Steal the Show

If you are uncomfortable with the gay community, I would not suggest taking up residence in New York City, particularly in the West Village. New York has some of the largest communities in the United States for individuals whose sexual orientation is other than heterosexual. And there are many orientations, as seen in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center at 281 West 13th Street. You can read about them here.
The gay community suffers from many stereotypes. As with any group, those that stand out are not necessarily those that typify the group. In fact, usually not. Religious fanatics don't generally represent the constituents of their faith.
Many of the gay men or lesbians seen acting out i.e. involved in wild activity, excessive promiscuity or gyrating on floats in the Gay Parade are just a small sampling. This may be something which is discussed frequently, but I believe it is perhaps only given lip service. The real problem is that most individuals in the straight community do not have interactions with or friends within the gay community.
I have worked with gay men and employed them. At one time I made close acquaintances with a large number of gay men who I saw on a semi-regular basis. At parties, my girlfriend at the time and I were the only heterosexual couple who attended. This was a great opportunity for me to really get to know a number of gay men well. I was always made to feel completely comfortable. The personalities, temperaments and livelihoods spanned the gamut. There were artists, pharmacists, bankers and real estate developers. Many were in very long term committed relationships. Some were quite conservative - "you would never know." Of course, as to be expected, the flamboyant always stole the show ...

Privileges

I am fortunate to have friends with an extraordinary view of the city and was able to capture a series of photos in the evening sunset light - see more here.
These rooftop turbine ventilators make a very visual accent the city's skyline. They can be seen everywhere in New York, along with the ubiquitous water tanks, which I have previously posted on - see here.
In this photo, the ventilators are directly above what appears to be a penthouse apartment with a terrace. It may come as a surprise, but there are a number of people in Manhattan who have garden space and actually use landscaping services. These gardens are typically hidden from view - either at ground level in the rear of buildings or annexed to top floor apartments. Of course, a substantial premium is paid for this type of privilege, as is for air and views.
As I have written here before, I find many of the structural and functional elements of buildings to be attractive and they offer a myriad of opportunities for photography. These ventilators evoke a number of images for me - people, minarets, chessmen, chef hats. Peering out over the city from above, craning their necks for perhaps a better view or a breath of fresh air ...

Wake Up Call

Wow is all I could say as I stood at Times Square looking west along 42nd Street into one of the most amazing sunsets I have seen. This stretch of 42nd Street is already quite dramatic at dusk or at night. But this sunset was remarkable with the heavily stratified clouds and beautiful color gradation of orange to deep blue. One could have easily seen the sky as part of the artificial spectacle. Drama added to drama. Perfect for a world that knows no bounds when it comes to sensory overload. It really looked like Batman's Gotham City.
One can easily live a lifetime in New York City without hardly a hint of the natural world. With the exception of the sky, occasional tree, squirrels and birds, we live in a place that is almost entirely man made. Some are fortunate and have park, river or garden views. But for most, this is a life of concrete, stone, brick, steel and glass. We look to other things - culture, business, restaurants, architecture and human interaction.
Some seek out nature in the city. It is can be found - promenades, parks, gardens, waterways. And occasionally, when you least expect it, it slaps you in the face. A wake up call to nature ...

Bagels

When i first moved to new york city to attend college, I had never heard of a bagel or deli. Hard to believe? Not at all. Before the internet or cable television, life was much more insular and information much more local. Growing up in a small bluecollar town in New England I was exposed to very little. Cappucino was unheard of.
But it was only minutes after arriving in the Big Apple, however, that I sampled my first New York style cheesecake. And bagels and heros ("grinders" where I came from) were soon to follow, in my full immersion in NYC culture.
Along with the Sabrett hot dog, NY Pretzel and egg cream, I can't think of many food items that better epitomize New York City than the bagel.
My best friends in college were Jewish and I quickly learned the ways and means of New York from them, with yiddish expressions - schlamiel, schlamazel, oy vey. The bagel became a staple in my life. Satisfying, substantial. The quintessential NYC breakfast for a New Yorker on the run.
H&H Bagels is the city's largest manufacturer of bagels, producing millions per year from their factory on 12 avenue and 46 street. The sign, along with the Car Wash, is a familiar site to those who have traveled along the West Side Highway.
H&H was founded in 1972 by Helmer Toro. You can find them at many locations including their flagship shop at 2239 Broadway.
New Yorkers need to always feel on top of the game. We constantly look for ways to shout biggest, best, first, most, largest. H&H Bagels is one of those NYC icons - a name people love to show and tell. They have been seen in Seinfeld, a Woody Allen film and Sex and the City - all classic New York and befitting the H&H Bagel ...

