Playing Tourist In My Own Town

Only on the Brooklyn Bridge....on a sunny Sunday morning

Loving Central Park, but hating the new pencil sky scrapers

On top of New York City at One World Trade Center

Washington Square Park Bubblemarer

Dear Readers,
In case you were wondering about the long silence here on Pardon Me For Asking, I have had family members from Germany visiting us these last few weeks and I had little time to devote to new posts.
It did give me the opportunity to slow down a bit, play tourist in my own town while sight seeing with our guests and to fall in love with New York City all over again.

My most important guest however, was grandson Dove, who also come to Brooklyn. And when Dove is in town, nothing else counts.
Here he is on top of "Opa"s shoulders on Court Street.

A week of magical moments with this little monkey boy.

So, please excuse the temporary silence.  New posts coming right up.


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Who Needs The Hamptons? Meet You At Central Park's Sheep Meadow

Sheep Meadow, Central Park

Labor Day Week-End 2010

Don't you find that the most glorious days in New York City are those first days of September, when the summer heat breaks, the humidity cedes to drier air and the days become crystal clear? One can almost hear a collective sigh of relief rise from the city's inhabitants.

Add to that a three day week-end and you have pure bliss.

Of course, many New Yorkers high-tailed it out of the city on Friday, but for the residents who stayed behind, it was wonderful to have the city (almost) to themselves.

Central Park's Sheep Meadow was delightfully empty on Saturday afternoon. People enjoyed themselves flying kites, striking yoga poses or simply taking a nap on the grass. They did not seem one bit sorry that they were not in the Hamptons.

And here is a quick look into the past: Central Park's Sheep Meadow in the early 1900's.

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A Moment Back In Time : The Day A Blast Joined Manhattan And Brooklyn Underneath The Waters Of New York Harbor

Photo by Jesse Strait 1948

I just came across this wonderful International News stock photograph taken on September 16, 1948, commemorating the moment when crews working on the Battery Tunnel broke through the last section of rock to join Manhattan and Brooklyn at the mouth of the East River. It was quite an achievement.

The tunnel opened in 1950. It consists of two twin tubes, has four lanes of traffic and at 9,117 feet (2,779 m) and is apparently the longest continuous underway vehicular tunnel in North America. In 2008, 47,515 cars used the tunnel every day.

So, next time you are stuck in traffic in the Battery Tunnel, take a deep breath, relax and think about the men who worked for years under rather difficult condition to connect Brooklyn and Manhattan underwater.

The caption on the photo reads:

The final "Breaking Through" of the rock barrier where the two sections of the Brooklyn-Manhattan Tunnel join underneath the waters of New York Harbor, took place today as a dynamite chrge was uesd to blast a hole through the last few feet of rock separating the two ends of the tunnel. The project whcih has been under construction since 1940, and will cost $77,000,000 is expected to be opened for motor vehicle traffic in 1950. Above, Sam Allen (right) superintendent of the Brooklyn section, shakes hands with Andy Amisano, Assnt. Superintendent of the Manhattan Section, as they reach through the hole caused by the blast.

(9-16-48)

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A Sign Of The Times: Apt*Condo*Refinance*Renters*Buyers

On 34th Street in Manhattan,
A sign of the times:

Brokers Building
Real Estate Mortgage Insurance
Luxury Rentals or Sales
Apt. condo Refinance
We welcome international Renters or Buyers
Space for rent
For $ --00

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'Beauty's Burden' At The Ernest Rubenstein Gallery

Untitled (piano #6),
By Richard Schort
2006
Graphite on cream Rives paper

My friend Richard Schort is part of a group show at the Ernest Rubenstein Gallery entitled Beauty's Burden. Above is an example of his excellent art work. Make sure you drop in to the gallery to check out the show.

Ernest Rubenstein Gallery
197 East Broadway
New York, New York 10002


September 18-October 31, 2008

The opening is Thursday September 18th from 6-9 PM

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An Odd Thing Happened At A Midtown Fruit Stand

Midtown Manhattan

Granted, dear Reader, this happened in Manhattan and not in Brooklyn, but I need to tell you about the odd thing that happened at a fruit stand in mid-town Manhattan.
My daughter and I stopped in front of this lovely stand. While she selected some bananas, the vendor was sitting besides his cart sorting out rotten blueberries from the little plastic containers he was selling. That by itself was not strange, but he was actually wiping some mildew off the berries with a rather dirty rag. He handled each one individually before putting them back into the container.
Gross, no?

