The Elevator Repair Service is presenting their latest work, The Select [the Sun Also Rises] at the New York Theater Workshop. They are the inventive company that did "Gatz" last year at the Public. The Sun also Rises is Ernest Hemingway's first novel and considered by many to be his best. Written in 1926, one year after 'The Great Gatsby'. According to the New York Times Hemingway's book has never been out of print and is believed to be the most translated of all novels. The story is about a group of expatriate Americans and British living in Paris. They travel to Pamplona for the festival of Fermin, the bullfighting and the running of the bulls. The book was first called Fiesta, then The Lost Generation [a label used by Gertrude Stein about expats after the war who were living in Paris] and then The Sun Also Rises from the Biblical quote "What profit hath a man for all his labor under the sun? One generation passeth away and another generation cometh: but the earth abidith. The sun also ariseth and the sun goeth down and hasteth to his place where he arose."
The plot: Jake loves Lady Brett and she loves him, but Jake was wounded in the war and can't perform. Lady Brett has affairs with Mike, then Cohn, then Mike again and then the bullfighter Romero. Everybody drinks too much. They fight. Romero is badly injured in the fight but has a successful day in the ring and he and Lady Brett go off together. Eventually she contacts Jake who rescues her from a seedy Hotel. They talk about their love for each other and what might have been. Then Lady Brett marries Mike. During the story they drink a lot, dance some, then drink some more. Some of them go on a fishing trip and drink. I mean like 3 or 4 martinis and 3 or 4 bottles of wine each with lunch.
It did not work as a drama. 3 and a half hours of waiting for something to happen or some beautiful language, nada. Cohn is Jewish and characters use anti-Semitic epithets about him and to him. There are some gay men at the cafe in Paris and "faggot" is used. Hemingway's characters aren't just crude they're not interesting. They have nothing to say. OK, maybe that's the point, but it would have gone over a lot easier if I could have joined in the drinking.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
House of Worship
The Friend's Meeting house is across from Stuyvesant Park at 16th Street. They are commonly called Quakers because they 'tremble at the word of God'. The term was first used as a put-down by their enemies but today the Friends use it themselves. They began to appear in England in the 1640's, at the height of the Reformation.
They believe in "continuing revelation". Truth is continually revealed to us from God, so there is no need for Priests. They reject religious symbolism and the sacraments. The Society of Friends has evolved over the centuries. The evangelical sect, the largest, believe in the literal interpretation of the bible as God's word. The liberal sect believe in an evolving relationship between us and God. Some liberal sects are universalist and even non-theistic. Traditionally the Quakers have always and still believe in the full equality of women, pacifism, anti-slavery, social action and refusal to swear an oath. Their children are taught their SPICES along with their ABC's.
S...simplicity
P...Peace
I...Integrity
C...Community
E...Equality
S...Stewardship
"My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness."
The Dalai Lama.
Tryst
The Irish Repertory Company is doing a first play by Karoline Leach with Andrea Maulella and Mark Shanahan. It takes place in 1910 London and is the story of a charming con man who marries women for their money. Then runs. It is expertly performed for a play that changes gears a couple of times. The main tension is in the character of George. Is he in love or is he playing the woman for her money? The fact that the tension can hold up for 2 hours is a mark of the expertise of the performers, and the writing. My problem is with the ending.
SPOILER ALERT: The fact that he kills her, turns the drama upside down. Not for love or money, I guess.
I've been setting up my fall theater season. Membership in the Irish Rep, the Classic Stage Company, the Public Theater, and 4th St. Warehouse, and of course the opera. Tickets to King Lear, The Elevator Repair Service production of The Select and Master Class with Tyne Daly, and more. What, you live in New York City and yor're bored!
SPOILER ALERT: The fact that he kills her, turns the drama upside down. Not for love or money, I guess.
I've been setting up my fall theater season. Membership in the Irish Rep, the Classic Stage Company, the Public Theater, and 4th St. Warehouse, and of course the opera. Tickets to King Lear, The Elevator Repair Service production of The Select and Master Class with Tyne Daly, and more. What, you live in New York City and yor're bored!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Washington Square Park
The weather has been wet and stormy the last couple of days. So when the sun eventually came out I headed for the park, this time Washington Square Park. NYC has 1900 public parks and at 9.75 acres Washington Square Park is one of the most famous. NYU owns the buildings surrounding the park and thinks of the park as its quad but the park is public.
Initially it was marsh land with the Minetta Creek flowing through it. The Dutch turned it into a farm and then gave it to their freed slaves. It then became known as "the land of the Blacks".
The NYC Common Council purchased the land in 1797 and made it a potter's field and the place for public hangings. One or two hangings have been reported to have taken place in the park. The Cemetery was closed in 1825 but never moved and it is estimated that 20,000 souls rest underneath the park. During remodeling of the park in 2007 a headstone from 1797 was unearthed.
In 1826 it was a military parade ground. In 1871 the park came under the control of the newly formed Parks Commission. In 1934 Robert Moses included the park in his urban renewal plan. He wanted to extend Firth Ave. through the middle of the park. The opposition was strong, and most especially tireless, considering the fact that it took over 30 years to free the park of vehicular traffic. They won, thanks to the hard work of Jane Jacobs, Shirley Hayes and Eleanor Roosevelt, who lived on Washington Square Park West.
In time the park became a hangout for artists, musicians, comics and many types of performers.
First the Beatniks and folksingers in the 50's and early 60's. The community, mostly working class, considered them "undesirables" and got the authorities to 'clean' up the park. April 9, 1961 was what the NY Mirror called the 'Beatnik riot'. 500 musicians had gathered to protest the law requiring permits in order to play music in the park. They were met by police with billy clubs, and ten people were arrested. The park was thereafter patrolled by police and was pretty much a community park until the 70's when it became a hangout for drug dealing and general criminal activity.
Some of the many people who have hung out in the park: Buddy Holly, when he lived nearby, Stanley Kubrick played chess in the park and Barack Obama held a political rally there on 9/27/07.
$16 million is being spent for the renovation.
Initially it was marsh land with the Minetta Creek flowing through it. The Dutch turned it into a farm and then gave it to their freed slaves. It then became known as "the land of the Blacks".
The NYC Common Council purchased the land in 1797 and made it a potter's field and the place for public hangings. One or two hangings have been reported to have taken place in the park. The Cemetery was closed in 1825 but never moved and it is estimated that 20,000 souls rest underneath the park. During remodeling of the park in 2007 a headstone from 1797 was unearthed.
