New York Speaks | Pbenjay's Blog

Archive for the ‘New York Speaks’ Category

What is NOT QUITE an ANDROID? These Are….

Posted in BY THE WAY, Fab Fotos, New York Speaks, Only in New York, tagged Installation art, Metro Areas, New York City, Park Avenue, Tom Otterness, United Nations, United States, Will Ryman on March 29, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Some people think New York City is a lonely place and they couldn’t be more WRONG! You never have to be alone in this city especially if you live in the East 40’s, specifically Dag Hammarskjold Plaza. There’s always some art installations around the City. If you think back, I’ve published photos of many. such as the giant flowers on Park Avenue in the snow, the fanciful creatures of Tom Otterness and now there is a veritable crowd of not quite humans and not quite androids and they have taken up residence in this famous plaza near the United Nations. They seem friendly enough although not great conversationalists!

Back to Back

Do you really mean it?

Can you tell me how to get to Bloomingdale's?

"The sun feels good doesn't"?

The Thinker

"I was just sayin' "

A bit nippy for the end of March

All photos by Murray Head

It’s not Friday but these are some FAB FOTOS!

Bronze is subway sculptor Tom Otterness’s gold (nydailynews.com)
The Roses, A Public Art Installation by Will Ryman In New York City (laughingsquid.com)
ArtsBeat: Make Art, Get Art in Return at Tribeca Film Festival (artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com)

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Why Travel to India IF You Live in New York City?

Posted in Fab Fotos, New York Speaks, Only in New York, tagged Bengal, Dol Purnima, Holi, India, Maharashtra, Manhattan, Murray Head, New York City, Rasa lila, Rati on March 25, 2011| 3 Comments »

They don’t call New York City the Capital of the World for nothing…Diversity is Manhattan. When I first moved to the City, I was amazed at the foreign faces I saw and the myriad languages spoken everywhere. Now, well I don’t even notice except when a foreign tourist is holding a guide-book or map. After a while you come to know that (and these are somewhat generalized), most nail salons are run by Koreans, the news stands are manned by Pakistanis or Bangledehis, the dry cleaners seem to be Korean and tailors are often Chinese, not to mention the numerous coffee shops throughout the City owned by Greeks and Deli’s owned and run by Indians. You can also visit the enclave neighborhoods of Jamaicans, Haitians, Italians, Vietnamese, Hungarian, Polish, German, Irish, Hispanic, Romanian, Russian, Thai, Indians and dine on the best culinary offerings from those countries!

BUT what brings all the countries together in the City are the PARADES! There’s always a parade somewhere. Today I’m featuring photos from an Indian Festival Parade. The festival is HOLI;

Holi and the following day, Dhuleti, are known as the Indian Festival of Color. Playing Holi or sharing colors is a highlight of this holiday. Gifts of sweets or Holi colors are common and greeting cards are often sent.

The holiday is observed all over India and celebrates the harvest of the winter crops as it welcomes the beginning of Spring. Holi is called Dol Jatra or Dol Purnima in Bengal, Rangapanchami in Maharashtra, Kamavilas, Kaman Pandugai or Kaman-dahanam in South India.

In Northern India, the Raas-Lila dances celebrate love in the Spring and honor Radha and Krishna. In Southern India, Kamdev, the Love God, and his wife Rati are the focus of the stories and songs.

No matter which part of India the festivals are in or which gods are involved, they are feasts of color and usually involve sprinkling colored waters and gulal, brightly colored powders, on the gods and on the other revellers. Balloons filled with colored waters are splashed on friends and anyone else who happens to be near.

Ready to Celebrate

Even the drums are colorful

Incredible India

Celebrate

Colorful HOLI Dancers

Just Do What I Do

Festival of Colors

Jumping for Joy

All photos by Murray Head

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Art is Where You Find It – The CITY CANVAS

Posted in Fab Fotos, New York Speaks, Only in New York, tagged Art, Community centre, Fine art, Lower Manhattan, New York City, Paint, Photograph, Pratt Institute, Recreation, sea gull, Visual arts, Washington DC, water taxi, World Trade Center on March 17, 2011| 6 Comments »

Many of you know that in my FAB FOTO FRIDAY segment, I have a few ongoing series such as RED, FACES , Art Is Where You Find It and a couple others. These photos were taken in Lower Manhattan and through the eye of the artist shooting them, an every day cityscape becomes a piece of art.

