Absolutely No Parking

The Artkraft Strauss Sign Corp. building is completely covered in very colorful graffiti. It's located at the corner of 57th Street and 12th Avenue.

I took a bunch of pictures even though it was soooo cold out today. Winter in the big city.

Frozen Pier

A view of the Hudson River right off the pier where the US Airways airplane crashed. It was so cold out today and there were no geese in sight. I did see a couple of police boats cruising around probably looking for jet engines. Temperatures hovered around 12 degrees. You know it was freezing cold because even I even wore a hat.

Fashion Trash

Yesterday's fashion. Here today, tossed out on the street tomorrow. 57th Street detritus outside Dior and Chanel.

We're back to normal after a very atypical (at least for me) 24 hour news cycle in New York City. Welcome to Quite All Right. Comments appreciated.

10 for $1

You can't buy many things in New York City for $1, except for a handful of postcards. The stamp costs more than the postcard.

The Day After

Here's a nice look at the pictures. AP has syndicated them around the world.

Plane Crash Aftermath 2

The New York Times just posted the picture here. The photo was taken as the plane crossed 65th Street in Manhattan as it flew at a relatively slow speed (115-140 mph) over the Hudson River with its nose in the air.

The plane crashed (US Airways calls it an "Emergency Landing") into the Hudson River about 1/2 mile down from where this photo was taken at about 53rd Street.

Plane Crash Aftermath

What a day! 50,000 hits to the blog in 4 hours from all over the world.

Since nobody was badly hurt and the crew did such an amazing job, it doesn't feel weird to celebrate the great deal I made for the pictures.

You can see the last picture taken before the plane hit the water here and here and here. I had to take the pictures down after AP licensed them for worldwide usage. They are now the proud owner of the image of the plane in flight over the Hudson River moments before the successful splashdown.

Sorry, that my friend Matt didn't get the picture as he watched it splash, but he was rockin' it with a fabulous operator from 911 before it even crashed.

Since you stopped by my blog, please take a moment to look around, leave some comments and you might as well explore the advertising below.

US Airways Flight 1549 - The Geese

[Images Removed]


Could these be from the same flock of birds that caused the crash? Those geese are flying west southwest away from the camera. Directly behind the camera is a straight line to Laguardia Airport, directly on the migration path of geese from New England down the Eastern Seaboard.

Whenever it snows, geese take to the air looking for grassier areas to forage for food. It snowed earlier today across the region. The jet liner was flying at jet liner speed and a few minutes later, here come the geese.

US Airways Flight 1549 - Approaching the Water

{IMAGES REMOVED}

UPDATE: Images are now viewable here.

Here is another picture of the plane as it glides in for a belly flop on the Hudson River. I can only imagine what the people on board were thinking at this exact moment.

I don't think I've ever seen many photographs like this just moments before a plane is about to make a crash landing in the water.

My friend Matt, who took these photos, is bummed because he didn't take a photograph of the plane crashing into the water. I told him, "You did the right thing by calling 911 instead."

US Airways Flight 1549 - Water Taxis Arrive

[Image Removed]

The water taxis arrive to rescue everyone.

US Airways Flight 1549 Pre-Crash Photo

{Images Removed}

The plane as it is about to hit the Hudson River.

UPDATE: Images are now viewable here.

Je n'adore pas Dior sans underwear

Times are tough even for the luxury retailers on 57th Street. Christmas sales were dismal, but the holidays are now over and new window displays need to be installed at Dior.

However, times are not so tough that underwear has become optional. It's cold out there guys!

OK, I know that $118 is a hefty price to pay for a pair of Christian Dior boxer shorts even when they are marked down 20%. Perhaps Dior designer John Galliano can pony up some spare skivvies and some up-to-date wardrobe choices for their window dressers who look like they were cast as extras in a Pearl Jam video circa 1991.

Could it be that the recession means big changes in fashion and we will soon be seeing a return to grunge? Someone call Bill Cunningham.

Happy Hour Fishing

Live Bait is a bar on 23rd Street across the street from Madison Square Park. It's been around for a while so they must be doing something right. I think I went there once or twice. We had lunch there during a Carrot Top commercial shoot for AT&T.

Rush hour commuters whizzing by at the end of a cold city day.

Today was a good day! Lots of traffic because of this. Yay!

Stalking the Fashion Prey

Bill Cunningham, The New York Times fashion photographer, always gets his shot.

