Reopen for business. 

This is good. By David Hammons found over at Not Shaking the Grass. 

Ash Wednesday, brought to you by Greg Miller (via This Isn’t Happiness).

I saw this picture of Shorpy and thought it was beautiful and painful. 

Now, read this. 

Meanwhile, at the Whitney. 

Dough!

We’re back home in the city for Where & When today.  I’m not going to say much this time; if you know me well enough, I’m sure you can pick up something from that.

Sorry about the low resolution, but it was something I had to finagle with first since it was small, and it was the most unique pic I could find through Google, though I’m sure others exist somewhere out of my current reach. Tell us where this is, and an approximation of when.  The bonus, well… tell us when it was built and by whom, any significant events and what is it’s current status, if any.

I’m afraid I will have to break from tradition today to serve another one; my treat for anyone who comes up with answers; a street vendor buffet for everyone. See you all on the flipside!

[Photo Credit: LaGaurdia & Wagner Archives]

But beautiful.

Hello again, welcome to the middle of the week with Where & When! So now that you’re here, you probably need to catch your breath for a minute before you once again dive into the storm and try to navigate your way around the city of old. Or cities; that happens sometimes. Like a warm day in a particularly nasty winter, but I’m not saying anything you don’t already know…

A friend of mine posted a somewhat similar picture of this building recently and I was instantly captivated by the design.  It sort of reminded me of a combination of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and Pig Style Alley in the movie Kung Fu Hustle; there are certainly more European flourishes in this design than Asian, but that’s not to say those comparisons are not relevant to this building in some way. I’m sure some intrepid design master will recognize it’s influences and find it somewhere, and that person will uncover very interesting history concerning this building.  That’s what I’d like for the first person to discover the Where and the When of this challenge to lay out: where is this building located, when was it built and what was it called when completed? For a bonus question, tell us how this building is relevant to this particular month and what has become of it? There’s a lot to tell about this building; I don’t expect you to write an essay about it (but you’re welcome to spare me the time and effort at least for this one), but it is a good bonus question and therefore deserves a special incentive. The one with the answers to the first two questions will get a claret glass of Bordeaux, while the rest of us will guzzle a schooner of sarsaparilla. And the bonus? How about some miso homefries? No? Okay, a ribeye medium well might seal the deal.  Take your pick; it’s open to vegans and vegetarians as well.

I do hope you find the answers as they are quite interesting.  By the way, the answers are relevant to the date; the name had changed over time and that in turn is relevant to the bonus, so you have to be precise according to the photo, which was likely taken when the building was just completed. I’ll check back during the afternoon and see what you’ve come up with or drop some clues if need be.  Have fun, and no peeking at the photo credit!

[Photo Credit: City of Beautiful Buildings]

Nice piece by Roger Angell in the latest issue of the New Yorker:

What I’ve come to count on is the white-coated attendant of memory, silently here again to deliver dabs from the laboratory dish of me. In the days before Carol died, twenty months ago, she lay semiconscious in bed at home, alternating periods of faint or imperceptible breathing with deep, shuddering catch-up breaths. Then, in a delicate gesture, she would run the pointed tip of her tongue lightly around the upper curve of her teeth. She repeated this pattern again and again. I’ve forgotten, perhaps mercifully, much of what happened in that last week and the weeks after, but this recurs.

Carol is around still, but less reliably. For almost a year, I would wake up from another late-afternoon mini-nap in the same living-room chair, and, in the instants before clarity, would sense her sitting in her own chair, just opposite. Not a ghost but a presence, alive as before and in the same instant gone again. This happened often, and I almost came to count on it, knowing that it wouldn’t last. Then it stopped.

