Captain Ray Lewis and Susan Sarandon

I stopped by Union Square last night where OWS was holding a rally in support of the movement.  There were several speakers and musicians, which included retired Philadelphia police captain Ray Lewis, and actress Susan Sarandon.

I met Captain Lewis this last Christmas in Zuccotti Park.  When I asked him what made him spend his holiday in the park rather than at home, he replied. "Social justice does not take the day off."  Here he is offering more words of encouragement:




Susan Sarandon, who has been an OWS supporter from the start, also made a surprise appearance.  (Please forgive the shaky camera - I have no video skills whatsoever.)





More to come...


Previously.

Occupy Town Square

This last Sunday, OWS held an Occupy Town Square event in Tompkins Square Park.  From the event site:

Whether you consider yourself a supporter of the movement or not, we want to meet you: come share your ideas and stories, learn about the movement, argue with us, debate with us, collaborate with us. If you're already active in OWS, this is a chance to exchange information, to coordinate between working groups, and to get to know our brothers and sisters in the movement.

What a beautiful day to gather in the park.



There was minimal police representation, but they made their presence known.



Marsha, the Knitting Lady, was there... 



And Ben & Jerry's dished out ice cream.



Speaking of Jerry, here is Jerry the Peddler.  He makes awesome pins and is one of the nicest people in the neighborhood.  Buy a pin when you see him!



This event brought out the best musical talent yet.  Here's a clip of some of my favorite drummers, jamming with some great sax and trumpet:



See more photos of the event here.

Be sure to check out our friend, GammaBlog, who has some interesting interviews with occupiers.

Previously.

Sensing a theme

Some images from my weekend...

Freeman Alley

On an unseasonably warm February night...

Sunday afternoon in Sophie's

Fakery on E 9th Street

The Coen Brothers spent this last week filming their new movie, "Inside Llewyn Davis," on E 9th Street.  They transformed the block into a throwback to a 1960s Greenwich Village...



I enjoyed seeing people walk down the block and looking around confused. "Has this always been here?"  "Didn't Kettle of Fish close?"  "Hey, there's a book store!"

Ah, here's where I can dump my waste oil!



And, the cars...I love it when set cars get shipped in to fill an entire street.  They really do take you back in time.









See more set photos here.

Previously.

Love ya!

Fair weather window

I read of the passing of Norma Langworthy on Gothamist this morning.  Here is her obituary in the NY Times.  I loved walking down 11th Street and looking up to her window to check out Paddington Bear and what he was wearing.  The townhouse itself stands out on the block as it is architecturally unusual...and anyone unfamiliar with the violent past of the address might not question how it came to be so different from its neighbors.  For this reason, I like the Paddington Bear tribute, as history can be remembered and present, even in the smallest ways.

This is a photo I took of her house in 2008.  Paddington is in the front left window.



For more information, see Jeremiah's Vanishing New York.

And...

In a related note, here is a photo I forgot about where I was reading Mel Gussow's account of what happened on W. 11th Street when Dustin Hoffman lived next-door.  You can see the old facade in the photo in the book.

Soho afternoon

I like this little section of Howard Street, where it bisects Mercer.  It's still got that dusty industrial feel to it, with ratty metal facades and a worn cobblestone street.  I'm not sure how long this 'forgotten' block will last as there is a major construction site on the NE end, but it's still an area that feels like a different decade.

Scharf-mobile

I really want to believe this car belongs to Kenny Scharf, but am not sure...it could very well be a fan with awesome style.