A Rainy Evening

There is something about the rain and the dusk and the yellow street lamps that creates a magical atmosphere on rainy evenings in New York City.


If you take the time to peek out from under your umbrella or over the high collar of your trench coat as you walk home in the chilly air, you will see everything you pass is laced with gold.

Let's Hear it for New York

I've had this song stuck in my head all day, and what can I say? I'm feeling the love for New York. Just wanted to share a few favorite shots of my favorite city in honor of that Empire State of Mind.

Summer in the City: The High Line

One of the last things I ever expected to see winding through the rooftops of lower Manhattan--about level with the pigeons, power lines and escaped helium balloons--is a pathway bordered with prairie grasses and wildflowers, but New York City never ceases to amaze.

The High Line is an abandoned elevated train track that has been refurbished and landscaped and opened to city dwellers for strolling, watching the sun set over the Hudson River, and yes, even napping.

The old train tracks have been preserved and the landscaping makes it appear as if nature has begun to reassert herself, eclipsing the rusty leftovers of the modern world.

As you walk, the bustle of the city dims to a low hum. If you listen carefully, you can actually hear songbirds. And somehow, (though you know you must be dreaming this one) it feels like you might even be breathing fresh air.

A few more photos here.

Summer in the City: Times Square

Times Square might just be my least favorite spot in New York City. Noisy, crowded and full of tourists taking those leisurely strolls that are so foreign to speedy city walkers, I usually just keep my head down and try to dodge the human traffic as I walk through the neighborhood as fast as I possibly can.

Nonetheless, Times Square is the picture many bring to mind when they imagine this fair city. It's where the ball drops to ring in the new year. It's the classic movie scene-setter--that image that tells us "Aha, now we're in New York City!" When someone hums "Start spreading the news...." don't you visualize those Broadway lights that make Times Square so famous?

For that reason, a couple of weekends ago when I was passing through the sweaty crush of Times Square, I decided to stop. Stop dodging and weaving through the tourists. Stop ducking to avoid people selling me I (heart) NY T-shirts. Stop saying "No, I'm not interested..." to anyone and everyone who approached me about anything and everything. I just stopped. I took it in. I tried to remember that, pretty soon, I won't be in this city anymore and I had better start appreciating, even the things I typically avoid.

The lights, the color, the sheer overwhelming visual stimulation assaulting you from every side. That is Times Square.

Perhaps it was because I was with a first-time visitor to New York who was in awe of everything we passed. Perhaps I was on a high inspired by the Broadway musical we had just seen. Perhaps I need to stop and appreciate more often. But for a few moments that one evening, Times Square seemed pretty incredible.

Summer in the City: Coney Island

The other day I posted about the fact that I'm counting down my days in New York City and am trying to pack as many quintessential New York experiences as possible into my last months here. I thought Coney Island might be a good place to start.

I know the very name conjures visions of crowded beaches, amusement park rides alive with lights and music, and all manner of odd characters prowling the boardwalk. Coney Island is a undoubtedly a colorful mixture of images. Some of them are iconic, like the famous Wonder Wheel and the Coney Island Cyclone--rides that have been around since the 1920s.

Others are more...shall we say...tawdry, but nonetheless part of Coney Island's unique blend of entertainment and oddity.

I confess, I don't go in for the crowded beach/amusement park scene, so I made my Coney Island visit early in the season when the shores were still empty, waiting for the throngs of summer tourists and city day-trippers. Even though it was not high season, I feel like I got a taste of the Coney Island magic. Do you feel a bit of it too?

The Museum of Modern Art

I love New York City.  Truly I do.  Though I may grumble about small kitchens and fire-escape gardening and lack of natural beauty, there is no place like it.  In reality, we New Yorkers are extremely spoiled by the mosaic of diversity, culture and artistic expression that surrounds us as we walk the city streets day by day.    

Even so, at least once a week I think "If only I took better advantage of all New York City has to offer..."

Which is why I am so pleased with myself anytime I manage to enjoy one of New York's special attractions, be it Di Fara pizza or the Museum of Modern Art.  

Saturday afternoon I was drawn uptown by the promise of Van Gogh and good conversation.  As I browsed the MOMA's new Van Gogh exhibit with some friends and wandered through gallery after gallery of stunning artwork, I found myself fascinated by the different ways in which people observed the art on the walls.  

The woman above stood mesmirized, unmoving, in front of Picasso's Les Demoiselles D'Avignon for a good five minutes. 

Some people wandered, glancing for a few seconds at a painting here, a sculpture there.  Others read every word about every work of art.  A few just sat on the banquettes and gazed at their favorites.  

And then there were those who roamed about with their cameras snapping photos of what everyone else was doing; viewing the people and the art through the camera lens.  Captured moments, both distant and intimate.  

A Different Kind of Meet-Up

Every once in a while you come across a scene or event that is just begging to be photographed. Usually in those circumstances I curse myself for lacking the foresight to bring my camera along. But every once in a while, I'm prepared.

Perhaps you were unaware, as I was, that yesterday was the biannual New York City Dachshund Meet-Up in Washington Square Park. Folks, this was no little meet up. This was an event.

Everyone was sporting their very best outfits:



Often with a thematically appropriate touch:



and thematically appropriate accessories too!



New friends were made:


Yes, the Yankee fan was getting friendly with the military dachshund, and the well dressed little lady dachshund tried to make the out-of-place pug feel at home.


