Some gritty NYC traditions are alive and well

Such as the old 'body in the trunk' method for dealing with pesky problems...

Fun in Chelsea

One of my favorite Saturday activities is to walk over to Chelsea and go door to door, visiting all the art galleries.  The best part?  They're all free!  

Here are a few of my favorite installations that are on display now.  I highly recommend seeing them all.

Nick Cave
"Ever-After" at the Jack Shainman Gallery through Oct 8, 2011
"For Now" at the Mary Boone Gallery through Oct 22, 2011



These are all made of buttons...


I love this furry polka-dot thing, which reminds me of a Dr Seuss character.


More photos here

Richard Serra
"Junction/Cycle" at the Gagosian Gallery through November 26, 2011



I've always loved Serra's larger-than-life steel sculptures, which make me feel like a kid lost in a surreal, dreamy canyon.  It's amazing how he can take such a cold, lifeless material and make it so warm and inviting.



More photos here

David Byrne
"Tight Spot" under the High Line at 25th Street, through October 1, 2011, courtesy of the Pace Gallery



It makes noise, too - a groaning, like a dying cow...



More photos here

...better than a dying cow:



Direct YouTube link

Who needs a view when you have each other?

Here's to keeping the window shade industry alive and well...

Chinatown cravings

The sun has just set, and my stomach is growling.  Let's walk through Chinatown and see what's for dinner...

Ten years later

 

More photos here.

Perils of taking out the trash

We've had so much rain lately, you just don't know what creatures may emerge from the sewers...

The Chillmaster goes to Coney Island

Here are some shots from this last weekend's Chillmaster Road Trip, which went to Coney Island.











As always, I love the happy dancing at Ruby's...





See Marty After Dark for more photos!

The Chillmaster, previously.

Ruby's, previously.

Marty learns the ropes

The last Chillmaster party hit the road and we spent the evening at Coney Island where our fearless leader had a go at climbing a rope ladder.  Apparently, it's not as easy as it looks.

First, the demonstration...

Gumby is handed off for safe keeping...

And, he's off!

So far, so good...

Uh oh...

He goes down!

A valiant effort!

Thanks to Marty for being such a good sport!

RIP Coney Island

I rediscovered this 2006 photo of Surf Avenue in Coney Island that I forgot I had:



Link to larger version.

Just about everything in the photo is now gone, as you can see in this Google street view of the same block:


View Larger Map

And, this time next year, I expect the buildings won't be there at all.

Previously.

Cheers!

Here's to all the hard-working people out there.  Enjoy this Labor Day weekend!



And, thanks to MAD for making the above photo possible.

Pardon me while I take a nap

It's been a long, exciting week and I'm tired. Looks like I'm not alone...













Sleep is the best meditation.
--Dalai Lama