June 2005 Archives

Moving out is strange to do. Did we really cram two people's stuff in here? In a matter of days, this matrix will be reset for a new tenant.

After several trips to Sobaya, I can say they serve up some fine noodles. However, a meal really isn't complete without dipping into the rest of the menu. I'm writing this caption long after taking the picture so my memory is failing me. I believe this is broiled sweetfish, accompanied by a tiny fried crab, a ginger sprout, and pickled combination of daikon wrapped in shiso leaf. With a bowl of rice, of course.

I often see Walton's trucks heading up 10th Ave while waiting for the (miserable) M42 bus. I also often walk by their building on the way to H&H Bagels.

One benefit of MOMA membership - free (or very cheap) movie tickets! This retrospective overlapped with the NY Asian Film Fest held by Subway Cinema. I'm glad the MOMA held this series, but I was disappointed by the errors in the series brochure regarding whether films were subtitled or dubbed. Disney was the corporate sponsor, and as you may know, Disney distributes Studio Ghibli's films in the US. Bah, dubbed movies.

Anime consistently proves that you can tell a serious story through animation. It's just something beyond the grasp of American studios.

And then you get the odd low shorty like this. One gets the sense this building has been around for a long, long time.

There are a number of buildings which have unique penthouse-like structures, such as the one shown here. That's where the Big Man sits, I guess.

The gentleman here didn't say anything to me, but I got the sense he was trying to stare me down.

Historically, windows are not very important to buildings in the Garment District.

The buildings in the garment district are funky, as you'll see in the next few photos. Who knows what's going on in this building - it hardly seems legal.

The west side is pockmarked with these vendor cart depots. I can think of three without hesitation. I appreciate living on the west side, where you get a glimpse of the processes that keep the city running.

We're getting ready to move out. I'm going to miss this view.

And for comparison, a photo of the area before the construction started.

Picture credit: jazzkeller.com

We went to see the Lou Donaldson Quartet play in Harlem today. I'm no jazz expert, but I recognized his name from a Blue Note compilation I have, so I was excited to see him play. In doing so, I discovered another extraordinary musician - his Hammond organist, Dr. Lonnie Smith (home). He'll be playing in New York in August, and I hope to catch at least a few sets. The Quartet, by the way, was awesome. Lou has a great sense of humor and the band is tight. Lonnie Smith must live in Harlem - after the show, we saw him strolling north along Malcom X Blvd as we were waiting for a downtown bus.

The main faucet's range of movement was shifted off-center during installation and had to be adjusted. It was easily corrected, but I'm glad I discovered it sooner rather than later. I learned a few things about water filtering, too. Standard kitchen water flow ranges from 1 to 2 gallons per minute. You can filter out chlorine and particles above 5 microns at nearly full flow. Once you start filtering for lead and sub-micron particles, water flow is restricted to half a gallon per minute. It's about what a new Pur filter does at full blast. I had never seen a separate drinking water faucet before our own kitchen renovation.

Fashion might sometimes be form over function, but its buildings are generally the opposite. What's behind those louvers?

When I'm on a rooftop in Hell's Kitchen at night, I always feel like the skyscrapers to the east form a sort of luminous mountain range.

Left side...

... right side. Quite an improvement after the demolition!

The main dessert course from this evening's nine course tasting menu. I swore I would never take a picture at Per Se or the French Laundry, but I broke down. Once in every three trips is okay, yes?

A sampling of urban oases within several blocks. Note the different ways water tanks are concealed.

The Chrysler Building recently turned 75 (Gothamist covers the coverage). In a previous life, I was at a company which had an office above the gargoyles. The view was beautiful - it's a pity there's no public observation deck.