley Post Office Building, a McKim, Mead & White treasure on Eighth Avenue which would free up more space underground. But the plan became entangled in New York’s byzantine development politics and fizzled."
I certainly share sentiments with Ouroussoff to have this place torn down. If you visit the area, I suggest you do like I do and avert your eyes from what is worthless, lest you damage your eyes or stain your soul ...

Uggly or Not

For some time now I have been fixated on capturing the Uggly phenomenon in New York City. In fact, I have made general announcements to friends and coworkers just last week that I was waiting for an opportunity - perhaps a group of young women.
Imagine my elation as I witnessed what appeared to be a made-to-order event. On Saturday morning I noticed a couple not only both with Ugg boots, but toting Ugg branded bags. It felt like I was seeing the smoking gun after a crime - this couple obviously had just purchased a pair of boots in complementary colors - the classic beige for him and black for her. This case was His and Her Uggs and they were quite happy. In a bizarre fortuitous twist, the woman actually posed for a photo with an Ugg bag on each side of her (photo upper right). Quite pleased with the results of the photo session (lower left), the couple went off stepping proudly down Mercer Street.
The story of Uggs is a long and sordid war story. The sheepskin boot goes back millennia and their use in Australia attributed to the fact that they are the world's largest producer of wool. Popularity of sheepskin boots rose with use in World War I & II by aviators to keep their feet warm in non-pressurized cabins. They were popular since the 1960s with surfers for keeping their feet warm while out of the water.
In 1971, Shane Stedman registered the term Ugh-boot and other terms with the Australian Trade Mark Registry. In 1999, the Ugg name was purchased by Deckers Outdoor Corporation which began aggressively pursuing Australian manufacturers using variants of the ugg name. However, the terms ug, ugg, and ugh have been used generically by the Australians since the 1950s. Blue Mountain Uggs go back to 1933. In 2006, Uggs-N-Rugs (an Australian manufacturer) was successful in having ug, ugg and ugh boots removed from the Australian Trademarks Registry. Read a history here.
Ironically, ugg boots were never intended as street wear but for short term and/or indoor use (recommended to be worn sockless for maximum warmth - ugh). That stops no one of course from unintended use, much as we see Land Rovers driven in Manhattan. See my story here on shuttershades - Different Bummer.
So after half a century, why the sudden interest in spite of the fact that some consider them quite hideous? I have read reports by doctors warning of foot problems owing to their lack of support. Many reasons have been given for their boom in popularity, including the purchase of 350 pairs for $50,000 by Oprah for her staff and listing on Oprah's Favourite Things show. Adoption by celebrities like Kate Moss, Sienna Miller, Sarah Jessica Parker, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Alba, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Anniston and a myriad of others has also been cited.
But for our couple, all that matters is that they procured the latest rage in fashion in the USA and wore their his-and-hers pair proudly in the streets of New York City, Uggly or not ...

More about the companies: Decker (publicly traded DECK) was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in California. Sales in 2008 were $580 million. The bulk of their sales are Ugg boots. Although still branded Ugg Australia, shoes are now manufactured in China. Copies can be found everywhere of course and can be had for a fraction of the price of the Ugg brand.
Companies like Blue Mountain, Nganjo, Jumbo Ugg and Uggs-N-Rugs do manufacture in Australia and have campaigned for consumers to patronize their brands which they claim as not only more authentic, but higher in quality and a better value.

Mania

Perhaps you've wondered what it feels like to actually shoot yourself in the foot. Would you like to find out without undergoing any actual physical injury? Then take a trip to Shoemania. Better yet, go on New Year's Day when half of America is at home sleeping or watching TV and the other half is desperate for something to do. And what do most desperate Americans do? Go shopping - shop 'til you drop and other colloquialisms summarize the recreational desires of many.
Shoemania is on 14th street / Union Square, one of the busiest areas in the entire city. They were open on New Year's day with a 50% off everything sale. I don't know if there was any monkey business with pricing prior to the sale or whether these were all discontinued models, but brands that never go on sale were at 50% off - Bruno Magli, Arche, Mephisto, Merrell, Clark's, etal.
So now you have the formula for true mania - 14th Street/Union Square, a workday off for most, people getting cabin fever, too cold to do anything outdoors, nothing much open except retail stores and most of them closed, a prominent location at 14th Street and Broadway with frontage and entrances on both streets and a post holiday 50% sale with an inventory of most major shoe brands.
Shoemania is the type of store that is quintessential New York style and delivers on all the negative stereotypes people have of New York and more. I found brusk service, overcrowdedness, sample shoes strewn everywhere in complete disarray, inadequate seating to try shoes, salesman barking requests to the back room in their wireless headsets and after a selection is brought out from the stock room, customers and salesmen try to find each other like lovers separated after a world war.
The cashier is truly an ice princess and must be a finalist on Make Me Laugh. She truly had no sense of humor and was unflinching with any attempts to melt her. A customer before me who had a problem was dealt with the unfeeling efficiency of a seasoned executioner.
On the positive side they do have a broad selection, good pricing and little sales pressure - it is just too chaotic to effectively wage a war of sales terror.
And the pièce de résistance? Our selection was brought to us in a box with a cover that was destroyed and literally over 1 inch longer than the box itself. The salesman did apologize that it was the best he could do. But amidst all the mania, we did procure a nice pair of black suede women's pumps made by Clarks for $49. Not bad at all ...

Watching Ourselves

There are many unique things about New York City and one of them is how often we watch ourselves. This is most evident on New Year's Eve when the country, and much of the world, turns their eyes here for the greatest New Year's party and the legendary Times Square ball drop.
As I wrote in yesterday's posting, the very popularity of the event also makes it a reason to avoid direct participation and it on TV like the rest of the world. It is a little strange perhaps, knowing that the event is a subway ride away, but this really misrepresents the situation. At this point in time there is no way to attend this event in a spontaneous way. People now wait at least 7 hours in the freezing cold, getting there well in advance to have a position where they can actually see the ball drop. I attended the millennium celebration in 2000, but even arriving there hours in advance, the closest I was able to get was eight blocks away near Macy's. I experienced the spirit of the celebration but was able to see only people - no ball drop or confetti. 
Today's photo was the scene at a friend's party as we watched the revelry on a big screen TV and ushered in 2009 - watching ourselves and watching others watch themselves. Happy 2009 and thanks for watching :)