East 20s Project

Sorry for not updating so long, I was working on the East 20s project for E2Eats.com a foodie website noting on the restaurants on the east 20s of manhattan. Here are some of the photos from the project.

Blue Bell Cafe

Opened for only a few brief months, but the menu looked very appetizing. I'll probably visit again one of these days and try their sangrias.

Charming decor

Clashing yet stylish furniture

Rohm Thai

I haven't gone inside, but the exterior showed a lot of character and style.

Inside of Gregory's Coffee Shop.

 The staff is friendly and the smell of brewed coffee and baked goods is intoxicating.

Inside of tease

A little hole in the wall for a bubble tea place. I found the lighting interesting.

Jersey?

I know this is Views around NYC, but you can still see NYC from Jersey. 

It was dusk and the healthy glow of the spring sun was just too captivating, I wanted to stop for a better picture, but my cousins and I were in a hurry to get home.

You'd be surprised how hard it is to take pictures in a moving vehicle, with other cars coming from the other direction. Don't worry, I wasn't the driver, if you're worried about that.

We're off to see the wizard!

These were actually taken 3/20, when I went to MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) with my dear cousin. Unfortunately, the Tim Burton exhibit was sold out when we got there, so instead we ended up walking around the area. 

It was early in the afternoon where the sun shown beautifully against these buildings. However, you'd be surprised what's under this piece of work. 

Yep, it's a giant Hello Kitty with a wind-up key in the back. And who wouldn't want a picture with it? It's not Tim Burton, but it's a doable consolation prize. 

Venturing into the Great Whiteness

Yet another snow storm that covered New York City in it's beautiful fluffy whiteness. Many of the public schools and CUNY colleges were closed due to weather conditions and in some parts of the New York State had over 26 inches of snow. Fortunately, it wasn't the case in the Gravesend area in Brooklyn.

Even so, it was still quite troublesome to shovel the foot-high level of snow.

For a good part of the day, the black asphalt stayed hidden until the snowplows made their way through the neighborhoods.

Though, with plenty of muscle work, the residents managed to clear the sidewalks, even if the roads were still covered. 

Of course, within an hour or so, the sidewalks were yet again covered in another thin layer of snow. 

While the snow brought some inconvenience, it also brought some rare beauties. 

 

Trees and bushes that normally decorated the front yards in its lush green leaves were now encased in a white wonderland. 

Going where your feet takes you

 

Ever have those days where you don't feel like going home after work or school? Today was one of those days. I haven't taken many pictures because I was so lost in simply walking. This is the Mango store on Broadway. The windows are so lovely, I couldn't resist taking a picture of it.

From Broadway, I walked towards Grand Street, Little Italy. I was planning to stop by the Ferraras Bakery for some sweet pastries, when this building caught my eye. Interestingly enough, this is a police station... at least that's what the building was marked with. There are various old buildings  around NYC marked with old bank names and whatnots, but are actually something else all together. However, the old architecture of this building is very majestic and breathtaking.

Walk, walk, walk

Originally, I planned to go to Sheepshead Bay today, but a slight change of plans, I ended up walking all over the Bensonhurst area with my cousin, searching for costume items for her senior dress-up days.

 

We ended up not finding anything she needed, but we managed to catch sight of the seagulls by the water and the sunset by the Verrazano Bridge.

 

Wandering in the Past

I haven't taken any pictures today, but I found some pictures I took during late November of '09. It was for another assignment at the Marine Park Salt Marine Nature Center in Brooklyn.

A beautiful day... err... night

Blue skies and fluffy clouds, a perfect day for pictures. (Waiting for the train)

Yet... I didn't see the light of day again until 5 p.m when the sun was already setting. (Walking from Lexington Ave. to Park Ave. and through Madison Ave.)

But not to worry, rarely is it dark even during the night. (Walking up Fifth Ave and across E 40th street to Bryant Park)

Chinese New Year festivities

Valentine's Day and also Chinese New Year, the crowds were insane in Chinatown.

This isn't the main event, yet there were plenty of people crowding to see the lion dancers.

A lot of litter from the confetti shooters and crazy string.

Here the Lion Dancers went store to store collecting red envelopes. Looks like kids aren't the only ones out during the new year to collect them.

Whether you're a kid or an adult, it's great to have someone you can climb on top for a better look.

And the occasional interesting character showed up as well. This man was singing the national anthem during the lion dance when the drums and cymbals could be heard from blocks away.

Of course, plenty of children were running around the area with their parents and family.