Port of San Diego

On our recent trip to San Diego we decided to stay on the Embarcadero and check out the boat action.

There were lots to be seen.

Multiple cruise ships – some with ears - pulled in while we were asleep and greeted us in the morning.

The Love Boat – which appeared to be the largest and newest one had a huge movie screen on the top deck. The sound was so loud that one day when I was sitting in front of the hotel I heard: “I feel pretty. Oh, so pretty…”

There were lots of options for Navy fans as well. The Maritime Museum had some beautiful old ships.

While the USS Midway was perfect for fans of planes too.

And of course, there were also some locals in sailboats to enjoy.

A few beautifully placed sculptures didn’t hurt either – a super-sized kiss from Seward Johnson

and an equally large baseball player from Niki de Saint Phalle.

It’s clearly a great place to be at sea.

Here are some sunset shots from our last visit to San Diego…
https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2020/03/mission-bay.html

Cheers!
PJ

© 2022 PJ Lehrer

Chinatown 5

The NY Times recently published an article about the fact that the bilingual street signs in Chinatown were disappearing.

I had noticed that Chinatown was disappearing, the signs not so much.

But apparently there are only 101 signs left.

Perhaps one of the reasons the city has decided to let them go is the language issue.

The signs are written in Cantonese, which made sense when they were first introduced in 1969, because most of the immigrants at that time came from Canton (now Guangzhou).

But new arrivals from China are coming from a variety of regions, as witnessed by the different cuisines now available in NYC – Mandarin, Szechuan, Hunan, etc. So the signs are no longer as helpful as they once were.

Regardless, they will be missed.

The NY Times was thoughtful enough to send a few erstwhile employees out to track down the locations of existing and missing signs and provide a map! It took them 12 hours over two days.

Of course I took the bait and set out with my map to see what I could find. As I hoped it drew me out of the central area that I visit frequently into areas I have never been before.

I still have more to go, so I am holding onto the map for now.

But if you are interested in joining the treasure hunt here’s a link… https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/12/insider/bilingual-signs-chinatown.html?searchResultPosition=1

Previous Chinatown blogs…
https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2021/03/chinatown-3.html

Enjoy!
PJ

© 2022 PJ Lehrer

“HERE” by Santi Flores P2

Hands down my favorite outdoor art display in Manhattan this year is Santi Flores’s “HERE” exhibit in the garment district.

So I decided to post a second set of photos before the exhibit wraps on October 23rd.

Do make an effort to see it.

You can find it in the Garment District – 14 sculptures between 38th and 41st Streets.

The fact that it is so compact definitely makes it easier to see them all.

And there are plenty of seats in the neighborhood in case you want to enjoy them while you lunch.

The exhibit symbolizes unity, diversity and individualism.

Very NYC.

And, Santi’s theme - “We are moving forward together” seems particularly appropriate as the pre-Covid crowds have come back to Manhattan.

He also seems to be selling mini-versions. How cool is that?
https://www.santiflores.net/here/

Here’s a previous blog…
https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2022/07/here-by-santi-flores.html

Cheers!
PJ
© 2022 PJ Lehrer

For the Birds

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden has gone to the birds. Literally.
I’m not surprised, as I too developed a fondness for birdwatching during the phased re-openings after Covid lockdown.

Of course, I do my birdwatching at Central Park. But I could tell that BBG is just as good a spot to observe their comings and goings.

To encourage the hobby the garden commissioned a bunch of birdhouses from various artists.

When the exhibit ends on October 23rd, they will go to the highest bidders.

And to make it easier for visitors to locate the birdhouses they are handing out free maps. That’s right. Actual maps.

They do of course have an app as well. But I suspect they were thinking that many visitors would be Boomers who prefer hard copy to digital.

They were certainly right about me.

And trying to find all the houses using the map was like going on a treasure hunt. Lots of fun. Even though I couldn’t find them all.

They are also offering free birding walks on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am – 12 pm. It could be worth checking out if you live close by.

But even if you don’t, I would recommend scheduling a visit before the exhibit ends. It is worth the trip.

Some spring blogs from Brooklyn Botanic Garden…
https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2022/04/brooklyn-botanic-garden-earth-day-2022.html

Cheers!
PJ

© 2022 PJ Lehrer