Tag Archive | NYC

Peace Sign Fall Leaf Wreath

Dec10

Peace Sign Fall Leaf Wreath
Photo By Gail

With the short span of time this year between celebrating Thanksgiving and the arrival of Christmas, it’s easy to forget that it’s still technically fall in NYC. That said, by Black Friday afternoon, fall decor was in a losing battle with Christmas decorations that started appearing on the streets and in storefronts shortly after Halloween. Crazy.

I doubt that this lovely autumn leaf wreath is made from actual leaves (it’s likely silk or some other fabric), but dang if it didn’t make me stop in my tracks and appreciate the beauty of nature when I saw it adorning the face of a Brownstone in Chelsea. And what a nice sentiment as well: Peace. Here’s the full shot below. Breathtaking.

Peace Sign Wreath Full

Spotted on 22nd Street Between 7th and 8th Avenues in Manhattan.

Queen Andrea’s Believe Mural On The Houston Bowery Wall

Sep5

Queen Andrea Believe Mural
All Photos By Gail

Even though it’s been up since June 4th, it was just last week that I finally had the chance to check out the latest amazingly colorful mural on display at the famous Houston Bowery Wall, which is entitled Believe,  and is the work of Andrea von Bujdoss, aka Queen Andrea. Queen Andrea is a New York City-based artist who specializes in fine art, murals, typography, and graphic design.  Believe serves as a celebration of the city’s cultural diversity and “vibrancy of urban life.”

Queen Andrea Believe Mural

For Believe, in which Queen Andrea used paints in super bright colors, the eponymous typography messaging is a focal point, along with the words Love More on the lower right corner at street level. The artist uses these encouraging messages about staying positive and believing in what inspires you the most and makes you love more!

Queen Andrea Believe Mural

Queen Andrea’s focus on typography as an artist is an evolution of her history as a female graffiti artist. She grew up near the Houston Bowery Wall in Soho, where she began painting graffiti and studying graphic design as a young teen. The mural is  part of an ongoing partnership between Goldman Global Arts and Citi.

The Houston Bowery Mural Wall is located at the intersections of East Houston Street and Bowery on the Northwest Corner.

Queen Andrea Believe Mural

Pink Thing Of The Day: Pink Trash Can With Stenciled Palm Trees

Aug16

Pink Garbage Can
Photos By Gail

This tropical-themed Pink Garbage Bin, with its lovely stenciled palm tree motif, was spotted on the sidewalk out front of a Carribean-style take-out restaurant in or near SoHo NYC. My iPhone is telling me it’s on Crosby Street, but I’m not sure how many blocks it is below Houston. Also, I do not know the name of the restaurant, but next time I am in that neighborhood I’ll get my shit together and update this post!

Pink Garbage Can

David Bowie Themed Street Art, SoHo NYC

Aug13

David Bowie Street Art
Photos By Gail

This abstract street art ‘portrait’ with the words “Rebel” at the top  — which is an obvious nod to David Bowie’s Aladdin Sane album cover —  is painted at end of the trash bin corral adjacent to Alternative Apparel clothing store at 281 Lafayette Street. It’s just a short stroll down the block from Bowie’s former residence at 285 Lafayette Street, where his widow, Iman, and daughter Lexi still reside. Daniel Winchester is the artist. A friend who used be the family’s dog nanny told me that this piece actually went up a week after David died. I can’t believe I just noticed it, and how great it stills looks. David Bowie Forever.

David Bowie Street Art

Post No Bills: Okay, Maybe Some Bills

Aug8

Guys Named Bill
Photos By Gail

OK, whoever thought of this real life Post No Bills Meme street art installation is a genius. I spotted this on a construction site wall (inside a temporary sidewalk detour) located on Second Avenue near 20th Street, on the west side the block, and had to take quick picture so I could commemorate all of these Bills! From upper left and clockwise they are:

Former President Bill Clinton

Microsoft Founder Bill Gates

Actor /Comedian Bill Murray

Unidentified Bill (He May Be a Sports Guy) — Update: This man has now been identified by Mark Morton as Bill Belichick, Coach for the New England Patriots!

Bill Nye the Science Guy

Comedian Bill Burr

and Actor Bill Paxton (RIP)

So clever!

Name The Bills

Carmen Herrera Estructuras Monumentales in City Hall Park

Jul23

Angula Rojo
All Photos By Gail

Cuban American Geometrical Abstract painter Carmen Herrera (b. 1915, Havana) waited a very long time to get her hard-earned props from the art world. The artist’s first career retrospective, 2016– 2017 Lines Of Sight at New York City’s Whitney Museum finally provided a showcase for her minimalist, color field paintings, alongside a selection of her geometric, monochromatic sculptures — which she simply calls Estructuras (Structures). While it’s disappointing to realize that, at 104 years of age, Carmen Herrera isn’t quite a household name, the NYC-based Public Art Fund is doing its part to expose her works to a wider audience by sponsoring Estructuras Monumentales, Herrera’s first major exhibition of outdoor sculptures, which are currently on view in City Hall Park. This park is a short walk from my office, to so I walked over on my lunch hour to check it out.