People my age and younger friends as well seem able to recall entire tapestries of childhood, and swatches from their children’s early lives as well: conversations, exact meals, birthday parties, illnesses, picnics, vacation B. and B.s, trips to the ballet, the time when . . . I can’t do this and it eats at me, but then, without announcement or connection, something turns up. I am walking on Ludlow Lane, in Snedens, with my two young daughters, years ago on a summer morning. I’m in my late thirties; they’re about nine and six, and I’m complaining about the steep little stretch of road between us and our house, just up the hill. Maybe I’m getting old, I offer. Then I say that one day I’ll be really old and they’ll have to hold me up. I imitate an old man mumbling nonsense and start to walk with wobbly legs. Callie and Alice scream with laughter and hold me up, one on each side. When I stop, they ask for more, and we do this over and over.

[Photo Credit: Brigitte Lacombe]

Where & When? It’s Friday; right here, right now! That means the week went by pretty quickly, from my point of view, and it’s been a pretty fulfilling week.  So let’s send off the work week with a big bang, shall we:

click on pic ahh, you get it…

I do wish I could tell which building the photo was taken from (that’s gotta be a bonus question), but instead I task you with naming at least six structures in this picture and whether they exist today or not.  Take your time with this one, as it’s a really gorgeous picture with sharp details when enlarged.  If you can make out some of the smaller structures that can be seen if you really look hard, feel free to point them out.  And since we’ve been engorging ourselves on food and drink all week, our top prize for the first person to name at least six structures within this pic (and the closest to the year the picture was taken) will get a crystal bowl of fresh fruit, while the person with the most structures identified will win a smoothie. The bonus question… eh, what the heck, if you get that one, you win brownies for everyone! Otherwise, the rest of us will have to split rice cakes (but don’t worry, you can choose the flavor).

Enjoy, and no peeking! >;)

[Photo Credit: Shorpy]

We’re on a roll with Where & When! I love that so many of these beautiful photos have managed to come to my attention and that we can share so much information about them. While I’ve researched various photos and pics, I’ve come to appreciate the wave of changes that occur each generation in New York, even if I don’t necessarily agree with them.  Some great architecture has sadly been lost to the ages due to neglect, damage from fire or the changing needs of society at that time, and far more often than not in this generation the replacements have been lacking in artistry or originality, but at least they’re not… well, they do… ah, who am I kidding? The early 20th Century was the golden age of skyscrapers and building construction in all of Greater New York and the surrounding metro area.  The mansions were better in the mid-to-late 1800s, but the buildings that came later served a greater purpose and the mansions, if they still exist, are mainly museums now.  That’s just my opinion, of course, but you’re welcome to agree or explain why I don’t know what I’m talking about >;)

click on photo to enlarge

Now you may or may not know what and where this is, but the year might throw you off a bit.  That’s because there are some very obvious and important distinctions about this place that you will have to list, and getting the year correct will likely help you with that task.  So not only are you determining where this was taken and when the photo was taken, but you’re also pointing out the main features in this structure.  Two bonus questions(!) go with this one: Name something related to a notorious event that happened here, and name another structure from around the world that inspired this one.

You all have fun with that while I sleep the morning away; I will check in after noon to see how you’re doing.  Same prizes as yesterday, but second bonus will be a chocolate biscotti. No peeking!

[Photo Credit: New York Architecture]

Surprise! Time for more eye and mind candy from Where & When! Don’t ask me why I’m being so prolific of late, just enjoy it as it comes and I still have consistent moments to do it >;) So let’s jump back a few years:

Click on pic to enlarge

That’s quite a looker, isn’t it? This picture was taken the year the building was completed, and it’s can’t be too hard to find since it’s a building that was not torn down with the subsequent revitalization of lower Manhattan; in fact is there anything in this picture that has changed in the passing years? Tell us what the name of the building in the forefront is as well as the two prominent buildings in the rear. For a bonus, tell us what, if anything, has changed in this picture from then to now.