In 1826 it was a military parade ground. In 1871 the park came under the control of the newly formed Parks Commission. In 1934 Robert Moses included the park in his urban renewal plan. He wanted to extend Firth Ave. through the middle of the park. The opposition was strong, and most especially tireless, considering the fact that it took over 30 years to free the park of vehicular traffic. They won, thanks to the hard work of Jane Jacobs, Shirley Hayes and Eleanor Roosevelt, who lived on Washington Square Park West.
In time the park became a hangout for artists, musicians, comics and many types of performers.
First the Beatniks and folksingers in the 50's and early 60's. The community, mostly working class, considered them "undesirables" and got the authorities to 'clean' up the park. April 9, 1961 was what the NY Mirror called the 'Beatnik riot'. 500 musicians had gathered to protest the law requiring permits in order to play music in the park. They were met by police with billy clubs, and ten people were arrested. The park was thereafter patrolled by police and was pretty much a community park until the 70's when it became a hangout for drug dealing and general criminal activity.
Some of the many people who have hung out in the park: Buddy Holly, when he lived nearby, Stanley Kubrick played chess in the park and Barack Obama held a political rally there on 9/27/07.
$16 million is being spent for the renovation.
Monday, August 15, 2011
House of Worship
The Church of the Nativity on 2nd Ave. between 2nd Street and 3rd was initially the site of a Presbyterian church built in 1832. The Catholic Archdiocese bought that building and founded the Church of the Nativity in 1842. The old building was demolished in 1970 and the current church was built.
In 1842 it served the growing numbers of Irish immigrants in the community, then Italians and now Hispanics from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Described as having a cinder-block and brick institutional drab look it was built by the parishioners at basement prices because the neighborhood could not afford more. The inside is plain white, with oak pews and little else but an altar. Unfortunately, It is scheduled for closing by the Archdiocese of the City of New York. Staffed by up to 4 Jesuits at one time, it has one priest now. As the neighborhood has become gentrified and rents increased many parishioners moved further north. Manhattan with 25% of the churches has only 17% percent of the church going population. The younger more affluent community growing in the east village does not appear to be church affiliated. Dorothy Day, who dedicated her life to the poor, worshiped here for many decades.
In related news: the Sunday Times had an article about a monastery closing in North Dakota because of the lack of new novitiates. It is a Benedictine Monastery as founded by St. Benedict in the 6th Century for those wishing to serve God through work and prayer. It is not a cloistered Abbey. The last novitiate to be accepted into this Abbey was in 2002 and since then 9 monks have died. One of 40 in the U.S., Assumption Abbey was founded by Swiss Benedictine Monks in 1890 and was populated by German speaking monks from Russia and Hungary, because North Dakota was 'settled' by immigrants from those countries. The Abbey currently has 1900 acres with 155 cows, 8 bulls and 155 calves. Usually the Monastery would just sell the calves, but this year they are selling the entire herd.
"No more cowboys taking vows", was the headline. Brother Placid Gross, I swear by all that's holy that's his name, is the last cowboy monk at Assumption Abbey and at 76 years of age it is more than he can handle. There are 28 monks in residence but Brother Placid says they are more interested in 'intellectual stuff'.
"Happy trails to you
until we meet again
happy trails to you
keep smiling until then."
Dale Evans Rogers
In related news: the Sunday Times had an article about a monastery closing in North Dakota because of the lack of new novitiates. It is a Benedictine Monastery as founded by St. Benedict in the 6th Century for those wishing to serve God through work and prayer. It is not a cloistered Abbey. The last novitiate to be accepted into this Abbey was in 2002 and since then 9 monks have died. One of 40 in the U.S., Assumption Abbey was founded by Swiss Benedictine Monks in 1890 and was populated by German speaking monks from Russia and Hungary, because North Dakota was 'settled' by immigrants from those countries. The Abbey currently has 1900 acres with 155 cows, 8 bulls and 155 calves. Usually the Monastery would just sell the calves, but this year they are selling the entire herd.
"No more cowboys taking vows", was the headline. Brother Placid Gross, I swear by all that's holy that's his name, is the last cowboy monk at Assumption Abbey and at 76 years of age it is more than he can handle. There are 28 monks in residence but Brother Placid says they are more interested in 'intellectual stuff'.
"Happy trails to you
until we meet again
happy trails to you
keep smiling until then."
Dale Evans Rogers
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Summer Streets
For the fourth year in a row and for four Saturdays in August one street is open to the public from 72nd Street and Central Park East to the Brooklyn Bridge.
There is a lot to do and a lot of New Yorkers out today doing it.
Some of the activities available, free bike repair, free portraits with your bike, free bike rentals, free rock climbing and free cookies and lemonade.
There are sand boxes for some play.
You are sure to have a good time. So if you are in the city next Saturday bring the whole family.
Some of the activities available, free bike repair, free portraits with your bike, free bike rentals, free rock climbing and free cookies and lemonade.
Empire State Building
The real estate between 34th street and 33 street on Fifth Ave. had been home to the Astor's. The famous Mrs. William Astor lived at 34th and Fifth. Because her ballroom could only accommodate 400, N.Y.'s social elite were listed as 'the 400'. Her nephew was at 33rd. The nephew built the Waldorf Hotel on his site, ruining the neighborhood; so Mrs Astor built the Astoria Hotel on her corner and moved uptown. So they created the Waldorf-Astoria so I could have my prom.
The Empire State Building was planned during the booming 1920s by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon but completed in1931. It is constructed in the Art deco style of the time. It cost $40,948,900 then, about $500,000,000 today. It was largely vacant in the early years. They say fees to the observation deck paid the bills. The bills for building the Empire State Building were paid by one man, John Jacob Raskob, KCSG, 1879-1950.
Born in Lockport, NY, his grandfather was an immigrant from Germany and his father sold cigars. After High School he went to a local Business School but had to drop out when his father died in 1898. He worked as a secretary to support the family.
1911 ... hired as a personal secretary to Pierre DuPont
1914 ... appointed Treasurer
1918 ... Vice President for Finance of DuPont and General Motors. He was an early investor in GM and engineered DuPont's ownership of 43% of GM.
In the 1928 Presidential campaign he supported Al Smith for President. Chairman of the Board, Sloan supported Herbert Hoover. Raskob was asked to resign. He sold his stock, built the Empire State Building, and made Al Smith President ... of the Empire State Building Company.
The KCSG after his name signifies that he is a knight of the Catholic Church. He was given the title for his philanthropy, not because of the 13 children his wife had. Another member of the KCSG is Rupert Murdoch.
3000 men rose the framework at a rate of 4 and a half stories per week to 102 stories total and 1454 feet.
