All Photos By Gail
If you’ve ever had to transfer from the 4 and 5 lines at 59th Street / Lexington Ave to the N/R/W or 6 trains on the upper level, then you have passed by the huge mosaic tile Coffee Cup Mural on the mezzanine level, which is part of a larger work called Blooming, by artist Elizabeth Murray.
Murray has also scattered smaller mosaic tile shoes and coffee cups through the stairwells and on the train platform walls.
The artwork was installed in the station in 1996.
Photo By Gail
This giant Pink Cherry Blossom glass tile mosaic is located at the 77th Street 6 Train subway station, on the mezzanine walls above the stairs leading to the train platfrom. It is part of a larger wall mural, by artist Robert Kushner, entitled 4 Seasons Seasoned, commissioned for the station in 2004. For the mosaics in this mural, Kushner created bouquets of flowers – from every season – that reflect such influences as Dutch flower paintings and Japanese screens. Most neighborhoods have flower shops, but they are especially abundant on the Upper East Side, and have associations with many of the city’s finest hospitals, parks, and museums located there. A painter, sculptor and printmaker, Kushner has always been fascinated by organic motifs. A key figure of the Pattern and Decoration Movement, he continues to feature vegetal motifs in his works, often along with geometric patterns and architectural shapes. At 77th Street, he gives the community a blazing bouquet to brighten the day (and night)!
Photo By Gail
I am here to tell you that you will have lots of fun perusing the results of a Google search with the terms: Oversized Plush Creature With a Cheeseburger Head. What is this thing? I spotted these two Ladies keeping company with the Cheeseburger-headed creature of unknown origin from across the platform while I waited for the F Train at the 42nd Street/Bryant Park station. And now, they are on the blog.
Photo By Gail
This Subway Sandwich Shop, located at Broadway and Pine Street in the Financial District, is nestled at the foot of a staircase leading up from an exit for the 4 and 5 trains at the Wall Street station.
Location Location Location!
All Photos By Gail
On New Year’s Eve Day, I posted this photo with the heading, “Someone Lost a Shoe in The Subway,” and it got about 100 likes overnight — more than most of my photos and certainly way more than the majority of my blog posts that I share on that page. So, I thought that maybe, if re-purposed as a Pink Thing, the photo could work its viral magic on my blog traffic! A girl can dream. Here’s the back story on this photo:
I was out that day with my friend Naomi and I spotted this shoe laying on the sidewalk at around 99th Street and Lexington Avenue, so I snatched it up. Because: Pink Barbie Shoe. When I got into the subway I “staged” it on a remote stairway used only by the subway crew, et voila!
Photo by Gail
Apparently, Red Stick Men are not allowed to bring Hoverboards onto a NYC Bus, or Subway Train. Now you know.
All Photos By Gail
These tile Mosaic Eyes were spotted on the backside of the stairway leading to and from the platform at the Chambers Street A Train Stop.
Please notice that they do not match.
Photo By Gail
Yeah, I know it’s just a subway ad for Led Zeppelin Album Reissues that have already been available for over a month, but still, it’s Led Zeppelin! I actually hopped off the L one stop before I needed to, just so I could take this photo. Of course, I got back on once the next train arrived.
Photographed on the L Train Platform at Third Avenue, Brooklyn Bound Side.
One of the most vivid and cherished dreams I’ve had in the past couple of years involves a dream in which I discover a secret room in the back of my apartment. How I have managed to live in the apartment for 20 years and never even notice his room is a mystery. In the dream, this approximately 225 square foot room has been meticulously finished with wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling cabinetry, and it is the most exhilarating feeling imaginable to realize that I have all of this space in which to expand my world. Seriously, I would compare it to discovering a treasure chest full of $100 bills, and you can perhaps only truly relate to and appreciate that if you live in a NYC apartment. Can you even imagine having access to an extra 225 ft. of rent-free space to use as, say, a walk-in closet, or to store absolutely every single thing you’ve ever owned in your entire life? That “Undiscovered Room” dream is probably the best dream I’ve ever had, because it gets to the root of an issue that all Manhattan dwellers live with: the desire for More Fucking Space.
Which brings us to today’s Video Clip of The Week, “Most Space,” from the band Worriers. This song and its accompanying video have absolutely nothing to do with discovering secret walk-in closets in your apartment, but everything to do with the lack of personal space with regard to something that most New Yorkers use on a daily basis, which is the NYC subway system. If you’ve ever been alone in a subway car you know what a euphoric feeling it is to not have somebody right up in your grill. And because personal space in the subway is so wantonly abused, all riders will be familiar with the current Rules of the Subway campaign, which has recently been posted in all cars in an effort to get people to behave like human beings to each other. The campaign includes hilarious posters depicting common sense rules including things like Not Eating in the Car, Not Putting on your Makeup in the Car, not using the Safety Poles to perform your “Current Dance Routine,” and, of course, an attempt at eradicating the dreaded Man Spread, an offense which, I believe, should be punishable by death.
In “Most Space,” the band (and some of their friends) have a great time acting out many of the above offenses, and taking some of them to wildly exaggerated extremes, such as practically moving into the car and making it your second home. I imagine they filmed this during off hours, say between 2 and 5 AM, and they are most definitely on a moving train because you can see them pulling into and out of different stations, although I was not able to figure out what line they are on. At any rate, they make their point, which is that everybody wants to be the one with the “Most Space.“ Brilliant.
