Vanishing Bronx from the FDNY

Hit tip to www.thebravest.com:

“On June 2, 1901, the New York Times printed the following: "Few people in Greater New York realize what an important part the little red-painted fire-alarm 'telegraph operator' on the street corner plays in the protection of their lives and property from danger and destruction."

Installed largely at the turn of the 20th century, some of these cast iron fire alarm stanchions have been in use since 1870, with modifications. This one is along Alexander Avenue beside the Mitchel Houses.

According to http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/pdf/vital_stats_2009.pdf there were 473,024 total fire incidents in the five boroughs in 2009.

Thank you, FDNY.

So I smile and say

When a lovely flame dies

Smoke gets in your eyes.

134th street, right behind our building, six minutes before midnight.

I love this place. lol So entertaining! With apologies to Jerome Kern.

No worries, you will.

StereoCrowd peeled the roof off the People’s lounge at 163 Allen last night with a searing set of favorites. Jamming with an impressive array of guest artists, they layered rap over 70‘s-style acid guitar solo’s with enough funk to raise the dead. The crowd went up and never came down! It was a killer mix.

Paddy Cakes and SciryL

NikiDarling

Kalae All Day

No worries if you have not heard of StereoCrowd. 

You will. 

The night of the 3rd

Mark your calendars, Friday September 3rd 7pm till midnight our ClockTowerGallery returns to action in a new show curated by our very own Diana Rivera. This multidimensional presentation will abide in 2-D, 3-D, an aural realm and also live dance performances at 8 and 10pm. 

This line up is awesome. Come and see on the night of the 3rd.

For $2.5 million you get a staircase, too.

Last night about 8:30 I saw the most incredible truck I've ever seen, right on our own 138th Street. It was turning north on to Morris. The whole thing was easily longer than a city block, no exaggeration.

"What the hell is that?" I asked one of the guys in the chartreuse ConEd vests.

"It's a transformer transport." he said, waving me back up on the sidewalk. Whoa. "How big is the transformer?"

"Roughly the size of a five story walk-up tenement building.", he said, not looking at me while signaling the driver. The 12-wheel steering gangs were so huge they needed hydraulic arms to turn them. It could barely make the corner.

The cost of a truck like this? "About 2 and a half million." It even had an access stair to climb up the back. Amazing.

Splashing light around at the ASIA Society, 70th and Park.

Since January 2003 I’ve been very fortunate the Asia Society asks me to tweak their ground floor lighting now and then, often the gift shop, on occasion an event like their 50th Anniversary reception in the lobby and café.

It’s a pleasure and an honor to splash light around at such a fine and venerable institution. Anne Godshall is the director of their ASIAStore retail operation there. Her eye is superb and her merchandising, supreme. And besides all that, she’s a real joy to work with. Thanks Anne, for making me a part of it.

South of the Border

But North of Manhattan.

La Morada Restaurante Mexicano, Willis and 141/142, bring your best Spanish if you have it but (you can almost) leave your wallet at home.

Two of us ate there last night so stuffed we staggered out of the place for 21 bucks. Fantastic!

And it's really GOOD, too, you just know someones Grandmother is back there doing the cooking. 

Ode to the Metro

Any system that costs us less than three bucks to ride in icy-cold air and can drop us on Union Square in 20 minutes flat can’t be all bad.

RED does fine work.

The ACE Hotel on 29th street in Manhattan recently hosted a product showcase for the RED product line and the release of their new motion picture for HBO, “The Lazarus Effect.” 

 http://www.joinred.com/splash.htm

I was fortunate to be asked to design the lighting and red-effects for the event as we set the stage for the holiday shopping season and a lot of good was done towards a very deserving cause. RED does fine work.

The media, magazine editors and other beautiful people showed up, the champagne flowed and even Blogxilla made an appearance between Yvette Lenhart our event designer, and some other guy on the left. Thanks Yvette. That was fun. 

And thank you, RED.