Archive for the ‘Wanderings’ category

A Post of Three Delis

May 16, 2008

If you wander down Seventh Avenue, starting around 57th Street, you will eventually run into three delis: Carnegie’s, The Stage, and Roxy’s.

You will also see about 40 other places calling themselves “delis”, and a few are no doubt very good; but they aren’t in this company.

First, it’s Carnegie’s. I’ve eaten there once and was overwhelmed by the sandwich. Really, really good. And there’s always a line. In the picture below, the van blocks the view of maybe five to eight people waiting to get in. Once in, the accommodations are pretty bad, but the food is wonderful.

Next, it’s the Stage Deli. I haven’t eaten there, but it always appears about as jammed as Carnegie’s. I saw this sign on the window and knew I’d have to post it as my picture.

Finally, Roxy’s. A purest will note that it is actually on Broadway, but it is where 7th Avenue and Broadway come together. That’s Times Square for those of you who didn’t make the connection.

Roxy’s has a pretty fair amount of seating despite being dwarfed by its neighbors and the neighbor’s signs. I’ve eaten there about four times and the sandwiches are great.

There are lots of other terrific delis in NYC. But these are the three I ran into that day.

And I didn’t eat at any of them.

-H

Pentanque in Bryant Park

May 15, 2008

The other day, I wandered by the eastern edge of Bryant Park and was confronted with the sight of people throwing large steel balls around. Not a problem, it’s called Petanque (pronounced, I’m told, as “pay-tonk”).

I have seen this small space in Bryant Park many times, but this was the first time I saw anyone using it.

The game is originally from France (where it was named “boules”) and appears to be the predecessor of lawn bowling.

Note the little orange object in the middle of the steel balls.  That’s the target.  The players throw the balls to see how close they get to this object.  …at least I think that’s the goal.

There are actually free lessons given in this spot between 11:30am and 2pm Mondays through Fridays.  I was there on a Saturday, and it was obvious that these people were also giving/taking lessons.  Either that or the games were really, really lopsided.  Some of those guys could throw those balls really well. 


 As you can tell, it was a pretty popular spectator sport. There were, I think, three games or lessons going on simultaneously. The area appears to hold up to four separate games simultaneously.
 
-H

Central Synagogue on Lexington Avenue

May 13, 2008

Located on 55th Street and Lexington Avenue, NYC’s Central Synagogue is very distinctive and really stands out from the nearby buildings.

The building style is noted as “Moorish” and that seems absolutely appropriate to the structure. It’s pretty cool looking.

But you know the one thing that really caught my eye?  Not the style (although that helped).  Instead, it has the most absolutely perfect announcement/services sign that I have ever seen on any house of worship. I am just so used to the ones that some poor deacon has to go out and put up the plastic lettering on. For Central Synagogue, it is just a nice standard digital display.

It’s such a minor thing, but just something I don’t know that I’ve seen before.  Well, I’ve seen Churches with the scrolling letter signs, but not something as simple and as nice as the above.

Incidentally, despite its old-style appearance, it is a Reform synagogue.

-H

Second Avenue Street Fair

May 12, 2008

Last week, I talked about how the street fairs were starting up again.

Oh yeah, they are. There was a pretty big one on Second Avenue up in the high 40s. It had the usual sort of fair, but I have to admit, I enjoyed the visuals of the street and the crowd a whole lot more than I enjoyed the vendors.

This is looking southward from maybe 48th Street or so.

And this is looking northward. What’s hard to see here is that there is a downslope and then an upslope. I don’t think I strayed from the center of the street for more than a few seconds when I went to the fair. There just wasn’t anything that tempted me. Seen one zeppole, seen ’em all.

-H

Mary Poppins at the New Amsterdam Theatre

May 11, 2008

I don’t like the title.  I think we ought to use “theater” and not “theatre”.

 

I recently managed to get a super-cheap ticket to see Mary Poppins at the New Amsterdam Theatre and went. (The picture above is during the day, but I did see the play at night.)

The play was fine and nicely done.  It was definitely a big-bucks production with the stage set carrying a lot of the burden of the storyline.  Well, there’s really no storyline at all.  Just an excuse for a great stageset and lots and lots of singing.

But, I also liked the theater itself.  It’s located on 42nd Street, just off Broadway.

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The plaque reads “New Amsterdam Theatre.  Designed by the noted theater architects, Herts & Tallant, for producers Klaw & Erlanger, the New Amersterdam opened on October 26, 1903, with a production of Shakespears “A Midsummer’s Night Dream”.  The theater has one of the fiest art noveau interiors in the United States.  As one of New York City’s best musical comedy houses, the New Amersterdam showcased many talented stars and was home to the Ziegfield Follies from 1913 through 1927.  The theater, converted to a movie house in 1937, closed in 1985.  The New Amsterdam was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.  Following acquisition by the 42nd St. Devlopment Project, Inc. and the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the New Amsterdam was restored to its original splendor by the Walt Disney Company, who jointly funded the project with the Empire State Development Corporation, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.  The theater reopened in 1997.”

I did manage to get an inside shot of the theater.

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-H