In 1951 the Raskob Estate sold the building for $34 million
Today $550 million is being spent on renovations with $120 million being used to make the building Greener
It has its own zip code 10118
In 1945, a plane crashed into the building, killing 14 people. It also resulted in Betty Lou Oliver surviving a plunge of 75 stories inside an elevator. That still stands as the Guinness World Record. Anyone want to go for 76.
It was the tallest building for 42 years until the World trade center in 1973
There have been over 30 suicides. The first was by a worker before the building was completed. He had been laid off. Evelyn McHale on 5/1/47 jumped from the 86th floor, landed on a U.N. limo and her curiously intact body was photographed. It was later used by Andy Warhol for his painting 'Suicide'. Elvita Adams on 12/2/79 jumped from the 86th floor only to be blown back and land on the 85th floor with a broken hip.
In 2/24/97 a Palestinian gunman shot 7 people, killing one and wounding himself.
There have been 110 million visitors to the Empire State Building. Named America's favorite building in a poll by the American Institute of Architects, designated a National Landmark and listed as one of the 7 wonders of the Modern World. But I've never liked that name!
The Empire State Building was planned during the booming 1920s by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon but completed in1931. It is constructed in the Art deco style of the time. It cost $40,948,900 then, about $500,000,000 today. It was largely vacant in the early years. They say fees to the observation deck paid the bills. The bills for building the Empire State Building were paid by one man, John Jacob Raskob, KCSG, 1879-1950.
Born in Lockport, NY, his grandfather was an immigrant from Germany and his father sold cigars. After High School he went to a local Business School but had to drop out when his father died in 1898. He worked as a secretary to support the family.
1911 ... hired as a personal secretary to Pierre DuPont
1914 ... appointed Treasurer
1918 ... Vice President for Finance of DuPont and General Motors. He was an early investor in GM and engineered DuPont's ownership of 43% of GM.
In the 1928 Presidential campaign he supported Al Smith for President. Chairman of the Board, Sloan supported Herbert Hoover. Raskob was asked to resign. He sold his stock, built the Empire State Building, and made Al Smith President ... of the Empire State Building Company.
The KCSG after his name signifies that he is a knight of the Catholic Church. He was given the title for his philanthropy, not because of the 13 children his wife had. Another member of the KCSG is Rupert Murdoch.
In 1951 the Raskob Estate sold the building for $34 million
Today $550 million is being spent on renovations with $120 million being used to make the building Greener
It has its own zip code 10118
In 1945, a plane crashed into the building, killing 14 people. It also resulted in Betty Lou Oliver surviving a plunge of 75 stories inside an elevator. That still stands as the Guinness World Record. Anyone want to go for 76.
It was the tallest building for 42 years until the World trade center in 1973
There have been over 30 suicides. The first was by a worker before the building was completed. He had been laid off. Evelyn McHale on 5/1/47 jumped from the 86th floor, landed on a U.N. limo and her curiously intact body was photographed. It was later used by Andy Warhol for his painting 'Suicide'. Elvita Adams on 12/2/79 jumped from the 86th floor only to be blown back and land on the 85th floor with a broken hip.
In 2/24/97 a Palestinian gunman shot 7 people, killing one and wounding himself.
There have been 110 million visitors to the Empire State Building. Named America's favorite building in a poll by the American Institute of Architects, designated a National Landmark and listed as one of the 7 wonders of the Modern World. But I've never liked that name!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Follies
No this is not another piece on world order. it's about a musical; I just keep walking. Tuesday I saw 'Follies' at the Marquis Theater. It is one of my favorite Stephen Sondheim musicals and this is one of my favorite productions of any of the Sondheim shows I've seen. The reason? The book is emphasized, the 'ghosts' are made clear from the beginning, and we are watching great musical performers acting and bringing to life real, fascinating, people. I was taken aback at first site of Bernadette Peters. She looks like a small depressed middle-aged, middle-America housewife. She's Sally and she's supported by Jan Maxwell [Phyllis], Ron Raines [Ben], Danny Burstein [Buddy], Elaine Paige [Carlotta], Teri White [Stella] and 45 other performers. I can't imagine how many people are working off stage. "Who's that Woman" with Teri White and The Ladies is wonderful. What was new for me was how operatic the show is. "Too Many Mornings" tore my heart. Bernadette Peters hits notes I never heard her sing before and Ron Raines can match her. If I had deep pockets I'd go again and again.
Too many mornings
wasted in pretending I reach for you.
How many mornings
are there still to come!
How much time can we hope there will be?
Not much time, but it's time enough for me.
If there's time to look up and see
Sally standing at the door,
Sally moving to the bed,
Sally resting in my arm
With your head against my head.
End Act 1
The romantic dreams they have lived with all their lives ... reality comes in act 2.
wasted in pretending I reach for you.
How many mornings
are there still to come!
How much time can we hope there will be?
Not much time, but it's time enough for me.
If there's time to look up and see
Sally standing at the door,
Sally moving to the bed,
Sally resting in my arm
With your head against my head.
End Act 1
The romantic dreams they have lived with all their lives ... reality comes in act 2.
London Calling?
On my walk today, at 6th Ave and 20th street, the New Balance store had a line of men and women that went all the way around the block. There was a sales position available. At 9th street and Second Ave. behind St. Mark's in the Bowery there were 8 young people, boys and girls, sleeping on the street. I had my camera with me and was highly tempted to take a photo,but people have their right to privacy.
Amy Goodman on Democracy Now estimated that the unemployment rate among young black men is 30 to 40 %. The people I saw on line were in the vast majority white. The kids sleeping on the street were white.
In another great city that is suffering:
Monday was the third day of rioting in London. On Saturday Mark Duggan, Anglo-Caribbean, father of four and a resident of social [public] housing, was shot and killed by police. He was holding a loaded gun which police today confirm was not fired. His social housing project is called Broadwater Farm. Twenty-five years ago London had riots that also originated there. They are called The Broadwater Farm Riots. Margaret Thatcher, rather Baroness, was Prime Minister. Today the Prime Minister is David Cameron, also Conservative, who was on vacation at his villa in Tuscany, Italy, when the riots started on Saturday. He decided to come home on Tuesday to address Parliament and the riots. Today's headline at the BBC: "Police admit they got the riots wrong", says David Cameron. The official explanation for the rioting is criminality.
Prime Minister Cameron's speech listed his agenda to address the rioting:
To go ahead with his austerity plans to lay off 9,000 of 35,000 police force
To stop people from using social media in times of emergency
To allow courts to give tougher sentences
To allow landlords to evict criminals from social housing
The rioting started in one area of London and spread to 7 other districts in London, then to Birmingham, Liverpool, and Manchester. The cleanup will certainly be expensive but needs to done because London is hosting that billion dollar event: The Olympics. I don't think London is calling to New Yorkers but other European cities, perhaps.
