White Arches of Wonder

There's something that I find intriguing about this building on Carroll St. over in Gowanus, near Carroll Gardens. It's a long low building on a slightly sloping street with ornate brickwork completely painted over in white and only this one small door that was clearly an afterthought. I wonder what it looked like originally and what's inside there now.

Brooklyn Teply

Great signage on booming 4th Avenue.

Love Lane Garage

This is the garage on Love Lane in Brooklyn Heights (how that street sign remains unstolen by teenagers is a complete mystery to me). Anyway, the garage is scheduled to close on July 31st and will be converted to condos. Hard to tell, but it looks like from the rendering that the structure of the garage will be saved (far left).

Lamp Lady

Lady with a lamp in Park Slope. It's a pretty nice lamp, if it's a street find I'm very impressed. I suspect it's probably a Craigslist sale. Either way, nice lamp, lady.

BMW Through the Front Door

Ever wonder how new car dealerships in Manhattan get their cars in and out of the showrooms when there doesn't seem to be any sort of loading dock? Apparently they just drive them (very very carefully) right in through the front doors! It sure looks like a tight squeeze as this BMW leaves the dealer:
That's some skilled driving right there. I like how it's an SUV but they still put down little ramps for it go down the curb.

Strange Fruit Downtown

Strange Fruit, an Australian based performing arts company, put on a lunchtime show today at the plaza behind the World Financial Center in Lower Manhattan. The group of four were perched atop 12 foot flexible poles and outfitted in colorful costumes and face paint.
They performed synchronized to classical style music, swaying, bending and twisting on the poles- a cross between theater, dance, and circus.
Strange Fruit ranged from silly mime-like antics to swaying hypnotic movements. There was a large crowd gathered to watch, in part fueled by the gorgeous weather and the cheap "Taste of WFC"-style food tables set up inside the Winter Garden.
Really cool stuff. To get a true feel of what they were doing, check out my YouTube video:

United States Blues

Red and white, blue suede shoes,
I'm Uncle Sam, how do you do?
Gimme five, I'm still alive, ain't no luck, I learned to duck.
Check my pulse, it don't change.
Stay seventy-two come shine or rain.
Wave the flag, pop the bag, rock the boat, skin the goat.
Wave that flag, wave it wide and high.
Summertime done, come and gone, my, oh, my.
I'm Uncle Sam, that's who I am;
Been hidin' out in a rock and roll band.

Happy 231st America!

The Cyclone

How sweet it is! The world famous Coney Island Cyclone turned 80 years old last week and it's still a terrifying ride. This picture is of the famous first drop which is an airtime inducing 85 feet long and 60 degrees steep. The thrill ride was the world's fastest roller coaster from it's inception in 1927 until 1972 at nearly 60 mph. It may not be the fastest anymore, but it's still one of the scariest: While much of Coney Island is under siege from developers, the Cyclone is a landmark (NYC, NY State, and National Historic) and is protected. You will fly out of your seat on nearly all of the 12 drops and the wooden coaster shakes and rattles on every turn. Here's to another 80 years (and then some!)

Check out some YouTube videos from other people's rides:
1. front seat
2. back seat