(November 12 & 15) I don’t think there had been any “unorganized” protest marches in this city since my arrival, but during the week of November 12 there were two.
The first was at night, in midtown Manhattan.
It shut down Broadway.
Three days later, there was another, this one downtown.
It sort of shut down Broadway.
I couldn’t tell how big this one was.
(October 31) After long last, I finally made it to the NYC Halloween Parade. Another disappointing trip into the darkness with my camera. It’s really the flash that kills me I think, since I get decent shots when other people’s flashes are lighting things up.
As I waited for the connecting subway, I saw the Grim Reaper.
(Blurry, but that’s the shot I got.)
It moves along pretty quickly once it starts, all things considered.
It’s not Halloween without ghosts.
To be in this parade, you just show up, in costume.
Even ZipCars dressed up.
There were robots.
Mac was there too.
And I got to see Levi Johnston and Bristol Palin.
These guys were a little bananas.
(October 31) The mission on this day was as follows: Tree Huts, Banksy, Parade. Things didn’t work out so well on any of the three counts; light and timing were the lessons of the day. Though there were people inside looking at paperwork and eating real food, Banksy’s Village Pet Store & Charcoal Grill closed eariler than was reported by the press and all I got was a glimpse through the windows.
Oddly enough, I suppose I didn’t really miss too much, it’s a small store.
I could see more than I could realistically photograph through the windows.
These things breed like rats, there’s as many cameras as rodents in this city.
I took the obligatory shots….
… the same ones that ten thousand other people took.
And then… it was gone.
(October 31 & November 23) Unless you grew up in a city or a suburban area that isn’t quite ready to admit it has become urban, there’s probably a tree house in your past somewhere. While the Tadashi Kawamata Tree Huts in Madison Square Park aren’t real, they evoke memories of the tree houses of childhood. If they were real, it just wouldn’t work. Half would be occupied by squatters, the other half would have been rented out for $1200 a month by unlicensed real estate swindlers.
Unfortunately, it was already getting dark when I arrived. I hate Standard Time.
Still, I took photos, not knowing if I’d be back.
On November 23, two days after the exhibit officially ended, I went back. It was getting late again, though not as bad as last time. I still hate Standard Time.
The squirrels lend an air of authenticity to the tree huts.
Next stop…. the Prayer Booths at the Roosevelt Island Tramway.
(October 24 & November 19) I’ve been spending a lot more time in Port Jefferson than I really care to. The commuting isn’t cheap either. Though it has changed quite a bit from my personal standpoint, in most ways, it’s exactly the same, except a little worse for wear.
Wires, wires, and more wires.
Apparently morons, dumb, and the uneducated no longer have to stop here,
which is good since they weren’t stopping before.
This is new, whatever it is.
Change comes slowly to the LIRR.
Especially west of the station.
The weathervane succumbed to a storm.
