The Myrtle Platform

The platform of the Myrtle Avenue subway station in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.  This station is one of three in relatively close proximity of where I live; I come here when I need to catch the J, Z, or M trains into the city or to JFK.

Diamond in the Rough

Bored waiting for the bus?  Take our your camera.  Some of my finest shots have been taken while waiting for a bus.  This could only happen of course, when I finally remembered to carry my camera with me today.  Taken at the corner of Bowery and Hester, near Little Italy, err, becoming more of Chinatown everyday.

Clinton Café Arbitration

Taken near Hamilton Avenue, under the Gowanus Expressway in Red Hook…

Neighborhood above the Tracks

Residential houses along the Brighton Line of the of the subway system in the Flatbush area in Central Brooklyn.  Taken in late winter after all the snow has melted, but before the leaves grew on the trees.

Out of my Comfort Zone, Photographing Fragments

If you haven’t notice my preference to take full, wide angle urban scenes as opposed to microcosmic shots, here’s my official proclamation: I like to take full, wide angle urban scenes as opposed to microcosmic shots. This post celebrates the small attention to detail that you notice when you stop (pissing off all the people behind you) and observe the environment around you.

Kiss fail! (You will probably need to view this large to see what I mean) The 2nd Avenue subway station near 2nd and Houston on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

I wanted a shot full of windows, the lighted windows in the silhouetted building on the left was an added bonus. Taken near 9th and Broadway in Manhattan.

Crossed wires, fire escapes, a large chunk of infrastructure, and barbeque building clipart…This scene could probably sum up this entire blog! Taken from Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

The corner of Stillwell and Mermaid Avenues in Coney Island, Brooklyn. What’s in a name anyway? Its location at the Stillwell Avenue Subway Terminus and the boarded up windows makes it somewhat poignant.

Spotted under the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge, on the Brooklyn side, I shall call it…Bridge Measles.

Rusting, screeching, R42 train = Romantic…Seriously!

Phallic-esque traffic signal, that just happens to be a Broad and Beaver; nothing to see here, please move on. Taken in the Financial District.

Rust and fumes in all its dirty, gritty glory! Taken near Queens Plaza in Long Island City,Queens.

Peppers 24-7

Taken on Broadway in the upper ‘70s on the Upper West Side…

The Tales that Tiles Tell within the Subway

 

The New York City Subway system is an old rapid transit system, which is the source for many of the issues it faces, however it is also responsible for much of it distinctive character.  Much of the stations in the system are either over or approaching 100 years old, a different time when greater detail was focused on the aesthetics of the architecture of public spaces and infrastructure.  One of the most distinctive features within the New York City Subway systems is its mosaic tile work.  What’s even more interesting is the story that this tile work has to tell.

The operation of the system has a complicated history, which is worthy of its own post in the future, but lets just say that in the past, before a single agency operated it, there were three separate companies operating their own lines throughout the city.  The Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT), Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT), and the Independent Subway System (IND) all competed in servicing the passengers of the city’s boroughs.  Each company has their own style of tile work that was implemented in the stations.

IRT Style

This is from the 86th Street Station on the Seventh Avenue-Broadway Line (Manhattan, 1 train).  I fully admit, I indulged myself a little in the composition of this photo, but I felt only a wide angle photo would tell the complete story here.  Much like the IND style, the station name is plainly identified within a mosaic.  Unlike the IND style however, is the use of frieze around it and as a border.  The older the station, more of this is used.  This station was opened in 1904 and most of the original tile was removed in renovation years ago, this small section still exists.

More of the station featured above, showing a more human perspective.

The Bleecker Street station on the Lexington Avenue Line (Manhattan, 6 Train) uses faience tablets to identify the station name.  Like the previous station, much of the original work has been removed, by a few remain preserved.

IND STYLE

The Metropolitan Avenue Station on the Crosstown Line (Brooklyn, G Train) features a very standard form of tile work featuring plain lettering that is used widely on the old IND lines.  The IND lines tend to be newer than the IRT and BMT lines and the style and the tile work tend to have a more streamlined look.

This work is a little more unique and is located on the Smith-9th station on the Culver Viaduct (Brooklyn, G and F Trains).  This station (and the viaduct as a whole) is undergoing renovation, and I hope this remains untouched.

Many station also use individual letter tiling to identify the station.  Carries much less prestige, but hey its easier to maintain I guess…The modern attitude of how infrastructure is treated.

BMT Style

The tile work in BMT stations tend to be a little more intricate than IND tile work and use monogram frieze work.  This work was taken from the 42nd-Time Square station on the Broadway Line (Manhattan, N, Q, R Trains).

Taken from the Prince Street Station on the Broadway Line (Manhattan, N and R Trains), demonstrating a BMT Style name tablet.

‘Modern Style’

This tile work is typical in stations that have been renovated or relatively new stations built in the ‘60s and ‘70s.  Many stations in Brooklyn use this light blue tile, such as Court Street Station (R Train) (Pictured).  Many other stations use similar tile in that 1960’w rusty-red color, such as the Lexington Avenue-63rd Street (Manhattan, F Train) and 125th Street Station (Manhattan, A,B,C,D Trains).  Others use an off white, such as the 57th Street Station (Manhattan, F Train).

Shadow Lurker

Taken in front of the 225 Broadway-Transportation Building near the Financial District in Lower Manhattan.  Obviously taken several months ago when winter attire was required.