Angula Rojo

Herrera’s Estructuras series of sculptures, informed by her architectural training, date back to the 1960s with a group of diagrammatic sketches. She envisioned large-scale monochromatic sculptures that would extend the experience of her luminous paintings into three dimensions. Until recently, these historic proposals have remained unrealized. With Estructuras Monumentales, this remarkable artist is now able to share her powerful structures with public audiences for the first time. Here are the five structures located in City Hall Park.

Angula Rojo

Herrera still paints and creates every day, but Angul Rojo (2017) is the first Estructura that she has designed in more than three decades. Its red chevron composition conveys movement and rhythm with a bold dynamism reminiscent of many of her most iconic paintings.

Pavanne

Herrera originally conceived Pavanne, (1967/2017) as a monument to her younger brother, Mariano, who was then dying of cancer. The three tightly fit, interlocking elements of this solemn work encourage quiet contemplation, while the title references the musical term for a slow processional dance with funereal overtones.

Pavanne

Amarilla Tres

Amarillo Tres, 1971/2018. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Herrera began to work with a carpenter to translate her drawings into wooden sculptural Estructuras. That resulted in the important smaller Azul ‘Tres’ (1971), on which this monumental Estructura is based. Herrera was forced to temporarily halt this endeavor when the carpenter she worked with passed away and the grant stipend that had supported the work began to dwindle.

Amarilla Tres

Estructura Verde

Estructura Verde (1966/2018) most clearly expresses the evolution from Herrera’s paintings to her Estructuras. Her breakthrough Blanco y Verde (1966–67) series of paintings on canvas created long, acute wedges of dark paint among white expanses. This sculpture translates and inverts that arrangement, with two bold green interlocked L-shaped forms, which encompass slivers of negative space, incorporating the sculpture’s surroundings into its dynamic composition.

Estructura Verde

Estructura Verde

Untitled Estructura (Red)

Untitled Estructura (Red), (1962/2018). Carmen Herrera’s Estructuras can be appreciated for their formal poetry, yet they can also be seen in the context of her life. In October of 1962, the confrontation between the United States and Cuba escalated to the Cuban Missile Crisis, during which Herrera and her husband Jesse Lowenthal were deeply involved in helping friends, family, and refugees escape the conflict. The overhanging cantilevered arrangement of this Estructura might abstractly allude to the tensions between Herrera’s adopted and native countries at the moment she conceived this work.

Untitled Estructura (Red)

Carmen Herrera: Estructuras Monumentales, Curated by Public Art Fund Curator Daniel S. Palmer, Will Be On View in City Hall Park (Located in Lower Manhattan) Through November 8th, 2019.

Angula Rojo

Neon Tiger

Jun20

Neon Tiger
Photo By Gail

Unless I am in some kind of crazy hurry, getting temporarily lost or misdirected in NYC is always a blessing, because it allows me to stumble upon amazing finds like this fantastic Neon Tiger. I spotted this beauty, from the sidewalk, inside a casual-menswear boutique called Blue In Green, which is located on Greene Street, one block north of Canal, in SoHo. Grrr.

Pink Think of The Day: Pink Metallic Mesh Dress

Jun14

Pink Metallic Mesh Dress
Photos By Gail

I saw this fabulous Pink Metallic Mesh Dress in a shop on Greene Street in SoHo when I was party-hopping during the Open Showrooms evening that closes out the two-week long NYCxDesign event.

Pink Metallic Mesh Dress Detail

Here’s a detail shot of the mesh that I managed to get, even though at this point I was already too tipsy to remember to note the name of the store I was in. Oops.

Pink Metallic Mesh Dress

The camera roll on my phone tells me that pictures of the dress were taken at 31 1/2 Greene Street, but I looked up that address and I am pretty sure it was south of that exact location. It sure is a great-looking dress. I would wear it.

Update 10/19/19: The store is called The Webster and it’s located at 29 Greene Street!

Curtis Kulig Love Mural in Soho

Jun11

Love Mural
Photos By Gail

Artist Curtis Kulig’s popular Love Me campaign can be found on everything from Tote Bags and Baseball Caps to Jewelry and Nike sneakers. But sometimes you just see it out on the street, where it originated.

This minimalist mural, which just says Love twice in black and again in pink paint, was spotted while I was headed uptown on Sixth Avenue, somewhere between Dominick and Spring Street in SoHo, NYC.

Love Mural

Scoozi Events Hosts a Chef Tasting in Midtown!

Apr23

Scoozi Events
Above Image Courtesy of Scoozi Events; All Other Photos By Gail Except Where Notes

When you have attended as many catered events and cocktail parties as I have, you get the opportunity to sample a variety unique and tasty foods. But after your umpteenth morsel of Prime Rib on a Crostini, or Coconut Fried Shrimp, you might tend to encounter a lot of sameness among the small bites being offered by various NYC catering companies. Yes, you have perhaps tasted it all, until you are lucky enough to attend a party catered by Scoozi Events: and it is only then that your tastebuds will be fully awakened to true culinary innovation!

