Windy weekend.

Much of the day was spent people watching in New York's premier PW spot - Union Square. The square's proximity to NYU, the East Village, and Brooklyn via the L train provides an ever-changing crowd of individuals to gawk at. The downside to today's lazy afternoon was the wind. To call it strong would be nice; $%*#ing awful is more accurate. Artists struggled to keep their works weighed down, and I squinted to keep Union Square's finest dust out of my eyes.

The kite guy, though - he was having a blast.

Brooklyn sunset.

Springtime at Bryant Park.

Spring is in the the beer aisle.

Good grief, Charlie B.

Spring beers are back and they're bangin'. Whole Foods - spot on. A trip to Pony Bar is in order.

Why do I even bother with this place?

This was not why I came to Macy's.

I swung by the Devil's Retail Playground tonight on a quest for the perfect white French cuff shirt. There's a wedding coming up this weekend and, well, I need a new white shirt. More on that later if/when I find it. The point of this message is to warn all spring allergy victims to avoid Macy's.

Avoid it like you avoid Black Friday.

If the ground floor wasn't hectic already, it seems as if the flower district moved a few blocks north and rooted (ha!) itself here. And there were caged birds. And water installations. Awful. Simply awful.

But a decent photo-opp.



Name these flowers and win something awesome.

Bryant Park livens up.

Skipping out Sunday work in the office and en route to Penn Station for a last-minute trip home, I cut through Bryant Park hoping it'd be alive. And alive it was.



I've been here before. Many, many times. And I'll be back; less camera and more company next time, perhaps.

April better not disappoint.

Beers and a city garden. T-shirts and a need for sunscreen. We're definitely getting a tease of spring this weekend. Not a terrible day for outdoor conversation.




And neither was the evening. I caught up with my old roommates R&M at their place in Soho. Their private backyard patio was the perfect setting for the first warm weekend to come to a close. Yuenglings and catch-up.

I was that guy, but for good reason.

I've been that guy before. But once again out of what I believed to be complete justification, I had no problem being another that guy today. No, I'm not talking about another shoe switch. I'm referring to that guy with the over-sized golf umbrella on the sidewalk. Yeah, that guy.

Today was a continuation of yesterday's meteorologic Armageddon. And after yesterday crushed the remaining life out of my umbrella, I had no choice but to use the lone stormy weapon in my repertoire; the golf umbrella. Much like the one my mother used at the elementary school bus stop to keep Ted, myself, and a dozen other academics dry on wet mornings (not to mention the occasional diorama), mine was red, white, and friggin' HUGE.

For those that have walked with me in stormy weather (obvious metaphor not withstanding), you know how I am. Poor umbrella etiquette is on my top five of city pet peeves (up there as well would be dogs and/or children on leases longer than six feet, the city max). I will comment under my breath about someone's poor umbrella usage, regardless of size. A considerate umbrella-ite will raise and lower as necessary. Gentleman, show courtesy to the ladies.

FWIW, if the weather continues like it's been, I might be forced to bring back the rain watch of ohhhh nine.

May flowers should be here next week.

Goodbye February snow, hello April showers monsoons.

Wait, what month is it?

Today's weather was one of those wicked storms that simply sucks, and there is absolutely no other word to accurately describe it. Today's rain went left, right, and right up everyone's pants. Umbrellas were futile and only added to the excess drip-age everywhere once inside.

But no, seriously. What the eff is with today's storms. There were MOATS on every street corner, and I believe I saw a young man trying to hail a cab from the safety and comfort of a canoe.

Sorry, the camera card was full for that one.

Time to gear up.

Spring should be here sooner than later, right?

There's something about this bike/sign combination, buried in snow, that I found really poignant. Makes me miss my bike of old.

Not quite spring.

The temperatures have been teasing us lately. Warm nights. Cold lunch hours. The flowers aren't here just yet, so this subway art will just have to do for now.

Sign #5 that spring is here - Washington Square Park is back in action.

I broke away from work today in order to trek to the Fedex's Leroy St. warehouse. In doing so I took a detour through Washington Square Park to see the newly re-opened and (sort of) re-aligned center plaza fountain. Village residents, tourists, and braces-wearing NYU kiddies alike have missed the park's welcoming accessibility for what seems like years now. Thankfully the park is here just in time for the weekend. Rejoice! The park looks spacious, inviting, and green - but was it necessary? I'll be back (hopefully this weekend) for more pictures. Until then, debate whether a symmetrical park or 24 hour subway service are more important.

Lady Liberty to once again be awesome.

