April 13, 2003. Central Park Sheep Meadow.

A lively game of soccer in the Sheep Meadow – the kids vs. the grown-ups. The kids were very excited.

Family having a picnic in the Sheep Meadow.

Saxophone player in The Mall.

“Angel of the Waters” on the fountain in Bethesda Terrace. This fountain is one of the most photographed fountains in the world. The fountain still wasn’t on, but I saw one later on that was on in Bryant Park so I’m hoping this is a sign that soon all of the city fountains will be turned on. Last year because of
the water shortage, none of the fountains were ever turned on.

Canoeing. I want to check out those trails back there in The Ramble the next time I get up to the park.

Canoeing family. Looks like Mom is saving the day. Ducks look on.

The Bow Bridge is one of my favorites in the park.

I decided to walk home from the park, going south on 6th Avenue. I came across this small emblem in the sidewalk near the corner of 46th Street and 6th Avenue. Any idea what it means? I mean, it’s clear what it says, but why would this tiny plate be embedded in the sidewalk of a busy intersection in New York City? There’s got to be a story. .

At 33rd Street I heard this loud bang followed by 2 more bangs just to my left (east). I looked and saw a few people running towards me. For a few scary seconds I feared something really bad was happening. Then everyone realized that a marble section of a building had fallen off. Luckily, no one was right by it when it happened.

On 26th Street I came across the Chelsea Flea Market. Rows and rows of tables set up with things for sale. I’d heard about the market before, but never had been to it or knew exactly where it is.

A little boy plays with toy pistols at the Chelsea Flea Market.

Toy cars at the Chelsea Flea Market.

I took this photo last week in a subway station in Brooklyn. After 99 years of use, the subway token is no longer being sold.

So, do you think that the warm weather is finally here to stay? Today was my first trek up to Central Park this year. I’m sure there will be many more this summer, although it’s not as convenient as when I lived in Hell’s Kitchen. I love to explore the park, stopping periodically to sit and read and people watch. Few better ways to spend a nice afternoon come to mind. After so many dreary days you can’t imagine how great it felt to see a bright blue sky, to have the sun on my face, and to smell the fresh green grass. Oh, and I saw this chick on her cell phone riding a Segway. First time I saw one up close and for real.

On the way back I walked down 6th Avenue instead of taking the subway. It was about 60 blocks. I think that translates into 3 miles. Now, as of today, you can no longer purchase subway tokens. Some of you may think that this and my urban hike are related, but they’re not. I decided to walk because I had an afternoon to waste, was interested in seeing what there was to see, and was feeling guilty about that slice of cake I ate.

When I got back into my neighborhood I stopped off for a slice at Joe’s Pizza and ate it at across the street at Father Demo Square, a place that should be called Joe’s Pizza’s Outdoor Seating Triangle because it’s shaped like a triangle, not a square, and every third person there is eating pizza from Joe’s. This woman was asking me where Greenwich Avenue is. She had a foreign accent, was visibly stressed out, had some bad handwritten maps and instructions, and a map of Manhattan. Every time I said Greenwich and pronounced it correctly (gren-itch) she corrected me with an incorrect pronunciation (green-witch). I was like “Listen, sista, You’re lost, obviously not from here, and depending on me to get you to your destination!” Annoying.

So, anyway, here are a few more photos from Central Park and a couple interesting things I came across on the way home. Hint: Beware of falling objects.

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