Amy Goodman on Democracy Now estimated that the unemployment rate among young black men is 30 to 40 %. The people I saw on line were in the vast majority white. The kids sleeping on the street were white.
In another great city that is suffering:
Monday was the third day of rioting in London. On Saturday Mark Duggan, Anglo-Caribbean, father of four and a resident of social [public] housing, was shot and killed by police. He was holding a loaded gun which police today confirm was not fired. His social housing project is called Broadwater Farm. Twenty-five years ago London had riots that also originated there. They are called The Broadwater Farm Riots. Margaret Thatcher, rather Baroness, was Prime Minister. Today the Prime Minister is David Cameron, also Conservative, who was on vacation at his villa in Tuscany, Italy, when the riots started on Saturday. He decided to come home on Tuesday to address Parliament and the riots. Today's headline at the BBC: "Police admit they got the riots wrong", says David Cameron. The official explanation for the rioting is criminality.
Prime Minister Cameron's speech listed his agenda to address the rioting:
To go ahead with his austerity plans to lay off 9,000 of 35,000 police force
To stop people from using social media in times of emergency
To allow courts to give tougher sentences
To allow landlords to evict criminals from social housing
The rioting started in one area of London and spread to 7 other districts in London, then to Birmingham, Liverpool, and Manchester. The cleanup will certainly be expensive but needs to done because London is hosting that billion dollar event: The Olympics. I don't think London is calling to New Yorkers but other European cities, perhaps.
Monday, August 8, 2011
House of Worship
The Church of the Transfiguration, probably better known as the Little Church Around the Corner.
The Transfiguration of Jesus is reported in the New testament by Mathew, Mark, Luke, and in the letters of Peter. It is that moment when Jesus and three of his Apostles go to a mountain. A radiant light shines upon Jesus. Moses and Elijah appear next to him and a voice from the sky calls Jesus, "Son". It is a pivotal moment in Christian teaching because it is the point where the temporal - the apostles - meet the eternal, and Jesus is the link.
The church began in 1848, and was designed in the Gothic style to follow the principles of the Camden-Cambridge Society. Those principals were meant to return the Anglican Church and its churches to the religious and architectural ideals of the Middle Ages. Richard Upjohn designed the elaborate brass pulpit and Edwin Booth gave the bible. The Chapel is dedicated to Blessed George Hendric Houghton who is called the "first saint of the American Church" [Episcopal]. The south transcript has two sixteen century Flemish painted wood panels. There is a carved figure of the Good Shepherd done in 1858. Because of Puritan inhibitions it is said to be the first carving of a religious figure for a church in America.
There are several stained glass windows dedicated to and/or depicting dramatic characters and actors. The most famous is depicting Rip Van Winkle, and it's called the Joseph Jefferson Window. Joseph Jefferson was an actor noted for portraying Rip Van Winkle. In 1870 he was rebuffed by one church in arranging for the funeral of his friend George Holland, also an actor. He was told to go to the little church around the corner, where they cater to that type. Hence the name of the church and its connection to the community of actors and musicians. Both men were married; had children and very successful careers. I think the reverent meant that the little church was the place for actors.
From the Tao:
What is a good man but a bad man's teacher?
What is a bad man but a good man's job?
If you don't understand this, you will get lost,
however intelligent you are.
It is the great secret.
The church began in 1848, and was designed in the Gothic style to follow the principles of the Camden-Cambridge Society. Those principals were meant to return the Anglican Church and its churches to the religious and architectural ideals of the Middle Ages. Richard Upjohn designed the elaborate brass pulpit and Edwin Booth gave the bible. The Chapel is dedicated to Blessed George Hendric Houghton who is called the "first saint of the American Church" [Episcopal]. The south transcript has two sixteen century Flemish painted wood panels. There is a carved figure of the Good Shepherd done in 1858. Because of Puritan inhibitions it is said to be the first carving of a religious figure for a church in America.
There are several stained glass windows dedicated to and/or depicting dramatic characters and actors. The most famous is depicting Rip Van Winkle, and it's called the Joseph Jefferson Window. Joseph Jefferson was an actor noted for portraying Rip Van Winkle. In 1870 he was rebuffed by one church in arranging for the funeral of his friend George Holland, also an actor. He was told to go to the little church around the corner, where they cater to that type. Hence the name of the church and its connection to the community of actors and musicians. Both men were married; had children and very successful careers. I think the reverent meant that the little church was the place for actors.
From the Tao:
What is a good man but a bad man's teacher?
What is a bad man but a good man's job?
If you don't understand this, you will get lost,
however intelligent you are.
It is the great secret.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
The Center for Architecture
I found some of the ideas brilliant, like using the cities vast underground spaces for aquaponics, which combines fish-farming tanks with greenhouse plants. Fish waste fertilizes the plants and the plants are used to feed the fish and clean the water. Then the fish are harvested. Some of the other ideas I'm a little skeptical about. Like dredging the lower Hudson River, the fourth largest estuary in the world, and using that material to build archipelagos around the city and up the Hudson. The Hudson River needs to be dredged. GE, between 1947 and 1977, dumped 1.3 million pounds of PCPs into the river. So lets do the whole river before we do the lower Hudson.
"Under the seeming disorder of the old city, wherever the old city is working successfully, is a marvelous order for maintaining the safety of the streets and the freedom of the city. It is a complex order. Its essence is intricacy of sidewalk use. Bringing with it a constant succession of eyes. The order is all composed of movement and change, and although it is life, not art, we may fancifully call it the art form of the city and liken it to the dance ... to an intricate ballet in which the individual dancers and ensembles all have distinctive parts which miraculously reinforce each other and compose an orderly whole."
Jane Jacobs
Friday, August 5, 2011
The Bronx
I've been spending some time up in the Bronx. "Up" because it's north of Manhattan, and everyone says "up in the Bronx", because Manhattan has always been seen as the center of the city. However the Bronx is quite remarkable on it's own.
Population 1,385,108, area 42 sq. miles; divided by the Bronx River with the hillier section to the west and a flatter area to the east. 25% of the Bronx is open space. Comprised of Woodlawn Cemetery, Van Cortlandt Park, Pelham Bay Park, NY Botanical Gardens and the Bronx Zoo.
The Bronx was named after Jonas Bronck an early settler from Sweden whose land was east of the river. Immigrants to the Bronx at first were Irish, German, Jewish, and Italian and they were succeeded by African Americans and Hispanic Americans from the Caribbean Basin especially Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. That recent mix has made the Bronx a wellspring for Latin and Hip Hop Music.
