sunrise on the Sunrise

Two days driving up-island and back before the sunrise sure makes me thankful I don't have to do this commute every day like so many others do.

"Doubt"

Today begins my last week commuting in New York City after a major life-changing nine years.

The song is "Doubt" by Wye Oak, and it was on my headphones when I took this shot.

It's gonna be a heavy week.

subway evening sky

love her

favorite poster

"Youth and Beauty"
subway ad
Astoria, Queens, NYC

I usually get out of the house a little after 5:30 in the morning. By quarter of six I am on the local train platform, watching the M train pass and waiting until the R train comes through. It will show up at 5:53am like clockwork. Across the tracks I stare at this subway ad. It's for a show at the Brooklyn Museum up through next weekend. The poster has obviously been up for a while and adorned accordingly. As a silly game to play with myself I try and keep tabs on the new posters when they go up and see how long it takes before they get defaced, but inevitably I forget or realize it's really a totally ridiculous exercise and continue about my business. But I never tire of the metamorphosis these posters go through over the weeks and months exposed to the masses. I love this poster to begin with, the painting by American painter Luigi Lucioni from 1928, but with the blue tag and scratch I somehow love it that much more. The Art of the American 20's meets the art of the 20-teens. I love capturing these snapshots so that I can revisit them years down the road and be taken right back to the early New York City mornings like this one.

predawn trees on the way to the office

city extra gritty this a.m.

subway, 59th and Lex, 5:56am

Iggy and the Stooges with Gimme Danger off Raw Power, 1973.

morning commute before the sun comes up

on the headphones Yo La Tengo with "Last Days of Disco"

Saw you at a party
You asked me to dance
Said the music was great for dancing
I don't really dance much
But this time I did
I was glad I did this time
And the song said let's be happy
I was happy
It never made me happy before
And the song says don't be lonely
It makes me lonely
I hear it and I'm lonely
More and more
Where I belong
Where I belong..."

The song is from the album And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out, Matador Records, February 2000, a must if you fancy this brilliant Hoboken trio who in my mind easily get classified as one of my favorite bands ever. Holy pretty stuff, Batman!
Bravo,

self portrait on a train

pic of the day

Welcome to New York City, have a nice day!

building with dawn sun from the east

One of my more favorite buildings along my morning commute.
Harlem, New York, at dawn.

subway daydreaming

"Someone else's day,
Someone else's door,
There's a girl with cherry chapstick on and nothing more..."
-Yo La Tengo

The song is Cherry Chapstick off the album "And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out", and if you don't own it you probably ought to. Also check out the song Let's Save Tony Orlando's House. ...genius.

The image: Montauk, NY, where I'd rather be this morning.

sunrise headphones

"Without giving anything away,
I can say it's by the sea.
It's a house that used to be the home of a friend of mine.
Without giving anything away,
you'll find ships inside of bottles,
and the garden's overgrown,
the house is white but the paint is coming off.

I didn't know if you wanted to,
when I came to pick you up.
But you didn't even hesitate,
and now you and me are on our way.
I think I've brought everything we need,
so don't look back,
don't think of the other places you should have been
it's a good thing that you came along with me.

Gold in the air of summer,
you'll shine like gold in the air of summer."

Clearly we are still far from summer but this sounded amazing on the way to work this early morning. This is the Kings of Convenience song "Gold In The Air Of Summer" off their genius, chill album Riot On An Empty Street (2004).

not in the mood this morning

...or the alternative title, would rather be surfing.

Pic of the Day: Pimp My Ride

You gotta love the pimped out Buick Estate Wagon, complete with faux wood siding. I pass this car every day and it continually makes me chuckle. "Grocery getter gone bad!" Ah, another testimonial that you can't take life too seriously. Or in other words, Harlem rules. Happy Friday all.

(horticultural posts coming soon)

Pic of the Day: Sunrise in Queens

I'm definitely having way too much fun with my new iPhone 4. My first plunge into the world of the "smart phone" and I gotta admit I'm buying the hype. This thing is awesome. Starting the new commute to work, Queens, 6:40am.

Sunrise Series: Astoria, January 27

New York City woke to another fifteen inches of snow this morning. Knowing there's no such thing as a snow day in public horticulture I packed my bag full of calories and keys and coffee and began the pre-dawn trek west towards Manhattan Island. Laid up the last couple days with a shot back, my body was quick to remind me I might not be as mended as I had hoped. No trains came and after long enough that was it. As valiant souls continued to cram the platform I retreated. As I did the sun began to rise.

The emerging sun hitting the faces of the buildings along the avenue shone bright and radiant through the frozen street.
Thanks to the fanciness that is my new iPhone I posted the above pic to the book of faces and named it "Beautiful Nightmare".
They say this is New York's snowiest January on record. Can't argue that one. I paused to appreciate the spruce and London Planetree in front of St. Joe's. Nature: 1, Man: 0

Pic of the Day: Molten Harlem Morning

Another molten morning sunrise up in Harlem, on the advent of yet another day of snow shoveling.

One of the best parts of my day...

In my 'hood we have a number of magnificent bakeries. One of the best parts of my day is right at the start of my morning commute, walking by places like Frank's as they are just opening up and beginning their baking for the day. The street is cold and rarely is the sun up yet and then I walk by one of these still-quiet little oases and that smell, oh that delicious, inviting smell. The smell of caring, warm comfort. Inhale deep, exhale, continue on, for we're just getting started.

I'll miss those sweet solitary city moments when we finally move out of this place.

blues and oranges

On the platform
6:48am
Astoria, Queens