Iron Lace

I'm really sure I've talked about this before. Not just because I kind of remember doing so, more because I just must have. But if I did (or didn't) it's worth revisiting.

I just can't help but love all of the ironwork in the city. From a distance it's light airy and blends into the architecture. But when you get up close, you see how substantial and in some cases how foreboding it is.

This section of railing separates the sidewalk from the walkway leading below a building. They could have gone all brick - or (ugh) wall topped with barbed wire. But instead the chose this elegant ironwork which looks like filigree lace from a distance.

Love that.

So medieval in concept. Could you imagine carrying a spear around? But so graceful in execution. Maybe that's the wrong word here! I love that they took the time to design it, but more so that they take the time to maintain it.

Iron More

I found some more ironwork in the city today.  Okay - there's lots of ironwork in the city!  I found some pretty scrolling ironwork in the city today.

This railing is more modern than the piece from last week.  The iron is thin, flat, 2-dimensional.  Definitely a more modern piece than the last one.

This piece was put in - oh, about 30-40 years ago?  It was part of a redesign where they were trying to make the place look "retro".  I guess they needed to keep the costs down, though, because this is rolled steel - not handmade.

But still, the time was taken to put in this railing instead of the same ole same ole straight sticks lining the stairway.

You have to appreciate that.  Right?

Stroll Scroll

I really enjoy the older ironwork that adorns the streets in Manhattan.  When you think about it, it's sort of a nothing kind of fence.  It's only there to keep people from walking on to the vents above the subway line.

But someone took the time to make it look good.  A lot of time.

I'm not sure how old it is - and not even curious enough to research it, quite frankly.  There's a bit of rust building up on it now.  Every few years or so the Parks Department goes through and paints it.  I guess that depends on the budget for the year (so it may have to wait awhile!).

The plants grow up and hang from it.  The birds hang out on it - waiting for a fallen scrap of pizza crust or bagel before they come swooping across the street.

I just like to look at it.  I'm glad that it is still there, being used, adding a bit of 'lovely' to my day.

I Can't Believe I Never Noticed That

This Monday started out like any other Monday.  Rush - rush - rush!  Grab everything, take care of the dog, warm up the truck, run back in and grab what I forgot to grab the first time, hop in the truck and get to the train on time.  Whew!

Mondays are the most hurried day of the week for me.  The ride to work is spent - well, working.  Once I get in, there are back-to-back appointments all day long.  It's a push to get out of the office on time, to get to the bus, to get to the train on time.  To get some work done one the train so when I get home I can spend a little time with my Dear Honey and pup before I go and do some more work and be ready for Tuesday.  Whew!

Preparation and focus are key.

So I was walking down Broadway like I do everyday.  Texting.  Thinking about what I needed to get done tonight.  And I glanced over at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Devine like I do everyday.  Replying to email.  Thinking about what was coming up for tomorrow.

And I stopped.  What the???  Is there really a pyramid on top of the cathedral?  Seriously?

Yup.

Maybe in this year of 2012 Mayan doomsday my mind has been thinking about the Mayan culture and their stepped pyramids, so this time when I glanced at the rose window my eyes moved upwards to pause on the pyramid?

Pyramids...masons...church...Illuminati...conspiracy...Nicolas Cage!  A mystery - I love it!  Well, curiosity got the better of me on this so I had to look it up.  I know that the cathedral has been under construction since 1892.  Was a pyramid really part of the final design?

Nope.  Apparently it is the unfinished gable end of the nave roof.  So there you have it.  No Illuminati/Mayan conspiracy here.  Just a house under construction.

*That's* something I can relate to!  Now where did I put my blackberry...

Just a Little Fun

The lights on the cornice of this building are actually white, but because of the bit of mist in the air, they turned all golden colored.   It was a shot that had to be taken. 

But then when I got it home, I couldn't help myself - I went and had a little fun with photoshopping this building.  I had to clean the picture up a bit since it is a nighttime shot which makes it all grainy, but then I started clicking around in the filters.

I know me, though.  So I limited my filter play time to a mere 15 minutes.  One hour later...

Don't you think that the crosshatch filter brings out the detailing on the building?  And the noise reduction filter got rid of most of those little spots everywhere.  That dimmed the golden color of the lights, so a small Lab Color adjustment was just begging to be made.

I tell you it was necessary work!  There was no goofing off here - nope - just honest to goodness hard labor going on.

Maybe just a little fun!

Skyscraper

One of my favorite things about working in Manhattan is the architecture.  I love the way the old and new 'tallest buildings in the world!' stand side-by-side.

The building in the foreground has those turn of the (last) century details - green copper cornices, intricate mouldings, arched windows.

The building in the background covered in glass sparkles like a diamond slicing through the afternoon sky.  It steps upwards, but the little detail that echos the older buildings makes it fit in the neighborhood.

The building between the two is the oldest.  It's gingerbreaded stonework is the basis for the other two buildings.  

They remind me of family - grandmother in her pearls, mother in chunky golds and daughter in sleek dangles.  All stylish individually.  All similar in a way.

Plus, the skyscraper is sparkly.  And who doesn't like a little sparkle now and again during the holidays?

Hook & Ladder Company 14

This lovely little building sits across from my morning bus stop.  Yes, this is rush hour in Manhattan.  No, there isn't any traffic at the moment.  I was wondering what the story was behind the building.  

The building was built in 1888, designed by Napoleon LeBrun who was the architect for NYC at the time.  Apparently he built a lot of firehouses back then all in similar vein.  The building was declared an historic landmark in 1997, but even that did not save it from the budget chopping black in 2003.

Once in a great while there is activity in the building, but for the most part it just sits there.  I wonder what will happen with it?  Maybe they will convert it into a candle shop?  There was a new Dunkin Donuts shop going in on Broadway a few months ago (maybe a year or so ago?), anyway, they had to take down all of the business signs that had gone up above the first floor over the course of years and when they got down to the brick and mortar the original signage for the building was still there.  It had been a corset shoppe (yes, "pe" was there).  I thought it was pretty funny that a corset shop was now Dunkin Donuts.  I imagined that the women who once shopped there would be either horrified or ecstatic about the change.  Horrified because they knew how much tighter the corset would have to be or ecstatic because they knew the corset would hide the intake of donuts.

I think I would be ecstatic!

Red Light

Tonight while I was waiting for the late train (well, the train was on time, I was late - so I guess it would actually be the later train), I noticed that the glow of the taillights from the street 7 stories below was lighting up the architectural detailing on this apartment building next to the tracks.

It doesn't do this every day, so maybe it was the twilight, maybe it was the added traffic from the evening rush hour.  Whatever it was, I thought it looked pretty cool.  Sort of the building telling the trees, "Hey! I can put on a Fall color show too!"

Maybe I should have gotten more sleep.

But seriously - that is an apartment building right next to the train tracks.  Every train coming out of Grand Central passes right by those windows.  Can you imagine the noise!?

Maybe it was really a reflection of the bloodshot eyes of all of its' tenants who must be incredibly sleep deprived.