Everyone was eager to pose for the camera:




There was even musical accompaniment--an organ grinder churning out "The Dach's Song," which was sung with gusto by the many dachshund parents attending.


Have a look at the lyrics.

Dachsie, meine dachsie, best canine under the sun. Call you "wiener" or "sausage" or "hot dog," we know that you're number one.

Surely enough to melt the heart of any dachshund owner.

The Marathon: 26.2 in New York City

Well, it's all over. The New York City Marathon. All 26.2 miles of it. And every moment of it was incredible in its own way. Those hours of anticipation in the chilly Staten Island morning; the thrill of the start; the exhilaration of the crowds cheering; the thousands and thousands of cups littering the streets after every water station; the changing face of the city and its people as we passed from neighborhood to neighborhood; the painful uphills when I wanted to walk, but didn't; the even more painful final miles when I wanted to cry, but didn't; finding that last burst of speed in me to pick up the pace at Mile 25 and sprint to the finish. What a range of emotions I went through during the 5 hours and 44 minutes I was out there on the course! Most overwhelming of all was the feeling of joy and gratitude I felt every time we saw our friends and family out on the course cheering us on, and every time I thought of the many people who told me they would be cheering from afar. Truly, it made the whole experience. THANK YOU!

My running buddy Amy was my mainstay through our 5 months of training and every step of those 26.2 miles. I would not have made it halfway without her.

Below are a few photos from the day, mostly courtesy of Ashkon, my #1 fan. Ramin also made us feel like professional athletes, by running alongside us at Mile 8 with his massive Canon lens and capturing these shots. Now I have pictures to go with the memories.

Before the start, with the Verazano Bridge in the background:

Still feeling good at Mile 8 on 4th Avenue in Brooklyn:

Cups littering the road after a water stop:


Our surprise and excitement at finding friends and family waiting for us at Mile 15 in Queens:



Our cheering section! Who could help but be inspired?


















Going for a strong finish after Mile 25:

Meltdown

Oh my goodness. The New York City Marathon is TOMORROW! I may not have mentioned it on my blog previously, but I am supposed to be running that marathon. Did I mention it's TOMORROW?? 24 hours from now I will be at about Mile 10. I'm having a bit of a meltdown. No photos. Nothing more to share. Just that.

Unsuccessful Experimenting

Taking pictures of rapidly spinning forms are not as easy as you might imagine. The carousel in Central Park caught my fancy last Saturday when we were strolling in the area with my cousins (visiting for the weekend from Chicago). They were kind enough to wait while I took about a hundred pictures, not one of which came out the way I was hoping. I was going for a picture that had a sense of movement, but where you could still clearly discern the subject of the photo. I failed miserably, as the colorful blur above can attest. Maybe I should have increased my shutter speed a little more?

Next time I plan to go in with fully researched techniques at my disposal. I'm sure Digital Photography School has a "how-to" section for just this sort of thing.

View From the Top

The other night we had a chance to catch the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open--Djokovic vs. Moya. The first couple of sets were quite close, and the excitement in Arthur Ashe stadium was palpable, particularly during the silent moments of play when all you could hear was the ball being hit back and forth (and one very enthusiastic Spanish fan shouting "Venga Carlos!"). Djokovic eventually took control and plowed over Moya to finish the match in three sets, but it was thrilling nonetheless! I caught this wide-angle shot from our seats up in the nosebleeds. (Truly, we were not as far away as this picture makes it appear!) After the quarterfinals were over we caught the first set of the exhibition match between Martina Navratilova and Jana Navotna and then ducked out to catch the subway home before it got too too late on a work night.

Ariana in the City

I have to take a break from posting my Seattle photos to share some shots from the past week. We were thrilled to receive a visit from Maziar and Tina and our adorable and incredibly mischievous little niece, Ariana.

Ariana seems to be a natural New Yorker. She was thrilled to be touring the City on the shoulders of her daddy and uncle, pointing out dogs and babies whenever they passed.

She took to the streets with confidence, made friends on the subway, ate all manner of fancy food (she was all over those truffle fries at Bette), and had waiters eating out of her hand at every restaurant we went to.

Their visit was an opportunity to spend time with many good friends, and Ariana reveled in the undivided attention of all those grown ups. We all vied with one another to entertain her and sang countless rounds of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, which inevitably led to smiles and giggles and requests to sing again.

Maziar, Tina, and Ariana left for Singapore on Saturday, and the house seems awfully empty and dull now that they are gone. Where are the bottles, diapers, children's songs, and "Ariana, no no no's" that we became accustomed to? Clearly we need to make a trip to Singapore.

NYC Half Marathon

This morning, very early, I made my way up to Central Park to cheer on some friends and mentees from my marathon training group in the New York City Half Marathon. Not only were there thousands and thousands of runners, all manner of New Yorkers were up and about early for this exciting event.


It was well worth tramping through the bushes in Central Park, and racing from one subway stop to the next to get pictures of the runners at different stages throughout the race.

Still in a crowded pack, coming up on Mile 3 at West drive and 80th Street in the park:


The road littered with cups after the water station at 57th Street and 6th Avenue:


Making the turn onto 42nd Street in Times Square:


Team in Training runners coming into the home stretch at 16th Street and the West Side Highway. This is the spot where I wore my throat hoarse from cheering.


Go runners!