Subway drums.

Yes, yes, another picture underground. This guy was stationed on the NRW stop at 59th Street. Crowd was into it; kids were dancing. It was a swell time.

Hotter than hell, but swell.

Waiting for the 6.

It should go without saying that birds on the subway platform leave the rest of the commuters indifferent.

But what if this little dude actually got on the train?

Now THAT would make rush hour interesting.

"It's called the Metro."

UPDATE: "It's called Metro. There's no the."

Noted.


It is no secret that I take too many pictures underground. Combine my hobby of people watching with the fact that my attention span is oftentimes shorter than the wait for the next train and what you get is a wandering camera lens.

I was in D.C. this weekend and experienced their Metro for the first time. Of course my camera was with me, and of course this has to be PotD. My thoughts on the subway Metro?

• Cleaner than New York
• More punctual than Philly
• Faster than Chicago
• Anything's better than Boston

My biased self still prefers New York's system for its fare simplicity; but then again maybe if we had a costs-more-the-farther-you-travel system the MTA wouldn't be up to its proverbial eyeballs in debt.

Additional shots have been/will be uploaded here.

Joker tested, rider approved.

I noticed two kids snapping photos of this sign while waiting for uptown 6. Bahhh, tourists. Or so I thought.


Clearly, this is not one of the normal signs depicting the 48,493 weekly construction changes. Clearly, this was hilarious.

And then I realized that the joke was on us, all of us. Here comes the $100 monthly metro card.

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.

Cap guns in the subway.

This sideshow was set up at the Delancey F stop. Reasons he's an amateur include but are not limited to:

He's a grown man covered in Home Depot spray paint.

Who picks an F train platform at 10:30 in the morning to set up shop?

Who thinks an F platform - any F platform - is a decent idea? Twelve customers an hour (3 of them being squatters)

The cap gun did not shoot caps. Lame.

He did, however, have one of those whistlers in his mouth. Points for that. Zooot. Zoooooot.

Ivories on the tracks.

A solo piano is a welcoming softness to the otherwise screeching nuisance that is the West 4th Street stop.


I've seen the (self-titled) Crazy Piano Guy before; looking forward to the next time as well.

Sometimes the day can take an unexpected turn.

As my day took form, I thought I'd be here writing about the fact that Staten Island Chuck seriously effed this one up:


I'm not saying Chuck should have been able to predict the Human Bird Feeder would be such good friends with the winged rats of New York; check out the snow. We haven't had that since 2009. Way to go Chuck. You lost to the Al Roker of Groundhog Day. SonofaB.

But on my way home tonight I found myself walking to the front of a six train. Not by choice.

We were stopped and forced to walk to the front car because we hit something. Or someone. Let's not talk about it. Move along. Nothing to see here.

Serious drummer envy.

It's no secret that I'm a fan of street music. New York. Philly. Above Ground. Underground. Doesn't matter. Strike a chord or bang a drum bucket. I have a grand amount of respect for those who throw it down for all of society to see and hear. Most are decent. Some make you cringe. A small few really engage their audience.

Meet Mike Alaska.







An Alaskan from Texas? Who knows; I don't. But his drumming is nonetheless ridiculous.

In completely unrelated news, Staten Island Chuck is calling for an early spring. Sweet.

Weekend Update.

I received a number of photos from you this week; thank you for contributing!

Jiggy and Gracie visited an assisted living home this weekend:

You know your Penn State obsession is a threat to society when your friends pause Office re-runs to capture PSU shout-outs on the set (courtesy of KDubs):

MS took this as the Q traveled over the Manhattan Bridge. Mine came out as all iron, no water. She wins:

Sporadic Sunday night movie leads to wine evidence needing to be discarded. Upper West Side mothers, cover your children's eyes (courtesy of Lindy):


Have a great week, everyone. If something catches your eye, share it with the rest of us. The email address is to the right.

Along for the ride.

Now I understand that the MTA is up to its neck nose eyes in financial trouble, but I didn't think it had gone to the dogs.