Cult Meets Attitude

The cult like phenomenon surrounding Apple Mac users is well known. In fact, Guy Kawasaki wrote of it in his book, The Macintosh Way. He advances the concept of marketing a business by creating an evangelical customer base. This may sound far fetched, but only if you haven't met some hardcore Mac users.
But we have a small problem. Even with the tremendous success of Apple computer and Steve Jobs bringing it back from the brink of disaster, the market share of Macs is quite small. And the architecture of the Mac is not open as with the PC world - people don't build and customize their own machines. It is a very proprietary world. So what about service? There's the big problem. Prior to the Apple stores, there was virtually no where to go. And when you pay a premium for a product, you want your machine treated like a special baby by dedicated experts who are as zealous about Macs as you are. Ideally people who belong to the same religion and don't even service other machines. Is there such a place?
Yes there is - Tekserve at 119 W. 23 Street in Manhattan. Founded in 1987 by David Lerner and Dick Demenus, their original location (also on 23rd Street) was on an upper floor - getting off the elevator, you were greeted with sound of a Mac chime. You entered a secret world that you knew immediately was Mac centric and cool - there was an antique Coke machine and a swing.
Until the recent openings of Apple stores, Tekserve was the only game in town - the only place to get walk-in Mac service. There was definitely a strong attitude at the old location - not unusual for a business that has no competition and holds all the cards.
The new location is greatly expanded and occupies a retail space on 23rd Street. It still has a number of unique things in the store, like a giant fish tank (seen in the photo) and the old coke machine from the previous location. I'm not sure if things have changed, but I still see a waiting area for service - people take numbers and sit and wait, reminiscent of a doctor's office. In a more competitive environment, this would be a serious Achilles Heel. I understand that the Apple store service areas are also very busy, with lines and waiting for service.
The Tekserve staff has a reputation for competence and does even give free phone advice. Clients are still willing to wait for what they believe is the best in town - some are pleased with the experience, some are not. Try an online search for "Tekserve" and "attitude." You'll see what I mean :)

No Salga Afuera

I used to know a Puerto Rican woman who roared when I used to demonstrate my limited command of the Spanish language, defined by the NYC experience. My favorite was the recitation of a sign which appeared in the subway cars for as long as I can remember. I used to just recite two lines:
"La via del tren subterraneo es peligrosa. .... No salga afuera." This warning alerted passengers to many dangers, including the the electrified third rail. See full wording and translation below.
My other favorite sign was one I frequently saw in parks: "Aviso. Veneno de Rata." (Danger. Rat poison). Now I realize that this knowledge will not get me far in conversation in a Spanish speaking country, nor will it help me charm a Latin American, but in New York City, it may be useful in avoiding premature death in certain situations.
Every living environment has an effect on its inhabitants and in New York City that environment is one that has an element of brutality. New York is a great city and has improved markedly over the years, but this is a harsh place and breeds cynicism, skepticism and cautiousness. Survival skills. And one of the results is a rather unusual foreign language vocabulary.

The photo shows the current signage on subway doors. Many New Yorkers, including myself, have frequently walked between cars to position oneself at the proper end of the train so that you are in the best location when exiting (most doors are locked these days). The experience of walking between cars of a moving subway is not for the faint of heart, but it does make good use of travel time, admittedly at the risk of being killed. But, hey, that's just makes you feel like a real fearless New Yorker. But I am not recommending this behavior - this posting is for informational purposes only. Just remember, "La via del tren subterraneo es pelgrosa" !

Note: The original sign in its entirety with translation is as follows:
"La via del tren subterraneo es peligrosa. Si el tren se para entre las estaciones, quedese adentro. No salga afuera. Siga los instrucciones de los operadores del tren o la policia."
"The subway route is dangerous. If the trains stops between stations, do not go outside. Remain inside! Follow the instructions from the operators or the police."

Lucky

It's a shame that Disney is seen by some as an evil empire. Pejoratives like Disneyfication are virtually synonymous with the sanitization and degradation of American culture. Why do I say a shame? - because Walt Disney was a real visionary and one of the most influential men of the 20th century - one of the creators of some of the most durable fictional characters. In his lifetime, Disney won fifty-nine Academy Award nominations and twenty-six Oscars
Perhaps it's just an inherent downside to anything really good - that it will be overdone, spun, extended, commercialized, branded, marketed. We live in a time when the means to overdo are readily available - powerful tools, technologies and ways of distribution. And of course the tremendous money behind it all drives everything.
Over the weekend, NYC was host to the first World Science Festival. This was a combination free outdoor street festival and also a series of programs with renowned scientists including many nobel laureates. The programs were ticketed events held around the city in various venues. Many were sold out. The free outdoor festival, held in and around Washington Square Park, was oriented towards the entertainment and education of children. See here for more photos of the event.
The central event was Lucky the Dinosaur - a free-roving audio-animatronic figure created by Disney's Imagineers over a period of five years and unveiled in 2005 (audio- animatotronics were invented by Disney and made their major debut in 1963 with a display of singing birds and flowers at The Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland Resort).
Dinosaurs are ever popular with children, so it should come as no surprise that Lucky is an enormous hit wherever he goes. He can walk, talk and interact with people. He also can sniffle, burp, hiccup, sneeze, yawn, cough, giggle, snort and purr ...