Canstruction

Every year in November, a few teams of artists create very elaborate sculptures

 out of tin cans

for a combination contest/food drive called Canstruction. 

The sculptures are displayed in the Winter Garden downtown, 

and people are encouraged to visit the exhibit and bring some cans of their own. 

When the display wraps up the cans are donated to City Harvest

and distributed to the needy. 

Last year the effort helped to feed 90,000 hungry New Yorkers. 

Hopefully this year, with the addition of my contributions,

we did even better.

Ciao

PJ

(c) 2013 PJ Lehrer

Thanksgiving Day Parade

One of the great New York City holiday traditions is the yearly Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.  

While it features traditional parade elements like floats and bands,

 it’s really all about the balloons

– which I believe are unique to this particular parade. 

Unfortunately, some years it’s too windy to carry them safely down the route. 

Luckily this year, all went well, although it was really cold. 

While watching from ground level is fine,

for a couple of years we had the best seats in the house -

 at my aunt’s apartment in the Dakota. 

And my uncle made a pretty mean turkey too.

Enjoy!

PJ

© 2013 PJ Lehrer

NYC Icons

New York City is an architecture lover’s dream. 

People come from all over the world to see places like the art deco Chrysler Building. 

 Mostly because they have seen them in movies I think. 

But it must be pretty amazing to see the Empire State Building for the first time.  

And visiting the Guggenheim is so much fun that I even enjoyed it as a child. 

Touring the UN is another interesting experience. 

While the Citicorp Building has become a recognizable part of the midtown skyline.

The Flatiron building is another crowd pleaser.

Some places go by other names now. 

Others will only be remembered in our hearts.

Ciao

PJ

© 2013 PJ Lehrer

South Street Seaport: Part 2

There’s more news about the South Street Seaport,

but sadly, none of it is good. 

In preparation for the upcoming renovations, arrangements were made to move The Peking

– which only has limited ties to NYC, to a naval museum in Hamburg, where it was made in 1911. 

Unfortunately the deal fell through and the ship’s future is uncertain. 

Now, the same can be said of the entire seaport area which suffered from debilitating flooding during Superstorm Sandy. 

According to reports, the destruction at the seaport is so severe that Pier 17 may be permanently damaged. 

While the developers insist the project will proceed,

there is a fear that by the time it is complete in two years, drawing people back to the area will be a major challenge. 

Of course, my first thought was – well at least I got some nice photos while there was still time.

And here's the link for the first set in case you missed them.

http://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2012/08/south-street-seaport.html



Ciao

PJ

© 2012 PJ Lehrer

Water Lilies & Lotus Flowers

In the dog days of August when it’s so hot and humid in New York that both people and flowers melt,

the water lilies and lotus flowers come into their own. 

These exotic little beauties add a touch of mystery to any pond.

 

 

In Central Park, the display in the Conservatory Gardens on 105^th street is especially lovely

and features a delightful statue with a bird bath that is a local favorite. 

 

There are also some pretty lilies in Bethesda Fountain. 

 

For lotus flowers, you have to head out to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. 

 

 

The main pond and fountain feature a wide variety of species

 

and goldfish for companions

 

so they delight adults and children alike.

Ciao

PJ

© 2012 PJ Lehrer