Of course, you'll recall the construction crane that nearly toppled right onto 57th Street from the skyscraper site during the middle of Hurricane Sandy. The 90 story building depicted in gingerbread above is One 57 and its located almost directly across the street from Carnegie Hall and the hotel. The police and fire department forced the hotel to shut down for almost an entire week after the storm because all of the streets around the hotel were closed and residents were evacuated.
If you drop in to check out all of the gingerbread creations, make sure to stop by the front desk and buy a raffle ticket for $1 to vote for your favorite. The winner will get a 5 night stay at the luxurious Parker Palm Springs and all the money raised is going to the food rescue charity, City Harvest.
All you have to do is just plop down your sleeping bag on the sidewalk next to a busy subway stop, snuggle up comfortably inside, and take a mid-afternoon siesta. What's even more amazing is that there are hundreds of people assembled only one block away yelling and screaming all day long to protest against the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who is staying at the Warwick Hotel this week. Did I also mention the dozens of heavily armed policemen stationed outside the hotel as well?
If these sorts of things don't bother you then you have what it takes to be an urban camper. You'll also quickly learn to ignore things like taxi cab exhaust, curbside trash, cigarette smokers, and the thousands of people that trample by your camp site as they walk on by in Midtown Manhattan on a typical Monday afternoon.
One of the local deli's in the neighborhood. I like how worn out the counter top is.
She asked me directions to a bar in the neighborhood. I pointed her in the right direction. Isn't gambling illegal?
It snowed on Tuesday night. Unfortunately it didn't really last very long, but it was good while it lasted. I pretty much want it to snow all the time in the winter.
The good thing about cupcakes is that they can manage to make them fit for any holiday. These kinds of sweet Halloween treats are available just about everywhere.
Morning in Manhattan. 
This picture gives you a brief sense of how busy it sometimes gets on the streets of my neighborhood during the middle of the day. 
If you're going to bring home a doggy bag, then it makes total sense to have the dog carry it.
I'm not sure exactly what these two characters are dressed up as, but they sure look like devils to me. I found this unlikely pair standing on the corner of 56th Street and 6th Avenue on my way to lunch at the MoMA this afternoon. Halloween is still months away so unfortunately they didn't have any candy for me. Though I do especially like the Tropicana Orange Juice bottle. 
What's worse than a completely redundant No Smoking sign? I think everyone knows by now that smoking isn't kool. Additional bonus of buying el cheapo sign is that they've ruined the granite.
I was getting a bagel and coffee for breakfast this morning and I spotted this truck grabbing a parking spot on 6th Avenue. I got a little closer and the driver was none other than Iron Man himself, Robert Downey Jr. He may be sleek and high tech in the movies, but he plays it low key when he doesn't want to be recognized driving around the Big Apple. 
George Clooney was spotted today on 56th Street near 5th Avenue bolting around town in this delightful graffiti truck. I didn't know he was such a huge New York Yankees fan! 
There's just no passing up an incredible "Halloween Speacial" like this one. Plus underarms for free! I expect the line will be around the block once this news gets out. Spread the word.
I think that more than half the time the taxis in New York aim for you. You have to be quick on your toes if you don't want to get hit. Of course, nearly every New Yorker that's lived here for longer than a week jaywalks so perhaps that's half the problem right there.
