Reflecting.

I wandered down to Madison Square Park tonight after work...

• Short line at the Shake Shack - check.
• Quality people watching - check.
• Sick picture of One Madison Ave - check.

Hey look - a great use for snazzy vacant lux condos!!! Sweeeeeet.

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DKNY sign no more.

As reported by the Bowery Boogie earlier today, The iconic DKNY sign on Houston is nothing more than a memory and a terrible paint job. As discussed here in May, this was only a matter of time. The city continues to evolve...but for better or for worse?

This probably won't last very long.

I need to start running - I've been saying this for awhile now. But like a smoker trying to quit, I've been putting off the start date for some time now. But wait no more(!!!), I officially kicked off BK's cardio program this afternoon. And by program I mean I got off my lazy arse, cranked the ipod, and puffed, wheezed, and panted for what felt like an eternity. Things I learned today:

Don't run to the beat of the music. Especially when the first song out of the gate is DMB's Shake Me Like a Monkey. You will only want to lean against the nearest tree/unsuspecting person/lamp post in dire pain.

Don't run anywhere around restaurants. Wendy's. Subway. Sushi joints. The gyro cart. Outdoor cafes. Good or bad, these places often give off a particular scent. This smell is only magnified when you are breathing deeply to hold on to dear life.

I'm not 18 anymore. Holy Moley, it's not cross country season anymore. I need to start slow. The road hurts. "Aches and pains" is not just a phrase restricted to Advil commercials.

A refreshing day in Central Park.

My alarm buzzed earlier than my typical work day this morning, but unlike the typical M-F of life I didn't mind yawning my way to 1st Ave and cabbing it to Central Park. I was helping out with my company's table at the 24th Annual Central Park Challenge, a culmination a year of raising funds and awareness for people with disabilities and their families [official website]. My company has supported the cause for years, but our corporate support took on a personal meaning when an employee's daughter was picked to be the official CUTE face of this year's challenge. Seriously, click on the link; she's precious.

This year featured a 5K race, a 3K walk, a kid's race, face painting (sweet!), tattoos (awesome!) and bands (rock on!) for the thousands of participants. Our table was one tiny portion of the overall day, but it nonetheless reminded me of volunteering for different programs in college; a feeling that is truly contagious. More than $1.4 million was raised for the wonderful cause, but nothing can top the pure joy that was strewn across the face of every kid. Priceless.

So close, yet so far from its final resting place.

It rained (again) today, wrapping up what feels like a week of crummy weather. This is June, not April, right? I spotted this wounded soldier on the corner of 7th and what I assume is still 3rd Ave. Near McSorely's, the new Cooper Union building, and the space craft, this defeated guy almost made it to the trash. I plan to submit the pic to Better Off Soaked, a blog devoted to broken umbrellas everywhere. If you see any in your town be sure to snap a quick shot and send it over to author Katie; it's an entertaining read to keep in your daily line up of blogs. A soaked shot from the younger bro's graduation made the cut last month (search the site for Boston College).

Cheers - happy weekend everyone.

Ohhh midtown.

With the week almost over it was time for a drink or two. I hit up my colleague's favorite midtown west/Times Square-ish bar Faces and Names. Nice place if you're ever in need of a good pint and happen to be in the area. Just above Times Square (54th St), I grabbed a quick photo on my way to the RW stop at 49th and 7th.

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Mother Nature 1; BK 0.

I'm generally prepared for what the city throws my way. I carry my camera with me everywhere I go. There's an emergency Metrocard in my back pocket for when my monthly pass expires and my ride to work is rolling into the station. iPod, fully charged. But sometimes man, Mother Nature just gets ya. Today was was of those days. With no time to check the day's weather before leaving for work, I assumed wrong. Nailed by the rain.

I was originally trying to capture the building's reflection in the puddle. Consider the speeding cab an added bonus.

It's as shady as it looks.

But that's what gives Astor Place Hair its grungy - umm - charm.

Everyone knows how hard it is to find a consistent barber or hairstylist; after all, there are several variables that need to be considered. Price. Consistency. Conversation. Convenience (both in location and in open hours).

Let me back track for a moment. I've been devoted to barbers the way people commit to buying Ford trucks and Craftsman tools. From my first haircut at a barber until the day I left for college, I went to two barbers - Palumbo's Barber Shop and somewhere else one time when Palumbo's was closed. Why didn't I ever return to this other establishment? Because I walked out of that stuck-in-the-fifties-Sinatra-throne, marched straight to my father's car, and grabbed the first baseball cap I could find. Simply put, I was not in the market for a Richie Cunningham look. Moving on to college, I was devoted to one barber in Happy Valley (probably because of the football stories that were shared), so it was only natural that I wanted to find a go-to, no frills spot when I moved to New York. Behold - Astor Hair.

I found this place on Yelp when I was a lowly intern four years ago. Open late, it's the factory of barbershops. A cold twenty will cover cut and tip. You want corn rows? Coloring? Clean it up? Shaved head? Done. Open late. Cash only. Karaoke is in the back. The RW local rumbles underneath your chair.

Ledo is my guy. Moroccan father of one, he swears by Cafe Mogador, and does your cut while you're surrouned by postcards of bikini-struttin' ladies and pictures of his homeland. A "friend of a friend" recently installed his new counter, which is boasted about proudly and often. The cashier's wardrobe consists of nothing but Yankees t-shirts and he keeps the teli squarely on the YES network. Even during the offseason. Famous (and not so famous) actor head shots cover the walls and the areas surrounding the 40+ barber chairs.

It's a truly an "only in New York" kind of scene. Men, women, young, and old can all be found at Astor Hair. Hipsters pay in change while Wall Street types ask to break a fifty so they can tip out. If you're ever in the city and need a cut, check it out. Broadway and Astor, underneath the Vitamin Shoppe. Just remember to bring cash.

Ending the day, errr evening on a high note.

Busy day playing catch up so I took a much needed walk to Bryant Park after work. I said I'd be back, didn't I? I just need to be better prepared (aka a tripod) next time I'm there at night. Here's was the least grainy of the pics I took.

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That's what she said.