Broadway and Spring Street

Fluorescent dinosaur—why not?—in the window at the new Aritzia store in Soho. (Overheard on the street: “Don’t make me wear that bird-of-paradise shirt.”)

Murray Street and Greenwich Street

Summer (steamy) evening.

85th Street and Lexington Avenue

A bit of unexpected visual poetry on the sidewalk. Maybe even a Hint Fiction.

Broadway and 80th Street

A glimpse through the side door at H&H Bagels this past weekend before they closed down for good. From now on, every container of whitefish salad from Zabar’s will be just a little less excellent with no H&H everything bagel to put it on. (The location on 46th Street will remain open, it seems, but it’s just not the same, is it.)

Somewhere in Bath, England

Reading a magazine in my hotel room, I discovered a new “Tribeca style” restaurant called Liberty Café (there are images of the Statue of Liberty on the windows), which made me wonder. Later, I saw the menu on the street, offering up a “Big Apple Breakfast” and then the translation (“full English”).

Even better, another British magazine (Elle, I think) had an article about the new Smyth hotel in Tribeca (for real), pointing out that it's on West Broadway (yes) and conveniently located near the M train. Hmmm. Which provided several minutes of entertainment.

Hudson Street and Horatio Street

No need to travel to England for HobNobs (get them here, at Myers of Keswick), but I’m going anyway. Back to the blog in a week or so. (The chocolate ones are really the best choice.)

Hudson Street and Duane Street

At Brushstroke, the view across the sushi bar (where kaiseki, not sushi, is served). Jumbo oysters with plum wine jelly, black cod with roasted sea urchin, slivers of sea bass with broccoli rabe: these are just a few of the things that I remember from a delicious evening. (Here’s a more professional review of what’s on offer from New York Magazine, and this brief write-up has a link to a sample menu.)

Houston Street and LaGuardia Place

A glimpse of the Time Landscape forest, with momentary wildflowers.

Broadway and 67th Street

Evening idyll, Upper West Side. (The only disturbance: half a conversation, overheard on the street: “I want something with zero calories.”)

15th Street and Fifth Avenue

Yarns for sampling at Lion Brand Yarn Studio. I am not a knitter (maybe one day I will be), but I find beautiful yarn fascinating: look at this silk mohair.

69th Street and Broadway

Spanish artwork (on a plate): these are pitch-black falafel balls (“fake truffles” with “edible earth”) at Graffit—and they are wonderful. (I’m always a fan of deconstructed food that tastes good.) The Times reviewer is more critical of some of this “Spanish-modernist” cuisine (not the falafel), but in the end, he admits that it’s a fun place to eat: a “hoot.” (Read some of the chef's recommendations for where to eat and drink here.)

Broadway and 80th Street

A glimpse of books before they become obsolete (at Westsider Rare and Used Books).

15th Street and Sixth Avenue

“In New York, a part of me was always somewhere else, thinking of what a simple life in Japan might be like.”  —Pico Iyer, “The Joy of Less”

West Broadway and Houston Street

Serenity (not really) in Soho: maybe if you pay attention and focus on the typography.

West Fourth Street and 10th Street

Looking past some black Oaxacan pottery and into the West Village, at Empellón, where I managed to eat almost a whole bowl of chips with smoked cashew salsa. But there were also some scallop tacos and chocolate flan (fantastic, as expected, given the chef’s background).

Broadway and 27th Street

I know it’s not official yet, but it feels like the start of summer, with fun in the (h)air.