nyc

Oysters and wild kids in NY Bay

I see a lot of old NYC oyster photos online, they pop up every once in a while. This image from 1900 is an oyster seller on the streets of New York.

Back in the day, NYC was called “The Big Oyster,” rather than “The Big Apple.” It was known for the oyster beds all over the bay and rivers.

Over the years, the rivers have been become, lets call it dirtier, but back then, the water was crystal clear. Oysters filter water, and that is a new project happening now.

The last commercial oyster bed in NYC closed in 1927.

In 2014, the non-profit Billion Oyster Project started. The goal is to restore 1 billion oysters to NY Bay by 2035. People in all five boroughs of NYC are volunteers working on the project.

1905 – oysters being sold on at the oyster barge.

Funny story – a friend and I went to Governors Island one day and as we left, a bunch of school kids barged (speaking of barges) out of the school, which is on the docks. The only way off the island is by ferry, so all those kids, about 200 of them ran onto the barge. The school on the island is the New York Harbor School.

From their website: “Our students learn to build and operate boats; spawn and harvest millions of oysters; design submersible, remotely operated vehicles; conduct real-life research; and dive underwater.”

I think my friend and I were the only two who weren’t related to the school, heading back across the bay to the city with the 200 kids.

Well, the kids were like little animals – fighting, pushing each other – throwing each other around. It was crazy. So loud and noisy. This was their “school bus” and it was just like a school bus on the water.

The kids were polite to us, allowing us on and off the ferry first. New Yorkers have a way about them, they are culturized and polite but they were being kids and going crazy on the ferry with each other. We were just watching and enjoying it all.

Recently I saw a tv show about the bay and the oyster project and those kids at the school were mentioned. Oddly enough, those wild kids are scientists in training and they are an integral part of the Billion Oyster Project! Those little monsters were growing oysters and cleaning up the bay!

Guess you can’t judge a book by its cover.

You can get more info on the Billion Oyster Project here, where you can learn more, volunteer and donate to the cause.

I wrote a post about Governors Island in 2017, you can read about the island itself, on what is going on there.

Till next time . . .

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A world of pigeons

I laughed out loud when I saw this cartoon “Too Much Coffee Man” by Shannon Wheeler.

It reminded me why you should never throw a piece of bread down when in NYC or you’ll end up like this or worse.

I was in the Flatiron District and I got a sandwich at Panera Bread which is on 23 Street, right down the block from the Flatiron Building. I brought the sandwich back to the building and sat right outside the building where there are tables and chairs on the east side.

A pigeon came by, and sniffed around the ground. I threw a piece of bread down for him, and all of a sudden, it seemed like a flock of 100 pigeons surrounded me. It was a reminder of why you shouldn’t do that.

In Boston, I’ve had little birds, like sparrows, or something like that, come right onto my table and eat from my plate. Luckily the pigeons don’t do that in NYC. They call pigeons “flying rats” in NYC. I don’t feel that, but I don’t want a flock of them surrounding me. It’s sort of scary, like that old Alfred Hitchcock movie “The Birds.”

A screen shot from my video of the MET Lady with her pigeons

In NYC, I’ve seen people feeding pigeons in the parks and they are surrounded by them with some on their shoulders. There is a lady who does this in front of the MET Museum. I filmed her one time and she got mad and chased me away because she said I was scaring the pigeons.

I took a screen shot from my video. You can see the lady cutting up the food and making a thing of it, using an ironing board as a counter to work on.

Can you chase pigeons away from free food?

Till next time . . .

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Faces of history: 1908 Union Square

I love seeing old photos online. This one is from February 2, 1908, a Suffragette meeting in Union Square in NYC. I’m thinking the background building are on Union Square East/Park Avenue. Sort of where the old Tammany Hall building is today. I don’t see the Suffragettes, they must be behind the camera, on a stage or something.