Blue Transformers

photo by Murray Head

Gray on Gray

Photo by Murray Head

Sea Gull in Lower Manhattan

photo by Murray Head

The Bridge in the Background

photo by Murray Head

Kite Flying in Lower Manhattan

photo by Murray Head

Water Taxi

photo by Murray Head

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Going Green? Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!

Posted in BY THE WAY, New York Speaks, Only in New York, tagged bagpipers, Cottage pie, Guiness, Harp's, Irish Stew, Manhattan, New England boiled dinner, New York, Saint Patrick, Saint Patrick's Day, shamrocks, sheleigleigh, Shepherd's pie, st patricks day, tartan, Upper East Side on March 16, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Postcard: "St. Patrick's Day Souvenir&quo...

1912 St. Patrick's Day Souvenir

The twelflth reason to celebrate this year is connected to last week’s when I suggested we should celebrate going on a diet so we could all eat and drink like it was our last meal. Today’s suggested reason(s) for a celebration are two-fold; Breaking the Diet – we eat and drink like it’s our first meal in a week! Silly I know, but if you really need a reason to celebrate this is as good as any. Personally one of my main dieting issues is that I often fantasize about the meal that I’m going to have once I’m off the diet. And that is exactly how you lose 10 pounds and then gain 10 pounds and the yo-yo merry-go-round continues!

Ahhh, but wait this week is a double-barreled opportunity to enjoy yourself; celebrate with friends, family, and even with strangers as this holiday brings us all together in the spirit of Erin Go Braugh.

St.Patrick’s Day – Celebration begins around sunrise in Manhattan – I swear that’s when I hear the first mournful sounds of a bagpipe. New York City with its 5 boroughs is heavily populated with Irish residents as well as a lot of wannbe Irish (at least for one day a year). Many of them converge upon Manhattan to march in one of the nation’s most well-attended and colorful parades. The parade goes on all day and as it ends in the Upper East Side, that particular neighborhood is replete with New York’s Bravest, New York’s Finest, and New York’s Strongest; bagpipers and marchers – celebrating Erin in a well-lubricated style.

This is the day of the “wearin o’ the green”; Shamrocks and Sheleighleigh pins, Irish wool cable-knit sweaters, Tam o’ Shanters (originally a Scottish style cap but not when knit in Irish wool), Tartans, honorary green sashes and the ubiquitous Kiss Me I’m Irish buttons!

It’s a night for partying hard well into the night and of course indulging in a great meal of Irish Stew or Corned Beef and Cabbage, Shepherd’s or Cottage Pie washed down with a pint or two of Guiness or Harp’s

This year I’m not going to be in the City on St. Patrick’s Day and will miss the glorious parade – I LOVE the bagpipes. But Faith and Begorrah I’m sure I’ll find an Irish bar where I can raise a mug and toast the motherland and eat some corned beef and cabbage.

« Erin Go Braugh and All That Jazz

2010 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City.

Only in New York

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It’s February and RED is in the Air

Posted in Fab Fotos, New York Speaks, Only in New York, tagged American Heart Month, Central Park, Entertaining, Holidays, Murray Head, New York City, Photograph, snow, United States, Valentine's Day on February 18, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Big Dog Little Dog

photo by Murray Head

Just Ducky

photo by Murray Head

red dress, only in New York, red lady, new york crazy, mystic

I Hear Voices

photo by Murray Head

STOP!!

photo by Murray Head

cross country skiers, Central Park, New York city

Who Needs Snow?

photo by Murray Head

American Heart Month, Valentine’s Day – RED is everywhere!

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The Faces of Protest – Egyptians in New York City

Posted in BY THE WAY, New York Speaks, Only in New York, tagged Egypt, Egyptians, Los Angeles, Murray Head, New York, United Nations, United States, Washington DC on January 30, 2011| 1 Comment »

The government of Egypt may have severed the digital communication between Egypt and the rest of the world, but Egyptians all over the world are standing up in solidarity for their country. Here in the United States, there were protests and rallies in all the major cities; New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles.

In front of the United Nations, Egyptians and sympathizers gathered in protest over the situation in Cairo. Take a look at these photos, they are the Faces of Protest.

Wearing your National colors!

