very simple

London pics are still to be done, but there are just so many of them that it will be a while before I get through that much editing.

But today, I took a trip down to the 9/11 Memorial. I got my ticket a few months ago and had almost forgotten about it, but I didn’t want to let it go to waste (even though it was free, there is a lengthy wait since they’re limiting entrances). It was a little jarring to be in the middle of what is, essentially, a giant construction zone, but the memorial itself is just…beautiful and moving. And my ticket was for 4 pm, so i got to see the lights go on at dusk.

Some pictures…

Today, my brother was very excited to take me to borough market, which is essentially the green market on the south side of the Thames. Of course, remembrance Sunday put a damper in those plans, as pretty much everything was closed. Including the train to take me to borough station, forcing me (the horror) to walk from Bank station, where I accidentally emerged at street level in the middle of some sort of procession/parade across London bridge. Which was, in actuality, quite lovely.

So then, in search of something to see and/or eat, we ended up walking all the way down Thames walk to black friar bridge, back across, and taking a tour of LSE, before having a classic pub lunch.

Again, more pictures will follow once I arrive home, but today’s photo of the day is the view of the millennium bridge and st. Paul’s. And I didn’t even edit this. It’s really this beautiful out here.

(Side note first – you may be wondering why I’m not using the lightbox gallery for these – I’ve decided to only use the lightbox going forward when there are 10 or more pictures, so it’ll return eventually!)

A visit to union square and its immediate environs.

First, two buildings with great typography – the TWUA Building and the Amalgamated Lithographers of America Building:

Then, of course, Gandhi’s statue in Union Square:

A few scenes from the greenmarket, including art sellers, really great looking yarn and lots of green apples:

and finally, musicians on a break:

The original Magnolia Bakery, popularized by Sex and the City. I’ve always found it amazing that people waste their time on line for these cupcakes, but especially now that there are Magnolias all over the city.

I was listening to an interview podcast yesterday with some urban photographers who were discussing the fact that these hanging signs are no longer legal, and recounted the story of a harlem businessman who racked up $50,000 in fines before ultimately losing his case. I guess garages and bars in the west village are more special? In any event, I always love these signs.

Garage:

Bar Fedora:

Bigelow Pharmacy:

And finally, one of my first favorite places in the city. My first apartment in New York was a 150 square foot sublet at the corner of 9th street and 5th avenue (in the old 5th Avenue Hotel). I lived there for two months one summer, and regularly fantasized about living around the corner in Washington Mews. At this point though, NYU has completely absorbed it. But it’s still overwhelmingly pretty. Here’s the entrance.

Most of the time I walk around my neighborhood, I’m looking at my feet or in front of me, to make sure I don’t step on something unpleasant or walk into someone, but sometimes it’s nice to look up, because we’ve got some beautiful buildings. I particularly love this row of rooftops.