Flats Fixed

Who can resist quirky storefronts?  I know I can’t!  Obviously, at the corner of Park and Franklin; this is an area in which three neighborhood of Brooklyn meet.  Those neighborhoods are Clinton Hill, Williamsburg, and Bedford Stuyvesant.

Fury. Forsaken. Etc.

Stay Dry Tunnels, Stay Dry

Battery Park City is one of those Zone A locations that are looking at a mandatory evacuation in preparation of Hurricane Irene.  Given its location, the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel stands a chance of being inundated with water as the storm progresses.  Lets hope the pumps don’t protest their working conditions.  As someone who uses the subway system as their primary means of transportation, I wish the same for those tunnels as well.

Indoor Parking, Precision Pricing

Because underselling the $8.25 guys works every time. For some reason, this parking garage reminds me of a parking garage in Indianapolis, Indiana. Taken near Brooklyn Heights.

Carfiti

My ‘Pretty’ Street

I tend to be a rather private person so I avoid posting online those things that are of a personal nature. With that being said, I definitely do not post content indicating my place of residence, in case one of my ‘raving stalker fans’ may be lurking in the darkness ;) I post photograph of locations all over the city, but available time has been scarce as of late so in an attempt to deliver new content, I have taken to the Hannibal Lecter strategy of coveting what I see everyday…In this case, my own street.

Without disclosing exactly where, I will describe the vicinity. I reside in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant. The section of the neighborhood that I live is in the far northwest corner where it borders Williamsburg (to the north) and Clinton Hill (the the west). I have seen realtors market property in this area as being in either neighborhoods to avoid the whole Bed Stuy [do or die] image. Regardless of the spin, I live in Bed Stuy. The neighborhood is in transition and my street is no different. My block consists of brownstone and tenement stock that have been rehabbed, the photo directly below was taken from my stoop.

Such is typical of a dense neighborhood, one block is completely different from the next. The next block contains old industrial properties that have been converted into lofts with a few areas that still contain light industry. The buildings are well utilized by graffiti artists.

The next block is mainly retail, this shot was taken on garbage collection day-eve; case closed on the ‘rats the size of cats’ mystery that are frequently seen at night. Its quite a surreal sight to be walking home at night to see rapid, mobile, masses inside closed garbage bags, or garbage cans that wobble as if they are in some kind of eccentric orbit with about five tails sticking out of the top.

Welcome to NYC retail after dark, opaque, graffitied, gates rule the landscape. From what I hear, there is an initiative to ban these things [citing safety and law enforcement concerns], but I’m not for sure.

Forget Ikea or some other urban home store, a real man needs only a few dozen of these to furnish his place…

Urban Country Club

Workshop theme country club?  Being that I have yet to attain the tax bracket status to join a county club, I have only preconceived notions of the archetypal ilk; operation of a band saw is definitely out of the question.  Luckily, this place isn’t a country club, but a bar, which, for better or worse, I have a much better fit.  Taken on Metropolitan Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Pre-Disney-esque 42nd Street

Its still around, it just got shoved over towards 8th Avenue and a few bells and whistles added.  Near the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown-West.

Rainy Friday Night

Standardized

Along with Highline, which passes under in the shot, the Standard Hotel has become an icon for the Meat Packing District. I'm a big fan of the Highline, but I'm a little critical of the architecture of the hotel. While others may differ, in my opinion, it looks like a 1970's concrete government building with a little glass added for effect.

Drugs! Drugs! Drugs!

I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t been able to do any new photography in quite a while, so here is a stock photo taken from early spring in Greenwich Village.  I’ve been fiending for a shot of something lately, with my camera that is.

Sunset Subway

Yes, Yes, I know, I post quite a bit of these subway shots.  The New York City subway system is my primary mode of transportation, and its facilities tend to be low hanging fruit.  With that being said, this is the entrance of the Jay Street-MetroTech (formerly Jay Street-Borough Hall) in downtown Brooklyn.

Stop at Sheepshead Bay

Yet another body of waster in the New York City area that carries a charming name. This stop is located on the Brighton Line that eventually terminates at Coney Island.

Maps and Shopping Bags

Attention!  Oversized maps and credit cards at the ready!  Let the tourism commence!  Taken near the corner of 43rd and 8th, between Times Square and the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

Alien Caviar and Chained Bikes

My street is not always pretty, but its always interesting.  The creator of this piece is a street artist that goes by Willow.  This shot was taken a few doors down from my own apartment in Brooklyn.

The Golden Nostrand

The title of this post sounds a little like some of that frat boy slang you would see somewhere on urbandictionary.com.  Innuendo building aside, this station is located at Fulton and (you guessed it) Nostrand Avenues in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.  One distinctive feature of this station is that express platform is on the upper level while the local is on the lower; as far as I know, this is the only station in the system with this configuration.

Night Time Novelty, The Glowing Roof

1/2 second exposure, handheld, resulting in a slight blur.  Taken near the corner of Myrtle and Franklin in the Clinton Hill area of Brooklyn…

Pelham Bay Bound

The Bronx as from the 6 train on the way to Pelham Bay Park…

On The Hill

Lexington Avenue, Upper East Side, in the lower 90’s, where things get a little hilly…

Bored, Waiting to Board

Piss, bleach, garbage, unhinged bums, delayed J trains, and excessive heat…The Chambers Street Station near City Hall has a little bit of something for everyone on a late Saturday night.  Pay me no mind for I feel a little ornery on this night…

Nelly's Flowers

Taken at the corner of Broadway and Union in Williamsburg, Brooklyn...