Here is a current image of what I believe the background is in the 1908 photo. That building with the dome over it is the final Tammany Hall building at 44 Union Square East (also 100 East 17th Street). That Tammany Hall building was built in 1929, the previous location was on 14th Street, near 3rd Avenue from 1868 to 1929. And the first, in the early 1800s was at Nassau and Frankfort Streets.

I love looking at the faces, realizing they were all born in the 1800s and thinking they were living in the most modern of times. They didn’t have tv or radio, but they had something new called “moving pictures,” silent of course, and they had electric lights and telephones. And possibly automobiles.

What I find interesting in the photo is the guy in the center, looking straight at the camera. He looks a bit scary, like he’s guilty of something – maybe murder, maybe running away from something, maybe pick pocketing – very guilty of something. Like is that Jack the Ripper? He did end up in NYC, didn’t he?

It looks like every guy is wearing a hat, which today, might be a baseball cap. And I was going to ask where the ladies are at a Suffragette meeting, but I see one a the left and one not to far behind her, by the pole.

Speaking of Suffragettes, there’s a funny show I see on PBS called “Up The Women,” from 2013, about British suffragettes in 1910, it’s a sitcom, very funny. Unfortunately, like so many British tv shows, there are a small limited number of episodes – only nine.

Till next time . . .

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Missing NYC traditions this year

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I was supposed to be in NYC now, for Thanksgiving, but I canceled due to family issues.

I will miss being with my cousins for Thanksgiving and seeing and participating in all the holiday things the city has to offer – all decked out for Christmas already, the ice skating, the bazaars around the city, the parks, the big Christmas tree in the center of the MET museum, etc.

We usually go to Southampton for the Christmas parade, a couple of days after Thanksgiving. Last year we did the Montauk lighthouse instead, which I liked, but I prefer the Southampton thing. Above is the Christmas tree lighting at the Southampton parade and at the Montauk Lighthouse being lit last year.

I’ll be home with my family in Miami for Thanksgiving and of course Christmas.

My mother used to always say, “You are the only person who goes away for the holidays, everyone comes home for the holidays.”

I would say, “It’s only Thanksgiving, Mom. I’m here for everything else – Christmas, New Years, Easter, birthdays, etc.”

I am in NY for July 4th, though. July 4th, Independence Day was my mother’s favorite holiday. One year for her birthday, I bought her all sorts of 4th of July things – decorations and red, white and blue stuff. She loved it. She used them all for years, the stuff always came out every July.

My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. It used to be Christmas and then Halloween, now it’s Thanksgiving.

Hopefully I’ll be back in NYC next year, which will be the 100th birthday of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. I’d like to be back for that and all of the rest of the NYC things – and my cousins, of course.

The one good thing is that I don’t have to travel, which has not been fun these days or this past year. So that’s the good part.

Till next time . . .

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Urban cops

A funny thing happened the day before I left NY.

Since a Nor’easter was affecting things up north, I sat down on a bench to check my airline schedule, to be sure it was on time the next morning. This past summer I had my flight home canceled and then rescheduled and rerouted thorough Boston, due to bad weather, so I wanted to check this time.

All looked good. The app said all was on schedule.

I was sitting on a bench across from Lincoln Center looking at my phone when two NYC cops came up to me. They asked how long I was sitting there. “Oh, no, I thought, what was this about?”

I had just read an ad in the subway, which was in Spanish, which said something like, “Have your real ID on you, they are on the streets! Truth!” So I thought this was that.

I told the cops I was only there a short time, and I asked why they were asking. One said, “Well, we were told a guy was chasing another guy with a firearm and they ran right by here. And we wanted to know if you saw anything.”

“What?” I said? “If I saw a guy holding a gun up to another guy running by, I wouldn’t be sitting here so calmly,” and I held my hand out as if I was holding a gun.

The cops laughed and ran off, looking for the guys.

Oddly enough, a few days before, these two cops came up to me in Hoboken (I blurred their faces here).