The prize? It’s still too cold for root beer, so you’ll have to settle for a large mug of minty hot cocoa, and the follow-ups will have a cup of ginger spice tea to keep our throats from getting sore from the cold.  The bonus will bring you a brownie >;)

Have at it guys; enjoy while I still have time to bring these extra games to you and as usual, no peeking at the photo credit.

[Photo Credit: wavz13]

[Blink, Blink] Already? Welcome Back for another round of Where & When! Seems our last game was a vintage toughie; if you didn’t see the answer, take the time to go back and and see what happened.  When you’re done, come back and take a look at this picture and get your typing fingers warmed up:

click on pick to enlarge

What a beauty, eh? This one’s not as hard as yesterday, only because I’m not asking you to find an obscure clue in the background; though from the looks of it, there might be something that will help you pinpoint the general region beyond the obvious stuff.  I’m rolling over the contraband from yesterday since nobody really won that game, so first person with the answer gets a full mug to keep you warm.  The rest who follow through will have to settle with a doughnut of choice.  You get an extra one if you can give us a little history about what’s in this picture.

Happy now? Then let’s play, and no peeking at the credit.

[Photo Credit: War Of Yesterday]

Dig this photo gallery of the old Third Avenue El.

Hello again! What, are you up for another adventure with Where & When? If not, come back in a few minutes for the answer, because our regulars would actually give Joseph Tacopina an ounce of shame (it is possible).  Today’s gambit is sponsored by my nephew Isaiah, who slept over last night as I wrote this post. He may or may not appear in future posts as I bring more areas to bear for your scrutiny (in the present, of course).  Meanwhile:

click on pic to enlarge

Ah, another break from the classics; and I bet this one has Fearless Leader very interested.  But I’m not going to make this one too easy. You can probably tell where this is, especially if you were around town in this era, but how many of you know about any of the other features in this picture? There’s quite a bit of interesting history contained here, so I’m looking for at least three features in this pic that have either a back story or something interesting going on today. The bonus question is what you know of regarding one of the features here that’s also become an institution in it’s own right.  You have thirty seconds, no, you have all morning and afternoon to figure it out and post your answer in the comments. I am curious to see how long it takes to find the Easter eggs in this one.

Again, full credit and a full mug of contraband to the first one who finds the proper names and history or current aspect of significant features in this picture (hint: there are three that I’m most concerned with).  The rest of us get a bowl of chicken noodle soup.  The bonus will get you a shot of contraband in your chicken noodle soup >;)

So, I’ll try to be back in the evening to sort out the mess here.  Good luck, and if you have any personal stories about this area, please feel free to share! And don’t peek at the photo credit or you’re fired (that’s nephew’s two cents).  Enjoy!

[Photo credit: wavz13] 

Nope, you’re eyes do not deceive you, we are back with yet another Where & When.  It’s been a rather tight few weeks for me, but here I am popping in for a minute with another challenge for you to tackle.  I’ve been sifting through a number of sources for interesting photos that are also large enough to post; that’s been an issue for me because there are quite a few pictures I would like to use, but they are just too darn small.  I’ll finagle with Adobe Illustrator when I have time so that I can resize the small ones without pixelation, but in the meantime let your eyes fly over this fancy:

The city seems to have a a long love affair with fire escapes, and this was certainly no exception.  I feel this one’s distinctive enough to come up with the answer fairly quick, so your job is to find out the address of this building and the date the year the pic was taken (that will be surprisingly easy as well), and also tell us if you can how long the building has or had existed (year built, how old it is now or when it was shut down/demolished) .  Bonus points if you know anything about the photographer(!)

As usual, show us how you came to your answers. Your favorite brand of hot cocoa in a giant mug if you are the first with the answers, a nice cup of tea for us stragglers and a cookie for the bonus.  I will be in and out through the day, but I’ll be studying so please forgive me for not getting back right away.  No peeking at the photo credit and feel free to answer and discuss in the comments.  Have fun folks, see you later in the day!

[Photo credit: Read Media]

What if the winter Olympics were in New York?