The 16th congressional district in the Bronx, represented by Jose Serrano, is one of the 5 poorest in the country and just north of it in the Bronx is Riverdale, one of the most affluent parts of the city.
Riverdale is home to some great buildings: the modernist landmark, Saul Victor House designed by Frederick Gottlieb in 1967. Other famous mansions include, Greyston [1864], Alderbrook [1880], Stonehurst [1861], and Oaklawn [1863]. It has 3 top tier private schools, Horace Mann, Riverdale Country, and Fieldston. All members of the Ivy League School League. There are 2 Roman Catholic Colleges, The College of Mount Saint Vincent and Manhattan College. There is also the Academy for Jewish Religion, one of two in the country. In 1974 the permanent mission of the USSR, now the Russian Federation, to the UN built a large compound and school in Riverdale for their diplomats and families.
I started to write the names of famous Riverdale natives and residents but there are too many. I'll just list some.
Nobel prize winners: Eric Kandel, and Rosalyn Sussman Yalow
Arts: Ray Baretto, Bela Bartok, Rudolf Bing, Ted Brown, Bill Evans, Ed Sullivan, Fred Friendly, Yvonne De Carlo and most surprising, to me, Ella Fitzgerald who lived at the Colored Orphans Asylum
Sports: Ron Blomberg, Chris Chambliss, Julio Franco, Nat Holmes, Sal Magli, Sugar Ray Robinson, Willie Mays, and Lou Gehrig
Politics: U Thant, Elliott Spitzer, Theodore Roosevelt Sr., Fiorello La Guardia, and John F. Kennedy at 5040 Independence Ave., across the street from Wave Hill.
And Me at 1912 Loring Place.
No, that's not in Riverdale. It's that place between Riverdale and the 16th Congressional District.
Population 1,385,108, area 42 sq. miles; divided by the Bronx River with the hillier section to the west and a flatter area to the east. 25% of the Bronx is open space. Comprised of Woodlawn Cemetery, Van Cortlandt Park, Pelham Bay Park, NY Botanical Gardens and the Bronx Zoo.
The Bronx was named after Jonas Bronck an early settler from Sweden whose land was east of the river. Immigrants to the Bronx at first were Irish, German, Jewish, and Italian and they were succeeded by African Americans and Hispanic Americans from the Caribbean Basin especially Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. That recent mix has made the Bronx a wellspring for Latin and Hip Hop Music.
The 16th congressional district in the Bronx, represented by Jose Serrano, is one of the 5 poorest in the country and just north of it in the Bronx is Riverdale, one of the most affluent parts of the city.
Riverdale is home to some great buildings: the modernist landmark, Saul Victor House designed by Frederick Gottlieb in 1967. Other famous mansions include, Greyston [1864], Alderbrook [1880], Stonehurst [1861], and Oaklawn [1863]. It has 3 top tier private schools, Horace Mann, Riverdale Country, and Fieldston. All members of the Ivy League School League. There are 2 Roman Catholic Colleges, The College of Mount Saint Vincent and Manhattan College. There is also the Academy for Jewish Religion, one of two in the country. In 1974 the permanent mission of the USSR, now the Russian Federation, to the UN built a large compound and school in Riverdale for their diplomats and families.
I started to write the names of famous Riverdale natives and residents but there are too many. I'll just list some.
Nobel prize winners: Eric Kandel, and Rosalyn Sussman Yalow
Arts: Ray Baretto, Bela Bartok, Rudolf Bing, Ted Brown, Bill Evans, Ed Sullivan, Fred Friendly, Yvonne De Carlo and most surprising, to me, Ella Fitzgerald who lived at the Colored Orphans Asylum
Sports: Ron Blomberg, Chris Chambliss, Julio Franco, Nat Holmes, Sal Magli, Sugar Ray Robinson, Willie Mays, and Lou Gehrig
Politics: U Thant, Elliott Spitzer, Theodore Roosevelt Sr., Fiorello La Guardia, and John F. Kennedy at 5040 Independence Ave., across the street from Wave Hill.
And Me at 1912 Loring Place.
No, that's not in Riverdale. It's that place between Riverdale and the 16th Congressional District.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Is there an income ceiling?
My neighborhood has been constantly changing over the years. For a very long time, when I first moved here, the neighborhood was 'bad', lots of crime, drugs and violence. According to the latest census reports, Manhattan is the wealthiest county in the U.S. Median income in Manhattan, which means that half are above and half below, is $64, 217. The mean income, which means the average [add all the income of Manhattanites and divide it by the number of people living here] is $121,549. The richest are on the Upper East Side. 72 of Forbes 400 richest people live in NYC. To be considered rich your worth has to be over $1billion.
I can't tell you what others are renting for because rental prices are only offered upon request. What's great about the location is you can leave your luxury rental and just a few doors away visit the Tenement Museum.
One of those middle income apartment buildings has just leased space to a new restaurant; it's named Heart Break.
Not funny because right across the street is the Church of The Nativity. The Church has been serving the community since 1842, and they have just recently put up this sign: "Due to State and Federal Budget Cuts The Food Pantry will be closed until further notice." We're ready for Trump. He could build residences for
David Koch who according to Forbes, is the richest man in the U.S. He's worth $17 billion.
The median income for the richest people in Manhattan is $188,697 for the poor it is $9,320. 30% of the poor are below 18 years of age. 18% are over 65. My numbers are from the US Census Bureau and Forbes Magazine.
Mars Bar on 2nd Ave. and 1st Street officially served it's last beer. The rule was: "never order a drink that comes in a class at Mars Bar". The old crusty East Village is going to make room for "luxury Rentals".A One bedroom of 520sq. feet rents for $4471 per month. That's what the city now calls middle income housing.
One of those middle income apartment buildings has just leased space to a new restaurant; it's named Heart Break.
Not funny because right across the street is the Church of The Nativity. The Church has been serving the community since 1842, and they have just recently put up this sign: "Due to State and Federal Budget Cuts The Food Pantry will be closed until further notice." We're ready for Trump. He could build residences for
David Koch who according to Forbes, is the richest man in the U.S. He's worth $17 billion.
