I'm a cool, calm and creative sort. New York's been my home for the past 5 years. I'm very easy going, a homeboy really... and a bit of a geek, as you can tell.
Hopeless at describing myself... so I hope what you see here will give you some insight. Thanks for stopping by.
I have to admit, I was bored and rather lazy and thought twice about walking towards the river to catch the fireworks for a change. But it was 8.45pm and I had some 15 minutes to get my act together and head down. And I am so glad I did, for more reasons than simply passing the time to catch fireworks.
When I arrived I was honestly surprised by the turnout at the river. 125th street is pretty damn far away from where the fireworks were actually taking place, so not only would one loose on the size of the display, but you would loose the sound of the explosions, which would make for half the experience. I thought that I would be one of a few huddled groups of people and couples and possibly a few families who decided to head out to "see what they could see" or have "something different for the kids". As it turned out, there had to have been well more than a thousand people there, and I'm pretty sure I'm underestimating this. With implacable organization, there were even safety barricades all around and on the jetties, with police and firefighters for crowd control. All this for a 20 minute spectacle that was happening some 6 miles away! There were even people on the fly-over of the West Side Highway over looking the park waiting to catch a glimpse of the show.
Note, that where we were, is in no way a tourist attraction. The mass majority of the people that were there, either lived in the area or were visiting friends and family in the area. With all our economic problems and anxieties, the fact that so many people came out here to see it and to celebrate the 4th, I am duly humbled by the American people and I am so glad I got off my ass, for this has given me yet another reason to love New York.
Do you remember Back in the spring Every morning birds would sing Do you remember Those special times Theyll just go on and on In the back of my mind
I thought I'd share some photos I took today, the day after Michael Jackson left us. My neighborhood is strangely quite. Last night it was pretty much deserted as I believe everyone made their way to the Apollo. Apparently the music and singing went on till the wee hours. This afternoon the Apollo continues to draw crowds and I won't be surprised if this is only the beginning.
...So tonight gotta leave that nine to five upon the shelf and just enjoy yourself, Groove. let the madness in the music get to you, Life ain't so bad at all... if you live it off the wall.
Couldn't help re-posting this: This captioned cat picture postcard was found by Tracy Angulo in a Seattle antique store. Tracy tells us that the photograph is from 1905, which would make this officially the oldest cat picture with a caption, AKA lolcat, that we’ve seen. more animals
A Sweet Bird Of Youth - Forever Paul Newman (9/27/08) [View | Hide]
1925 - 2008 It's difficult for me to find the words... Perhaps it's just as well... There are no words...
Call me a Serial Art Director... This latest ad campaign for Showtime's Dexter is so up my alley! Having been in publications for most of my design career, I miss it a lot, and sometimes, I find myself occasionally creating a "Cover" just for the hell of it. Well, whoever did the Details, Wired and Rolling Stones covers for the campaign, kudos to you. And, as you can see, I was compelled to create a few of my own ideas on Dexter's campaign, with some other magazines you may recognize. Enjoy!
Gay Pride 2008 Although it was a rather wet Sunday, it didn't seem to dither the thousands gathered to participate and support the event. Thank goodness for the bars, our refuge and excuse from the sudden downpour to grab a cocktail.. or two. Between ducking from the rain and swigging cocktails, sad to say I missed most of the parade, but here are some shot s I did manage to capture. Refuge at Stonewall.
Historic Hamilton Grange On Wheels (6/7/08) [View | Hide]
Today I witnessed the second half of Hamilton's Grange's historic move to its new home in St Nicholas Park. A dramatic journey, a century overdue.
How does one even begin to say "great Job" to the incredible precision and nail-biting patience these movers have. No yelling, no squabbling, no loud horns except when announcing that they had reached a desired position... Quite simply put, the move has been graceful and humbling to witness.
141TH STREET At about 9.30am, the Grange was well on its way, already at the foot of 141st Street at the corner of Hamilton Terrace. Here it began it's right turn into the park. Because the street slopes down from the park, it had to be filled-in with gravel to create a flat surface for the house to be rolled into position. (Did I mention the house had wheels?)
Making my way through Convent to get a better view from Hamilton Terrace, I passed by its previous home next to St Luke's Church. By moving Hamilton Grange, not only will it give the old house more breathing room and to exists once again in all its grandeur, but it has also revealed the beauty of St Luke's; A picture not seen in over 100 years. I wish that this void that remains will be maintained as a park for all who live in the neighborhood. HAMILTON TERRACE A small crowd has gathered from as early as 7.30am. NY1 and PBS are covering the event. As the house is moved slowly into position, Congressman Rangel, the man responsible for securing the funds needed to "make history", also pays a visit to the site. Now in position, it is almost 11am, and the wheels are repositioned and prepared for its rotation. Slowly but surely, the house is rotated on its axis.