Again, I was sitting on a bench, this time to tie my shoelace. I seem to do a lot of bench sitting it seems. Anyway, I was sitting right in front of City Hall, and they came across the street looking at me. It could be because I took this picture of them, but they came up to me and said, “Hello. how are you doing?” I said, “Ok, thanks.” And they were on their way.

A few minutes before I had taken some pictures of some bigwigs in suits in front of City Hall, although I don’t think the cops saw that. I took the picture because I thought it was funny. Hoboken is literally one square mile in size and they have their own city council, mayor, police department, etc.

It’s sort of a real life Mayberry, when you think about it. I always say if I was to move to New York, I would actually move to Hoboken, one train stop from NYC. It’s like being in Brooklyn, but on the other side of Manhattan, so it’s a quick ride in and out.

It’s autonomous, it rules and controls itself, as any city would. It isn’t part of a larger government, like Brooklyn is (which is part of NYC). So little Hoboken calls its own shots. There are really no tourists there, because who, except for me, goes to Hoboken? It’s easy access to and from the city (Manhattan), it’s right next to the larger Jersey City, which is its own city, too.

I’ve seen people pop over to Macy’s at Herald Square in Manhattan, it’s only a few train stops away. Very convenient, yet it’s a quiet little “village” right on the Hudson River, doing its own thing.

Till next time . . .

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Fall in NYC: Warm October Days

I’m back in New York. Perfect month – October. But it’s a bit hot – close to 80 degrees, and it may pass 80 over the weekend! Glad I didn’t pack heavy.

Did my usual and as you can see above, I had my first Mister Softee of the Fall. I actually ate my way through the city today.

I’m already noticing the polite way the city runs. People are holding doors for each other, smiling and saying hello in elevators, things like that. Unlike a lot of what I see at home in Miami.

Even at LaGuardia airport cars stopped so I could cross the street to get to my Uber.

But I did have one altercation, and maybe I was the rude one, but I don’t think so. It was with a Ramona Singer type at a deli, I’ll talk about that in another post, we had our own little reality show going on in front of everyone in the store! Stay tuned for a future post! Subscribe here so you don’t miss it.

I’ll be going to New York Comic Con on Thursday, so I’ll report back on that. I’ll also be going pumpkin picking with my cousins, I think that’s next weekend, when the weather will be cooler and perfect for pumpkins and apples.

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The best of summer

The Lake House was the best part of the whole trip. A dream realized.

I haven’t been writing here because it’s been a slow second half of the summer. I’m grateful for that.

Was all over New York State from late June into July – flew into Albany, then ended up at a wedding in Hudson, NY; was at a lake house across the Hudson River in Athens (on Tommy Trail!), which my brother obtained through Airbnb, then we all drove down to NYC and spent time in The Hamptons, too. Sort of a letter “L” shape for the early summer.

I felt sick at the wedding, not sure why, I think it was the heat – it was brutal from upstate all the way to the Hamptons – hot and humid.

One of my cousins feels that I was making it up because I didn’t want to be there – at the wedding – which makes no sense. I took two planes to get there, took an hour Uber ride to the house from the Albany airport, sent in two RSVPs (paper and online), made a special trip to get a gift card at Macy’s before I left home, had to lose a couple of pounds to fit into my suit pants, which was a joke with my friends and me for a month or so until I actually fit into the pants.

I bought a train ticket down to the city – arranged to be in the lake house with my family, originally I was going to get a hotel room and at the wedding, I did not touch any food or drink, until the end of the night when I had some ice cream, because who can pass u a big set-up of desserts anchored by a bar of ice cream sundaes?

I never ended up taking the train down the city, because I drove down with another couple of cousins, so that worked out well.

The wedding ceremony upstate in Hudson, was on the Hudson River and then across the street at the Basilica, an old factory that is an event venue now. I do regret not spending time on the river – I didn’t notice, but I am sure some of the guests grabbed a drink and took it across to the river and spent time there, where it looked like they had docks and boats – right there on the Hudson. Something I love.