The median income for the richest people in Manhattan is $188,697 for the poor it is $9,320. 30% of the poor are below 18 years of age. 18% are over 65. My numbers are from the US Census Bureau and Forbes Magazine.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
What I'm Reading
The Economist this week has an article on research about employment opportunities for women. Researches have determined that the opportunities for women outside the home are directly related to the country's farming methods. Does the history of your country favor a plow or a hoe? If you're a female looking for work you want to be born in a country that farmed using a hoe. The plow, heavier, is for man's work, according to the scientists. Countries that historically used the hoe like Burundi have 91% of their women working outside the home. The Arab world, historically using the plow, has less than a quarter. The Second World War changed some of the attitudes regarding gender and employment. Still, even today with worldwide industrialization in farming, traditional attitudes remain. Among groups in America, those who prefer a male President or believe during a recession a man should get that job before a woman, are descendents of immigrants whose farming culture was based on the plow.
In the New Yorker:
"the U.S. shouldn't have and doesn't need a debt ceiling. Every other democratic country, except Denmark, does fine without one" The only reason we need to lift the debt ceiling is to pay for spending that Congress has already authorized. If the debt ceiling is not raised the President will be breaking the law by not paying for those things Congress has authorized, and if he does pay for them he will be breaking the law that instituted the debt ceiling."
More on Murdock, the 38th richest person in America:
Piers Morgan was sacked by Murdock in 2004 for publishing pictures of British soldiers abusing Iraqis. He was sacked because the photos were fake and had caused retaliation against the military from Iraqis. So Piers Morgan went on to host Britain's Got Talent and then America's Got Talent, and now Larry King's job on CNN. Morgan also published a fake photo of a celebrity comedian, Spike Milligan, showing him to be "a shadow of his former self". His lawyers contacted the paper and Morgan said: "I can't believe how prickly Spike is being."
Kelvin MacKenzie, editor of Murdock's "The Sun" from 1981 to 1994, published an "interview" with the widow of a hero of the Falklands' War. She never gave an interview or spoke to anyone at the paper.
The News Of The world whistle blower, Paul McMullen, wrote a story about Jennifer Elliott, the daughter of English actor Denholm Elliott. Her father died in 1992 and he wrote in 1995 that allegedly because of her drug addiction she was living on the street and prostituting herself. The 'tip' came from a policeman who was paid by the paper. Jennifer committed suicide. When asked if he thought his story had anything to do with the suicide he said: "Yeah, I totally humiliated and destroyed her. It wasn't necessary, she didn't deserve it. ... If there was anyone to apologize to I would. But they're all dead."
"That's about played out, any way, the idea of sticking up a sign of 'private' and thinking you can keep the place to yourself. You can't do it - you can't keep out the light of the Press. Now what I'm going to do is to set up the biggest lamp yet made and to make it shine all over the place. We'll see who's private then."
Spoken by George Flack from Henry James' novel "The Reverberator" published in 1888. The Reverberator is the title of an American tabloid, and Flack is a columnist.
In the New Yorker:
"the U.S. shouldn't have and doesn't need a debt ceiling. Every other democratic country, except Denmark, does fine without one" The only reason we need to lift the debt ceiling is to pay for spending that Congress has already authorized. If the debt ceiling is not raised the President will be breaking the law by not paying for those things Congress has authorized, and if he does pay for them he will be breaking the law that instituted the debt ceiling."
More on Murdock, the 38th richest person in America:
Piers Morgan was sacked by Murdock in 2004 for publishing pictures of British soldiers abusing Iraqis. He was sacked because the photos were fake and had caused retaliation against the military from Iraqis. So Piers Morgan went on to host Britain's Got Talent and then America's Got Talent, and now Larry King's job on CNN. Morgan also published a fake photo of a celebrity comedian, Spike Milligan, showing him to be "a shadow of his former self". His lawyers contacted the paper and Morgan said: "I can't believe how prickly Spike is being."
Kelvin MacKenzie, editor of Murdock's "The Sun" from 1981 to 1994, published an "interview" with the widow of a hero of the Falklands' War. She never gave an interview or spoke to anyone at the paper.
The News Of The world whistle blower, Paul McMullen, wrote a story about Jennifer Elliott, the daughter of English actor Denholm Elliott. Her father died in 1992 and he wrote in 1995 that allegedly because of her drug addiction she was living on the street and prostituting herself. The 'tip' came from a policeman who was paid by the paper. Jennifer committed suicide. When asked if he thought his story had anything to do with the suicide he said: "Yeah, I totally humiliated and destroyed her. It wasn't necessary, she didn't deserve it. ... If there was anyone to apologize to I would. But they're all dead."
"That's about played out, any way, the idea of sticking up a sign of 'private' and thinking you can keep the place to yourself. You can't do it - you can't keep out the light of the Press. Now what I'm going to do is to set up the biggest lamp yet made and to make it shine all over the place. We'll see who's private then."
Spoken by George Flack from Henry James' novel "The Reverberator" published in 1888. The Reverberator is the title of an American tabloid, and Flack is a columnist.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Unnatural Acts
The Classic Stage Company on 13th Street is presenting this original docudrama. I saw it yesterday. It is written by a group called "Plastic Theatre". They are described in the program as a rolling ensemble of multidisciplinary artists led by Tony Speciale. Mr. Speciale is the co-author, but his primary work has been as a director. The NY Times' Ben Brantley didn't care for the play. One of his issues was with the dialogue. At times it did seem stilted but that may be because some material is taken from the actual sources of 1920.
I would like critics to at least approach a work with some humility.
The play is about the "trials" at Harvard University in 1920 against suspected homosexual students and teachers. 38 men were charged and 14 were convicted. The 14 were not only removed from Harvard but they were banned from the city of Cambridge for life. The play's focus is on the story of 8 students and 2 teachers. One student is found not guilty and one teacher is found not guilty. The tragedy begins when one student commits suicide and leaves some incriminating letters behind about sexual exploits with others at Harvard. The end of the play has an epilogue about the students' lives after the "trials". It is particularly moving because it includes the two who were not found guilty. Their lives were highly successful. Some of the guilty students "disappeared" from the public record, committed suicide, or had fatal car accidents. The play was supposed to close on July 10th but is still running and has been extended another week because of excellent word of mouth. It is that good. It is funny, sexy, frightening, absorbing and tragic.
A few words about the Judge, President Abbott Lawrence Lowell of Harvard 1909-1933. The Lowells of Massachusetts were if not Mayflower passengers close to it and among the Brahmins of New England. President Lowell while at Harvard reformed undergraduate education by establishing majors in a particular discipline. He integrated the housing of the social classes and because of that was called a traitor to his class. He opened classes to the adult community in the area. He was a strong supporter of the League of Nations.
He also tried to limit the number of Jews at Harvard and ban African-American students from living in Freshman Hall. He was overruled in both. He has been described as "the passionate theorist of democracy whose personal conduct was severely autocratic." He opposed the nomination of Louis Brandeis to the Supreme Court which many considered motivated by antisemitism. Brandeis said it best about men like Lowell: "who have been blinded by privilege, who have no evil purpose, and many of whom have a distinct public spirit, but whose environment - or innate narrowness - have obscured all vision and sympathy with the masses."