Here he is on Madison Avenue for a frigid afternoon of shooting fashion victims. He was waiting outside the door of a Chase bank branch after he spotted a man wearing a flamboyant fur hat duck inside to use an ATM machine. Bill waited patiently on the street and when the slender, well-dressed man came out he quickly sprang into action. Bill fired off a dozen shots (or more) as the man flashed a broad smile, casually hopped on his flaming hipster bicycle and pedaled off down the avenue.

Bill's been focusing on the recession in his last couple of On The Street reports. As usual, I totally disagree with him and think he has absolutely no idea what he is talking about. You can usually find him hanging out outside the front door of Barney's on the weekends with his camera pointed and ready for action.

UPDATE: Welcome new readers from Cityfile!

How do you get to Carnegie Hall?

Take a taxi.

Pizza All The Time

Stella's Pizza. Pretty much your standard NYC pizza joint. Located on 9th Avenue and 17th Street. Delicious and reasonably priced pizza. I usually get the plain or the pepperoni, but sometimes I go for olives or mushrooms or even anchovies. You can eat this for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

This is a good site.

Congrats to my good friend Mame! Her Found Money blog was overloaded with traffic today after being written about here and here and here.

Megan Fox's Graffiti Truck

Rumor has it that Transformers star Megan Fox was briefly seen behind the wheel of this graffiti-clad truck parked on St. Marks Place and 3rd Avenue in the heart of the East Village. This truck is surely about to transform into some crazy alien robot. Luckily, I got out of there in time. No doubt she was making a quick dash into Trash and Vaudeville to pick up some black stretch jeans and a Sham 69 t-shirt.

Push Button For Luck

I did.

Saturday Night Live

Lorne Michaels, the creator and executive producer of “Saturday Night Live,” the longest-running and highest-rated weekly late night television program in history, leaving the studio after the show.

La Taza De Oro Restaurant

This small Puerto Rican restaurant (it's really more like a lunch counter or a diner) is located just south of 14th Street on 8th Avenue. Some reviews here and here and here. This classic New York City place has been around for years.

It's simple and inexpensive and the food is consistently good. Nothing fancy, just a super filling plate of rice and beans and roasted chicken. Everything is very authentic and I always have a great meal. The staff is extremely friendly and they also make a decent cup of espresso. Highly recommended. It's definitely not on the tourist maps, but is just a little part of what makes up my New York.

I always sit at the counter. On my most recent visit, I made friends with an aspiring movie producer who sat next to me named Michael. He enjoyed the food as much as I did.

Chelsea

An incredibly busy evening for the art world tonight in Chelsea. There must have been two dozen openings.

Here is the scene at my friend, the scuptor, Robert Taplin's opening at Winston Wachter Fine Art on 25th Street. Pictured: "Thus My Soul Which Was Still in Flight (The Dark Wood)", 2008, Wood, polychromed resin, edition of 3, 50 x 48 inches x 42 inches.

Whitney Port's Graffiti Truck

Ok, technically it's a van, but we don't have to be so strict.

Can you imagine my surprise when this van came barreling down Mercer Street and parked right in front of the Mercer Hotel. I'm pretty sure that Whitney Port, star of the hit MTV show, The City, hopped out of the driver's seat and her trusty socialite sidekick, Olivia Palermo, was in the passenger seat. They must have just arrived from a Diane Von Furstenburg photo shoot or something equally glamorous.

But what freaked me out even more was that it looked like Audrina Partridge and are-they-married-or-aren't-they, celeb couple du jour, Speidi (Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt) jumped out of the back. (Note to Spencer: Get your website going!) You never know what you're gonna get in NYC. It seems these young stars sure know how to drive around in style. Of course there wasn't time and I somehow managed to miss getting those tabloid worthy pictures.

Or was I just seeing things? I can never tell. I'm so bad with recognizing celebrities.

[The ladder on top of the van is a particularly useful addition as you never know when they might need to style something way up high.]

Ice Skating in Central Park

Of all the places in the city to go ice skating, I prefer Central Park. It's not very crowded on a Tuesday night. Too bad none of my friends from here or out of town are very keen on a mid-winter skate.

So does anyone want to go skating?

If not, I think I know a cute three year old that might really enjoy going. The hot chocolate is on me afterwards!