I thought the Basilica was an old train station/depot, but I read that it was a factory in the late 1800s. Either way, a very impressive structure.

Just that should prove I was sick, for me to miss the Hudson River, which is right out my window, is a non-starter. That’s one of my favorite places.

Seeing Madame X, almost seeing Manhattanhenge (it was a bit cloudy), Mister Softee, MOMA, Brooklyn adventures and so much more. We did a lot.

Now I’m home, where it’s quiet – easing into autumn, which is my favorite season – where we will visit the Hudson Valley again, for pumpkin and apple picking! And ComicCon, can’t forget NY ComicCon!

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Striking a pose at MOMA

Taking pictures in front of Starry Night.

I’ve been in NYC awhile now, but I haven’t done my usual museum visits because the weather has been nice. It’s been brutally hot, but it hasn’t rained, and I’ve been saving museum visits for rainy days.

The news keeps saying there will be rain daily, but so far, so good. Nothing.

The New York City news shows the weather report what seems like every five minutes. Seriously. Every news report – early morning, mid-day, 6 pm and 11 pm. It’s all about the weather. Which is always wrong.

I did finally manage to stop by MOMA to visit my old friend, Starry Night. I noticed that people take a lot of photos in front of works of art, you know, with the person in the photo. They pose in front of the paintings; not usually sculptures, but in front of famous paintings.

I did notice a blind couple touching the sculptures, which I guess was allowed, but I found it strange that they were in most of the painted art galleries. Not sure how that worked.

I often find myself looking out the windows at the highrises, I don’t know why, but I do it. I did a cartoon about this a few years back, you can see it here.

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How my t-shirt created a buzz

Me, my shirt, and a melted Mister Softee.

I’ve worn a couple of my business t-shirt around NYC this summer. The business ones didn’t draw much attention, but my 10 With Tom shirt has.

I wore it the other day and went to get breakfast at this small coffee ship I’ve been going to. The place was very crowded. I went up to the counter and ordered and the lady asked my name for the order. I said, “Tom,” but she did hear me.

She asked, “What was it?” I pointed to my 10 With Tom shirt and said, “Tom.”

She smiled and asked about what it was. I explained that I interviewed people and other things and she asked to take a picture of it, I guess so she could remember to check it out later.

When I turned back around the whole place was looking at me – people had been standing around waiting for their orders.

Another lady asked about it and people were interested.

As the day went on, I noticed people looking at it and I noticed readers, likes, and subscriptions went up, so the shirt did what it was supposed to do.

I was all over the city and on and off the subway all day. So I got a lot of advertising in as I went about my daily business.

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The city, the Hamptons and the white feather

From the lake house last weekend, to NYC this weekend, also with The Hamptons, thrown in.

I didn’t see the NYC fireworks in person this year because they moved the location again. I found the perfect, easy-to-get-to spot on the east side a couple of years ago and the city moved the fireworks to the west side.

This year, they moved them back to the east side, just barely, having them south of the Brooklyn Bridge. I would have gone, but we were at Coney Island earlier in the day and I didn’t feel like trekking all the way back to Brooklyn and to go down to the City Hall area is a mess, with all the people trying to navigate the subway, I’ve done that before.

So it was Bryant Park, behind the NY Public Library for a nice concert in the park. The Empire State Building with lit up red, white and blue, and the moon shone right next to it. The weather was perfect, too.

The next day, the family all went to my cousins’ house in The Hamptons, which is always great. Some of us stay overnight, others go and come back to the city the same day.

There was lots of food, which didn’t stop coming out to the backyard picnic table. Non-stop food.

I did finally see my first white feather. I was walking down Lexington Avenue, early Sunday morning, and there it was, right on the sidewalk in front of me.

White feathers are supposed to signify a message from the spirit world – a loved one, trying to send you a message. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I have been hoping to see one for a long time, as I always see doves around my house.

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