President Lowell was also the brother of Pulitzer Prize winning poet Amy Lowell. Her erotic poetry is believed, by her biographers, to have been written for the actress Ada Dwyer Russell. There is a term used in 19th and 20th century New England called a "Boston Marriage". It is used to describe two women living together. Amy and Ada had a Boston marriage from 1912 to 1925.
Amy Lowell didn't go to Harvard. The family thought it unseemly for a woman to go to college.
I would like critics to at least approach a work with some humility.
The play is about the "trials" at Harvard University in 1920 against suspected homosexual students and teachers. 38 men were charged and 14 were convicted. The 14 were not only removed from Harvard but they were banned from the city of Cambridge for life. The play's focus is on the story of 8 students and 2 teachers. One student is found not guilty and one teacher is found not guilty. The tragedy begins when one student commits suicide and leaves some incriminating letters behind about sexual exploits with others at Harvard. The end of the play has an epilogue about the students' lives after the "trials". It is particularly moving because it includes the two who were not found guilty. Their lives were highly successful. Some of the guilty students "disappeared" from the public record, committed suicide, or had fatal car accidents. The play was supposed to close on July 10th but is still running and has been extended another week because of excellent word of mouth. It is that good. It is funny, sexy, frightening, absorbing and tragic.
A few words about the Judge, President Abbott Lawrence Lowell of Harvard 1909-1933. The Lowells of Massachusetts were if not Mayflower passengers close to it and among the Brahmins of New England. President Lowell while at Harvard reformed undergraduate education by establishing majors in a particular discipline. He integrated the housing of the social classes and because of that was called a traitor to his class. He opened classes to the adult community in the area. He was a strong supporter of the League of Nations.
He also tried to limit the number of Jews at Harvard and ban African-American students from living in Freshman Hall. He was overruled in both. He has been described as "the passionate theorist of democracy whose personal conduct was severely autocratic." He opposed the nomination of Louis Brandeis to the Supreme Court which many considered motivated by antisemitism. Brandeis said it best about men like Lowell: "who have been blinded by privilege, who have no evil purpose, and many of whom have a distinct public spirit, but whose environment - or innate narrowness - have obscured all vision and sympathy with the masses."
President Lowell was also the brother of Pulitzer Prize winning poet Amy Lowell. Her erotic poetry is believed, by her biographers, to have been written for the actress Ada Dwyer Russell. There is a term used in 19th and 20th century New England called a "Boston Marriage". It is used to describe two women living together. Amy and Ada had a Boston marriage from 1912 to 1925.
Amy Lowell didn't go to Harvard. The family thought it unseemly for a woman to go to college.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
We're having a heatwave
So there's no Ace walking the city for the last couple of days. Lots of stuff to catch up on, though.
T.V.
On Public Television:
James John Audubon, famous for his "Birds of America", was also one of the first Naturalists and Conservationists, even though he killed thousands of birds to draw them.
A couple of things of interest from the show. The panic of 1819 has often been attributed to failings in the banking system and public financing of the war of 1812, but the show mentions the catastrophic effect the weather had on farming that year. Crops froze 3 times, causing many bankruptcies, foreclosures, etc. People, without their usual food sources, took to shooting and eating pigeons. They say at that time there were 3 to 5 billion passenger pigeons. They would fly in flocks a mile long and wide. Point your rifle straight up, fire and you had food.
Martha, the last surviving passenger pigeon, died in 1914 at the Cincinnati Zoo. Deforestation, hunting and loss of habitat are the cause for their extinction.
Zen on Masterpiece Mystery. The latest import from England. Zen is a Roman detective known for his integrity in a corrupt world. The boss's secretary is the romantic interest. Rufus Sewell as Zen, and Caterina Murino as the boss's secretary work well together and I know this is totally subjective, but they are two of the most attractive people on television.
Then it's the weather channel, the news stations, books, magazines, housework, and trying to stay cool. NYC, yesterday was hotter than Phoenix, Az. Baltimore, may have been the hottest.
Heat indexes were: Baltimore 118, Newark 114, La Guardia airport 108. Those passenger pigeons could have fanned us all and blocked the sun.
T.V.
On Public Television:
James John Audubon, famous for his "Birds of America", was also one of the first Naturalists and Conservationists, even though he killed thousands of birds to draw them.
A couple of things of interest from the show. The panic of 1819 has often been attributed to failings in the banking system and public financing of the war of 1812, but the show mentions the catastrophic effect the weather had on farming that year. Crops froze 3 times, causing many bankruptcies, foreclosures, etc. People, without their usual food sources, took to shooting and eating pigeons. They say at that time there were 3 to 5 billion passenger pigeons. They would fly in flocks a mile long and wide. Point your rifle straight up, fire and you had food.
Martha, the last surviving passenger pigeon, died in 1914 at the Cincinnati Zoo. Deforestation, hunting and loss of habitat are the cause for their extinction.
Zen on Masterpiece Mystery. The latest import from England. Zen is a Roman detective known for his integrity in a corrupt world. The boss's secretary is the romantic interest. Rufus Sewell as Zen, and Caterina Murino as the boss's secretary work well together and I know this is totally subjective, but they are two of the most attractive people on television.
Then it's the weather channel, the news stations, books, magazines, housework, and trying to stay cool. NYC, yesterday was hotter than Phoenix, Az. Baltimore, may have been the hottest.
Heat indexes were: Baltimore 118, Newark 114, La Guardia airport 108. Those passenger pigeons could have fanned us all and blocked the sun.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
The news of the world
First it was Chris Bryant, the Labour MP for the District of Rhondda, who asked Rebekah Brooks in 2003, at a parliamentary hearing, if her newspapers had paid the police for information. She said yes. Then there was Meredith Whitney a lawyer in Manchester. She represented Gordon Taylor, the head of the footballers association, in early 2007, because his phone had been hacked. They settled for 450,000 pounds. Then she represented Max Clifford, well known for his work in public relations, and they won a million pounds. The British paper, The Guardian, ran a series of articles about widespread hacking of the private conversations of British citizens in 2009. One of those citizens was Prince Harry. The Royals knew his phone was hacked because of the type of information that was leaked about a leg injury. In September 2010 the NY Times reported there was widespread hacking of private citizens' phone conversations. On July 4th 2011, the lawyers for Milly Dowler, a murdered schoolgirl, alleged that her phone was hacked and messages were deleted. That's when the people got angry, and they're proving to be more powerful than Parliament, Royalty, the national press and even footballers.