A Winter's Evening in Central Park

A stunning view of the Plaza Hotel from a bridge overlooking The Pond in Central Park. Tuesday evening. Also nice views of the General Motors Building, Trump Tower, and The Sherry-Netherland.

Madison Square Scrutiny

Out the window. Madison Square Garden. 8pm. Rascal Flatts and Tom Cruise's "Valkyrie." To me, this picture makes it seem really busy and chaotic in the city. So much going on all the time.

Perfect Freedom

2nd Avenue. Around midnight.

Kim Kardashian's Graffiti Truck

Curvy cutie Kim Kardashian was seen driving this bad boy through Queens last week. No surprise that she had the expensive sound system in this graffiti-laden cube truck jacked up way past 11 and was listening to Gabriella Cilmi's hit song, "Sweet About Me," on repeat.

Time Out New York voted it the best song of 2008 calling it, "a typically ace tune for this 17-year-old Aussie, and her unassumingly sexy delivery brought it all home." It's pretty obvious that, among other things, Kim has an ear for a good song.

Jessica Simpson's Graffiti Truck

I spotted Jessica Simpson driving this truck up 6th Avenue the other day. She was rocking out to "Play Me Like a Record" by Kelli Crossley.

Jamba Juice on the Corner

14 people standing on the corner of 56th Street and 6th Avenue. One red jacket.

Central Park Caesar

Christian Jankowski, Living Sculptures, 2006-2007. Installed by the Public Art Fund at 59th Street and 5th Avenue.

Radio City Rewind

Looking down 6th Avenue towards Radio City. Almost home.

Wheat Paste Art

The back of this news stand is a popular place for all sorts of street graffiti. Just north of Union Square.

Where Sally Faked Harry

Katz's Famous Delicatessen on the Lower East Side. Serving great food since 1888. Located on the corner of Houston Street and Ludlow Street. The famous deli where Meg Ryan fakes an orgasm in the movie "When Harry Met Sally."

Men in Blue

These are some of the massive numbers of NYC police that were on duty last night to arrest the crowds of drunk people from New Jersey that descended on Times Square for the annual New Year's Eve celebration. Of course, many of these police officers would admit that they were mainly on duty to check out the teenage pop sensation Jonas Brothers who performed in the bitter cold.

Recession Special

Hot dogs are cheap and plentiful in Manhattan. Gray's Papaya on the corner of 6th Avenue and 8th Street in Greenwich Village. I'm not a huge fan of the papaya juice, but at the right time it's pretty good.

Quite All Right

We'll bid goodbye to the year with a small bit of text lifted from Fowler’s Modern English Usage courtesy of the Confused of Calcutta blog:

"The colloquial form “quite all right” is an apparent PLEONASM, quite and all being identical in sense; “quite right” is all right, and “all right” is quite right, but “quite all right” is all quite wrong, unless indeed all right is here used in its sense of adequate but no more, and quite is added for reassurance."

In either case, I think it's all going to be quite all right since we all need a bit of reassurance wherever and whenever we can get it. Looking forward to more surprises in 2009. Smile.

Shopping is...

I think they are trying to say that shopping is fun, especially at Bloomingdales.

Paul's Toothbrush Collection

A collection of colorful toothbrushes at Paul Smith on 5th Avenue and 16th Street.

Horns Prohibited

This always happens right when you are in the mood to blow your horn. A DOT sign pops up that stops all the fun.

Actually this reminds me of all those New Year's Eve horns that appear in the Times Square area. If you happen to be stalking around my neighborhood on Wednesday night, please cool it with the horns this year.

Two Doors

His and Hers doorways on Bond Street. Lower Manhattan.

Winter Trees

No leaves.

Subway Man and the City

An MTA worker with a bright orange flag stands precariously close to the third rail on the side of the subway tracks in Queens. As the subway was turning, I took this picture through the window of the train.

New York City looms in the background. You can see the United Nations, the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building if you look hard.

Nothing Illegal

A group of men counting their money. They appear to be one of the many barbershop quartets that move from subway car to car singing up a storm this time of year. They were resting after a long day and counting up all their hard earned loot. They need to watch out for pickpockets with all this cash they are flashing around.

Sign of the Times

Storefront on Lexington Avenue. Everything must go.

Christmas Chocolate

Fresh Belgian Chocolate. These delicious Christmas Chocolate Santa Claus are available at Leonidas on Madison Avenue.