OTHER VIEWS The current view from St Nicolas Avenue. From the Park, the house is in position to be moved onto its new foundation.
I couldn't help but be moved by this story, considering how I literally stumbled upon it. A chance lunch date with a friend last week, lead me to show him around my neighborhood in Harlem. On our extended stroll to the restaurant, we passed by a curious construction site. A handsome but rather dilapidated wooden house, sandwiched between a Church and an apartment building, was sitting some 20 odd feet off the ground on what appeared to be an intricate pile of well positioned, oversized jenga blocks!
It was obvious that the house was carefully, and I should say preciously, being moved. I was intrigued and had to find out more.
Living in the area for over 6 years, I'm ashamed of my lack of knowledge of American history and that I had no idea that such a historic landmark was only a stroll away from where I live and work, for as it turns out, it is the site of The Grange, the country house of Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury (1789-1795), one of the developers of the Constitution and leader of the Federalist party. He was also the founder of the Bank of New York and The New York Post.
Furthermore, upon my research, I became aware of the controversy behind this move that actually started way back in the early 1900s!
ORIGINAL HOME 1802-1889
In 1798, Hamilton had commissioned architect John McComb Jr. to design his Federal style country home on his 32 acre estate in upper Manhattan. In those days, where I live now, the area was largely farmland. The house was completed in 1802, perched on a woody hilltop, surrounded by wilderness with views from the top floor, of the Hudson River from the front side and the valley of Harlem from the back. Hamilton had only enjoyed his new home for two years, before he was fatally wounded in a duel with his political rival Aaron Burr on July 11, 1804.
The First Move CURRENT LOCATION 1889-2008 The years after his death were a trying time as Hamilton had left his personal affairs in great disorder. Mrs Hamilton struggled to retain the house, but eventually, parted with it in 1833. For almost a century, the property had been looked after by sympathetic owners until finally, in 1889, when property became too valuable for it to compete with the growing city, Amos Cotting bought the land under the Grange for his row house development, and gave the house to St. Luke's Episcopal Church in exchange for building a church next to his development. This in turn meant moving the house about two blocks away from where it stood, to its current location. Unfortunately, the original porches and piazzas were removed and it was set sideways on a new basement. Both the original front entrance, which now faces St. Luke's Church and rear entrance were walled up. A new main entrance was cut in what formerly had been the side wall of the front stair hall, and the original main door was installed there. Another front door was also cut into one of the original rear rooms and the present porch added. At some point, the roof balustrade was also removed. Over the years, the house has sadly resided, quashed between the church and an apartment building with little or no resemblance of its original grandeur.
The Next Move NEW LOCATION 2009
Interestingly, discussions to move the house back to a more rural setting began appearing as early as 1901. There is even an article from the New York Times dated March 17, 1912 which not only mentions the desire to restore it and maintain it as a museum with collected personal relics of Hamilton but also its chosen site to be in St Nicholas Park. In the 1950's and 1960's, as the Grange continued to deteriorate, a new push for relocation and restoration emerged and several sites proposed, including the City College campus, Riverside Park, a vacant plot on Amsterdam Avenue and near the Cloisters. click map for a larger view
In 1962, the National Park Service became the owner of the house. However, it was only in 1993 that their decision to proceed with the move to the more pastoral setting of St Nicholas Park was made - a plan long opposed by the house's neighbor, St. Luke's Episcopal Church, who claim a historic link with the Grange. More than a decade later, funding was finally allocated and the house's new foundation is being prepared in the park. The missing original entranceway, the front and back porches and other architectural features of the house will be restored.
The controversy continued with the question of it's desired orientation. A huge concern to some preservationists who insist that the house's orientation should be positioned as it was originally intended as it would affect not only its exterior appearance but the way natural light would play within it's rooms. But at its new location, perched on a hill-slope in the Park, the idea to rotate it 180º so that the entrance faces the open landscape, would revive the character of Hamilton’s home as a freestanding mansion. Keeping it's original orientation would make the main entrance face the steep ridge from which City College rises and defy common aesthetic sense. Furthermore, regardless of which way it faces, neither the views nor the play of natural light within the house could possibly be replicated on this new site. There may be more accommodating spots in St Nicholas Park, but this chosen corner is more appropriate because it lies within the parameters of Hamilton’s original estate, making a 200-year-old connection between the building and its new setting.