Bah bum *cymbal*

This is neither the first nor the last mutt to be seen on the subways, but typically the mode of transportation is a bit, I don't know, discreet? From Prada purses to Jansport backpacks to Trader Joe's paper bags, dogs can fit and (and be hidden) very easily. But this? Well this was a new use for an IKEA bag.


Welcome to Brooklyn, people.

I must compliment the dog on his superior calmness on the L. I still occasionally get caught off-guard as the train rattles under the East River like nickels in a coffee can. This guy sat contently until his stop at Lorimer.

Between two pillars - anywhere New York.

I love this picture.


In a way, it embodies what I originally set out to do with this blog - capture the very simple parts of New York that I appreciate, cherish, and try not to take for granted. The daily reminders of what life is like here. It's not sexy, glamorous or the fast track to the proverbial diamond penthouse in the sky. But I love it.

Catching an express train across the platform at Union Square. Spotting the Empire State Building lit up in blue and white after the NIT championship game. Walking past garbage that a local artist tagged with his slogan. These are the moments. This was a moment.

I stepped off the uptown 6 en route to an interview and spotted the newspaper stand on the downtown side. Augustana blared through my headphones. The guy behind the counter didn't move as some this Suit snapped away, trying his best to keep the point and shoot steady in his hands.

Click on the picture to expand it. Soak it in. This could be anywhere in New York. Gum for the night out; Financial Times for Street news, the Post for sports. Mentos? He has Mentos.

Never noticed the sparkles.

I couldn't tell you the last time I rode the uptown 6 and saw the floor. Here's to missing rush hour, of which taking a picture would get one arrested.

Missing on the L platform.

Late night on the L platform, scrambling to get back into Manhattan. Friends to meet; plans to fulfill. Then there was this.



How did you spend your New Years? Hopefully not like this family.

A different kind of "public art."

This isn't exactly Tom Otterness like yesterday, but you get the idea. Someone was using the wall of a Union Square staircase as their gallery space. One for $10 or two for $15. Sure beats hanging outside in the cold.

A penny saved...

Most of the subway stations I frequent day to day are in fair condition. Basic white smudged tiles reflect the inadequate florescent light. Occasionally the waft of homelessness lingers through the air. Many times the platforms seem crowded, only to be outdone by the arriving sardine can.

But for whatever reason, some stations receive a little more love from the MTA powers that be. The public art displayed in the 14th Street/8th Ave stop was commissioned as part of the MTA's Arts for Transit program. Designed by Tom Otterness, Life Underground is a pleasantly quirky collection of characters. Otterness' work can be found all over town, including a certain frog that was one of my first shots.

Barren subway stop.

Late night trains are the worst. Just the sleeping bums and me waiting for the six.

A magician. On the L train. With a rabbit.

Empty box.




Boom. A rabbit.




Sorry, secrets are not revealed.

And you wonder why the MTA has a deficit.

Straphangers ended the week with atrocious news - the Doomsday service cuts previously on the table are now being re-considered by the MTA. In the least shocking news I've heard all day, the financial experts clowns underestimated payroll tax revenues (aka b.a.i.l.o.u.t.) to the tune of $200 million. HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN??? Did someone forget to carry the one?!?

No fare hikes are in store for 2010 (yippee) but this probably means 50+ bus routes and a few subway lines will get their numbers called. And not in the good new-equipment-for-you kind of way.

To my joyous surprise what did I see tonight at the West 4th Street stop?



Eleven dudes watching two dudes work. Yup.

My favorite shots are underground.

I love it down here. Characters. Bands. Great lighting. $1 magazines. And in today's case a fast moving train and a young woman frozen still.




There's something about the two objects crossing on film that I can't get enough of. I took a similar shot nearly three years go when I first moved here:




One could argue that I need to find new inspiration. But these trains are our lifeblood, as much as we might hate to admit that. There is life in, on, and around every subway car and station. They thread the otherwise unconnected masses together. They make us creatures of habit. They're trains, after all. So that makes them pretty bad ass, or at least that's what the permanent kid in me likes to think.