Olde Style New York

(Click on any image to make larger)  The year was 1996, the Year of the Rat. On a brisk February morning, a good friend of mine headed down to Manhattan's Chinatown to take part in the lunar new year festivities. He was part of a martial arts school, and he and the other students were going to perform a traditional lion dance. I tagged along with my Rollei 35 S camera with two or three rolls of black and white film. Back then there were no barriers between the public and the performers. You and everyone else on the street got as close as you wanted to the dancers, and took part in the celebration. People threw strings of firecrackers at the feet of the lions for them to dance over. In return, the lions imparted good luck and prosperity the whole year long.   Putting it on... ... and ready to go! See you next year...

  (Click on any image to make larger)   Between 5th and 6th avenues on 45th street, the world is recreated in miniature. A world perhaps not exactly in the same time plane as ours. Clapboard houses from the late Fifties sit along railroad tracks in crowded glass cases. Along narrow corridors with colorful boxes stacked to the ceiling, the dust from the collapsed buildings of old Europe coat the panzers and Jeeps rumbling through devastated landscapes. For a few dollars part of this world is available to you to take home at The Red Caboose.     Allan Spitz has been guiding customers to the pleasures of train set building and model making since 1973, when he first came to 45th Street to work at one of the four model train stores on the very same block. At the time, it was all about the trains, but as time went on and Allan took over running The Red Caboose in 1994, the business went on to include the military model kits that my younger son is fascinated by. In the age ...

(Click on any image to make larger.)   I've always enjoyed the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and it's always been fun to take my sons there every couple of years to see the Egyptian temple, the classical Greek statues, and the paintings of the Dutch Masters. A few years back when my older son needed to go to the museum to complete a school project, I asked him which section he wanted to concentrate on; his school project was to sketch a work of art in the Met. I fully expected him to choose either the Temple of Dendur or the medieval suits of armor. To my surprise he chose The America Wing. It seemed like an odd choice to me (for reasons I don't really understand), wasn't that a bit boring when you had mummies on the other side of the building? But he insisted, and we went up to the third floor where he selected a sculpture of a cavalry chase. Since that day I've grown to like The American Wing more and more, and to appreciate its homegrown treasures.   Cherubs and da...

(Click on any image to make larger)     A few years ago I stepped out on my lunch break in Soho in search of a locksmith not too far from my office. Lucky for me, Greenwich Locksmiths happened to be just a few blocks up north on Seventh Avenue. As you'll see from the photos, Philip Mortillaro the owner of the shop is not just a locksmith but an accomplished artist who was able to turn his livelihood into an art form. I'll let the images speak for themselves and only add that Mr. Mortillaro is both extremely knowledgeable about what he does and one of the most gracious people you'll ever meet.         Philip Mortillaro inside his shop. Keys inside...     ... and outside.   Check out this website for more on this fascinating New Yorker.   https://www.greenwichlocksmiths.com/  

(Click photos to enlarge) On 23rd Street, Chelsea Guitars is hard to miss even though the entire store could fit inside some people's walk-in closets. When open, you're greeted by a ukulele playing Marilyn Monroe, who smiles at you rain or shine. Through the doors is one of New York's most unique and interesting shops. As the sign on the glass says, the store is all about guitars, both electric and acoustic, along with some mandolins, banjos, and ukuleles. I'd passed the storefront for many years as a neighborhood resident, but being musically challenged had never walked in until my son took a music class and needed to buy some picks. Dan Courtenay, the owner, was very welcoming and generous, spending time with us explaining the advantages of different kinds of pics. I can't imagine too many store owners spending that much time on a purchase that would amount to about a dollar at most. In New York I'm always surprised when people go the extra mi...