I feel compelled to keep an eye on the Grange in the following months. An easy stroll home from work will take me past this new site and I will continue to record it's move and restoration. So much of its history has already been lost. Considering how it had been butchered for over a century, I personally welcome this move and its new orientation. I only pray that it would be lovingly restored without compromising its old aged beauty. Soon, for the first time in 119 years, the house will occupy a verdant setting, reminiscent of it's original grandeur and one can finally appreciate fully the beauty of the home that Hamilton helped design and once called his "sweet project".
Don't get me wrong... I'm all for stretching the boundaries, and I actually enjoy watching 'Gossip Girl', but this ad campaign got me thinking...
Yes, we live in a time when text messaging and abbreviations are second nature to us, and as a catch phrase, this works pretty well for the show. However, I question the abbreviation itself.
I'm no fuddy-duddy, nor some religious fanatic. That's not my issue. I'm just wondering what in our society is becoming acceptable language in advertising. What if we weren't so familiar with abbreviations? The only reason we understand OMFG, is because we've used the phrase verbally in it's full phonetic glory. Would we have allowed this campaign to run had the words been spelled out? Some how... I think not. I think there might even be an uproar.
My case in point, the CW network also ran TV commercials with these letters flashing one by one, large as it can fit on your TV screen... but wait a minute... The commercial that ran at 8pm is not the same as the one that ran at 11.30pm?!?? The "F" was missing! ... So here we have a PG version - of an abbreviation, mind you - of the commercial for the younger followers of the show. Obviously, the network themselves thought it was questionable as well.
That said, the show itself isn't in any way full of sex scenes as it would so seem, jugging from this billboard. Abbreviations aside, the OMG version of the commercial at 8pm is more representative of the show, cutting from one drama to the next, while the OMFG version at 11.30pm is all just sex, from one single flash back scene in the whole series. "Hello?"
More things happen in one episode of 'Gossip Girl' then in an entire season of, Dynasty! The plot keeps moving and honestly, it's all fun fluff and not at all inappropriate for teens. Unless the network's intention is to step it up a notch for a later time-slot and an older audience for next season, this billboard and the late night commercial, is, quite frankly, misrepresentation. In fact, I don't even recall the "F" word ever being used verbally or even in a text message on the show.
The real catch phrase for this show is, for me, and should be, "XOXO", as Gossip Girl herself signs off on every episode. Now, I would have much preferred to see that in huge letters on a billboard, and be greeted by text-messaged hugs and kisses on my flat screen TV. Wouldn't you?
So, it's been 3 weeks since my post on the tree in my office backyard. Notable changes are apparent. Not all the leaves have "become". Much is still in a dormant stage. I don't remember if the color of the leaves were always this shade of green. As I said, I'm no botanist but I'm pretty sure it's the "young fresh leaf color" right now and they get deeper and darker as the months go by.
Ok! Whoo-hoo... Law and Order SVU are shooting at my building of residence. But to be totally honest, I don't know weather I should be excited, surprised, or depressed. Yes it is exciting to see the whole set up and drama that goes with a shoot, (it is Law And Order SVU after all.) And just the chance to see burly Christopher Meloni in the flesh and in action... What a treat! unfortunately, I'll be at work at the time unless they're doing a night scene... then maybe I'll just make some excuse to trip over a cable or something, just at the right moment.
But take into account my neighborhood... should I be surprised that a scout decided on our location for a scene? How depressing is it to realize, that some scout found your neighborhood "perfect for a crime scene". This is not the first time that Law And Order have found my neighborhood appealing.
Yes, the truth is, my neighborhood has had it's fair share of the "dark side". Even today, tricks are treated, and "exchanges" made. But not to the degree as it was in the past, thank heavens. It's a much safer neighborhood now and slowly but surely, it will hopefully continue to do so and maybe one day, we'll get to a place where a scout will find the location... not so "perfect".
That said... my heart goes out to the people whose neighborhoods have been "abused" for CSI.
Well, they shoot tomorrow and Friday, so if anything is worth recording, I will add to this post.
It's a pleasure to actually see a tree go from its leafless winter state to its full green glory in summer. There's a wonderful tree that grows right out on the backyard of the brownstone I call my office. Because I'm a floor up and have access to a balcony, I can not only see this miracle unfold every year, but touch it's young soft leaves as it goes through it life cycle.