It was announced today that the Statue of Liberty's crown will be re-opened on July 4th. Long since shut down following the attacks of September 11th, visitors to Lady Liberty were restricted to the base of her pedestal. Queens Democratic congressman Anthony Weiner was the driving force behind the controversial push to reverse the Bush administration's decision to close the crown, but this victory is for everyone; American citizens, immigrants, the city of New York, tourists. I remember my (4th grade?) class trip to the landmark. Packed like 65 crayons made for a box of 64, the hot and sweaty innards are nothing pretty. The spiral staircase up to the top was better suited for the shorter, skinnier population of the 1880's. Twelve stories of a butt-in-face conga line. Once up top I had 3.4 seconds to peer through the dozen or so (scratched to oblivion with "JR loves SG" like comments) windows overlooking the Hudson Bay. Of what I can remember, it was beautiful. I felt on top of the city and the world, something every 4th grader should experience for themselves.

Security will be grotesquely tight, allowing only 30 lottery winners per hour to experience the crown. But that's 30 visitors an hour more than yesterday. It's about time.

I took advantage of the ceased rainfall and headed downtown to Battery Park to get a glimpse of Lady Liberty in the bay. Like always, click the image to enlarge.

One down, one to go.

Yesterday's rains have moved out and the sun is shining; the first sign that this weekend is indeed going to be AWESOME. Two weekends of nice weather in a row? I'll take it.

April is living up to its reputation.

Rain and more rain. Some today, more tomorrow. Hey, at least things are looking good for the weekend.

A day of sunny firsts in Binghamton, New York.

Unless you were living under a rock (or your work) for the past month, Binghamton New York has recently been in the news for the wrong reason. Had it not be for work, I would be in the same position as those of you who previously did not know where Binghamton was. A simple 3.5 hour highway drive from the city, Binghamton sits at the literal crossroads of Routes 88, 81, and (Highway) 17. If one was stopping in "the Bing" for gas on their way to Scranton, Syracuse or Rochester, it would be easy to think of the town as a place that time has let slip through its fingers. After all, IBM, Dick's Sporting Goods (they sell firewood), and other companies got their start in Binghamton before moving on to towns offering tax breaks. The general consensus is you're either in Bing for life or you're there for the great education at Binghamton University and you're off to greener (or maybe not) pastures. You should note that the town's current and future success rides heavily on the University. A night in Binghamton's bar scene can be easily mistaken for one of Long Island's finest hot spots. Tanning salon and gym membership required.

As I made the drive I noticed something for the first time. After countless trips to the Bing, it was finally sunny outside. My previous trips were always blessed with rain, sleet, and (usually) snow. I was feeling good as I rode my vitamin D high into town.

This time around I was skipping the chance to collect serious Hilton points and instead chose to stay at the Grand Royale Hotel (by Clarion). I chose the Royale mainly for its convenience to my evening events (two blocks) and the local watering hole (across the street). I had no idea what I was in for. Formerly Binghamton's city hall, the building is an integral part of the city's architectural history. I was pressed for time today, but I'll be back with charged batteries and an empty memory card.

Also on the list are....carousels? The next sunny day I'm in the Bing you can bet your lunch money that I'll do my best to track down some of the carousals around town that make it the self-proclaimed Carousel Capitol Of The World. That will be enough for picture WEEK.

More color spotted at the farmers' market.

My buddy Kodi and I were walking in and around Tompkins this afternoon and cut past the farmers' market. Taking random, blind shots as I walked, this one actually turned out okay.

Sign #4 that spring is here - color.

Weekends are always a little bit brighter and today was no exception. I caught these forsythia bushes blooming over on Avenue A outside of the best damn gnocchi in the 'hood. Color isn't only in the bushes though. Every freakin' store in town is pushing color in a town that loves its black.

Sign #3 that spring is here - the window screens are back and still their usual ineffective selves.

My local hardware store started selling window screens again, replacing the countless bags of salt previously resting there, unused. The reappearance of the screens is a sure sign that mosquitoes will be pestering New Yorkers in no time. It's no secret that these things are NOT very useful. Unless you're paying a pretty penny (are any of those left?) to be suckered in to thinking the luxe life fits in the East Village, you probably live in an circa 1900 walk up. This said walk up may or may not have plumb (see adjective definition #1) windows, increasing the chances that what little bit of nature is outside will find its way in. I'm not saying there are a lot of bugs here, but the ones that are can outsmart the quickest of fly swatters. Maybe New York's "only the strong survive" mentality extends to other species. That would explain the subway rats, bed bugs, and toughgrannies.

Sign #2 that spring is here - people wait in line for dessert.

The delicious Dessert Truck has been satisfying New York's sweet teeth for a few years now. Their concept is simple - deliver fine dining desserts to the every day masses. It doesn't hurt that they drive around in an oh-so-adorable truck complimented nicely by a pinch-its-cheeks website. After a brief winter break the truck and its crew were back in action in late January. As of recently the lines are getting longer and steadier, a clear indication that summer is around the corner. That or people are taking the day's news with a side of comfort. Also beating Bobby Flay at his own game helps earn some street cred. [video]

The sweet offerings are both recession and mouthwatering friendly. The menu is changed often, but staples like creme brulee and bread pudding topped with bacon custard are hard to pass up.