heard from central park

central park - map it here
I think these might be the same guys I captured on W86th Street & CPW (yesterday's post). This time, I spotted them and heard them warming up from Central Park. They are on Central Park West (CPW), ready to march whenever the parade starts. The building in front of them is the Museum of Natural History.

marching to the thanksgiving day parade

2 W86th - map it here
I woke up a little early today to get you a few pictures of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade before all those out-of-towners invade us. ;) Look who I found! A smashing dashing marching band!!
They were marching to Central Park West. So I followed them.

French horns, tubas and ... cell phones!


Crossing Central Park West under the vigilant eye of New York finest.

Happy Thanksgiving!

acer rubrum

new york botanical garden - bronx river parkway at fordham road, Bronx, NY - map it here
Red maple trees against the beautiful Enid A. Haupt Conservatory of the New York Botanical Garden (in the Bronx).
Hop on the railroad Harlem Line in Grand Central station and head to the Botanical Garden, just 20 minutes away. For a mere $10 round trip, you'll get your escape out of Manhattan, but still in NYC.

If, like me, you paid your membership ($70), you'll be able to enjoy this beautiful place anytime you like, sponsor a great organization and deduct your donation from your taxes. Every month of the year, there is a good reason to visit, so your investment is quickly paid off. In the fall, you get all the wonderful autumn foliage. In December, the charming holiday train show. In the winter, the lovely snow or, if you need a quick change of scenery and climate, head to the tropical plants in the conservatory. Spring, Summer, ... bring a book, a picnic and a blanket and you can spend the day in the largest garden in the city.

red & groovy

toys r us - times square - map it here
Aren't those red neon tiles groovy or what?

studious breakfast

starbucks - broadway and W81st street - map it here
Early breakfast Sunday morning. I was planning out the day and week ahead on my little notepad, when I realized I was surrounded by an army of laptops on one side and people reading a fresh copy of The New York Times on the other side. Relaxing, and a tad freaky. Hey, that's how we roll in the Upper West Side - we read and we write. Some of us sneak in a little spyish picture here and there. Shhhht...

head in the clouds

Wall Street, the auto industry, ... even the Empire State Building has lost its head.

a glimpse at the veterans memorial

soldiers and sailors' monument - riverside drive at 89th street - map it here
Today is Veterans Day in the US, the Armistice (truce) of WWI in Europe. Above is a quick picture of the Soldiers and Sailors monument, taken during my morning run in Riverside Park.
It's been there since 1902 and commemorates Union Army soldiers and sailors who served in the Civil War. You can learn more about this monument history in this article from The New York Times.
Just for fun, here's how it used to look like way back when:

It has not changed that much!

celebration!

grocery store - somewhere in the upper west side
And, we're back after this historic day. Yes, I have my copy of The New York Times date November 5th. And no, it is not for sale. Not before at least 20 years, when I'll be taking my usual intergalactic vacation with the usual little stop in Mars.
So, how did you celebrate? I opted for a very American dinner: a hot dog with a coca-cola! For inauguration day, I may have to upgrade to a hamburger with an egg cream (never tried that yet).

not voting sucks

times square - map it here
It's time to exercise!
To exercise your right to vote!!!

la vie est dure

w80th & west end avenue - map it here
Life is hard in the streets of New York City. It's an uphill battle. And there is something about someone carrying his entire life in a shopping cart, hunting for empty bottles to make a living, that commands respect.
If you have a free weekend, a few hours during the week, or just want to volunteer on a regular basis, New York Cares is a wonderful non-profit in NYC. They centralize a series of volunteer initiatives, each ones organized by a team leader (someone like you and me). Each month, they publish a calendar with all the volunteering activities: from preparing sandwiches at a soup kitchen, to raking leaves in the local park, to painting a mural in a high school, dancing with the seniors, helping writing a resume, et cetera, et cetera. The great thing about it is that it is very flexible: it can be a once a year thing, once a month, or every week, really what you have time for. It is also a great way to discover different neighborhoods of the city. There's no reason why helping out shouldn't be fun too.