Collaboration with Tim #26 – Grand Central Station

Tim did this beautiful painting of the interior of Grand Central Station pre-me. Imagine that.

Of course I was so taken with it that I had to create a combo. I have taken many exterior shots of the building and its sculptures, so it was really just a matter of figuring out which was the best fit. I ended up choosing this one.

And when I combined them, here’s where we ended up.

You can follow me and Tim on Instagram at @pjlehrer and @timbaynes. And if you press the label at the bottom of the blog, all of our collaborations will pop up.
Enjoy!
PJ

(c) 2022 PJ Lehrer

Munich – Oktoberfest ‘98

I just read that after a two-year hiatus for Covid, Oktoberfest is back this year.

I am sure that will make lost of folks happy.

But are you surprised that Oktoberfest is actually in September? I know I was.

Before the Internet was up and running, I would reach out to local tourist bureaus’ when planning my trips abroad.

When the one in Germany sent me information about Oktoberfest I was baffled since I was planning a September visit.

But then I caught up with the history.

The first Oktoberfest was from October 12th – October 17th in 1810.

It was a celebration of the marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Theresa of Sachsen-Hildburghausen.

It was such a big hit that they decided to make it a yearly event.

And move it to September when the weather is better. You’ve got to love that.

Enjoy!
PJ
© 2022 PJ Lehrer

In America: An Anthology of Fashion

Normally I will go to the Met to check out new exhibits shortly after they open. That way if I like them, I can visit again before the exhibit closes.

But I hadn’t actually intended to go to the latest fashion exhibit at the Met. Then, a few days before it closed, I saw a photo of this display on Instagram.

So of course, I had to go over and check it out. :😉

When I arrived, there was a line of course. Then it turned out that most of the display was too poorly lit for photographing.

That’s a shame because it included a jacket worn by George Washington and one from Brooks Brothers that belonged to Abraham Lincoln.

But the display in the Versailles panorama was magnificent.

It’s the most bizarre room if you haven’t seen it. A 360 degree view of Versailles. Very primitive. No comparison to the lovely works in the upstairs galleries.

Apparently, John Vanderlyn, the painter, originally created and displayed the work at a rotunda on the north end of City Hall Park in 1818.

I’m not surprised to hear that it was not well received.

So he toured with it to make some money. I’m not exactly sure how he did that. Or how it then ended up at the Met. But I can say this is the best use of that space that I have seen.

Cheers!
PJ
© 2022 PJ Lehrer

Times Square 7

Recently an acquaintance mentioned that she and her husband were staying in Times Square.

After explaining that she wasn’t actually seeing real New Yorkers or New York, but rather tourists, I thought I’d go by to check things out.

Traffic is still lighter than normal.

It shouldn’t be a surprise.

Based on what I have read, tourists are back at about 85% of previous levels. But not business people.

Offices in the area have not reopened so the population of locals who would help fill the restaurants has not bounced back.

Neither have the restaurants.

I was dismayed to read that Guv. Hochul is going all in on building more office space south of Times Square around Penn Station.

I had rather hoped for a different approach.

I think they should turn the entire area from 34th to 54th into a tourist haven and build not only more hotels but also affordable rentals for people who work in Times Square. But, hey. That’s just me.

More blogs from Times Square…
https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2022/01/times-square-6.html
https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2019/09/times-square-5.html
http://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2012/01/happy-new-year.html
http://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2012/05/times-square.html
https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2017/12/times-square-3.html
https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2018/04/first-day-of-spring-2018-in-times-square.html

Cheers!
PJ

© 2022 PJ Lehrer