I'm no botanist, and living in the tropics for most of my life, where plants and trees are always in full bloom, it's only natural to be fascinated and want to record this simple event we take all too for granted. This tree has obviously been here for many decades, possibly older than I am. So why not show it some respect.
These images were taken only 2 weeks apart. I must remember to shoot it again next week and the following times it begins looking fuller and become glorious.
Caught this shot the other day. First thought? Rather appropriate. But, wait a second! Does it actually mean something? should I be looking deeper into this picture? This was taken on 125th Street in Harlem. "Raising the dead" ... Lazarus is a retail store. Was it doing badly? Is it doing better now? Is it a sign for us to start spending money again? How about even deeper... There has been a lot of talk about the gentrification of Harlem? Is it a sign?
The thing about clouds... 2 seconds after this shot... it was gone. (now is that a sign too?)
So how cold has it been? Well, I took this photo today, but obviously it took some time to develop. This is right outside my office. Today was pretty brrr!
Having lived here in New York City for over 5 years, it's embarrassing to admit that I haven't made more effort to take some time out for a little theatre. Yes! I'm talking Broadway but also off Broadway, which is a different entity of it's own. Being here, it's natural to assume you'd get to doing certain things in due time, but honestly... When is that?
Lucky for me, I recently made a friend online who happens to be an actor and who was preparing for a new play, off Broadway, called "Deathbed". I'd been meaning to catch some theatre, and now I had the opportunity to not only do just that, but also show some support to a new friend.
Not to give anything away, and I'm no critic, so I won't even try to be here, I enjoyed it immensely! I have to say that I probably enjoyed it more because it was a smaller theater and so a more intimate experience, and my friend Brandon Miller was amazing in his role and I was thrilled for him that he got a special mention in the New York Times. New York Times Review
So it was a quite Sunday morning. I had to go to the Apple store in Soho to see a genius about a glitchy iPhone.
Being in the neighborhood, it only made sense to take a stroll by Heath Ledgers apartment.
Call it paying ones respects, a morbid sense of curiosity or simply still feeling a loss that needed closure. It's odd to feel this way, when you don't really know the person. But celebrity is it's own being in a way, and actors give so much of themselves for our entertainment, that I think when you respect a particular actor and follow his career, and have hopes for his success and look forward to his next performance... and than the unexpected happens... what can you do... but say goodbye... somehow.
I heard the news in one of the most undignified of ways. Via text message. I couldn't believe it until I went online to read the news myself. A tremendous loss of life, talent and being. I was honestly looking forward to seeing what this young man would become. He was more than just a promising actor, Heath was a natural. A pleasure to watch. My heart goes out to his family.
Baby, you can drive my car (1/20/08) [View | Hide]
This has got to be one of the biggest baby portraits that I've seen. In the heart of Harlem on 125th Street, this billboard for Hyundai spans almost a whole block and our babe is so huge, that we are tasty gummy bear size to her. Pedestrians, beware!
Although I designed this logo for "aerie" almost 2 years ago, the brand is still only a baby. This logo for the "American Eagle" brand, is for me, something worth tooting my horn about. It's really like leaving my mark. (pun intended) Point C Studios
Behind the scene, from my office chair (1/13/08) [View | Hide]
Definitely worth a post, I shot this clip from my office chair looking out the window on the day they filmed the opening fire scene in "I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry." Yes, it was actually 146th Street and St Nicholas Avenue. The 5th Avenue sign was a prop.
Important to note, is how much work goes into a scene like this. I remember passing by this building several times over a period of 2 months, and was curious to know what kind of work was being done. I originally thought that it was finally getting the refurbishing it so deserved. The building had always been bordered up and dilapidated. But the structure itself, like so many building in New York, had potential for so much more.
On closer inspection, however, the work that was being done, seemed a little too cosmetic. It was only when they started to install the blast shields onto the windows that I had an idea of what was really going on... It was time to question someone.
As it turned out, my hunch was right. I was only told that it was for a new Adam Sandler movie and that it involved firemen.
So there we are. The scene was quite a spectacle. Needless to say, when all was a wrap, and the cleanup party finished their job, our little old building was left with a few more scars, aging it just a little bit more. But hey, it had it's 15 minutes!
Here's Boo, being inquisitive. I shot this on my old camera phone some time ago, but trust me, Boo hasn't grown much since. I can still hold her in the palm of my hand. She must be over 3 years old now. (excuse the low quality)
Marky!
Just wanted to send you some love on dlist :)
thanks so much for coming to my show and hanging around afterwards, was really fun to see you ! ! !
<3
xo
B.G.
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