Checks Cashed

When you either don't have a bank account or you don't want the government to track you down, there are plenty of these check cashing joints scattered around the city.

Buy The Books, Please

You are apparently supposed to buy the books and not just copy or photograph them. I've done this before, but certainly not at St. Marks. Sometimes you don't really need the whole book, you just want some information contained inside. Wouldn't it be a waste of paper if you bought the book for just one page? As I see it, you're saving the environment. Photograph away, just don't do it at St. Marks Bookshop.

Christmas Entrance

The entrance to Van Cleef & Arpels on 5th Avenue decked out for the holidays.

Black Santa

Midtown Manhattan was inundated with what seemed like a couple dozen black Santa Clauses standing on every available street corner around 5pm tonight. No joke. Here's one on the corner of 57th and 7th, right in front of Carnegie Hall.

It almost could have been a terrific scene out of a Christmas-themed "Reservoir Dogs." Unfortunately there was no multi-million dollar jewel heist in progress. Next year here's what they should do. Move the lot of them 10 blocks south to 47th Street (Diamond District) and provide them with a couple of graffiti trucks and a cache of sub-machine guns and we will have the makings of a great Chris Rock, Chris Tucker and Ice Cube caper flick.

See you at the movies!

Always Open

I was looking at this "Open" sign and I knew something was wrong, but I couldn't figure out what it was. I thought to stop and take a picture and then it came to me. How can a cart on the street really be open or closed? It's not like they ever leave their street food carts unattended so they are never closed.

It basically works like this. Early in the day, they drive or pull their beat up metal stove contraptions through midtown, set it up in their designated spot, make a bunch of grubby food and sell it to hungry people all day. When they are done they pack things up and off they go.

A much more effective sign would say: "Always open! We sell food that is a lot cheaper than the guy down the street and you won't get food poisoning."

Pizza Delivery

Pizza delivery vehicle on 3rd Avenue. It might get there just a little bit on the cold side, but it gets there.