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The Champs-Élysées? Mais, non! It's Fifth Ave. On Bastille Day 2008

Non, non, this shot of a Frenchman smoking a Gauloise , standing in front of a row of brightly colored Solexes and a collection of vintage Citroën 2 CV's, was not taken on the Champs-Élisées, but on Fifth Avenue for the Greater New York Citroën And Velosolex Club's Rendez-Vous.

The anti-dote to the S.U.V., the 2 CV boasts the incredible power of, you guessed it, 2 horse power. The car is affectionately called the French duck. Though the car has not been produced for decades, the 2 CV still has fans everywhere in the world and those lucky enough to own one treasure them for their quirky appearance and features .

Now, for those of you who read this blog on a regular basis, you know the affection I have for the Solex. I happen to own an old one back in France , but unfortunately, the brakes are shot and I have not been able to ride it for a long time. So, I admired the ones lined up on Fifth Avenue and 60th Street with just a tinge of jealousy.
May you keep a secret, dear reader? I am actually very tempted to purchase a new one here in America. because you see, a brand new model of Solex is being produced and they are available right here in America.
They are ever so cool. Couldn't you just see me riding down Court Street with one of these motorized bicycles?

Related Reading:

Bastille Day Rendez-Vous 2008: Pétanque, Bal Musette And... The Solex

Brooklyn, Forget The Vespa. The Velosolex Is Infinitely Cooler!


Post Linked Here:

Mmmm, French Fries, French Toast, French.... ( New York Times)



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Bastille Day Rendez-Vous 2008: Pétanque, Bal Musette And... The Solex

**UPDATE**
For Picture Of The Actual Event, Click:
The Champs-Élisées? Mais, non! It's Fifth Ave. On Bastille Day 2008

I will try to attend two Bastille day events on the same day, in two different boroughs.

Impossible, vous-dites? Mais non!

First, I will walk down Smith Street to check out Bar Tabac's cool Pétanque Tournament, then I will hop on the subway to 6oth Street in Manhattan to attend the "Bastille Day Rendez-Vous" on 60th.
For all info on the event, go to the organizers' web site here.

But the highlight of the event for me surely will be the 2008 Greater New York Citroën And Velosolex Club's Rendez-Vous which will start at 10 Am at Grant's Tomb, at Riverside Park and 122nd Street and will end up at the street fair.

Participants will proudly drive their Velosolex or their vintage Citroën 2 CV's around the streets of Manhattan.

Now if you don't know either the Velosolex or the 2 CV, well, they are as French as Pernod and Gauloises Cigarettes. I have written about the Solex before on this blog. They are the goofiest, funnest mode of transportation around. Don't believe me?
Check out this cool video sent to me by fellow Solex aficionado Brian and check out his web site here:



So, you see, you may not be in France for Bastille Day, but there are plenty of events to at least pretend you are!
And if you would like to own your very own Velosolex, check out the
Velosolex USA web site.

Photo credit: Briansolex

Related Reading:
Bastille Day Pétanque Tournament 2008 On Smith Street
Brooklyn, Forget The Vespa. The Velosolex Is Infinitely Cooler!

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Look, Bloomberg Has Rats, Too!

Dear Reader, you remember when I wrote about Brooklyn President Marty Markowitz's rats at Borough Hall? Well, it turns out that he is not alone. Michael Bloomberg is surrounded by the rodents as well...

Yesterday, I happened to pass by City Hall (yes, I do leave the neighborhood sometimes) and happened to notice the tell-tale black boxes, the pesticide notification fliers and of course.... the large burrows around City Hall Park. There is no doubt: the area is infested with rats.

There is a certain justice in the fact that the rodents don't seem to discriminate between Manhattan and Brooklyn elected officials. The growing rat population is directly related to an increase in construction, insufficient garbage collection as well as badly coordinated responses amongst the city's agencies. Though New York City spends millions of dollars yearly on baiting and has created a special "Inter-Agency Rodent Task Force," the rat population is thriving.

Of course it doesn't help that residents insist on leaving food for birds and squirrels (and rats) like the woman above at City Hall Park.

Related reading:


Lots Of Rats At Brooklyn Borough Hall

Marty's Borough Hall Rats Doing Just Fine, Thank You!

Marty's Rats Still Going Strong And Playing In The Snow

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