MAX ROACH IN THE MAKING

This kid was so much into the whole thing - the play, the show, the attention... So fun to watch!

September/October are full of business travels. It makes me appreciate even more every time I get to spend several days at my "base" - my Manhattan island.

Have a great week everybody!

Washington Square Park

WORLD PEACE DAY

LOVE IS THE ANSWER

I took this picture yesterday on my way to a meeting. It is from the West 4th Street in the West Village. This morning I realized that today is the World Peace Day. Very appropriately, and with a great timing, this picture says it all. Love is the answer.

Wishing you a day… week… month … make it LIFE! - full of love:)

BOYS OF SUMMER

Sun is back:)

Wishing you a great week, everybody!

EAST VILLAGE

BLOOMBERG'S HEADQUARTERS.

Taking a day off after a super-charged week, I found myself in the midtown.

 Despite its central location, I don’t get to pass this building often. This is Bloomberg’s Headquarters.

 Michael Bloomberg is the mayor of New York. He is also a talented and successful businessman. And I happen to like him a great deal. Whether you are his fan or not, you would be for sure impressed with this building. Here and here are the links to some information about it.

The building has a clean, modern, light, even elegant vibe. The openness of it apparently creates a positive and collaborative feel among the employees. Can’t say anything about that, but it definitely an interesting architectural sight. In any case if you have to spend the whole day in the office, this looks quite inspiring!

IN THE EYE OF A STORM.

This is a crazy busy week. I am sure many of you feel the same once (twice?) in a while: stretching to the max in all the possible directions.

This morning I just HAD to get some peace. Ah, thankfully I live in just the right place. I took my favorite partner in crime (my dog of course) for the longest walk in the Park.

Can I just tell you? It was the best possible thing I could do for myself (and my dog of course)!
Central Park was so quiet, serene and so breathtakingly beautiful!

And then the day went absolutely insane. We even had a deadly storm (hurricane?) in Manhattan! Yep. The only reason I was able to maintain myself on a sane side is because I took time to breath this morning.

The moral of this story: get a dog, of course!

MINI ME

After seeing this, I am so tempted to spend a day in the World Financial Center building, taking pictures of whoever sits down with this huge photograph on the background. The results that I have seen were quite comical!

WHITE GHOST

The gloomy colors of rainy weather made this sculpture to stand out even more.

This is White Ghost by Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara. The Ghost has found its temporarily home on Park Avenue and 67^th street. There is another one on Park and 70^th.  

The locations are not accidental – there is Yoshitomo Nara’s retrospective at the Asia Society  (Park and 70^th) and the open studio residency of the artist at the Park Avenue Armory at the 67^th street. While in New York, you can also see his work in the MOMA museum.

END OF RUNWAY

The New York Fashion Week continues. And I have decided to give it another post.

We are so used to seeing pictures of models walking the runway at the fashion shows. But here is the look at how those pictures are taken.

ENGINE COMPANY 22. LADDER COMPANY 13.

It’s been nine years. It is so incredibly sad and it still hurts. What do I even write today? I feel like I should say all or nothing. So I leave you with a vision that tells more than any words would.

Every district in Manhattan has its own fire department. The closest to where I live is 10th Battalion (Engine 22. Ladder13). I have a special place in my heart for the brave people who work there.

On September 11th of 2001 they lost 9 firemen. They, and those who lost their lives to save others, deserve to be known, appreciated and never forgotten.

There was a time when the world asked ordinary men to do extraordinary things

SPRING STARTS HERE

According to Mayor Bloomberg, fashion industry is the second-largest in New York. It supports 175,000 jobs and $10 billion in wages. Apparently, New York has twice as many companies related to fashion than any other city in the world.

September 9th is the first official day of fashion week in New York. This is when we find out what the world will be trying to wear in the spring. It is THE craziest time for thousands of people involved – from designers, to production, to media people, to retailers, to models – and of course, for those aspiring to be any of the above. I saw so many model-looking girls on the streets this afternoon that finally I gave up and got out my camera.

Whether these two girls are walking runway this week or just playing wishful thinking, doesn’t really matter. They contribute to a special mood in Manhattan, a very particular to the Fashion Week. It is the mood of celebration, of anticipation, of looking into the future and of appreciation for all the hard work that goes into every little detail of this frivolous on the outside business.

THIS WEEK

From the 41st street and 7th Avenue

This is a loaded week when it comes to important dates and events. Manhattan is busy acknowledging them.

It is a week of the Rosh Hashanah and of the ending of Ramadan. It is the 9th anniversary of the September 11th . And it is the beginning of New York Fashion Week – which to some might seem to be a frivolous thing, but if you consider its role in the economy and the boost it gives to the fashion industry, this is something that deserves a great respect and support. Whatever can give people work, income, and zest for life – yes, please!

So in order to honor the joyful side of this week, today’s picture is of a festive side of Manhattan. It is what you want to see when you come for your first visit – Time Square!!!

Yes, it is just like you imagine it to be – lights, people, action, sounds, pictures, colors, police … and did I mention LIGHTS?!?!?

This picture and the one below is taken from the 41 Street and Seventh Avenue 

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This picture is taken from the 42nd Street and Broadway

HERE WE MEET AGAIN…

It is a small place, New York.

So often, while trying to organize some time together and fit into each other’s schedule with close friends, we are bumping into each other randomly on the street.

The same is with this old-fashioned yellow taxi-cab – I saw it for the first time on Mott Street in Nolita a while ago. After that I always look for it! And today I came face to face with this cab again – on the Upper East Side this time! I was planning to post on my blog something about upcoming fashion week here in New York, but the cab won. As you can see from the pictures, I am not the only one taking out my camera for a close up. I think next time I see this old cab, I will interview the driver. He should be a character. It must be fun to be a part of the glimpse into the past!

It has been a hot day in New York, but the evening is breezy. You should plan a visit! It is really the most beautiful time of the year to be in Manhattan!

Keeping up with "younger generation";)

LA RENTREE.

Washington Square Park Fountain
Greenwich Village

The summer is over. As adventurous and full of surprises and discoveries as it was, it feels so good to be back to New York and to the routines of “back to work” life. I embrace the beginning of my favorite season – the autumn. Ah! Diving right into the daily grind feels so much better when the air is finally cooling down, and even the summer-hot days turn into breezy evenings. Seasons are suddenly appreciated that much more.

To whoever is reading this – I hope your summer was as joyful as mine. I hope you are finding pleasure in getting back to your life and to the city where your home is, the one that was patiently waiting for your return. In my case it is the best city of all – hello, New York, I have missed you!

Last splashes of summer.

PS. No, the kids are not mine:).