Photo by Murray Head

Egyptians, protest, United Nations, New York City, Cairo

Citizens of the world

Photo by Murray Head

Cario protests, Egyptians, United Nations, New York city

Red White and Black

Photo by Murray Head

Muslims, Egyptians, Cairo protests, United Nations NYC

Hear Me World

Photo by Murray Head

Egyptians, Cairo protest, United Nations, New York city,

The Face of Protest

Photo by Murray Head

Protests in Egypt (osocio.org)
Unrest in Egypt, Day 5 (blogs.forbes.com)
City Room: Egyptian Protests Extend to New York (cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com)

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Central Park Snow Scenes -19″ Snow Fall the Day After

Posted in Fab Fotos, New York Speaks, Only in New York, tagged Bethesda Fountain, Bow bridge, Central Park, Michael Bloomberg, National Weather Service, New York City, Northeast, Northeastern United States, snow, snowman, The San Remo, Winter storm on January 29, 2011| 7 Comments »

The Northeast is getting slammed this winter with snow storms, blizzards, snow lightning , you name it and we’ve gotten it. This past Wednesday night we had yet another snow storm. By morning 19 inches had fallen in Central Park. Central Park is Manhattan’s emerald jewel in the summer and alternatively a sparkly diamond and an iridescent opal in the winter.

As my regular readers know, many many of my Fab Foto Friday photos are taken in Central Park. There’s just so much to see at any time of the year. The birds, the flowers, the trees, the ponds, the landmarks, the bridges, the kids, the artists, the playgrounds, the picnicker, the runners, the skaters, the mimes, the jugglers, the acrobats, the break dancers, the gardens, the sculpture, the boats and ever so much more!

This Friday (and yes I am once again a day late) our Fab Fotos are from Central Park in all its beauty enhanced by 19″ of snow! This is what life in the City is when it snows!!!

: Bethesda Fountain Stands Alone

Photo by Murray Head

The San Remo Bow Bridge Central Park

Photo by Murray Head

snow storm, central park, new york city,

Footsteps in Freshly Fallen Snow

Photo by Murray Head

Central Park, new york city, sculpture, snow mantle

Bundled Up Against the Storm

Photo by Murray Head

Escape! Going Over the Wall

Photo by Murray Head

central park, new york city, snow storm snow man, January 27th

A City Slicker

Photo by Murray Head

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Move Over Georgia O’Keefe!!

Posted in BY THE WAY, Friends, New York Speaks, Only in New York, tagged Alfred Stieglitz, California, Edward Steichen, Florida, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, Paul Strand on January 28, 2011| 1 Comment »

She (Georgia) made a fortune painting scenes which she referred to as “A View From My Window” and her husband, Alfred Stieglitz also cashed in on the same views…except he photographed them. If my friend Trish is reading this, she would know this is just how the 80/20 rule works!! For those curious readers who would like to see some of Stieglitz’s work, it is on exhibit now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art along with Edward Steichen and Paul Strand. The exhibit is huge and encompasses several rooms – definitely worth the trip. Ahhh but I have digressed a bit!

Back to the view from my window which is a) not my view, b) not my window but c) a generous contribution from my friend, Gail. So for your viewing pleasure, although other than your envious friends in Florida or California, I’m not sure how much pleasure you can take in YET ANOTHER BLOODY SNOW STORM!!! Snow doesn’t paralyze the City BUT this one did a good job because with the 19 inches that fell Wednesday night, bus service was suspended, cars were buried completely, the streets were not plowed very well if at all and generally the only people who really enjoyed it were the kids! Mothers and kids everywhere on Thursday were toting saucers, snow boards, sleds and toboggans of all sizes heading to the parks around the City to enjoy YET another snow day.

View From My Window

Art Review: Photography: A Coming-of-Age Story (nytimes.com)

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SSSSssss Snow – Saucers – Central Park

Posted in Fab Fotos, New York Speaks, Only in New York, tagged Central Park, East Coast of the United States, Jersey Shore, National Weather Service, New York City, Philadelphia, snow on January 21, 2011| 2 Comments »

SSSsssss, well it may be a stretch but I just thought that the S sound was a twisty title for this blog post. And how apropos since there seems to be snow in the forecast every couple of days. Either it’s impending or we’re told about storms forming in the Gulf or Canada or wherever but they all seem determined to touch down on the East Coast. If New York City isn’t getting sleet or snow, then surely our little cottage on the Jersey Shore is getting slammed with several inches of snow!

But kids everywhere even big ones, will be kids, and kids and snow go together like rum and coca cola – I know – that’s a weird analogy considering rum and coca cola is usually a summer cocktail.