Aurally, “Most Space” is a pure hybrid of power pop and punk rock and it is impossible not to love. Worriers are probably a lot of fun to see live, and I’m sure the group’s just-released Debut LP, Imaginary Life (Don Giovanni Records), from which this track is taken, is equally excellent. Enjoy!
All Photos By Gail
Summer is in full swing and everybody is looking for stuff to do with their time off. Today, I want tell you about a place you can go where you will have so much fun your head will explode. If you get excited by learning about the history of New York City, and love to have fun adventures that don’t cost very much, the City Reliquary Museum is a place you simply must visit! Located just two stops off the L train, and a short walk, into Brooklyn from Manhattan (for easy reference, it’s located directly across the street from the Knitting Factory), a visit to this local gem of sweet nostalgia is one of the best bargains in existence. Naomi and I had the chance to visit last month on a day that was somewhat overcast and drizzly, and we had all kinds of crazy fun.
Best of all, admission is just Five Dollars! What a bargain! The City Reliquary Museum not only collects relics and ephemera from NYC life in the five boroughs, but they also feature special exhibits that put a keen focus on the minutia that makes New York one of the greatest places to visit, and live, on earth. Here are some of the things we saw and enjoyed during our visit!
Once you enter the Museum from the front room, which is home to an adorable little gift shop that you’re going to want to spend some time browsing before you head out, you’ll have two more rooms to explore that are just packed with cool stuff.
In the first room, you will be captivated by wall-to-wall and floor to ceiling collections, displays and exhibits of everything from tributes to New York City landmarks, two remembrances of famous businesses, NYC Baseball teams, and on to icons of the transit system and anything else you can imagine that it has something to do with life here in the City that Never Sleeps.
Locals will recognize the red and green globes above as markers found at the entrances to many subway stations. I love how they’ve incorporated them right into the design of the room.
Here is a adjoining-car door (and what looks like an ancient subway route map as well!) taken from a long-retired subway train.
You can still find bus stop route markers like this at stops around town. I love how it just seems to be discarded in a corner, like you’re stumbling upon some kind of archaeological dig.
Have you ever used one of these? It reminds me of a re-created historical relic that you might find at Disneyland in an exhibit about Americana Kitsch.
This collection of vintage postcards depicting the Statue of Liberty will give you an excellent idea of the attention to detail that’s paid to each separate display over every square inch of the museum. The rooms may be small, but you could spend several hours in here.
Maybe you were once a patron of Al Criscillo’s Barber Shop, which was located at Metropolitan Avenue & Humboldt Street in Brooklyn — not that far from where the museum now sits. If so, you can relive your happy memories of time spent in his chair when you take a peek inside this nostalgia-inducing diorama.
Photos of Al with some of his customers are preserved in album adjacent to the diorama. It is extremely sweet.
Learn about the History of Burlesque in NYC in this compact exhibit that ls about the size of a Phone Booth.
Stuffed Alligator on the ceiling enjoys a slice!
Even the Restroom is is like a tiny museum inside a museum.
Talk about economic use of available real estate!
The museum also hosts rotating Special Exhibits, and currently there are two different ones you can see. The first is called The Pizza Box Chronicles, which pays tribute to New York City’s Love Affair with Pizza!
There is a pretty impressive collection of pizza boxes, including New York–inspired pizza boxes from restaurants not even located in the state!
Get educated by reading all about the legend of Famous Original Ray’s Pizza!
You can also watch a loop of film clips from various movies where the characters talk about pizza, eat pizza or talk about eating pizza. Fun!
The second Special Exhibit which was featured when we visited is dedicated to a private collection of Joseph Kopitz, who collects Miniature Souvenir Buildings.
What a cool Collection! Apparently, Joe has been amassing a small empire of New Your City real estate for the past 30 years. His collection includes such well-known buildings as the Empire State building, the Chrysler building, the Woolworth building, the Pan Am building, Grande Central Terminal and many others. He is even added buildings from all over the world to his vast holdings of buildings that average only from 3 inches to 8 inches tall. It was very generous of him to share his collection with the museum, so that others can also enjoy it.
After you’ve browsed the museum’s two main rooms, be sure and head out to explore the backyard area, which is where they host community events from time to time, such as film screenings, as well as being a place to store artifacts that don’t quite fit into the museum.
Take a look at this cool bar.
Brooklyn Lager, Naturally
Look at this beautiful shrine made out of old bottles and cement, where the Statue of Liberty is ensconced in an old bathtub. Amazing.
There’s a nice collection of well-kept picnic tables back here, and maybe they would let you sit there and have a snack, but you would want to ask first.
We had the best adventure at the City Reliquary Museum, and I’m going to suggest you put it on your list of local sites not to be missed! if you have friends coming in from out of town be sure to bring them here also.
Exit Through The Gift Shop
The City Reliquary Museum is Located at 370 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211. Hours are Thurs – Sun: 12 Noon – 6:00 PM (Except Major Holidays). To get the most up to date information, please call (718)782-4842.