In operation since 1996, Scoozi Events is a full-service catering and event resource. Voted New York City’s Most Creative Catering Company, Scoozi is also a company with a conscience. Certified green with three stars by the Green Restaurant Association, Scoozi recycles, composts, and uses eco-friendly products in an effort to continue reducing its carbon footprint. The goal is to provide clients with an unmatched experience, from décor to cuisine; and the true magic is in the details. Recently, I was invited to a Chef Tasting hosted by Scoozi at one of their intimate midtown venues, where my mind was fully blown by the unique selection of mouth-watering Hors D’Oeuvres and craft cocktails that I had the extreme pleasure to enjoy. Take a look at some of my favorite bites!

Bagel Chip with Cream Cheese and Smoked Carrot

Scoozi has an extensive menu of vegetarian-friendly small bites, including this Smoked Carrot ‘Lox’ on a Bagel Crisp with Cream Cheese and Dill Garnish.

Eggplant Nigiri

Eggplant Nigiri: it looks like Smoked Eel Sushi, but it’s a teriyaki-glazed slice of perfectly torch-finished eggplant!

Chicken Cilantro Taco

Chicken Verde Tacos with Scallion Crema and Queso Fresco on a Mini Flour Tortilla. These tiny tacos were presented on a long tree branch with wedges cut out to nestle each taco perfectly. Check it out!

Chicken Tacos on a Branch
Image Courtesy of Scoozi Events

Mini Big Mac Detail

Mini Big Macs, Scoozi Style! These Baby Macs surpass the ordinary slider, taking the classic ingredients of a McDonald’s Big Mac sandwich but swapping the expected dill pickle for a slice of sweet Bread and Butter Pickle — for a little flavor thrill!

Ramen Burger

Another alternative to the traditional beef blider is the Ramen Noodle Burger; an open-faced, teriyaki-glazed Burger on a Ramen Noodle ‘Bun.’ Delish!

Mexican Street Corn on a Blue Corn Tortilla

Mexican Street Corn on a Blue Corn Tortilla!

Spaghetti and Meatball Tuna Tartar on a Crispy Rice Cake

Spaghetti and Meatball, and Tuna Tartar with Sriracha Aioli on a Crispy Rice Cake. Everyone wanted to know how they got the pasta into that shape!

Pigs in Blankets

An updated take on the cocktail party favorite of Pigs in Blankets, Scoozi calls this the Beef Pig in a Pretzel Shell with Grain Mustard “Caviar.” Absolute perfection in a single bite.

Lemongrass Chicken Pop Up

Sizzling Lemongrass Chicken with Sticky Rice ‘Pop Up’ — These customized “General Zoe’s” Chinese Take-Out containers were presented in an oversized wok filed with uncooked white rice!

Pineapple Orange Coconut Mojito with Sugar Cane Stirrer

My thirst was quenched by a selection of refreshing and fruity cocktails: the Pineapple Orange Coconut Mojito (above) and Blackberry Mojito (below), both served with a fresh Sugar Cane stalk stirrer!

Blackberry Mojito
Blackberry Mojito

Cocktail Gummies
Image Courtesy of Scoozi Events

Yummy Alcohol-infused Cocktail Gummies improve on the usual Jello Shot, being part cocktail and part sweet dessert!

Alcohol Infused Gummy Bears

The Pink Paloma was my favorite!

S'Mores Pipes

For dessert, these Deconstructed S’mores are a Scoozi original: Toasted Marshmallow rounds dusted with Graham Cracker Crumbs and accompanied by a squeezable pipe filled with Warm Melted Chocolate! To enjoy; bite the marshmallow and simultaneously squeeze the chocolate into your mouth. Decadent!

Afogato

Affogato is a traditional Italian dessert consisting of Espresso Cold Brew poured over Vanilla Ice Cream, here topped with whipped cream. Simple, but amazing! Notice that the attention to detail includes a fun miniature replica of a Greek Diner Coffee Cup. Adorable.

Scoozi Desserts
Assorted Desserts Image Courtesy of Scoozi Events

During the tasting, I had the chance to enjoy a marvelous, casual conversation with Scoozi Events President and CFO, Gianluca Ballarini, who is as charming as he is talented. Gianluca’s fascinating background includes a former career in the international fine jewelry business, and he can share stories both amusing and enlightening that probably qualify him as the guy at any party who everyone wants to talk to.  But beyond being entertained by our chat, what I got most from Gianluca is the degree to which he cares about the services that Scoozi Events provides: because it’s not just business to him, it’s really more like a family. If I hadn’t already been won over by the fine food and drinks, Gianluca’s kind heart and commitment to customer service sealed the deal.

Beyond their impeccable food, cocktails and decor, Scoozi Events also work with many cool venues all over NYC, and they can recommend a variety of places to consider when you need a place to book an upcoming event. To find out more about Scoozi Events, see menus (including so much more in the way of food, cocktails and desserts than what you’ve seen here), and request a personalized proposal to plan every perfect detail of your next event, contact them via their website at Scoozi Events Dot Com!

Mini Big Macs