Annie's Amtrak Farm

Across from the 138th and Concourse 4-5 line and right in the shadow of the passing Amtrak train grows beautiful produce, and it was for sale this morning at a mini-Farmer's Market.

Annie on the left and her helper set up shop under the railroad overpass and the fresh vegetables looked amazing: eggplant, cucumbers, tomatoes and beans.

I purchased a beautiful bunch of very crisp basil. There was even corn. The selection was impressive.

But for me the real action was across the street, behind the chainlink. I love José's garden across 134th from my window but here was another farm just a few blocks away! 

All aboard!

Laundry Error code 404

I just discovered the washing machine I used this morning doesn't work right. I had to drag sopping wet shirts into a spackle bucket and carry them around the building looking for a working machine.

You can't miss this bad washer. It has standing water in it.

It displays an error code, too.

         404 Not Found                                  

The requested resource could not be found but may be available again in the future.^[2] Subsequent requests by the client are permissible.

This ain't the burb, y'know.

Do not disturb or you’ll perturb, dogs are superb, please hit the curb.

Night and Day

You are the one.

Some days are weirder than others

going, going......

Mott Haven lost a remnant of an original slate sidewalk along Morris Avenue this week, on the way to the WesternBeef.

Who knew it would be gone 2 weeks later? 

From the New York Times, June 20th, 1994:

“.......the massive slabs of bluestone, many the size of dining room tables, that a century ago were the city's dominant sidewalk material.

But the bluestone trade faded to almost nothing over his father's generation, and for years the only sidewalks installed were concrete. The giant slabs of gray rock, which over time subtly show colors like red and green and azure, appeared to be going the way of gaslights, bowler hats and the 3-cent cigar.”

live music, Sometimes.

Charlotte Sometimes, a singer/songwriter I met a couple weeks ago rocked The National Underground last night. She had given me a copy of her new EP, “Sideways”. Now I’m hooked. 

She delivers the classic elements that have always supported a professional music career: excellent songwriting, passionate performance and first rate studio production. Her EP is really great, a highly polished recording as good as anything I’ve heard all year.  

Big music has noticed too, GEFFEN in particular, and one of her live performances is featured on the Warped Tour compilation from 2008. Now I see why. Thanks, Charlotte, nice set.

http://www.charlottesometimesmusic.com/

            The National Underground  159 East Houston                 http://www.thenationalunderground.com/

Bruckner does Upholstery

Enrique certainly does. The Custom Design Studio

49 Bruckner Boulevard east of Alexander

custdesny@aol.com

www.customdesignny.com

without permission

For ClockTowerTenants, the Willis Avenue Bridge replacement is like having front row seats on the loge, y’know? 

It does’t get much better than this as bridge replacements go and it’s all in the next day or two. If you can get over there, take your camera. You may not ever see this again.

Click pic for larger, pics and full story here:

http://www.iceusa.org/NYCDOT_Willis%20Avenue%20Bridge.pdf

without permission

An iron rail as big as the Empire State Building

American High Style, so odd.

I caught the Fashion Exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum just before it closed yesterday. Alas, you can see some of the images here:

http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/american_high_style/

The show was finely curated, delicate, beautifully presented and lovingly lit.

The museum, by the way, is an easy ride on the 4 or the 5 train from 138th Grand Concourse to Franklin Avenue and then a very short walk.

On the way out I walked past a huge, mature tree on Eastern Parkway being held up by a giant chunk of poured-in-place concrete, with a metal belt to hold it all together.

So odd.

Private Practice

Is there a Doctor in the house?

blue visual cues

The well-used little galley kitchen in my last apartment on the UES didn’t have a window and for years I’d yearn for the daylight. I missed the view, the fresh air and an ability to extract my burnt mistakes to the outside world. 

Now I have all those things with these big factory style windows wrapped around. 

But now I realize how I grew accustomed to using blue visual cues to how high and how hot the gas flame was when I was cooking. In this amazing light I can’t even see if it’s lit.

I can see it at night.