Other news?
I like "The Economist" but it has the habit of putting scheme right after the title of many government programs. For example, in this week's issue discussing the economic and political situation in the U. S. they write: "The House has also voted to cut a separate health-and-nutrition scheme for poor pregnant women, infants and children, known as WIC by 11%." ... about Food Stamps they write ... "the department of Agriculture which administers the scheme, reckons only 2/3 of those who are eligible have signed up." Now the British know a lot more about the English language than I do, they created it. So I went to the dictionary:
scheme:
1. a plan, design, or program of action; project
2. an underhand plot; intrigue
3. a visionary or impractical project
Hmm, so they mean #1 not #2.
Hmm? Is there a political agenda using scheme instead of program? Or is it what Shaw called a "separation by a common language"?
More news:
Three years after the economic meltdown nearly one in six Americans are out of work, 14.1 million reported. The President proposes among other things a ten-year, hundred-billion-dollar reduction in federal contributions to Medicaid. The President is now to the right of most Republicans that were politically active when I began to vote. Still there is a problem. The President wants changes in the tax code and rates while 97% of House Republicans have taken the "No Tax Pledge".
In "The New Yorker"
"Max Weber, in his 1919 essay "Politics as a Vocation," drew a distinction between 'the ethic of responsibility' and 'the ethic of ultimate ends'-between those who act from a sense of practical consequence and those who act from a higher conviction, regardless of consequences. These ethics are tragically opposed, but the true calling of politics requires a union of the two."
Paradoxically, we need smart politics and politicians, when most Americans seem to reject politics and politicians. As more needs to be done, the more political inertia is fueled.
Other news?
I like "The Economist" but it has the habit of putting scheme right after the title of many government programs. For example, in this week's issue discussing the economic and political situation in the U. S. they write: "The House has also voted to cut a separate health-and-nutrition scheme for poor pregnant women, infants and children, known as WIC by 11%." ... about Food Stamps they write ... "the department of Agriculture which administers the scheme, reckons only 2/3 of those who are eligible have signed up." Now the British know a lot more about the English language than I do, they created it. So I went to the dictionary:
scheme:
1. a plan, design, or program of action; project
2. an underhand plot; intrigue
3. a visionary or impractical project
Hmm, so they mean #1 not #2.
Hmm? Is there a political agenda using scheme instead of program? Or is it what Shaw called a "separation by a common language"?
More news:
Three years after the economic meltdown nearly one in six Americans are out of work, 14.1 million reported. The President proposes among other things a ten-year, hundred-billion-dollar reduction in federal contributions to Medicaid. The President is now to the right of most Republicans that were politically active when I began to vote. Still there is a problem. The President wants changes in the tax code and rates while 97% of House Republicans have taken the "No Tax Pledge".
In "The New Yorker"
"Max Weber, in his 1919 essay "Politics as a Vocation," drew a distinction between 'the ethic of responsibility' and 'the ethic of ultimate ends'-between those who act from a sense of practical consequence and those who act from a higher conviction, regardless of consequences. These ethics are tragically opposed, but the true calling of politics requires a union of the two."
Paradoxically, we need smart politics and politicians, when most Americans seem to reject politics and politicians. As more needs to be done, the more political inertia is fueled.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
House of Worship
Downtown, near ground zero is one of the oldest and most renowned of NYC's churches. St. Paul's is the chapel to Trinity Church, which is part of the Episcopal Parish and the worldwide Anglican community. When NYC was our nation's capitol, George Washington worshiped here. Alexander Hamilton and John Jay were congregants. In those days congregants rented pews from the church; so everyone had an assigned place. The pews have been removed and replaced with chairs to make the church more of a community.
Recently, the chapel was the recovery station for those working on the clean-up after 9/11. There are memorials to their service inside the Chapel. As you enter on the right in the corner is one of the memorials to the 9/11 First Responders. It has all the patches from all the groups of firefighters and others who assisted in the cleanup.
Recently, the chapel was the recovery station for those working on the clean-up after 9/11. There are memorials to their service inside the Chapel. As you enter on the right in the corner is one of the memorials to the 9/11 First Responders. It has all the patches from all the groups of firefighters and others who assisted in the cleanup.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Governors Island
Designed by Walker & Morris the ferry terminal is notable for it's Guastavino tile vaults under the porch roof. Patented by Spanish Architect Rafael Guastavino in the U.S. in 1885, his tile vault system can be seen in many of N.Y.'s prominent Beaux Arts landmarks such as the City Hall subway station and the Manhattan Municipal Building.
Lt. Col Jonathan Williams was Benjamin Franklin's nephew, or Grand-nephew depending on your web source; he is also the person for whom Williamsburg was named, and the first Superintendent of West Point. Born 5/20/1751, he died 5/16/1815 of gout. Those were the days when the military gave their men rum portions.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Museum Mile
I went to the Museum of the City of New York. It's at Fifth Ave. and 104th street. I decided to go basically because I had never been there. Joel Grey, famous for his performance in the movie of Cabaret has been taking pictures of the city for years and some of them are on display. His career is also on display as a Joel Grey timeline. There are some other exhibits but the one I liked was a 30 minute film of the history of the city, narrated by Stanley Tucci. I left and decided to walk as much of the way home as I could. Made it to 2nd Ave. and 28th street; got the bus, and then walked from 14th street.
This is Ai Weiwei's 'Zodiac, Circle of Heads'. He is a Chinese artist and dissident who was imprisoned by the Chinese, and charged with tax evasion. He was released from confinement last month but is forbidden to leave the country. Today's N.Y. Times reports he has accepted an invitation to teach in Germany.
Another Chinese dissident, the writer Liao Yiwu, who was imprisoned and tortured in the 1990's for writing poems deploring the suppression of students in Tienanmen Square spent 4 years in prison. Due to the abuse and torture he received, he had several mental breakdowns and attempted suicide twice. When he was released his wife and daughter left him and his literary friends kept their distance. He lived for awhile on the streets as a homeless musician. Liao escaped to Germany on 7/6/2011.
The streets are a museum of art and history.
Another Chinese dissident, the writer Liao Yiwu, who was imprisoned and tortured in the 1990's for writing poems deploring the suppression of students in Tienanmen Square spent 4 years in prison. Due to the abuse and torture he received, he had several mental breakdowns and attempted suicide twice. When he was released his wife and daughter left him and his literary friends kept their distance. He lived for awhile on the streets as a homeless musician. Liao escaped to Germany on 7/6/2011.
The streets are a museum of art and history.
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