Theaters and Theatrics

Today was the day to lock in a place for a certain party we are hosting in September 2008. Our errand took us into Midtown and our walk home had us wandering through part of the theater district. I love looking at the details on the facades but only took a few pictures today due to time constraints and the excessive number of people on the street for the matinées.


And finally, a bit of old Times Square. In the afternoon we retrieved the Squidlings and, after purchasing some cheese and sausage (fruit and bread having been obtained earlier at the Greenmarket), went for a picnic dinner in the shadow of the Empire State Building.

O.k., actually we were to the west of the Empire State Building and the sun was to our west so we technically were not in it's shadow.We were, however, shaded by this interesting piece of usable sculpture,
but chose not to eat at this one since it was not shaded.


O.k., all together now "You can't find a shady spot on the Western shore of Manhattan in the late afternoon. The River does not cast a shadow!" This is similar to the problem we had finding a shady spot on the East River at 10:00 a.m. for breakfast. D'oh!

Above, some greenery, just to prove we have some.

Below, the Starrett-Leigh Building. A landmark building (exteriors) that has undergone a huge change from warehouse/maufacturing to "new media" aka dot coms, designers and Martha Stewart. According to NYC-Architecture.com, rents have jumped from $5/square foot to $40 in just 2 years. Their article is a scathing indictment of the current owners and is the first time I have seen this website editorialize in such a fashion. (You will notice that I try to use them whenever I have an unusual building to highlight. I tend to like their write-ups and I totally agree with them now. The traffic and obnoxious pedestrians that this renovation has brought is turning me into a curmudgeon.)Below are the ruins of tracks that led from the water to one of the buildings adjacent to Starrett-Leigh.Below are the tracks that lead directly into Starrett-Leigh. Railroad containers would be loaded on to barges in New Jersey and floated across the Hudson to be offloaded directly on to tracks and rolled right into the building. Elevators inside are large enough and strong enough to handle the load bring the cargo directly where it is needed.
The building to the north of Starrett-Leigh. I will try to find out what it is for you.And, just for the sake of comedy, a small barn on 26th Street. Yes, that is a violin on Papa's back, why do you ask?

Tomorrow, Mama and Papa amuse themselves by circumnavigating Manhattan. Friday, Mama and Papa collapse from exhaustion. Saturday, Little Squid gets glasses and Sunday, the Squid clan sees Ratatouille.