Washington DC/New York–June 09, 2016

I did a lot of walking today. I got off the subway at Delancey and Essex to have some bialys at Kossar’s (they were good, but not an experience I would voluntarily repeat). I then walked across Lower Manhattan through Chinatown and Little Italy to Varick Street, and from there up to 12th Street. Here are some pictures:

Keystones on arched windows with years 1873 and 1906 square-ish cartoons of people on construction fence Traffic barrier with eyebrows nose and mouth spraypainted onto it Sunflower and bee with blue background painted on wall red terra cotta relief work Ship on waves shaped like lace doilies Wall art: Abstract multicolored woman Grenades, alien, and light bulb with faces Graffiti of subway cars and people Sculpture of broken sphere; white outside and blue inside

I passed an old building that was (or might still be) used by the NY police department:

badly pitted reliefwork Badly deteriorated stonework: Police Department The City of New York MCMV

Nearby was this oddly named studio with odd art in its windows:

Acne Studios; wig hanging from fluorescent light in shape of an upside-down U. Socks hanging from fluorescent tube in shape of upside-down U

I also passed a cat café, but decided to wait until I got home to my cat Marco to have my cat fix.

Silhouette of two cats on either side of a teapot

Stickers

Along the way some stickers on utility boxes and light poles started to attract my attention. Sometimes the theme for the day just chooses itself, and that is what happened here.

Man covering mouth: “Come here and stay with me - I hold with those who favor fire” Poster: VOTE with a batman cowl beneath it Sticker of man in style of Picasso Spray paint can labeld “Alex25”; skull to upper right I [upside-down heart with thorns] NY Triangular sticker with @triangulism at bottom Sticker on curb: You’re doing great Creepy looking rabbit holding a $ symbol Orange ape face Andre the Giant has a Posse; 7'4", 520 lb Image of fork; handle forms letter L in “fork urself” Sticker: will EWE marry me! Image of man with afro Black face, red lips, gold crown; titled “The Dark King”
Crinkled “Bernie for President” sticker
Alas, this sticker all too well represents the status of the Sanders campagin.
Poster: Worship Fear Want Speech For Freedoms (exhibit at Jack Shainman Gallery) Sticker with Adam West as the Batman: “Vote for DANP & ESF, B.C.S. 2016” Cartoon cat (Griim the Street Kat) with pot on head as hat; word balloon contains indecipherable writing Sticker of face with shocked/anguished expression

There is a street artist who goes by the name of Abe Lincoln Jr., and it would seem people have quite a reaction to him.

Abe Lincoln Jr. is the David Faustino of Street Art Abe Lincoln Jr. is the Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake of Street Art

Just before I got to the High Line park, I saw this art installation. It wasn’t open for business, so I had to take pictures through the windows.

Purple cow, obese Tony the Tiger, and blue hulk-like figure Poster of Donald Trump on pile of money; “Trumpty Dumpty - Power to the Privileged” Child in shriner's fez, holding cigarette; “Popaganda- The Emperor Has Your Clothes”

High Line

The High Line is a linear park that runs from 14th Street to 34th Street. Here are some pictures along the path.

Sign at Highline entrance describing park. view across river from Highline; boat on river Tracks of old elevated railway Twisty steel sculpture on highline artwork of wheel and picture of melted ice cream cone back view of wheel sculpture
bell attached to wall
The description of this bell said it was placed there for people to ring, so I rang it.
Girders and insulation of roof area of highline
Lifelike sculpture of sleepwalking man in underwear
I thought this was a real person; it’s really a painted bronze of a sleepwalking person.
Elevated walkway between buildings as seen from Highline Purple sunflower-like flower Pink bottle-brush-like plant Flower that looks like a buds radiating in a sphere
Large sign: Beyond this point you may encounter nude sunbathers
It’s just a sign as part of an art project; no nude people were present.
Modern building with sections shaped like truncated pyramids Triangular plant with yellow buds Purple flowers Building with balconies that curve around the outside of the building Plant with green and purple buds in pinecone pattern Wall painting of basketball players Sculpture: Multicolored abstract shapes
Modern building with triangular lattice skylight Boarded-up windows in modern building
From a distance, this looks like a nice building, but the boarded-up windows give one pause.
Painting on corrugated steel of dancing woman Sign for Death Ave. Restaurant Bar Garden Brewery (Historic Name 1846-1941) Panoramic view across river from Highline River view from Highline; tour boat on river
Rail yard at end of Highline
This rail yard is at the end of the High Line

Faded Paint on Brick Buildings

Here are a few more.

Faded paint on brick; last part “...WORKS” legible Faded paint on brickwork possibly reading “Bohnham's” Faded painting on brickwork possibly reading WARERO INC U. S. BOND Faded paint, possibly reading “The Bakery”

I Know What You’re Thinking

Here he is in New York and all he’s taking pictures of is a bunch of damned plants and stickers and faded paint? Where is New York in all of this?

Frankly, the typical tourist places have been photographed ad infinitum, and really, do you need another picture of the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, or Grand Central Station? Well, OK, maybe you do.

Long view of Chrysler Building Building near Grand Central Station Long view of Empire State Building Entrance of Grand Central Station Sculpture of winged wheel in niche of Grand Central Sculpture of tree branch in niche at Grand Central

Signage

Arabic and English wall painting: “This book belongs to its owner Fathallah Saad. He bought it with his own money at the beginning of March 1892.” If you don't know what halocarbons or isotopes are, please leave the future of our planet in the hands of those who do. We are not scientists, but we totally get space [Manhattan mini storage] Advert showing white shoes: “There are 600,000 dogs in NYC:...watch your step” (Kenneth Cole) Advert on side of truck: Cannabis means business.com Expo June 15-17

<rant>This one infuriates me. It looks like it is graffitti, but it’s really printed onto the ad. Leave it to corporations to Disney-fy street art.</rant>

Coach advert poster with images of Mickey Mouse “graffitti'ed” on them

And Finally...

Me in front of Trump Tower wearing a cap that reads “Make America Gay Again.”

Me standing in front of Trump Tower wearing cap: “Make America Gay Again”