Hello,
I know this is silly, but it was kind of exciting yesterday to see not one, not two, but three celebrities and semi-celebrities in one day. The first was Christine Baranski - some of you may know her from Mamma Mia or from the old "Cybill" sitcom in which she played Cybill Shepherd's best friend. Christine and her husband were in line behind me at the movies - I was at the Paris Theater, the one right next to the Plaza Hotel, to see The Reader (really great, BTW). I chatted a bit with Christine and hubbie, who is also an actor, Matthew Cowles (soap-opera star).
Then as I was making my way downtown after the movie - a gorgeous sunny day, albeit a bit chilly - I was walking by Bryant Park when I realized it was Fashion Week. So I stopped near the entrance to one of the tents, where there was a flock of paparazzi. I joined the little crowd there just in time to see Julia Stiles come out of the tent and then, a few minutes later, Diana Ross, looking kinda fake and fabulous, but with incredible bearing. She didn't bat an eye or turn to pose as the paps yelled at her - the woman knows what becomes a legend most, as they used to say in the Blackglama ads.
Today, it was back to normal life, with a trip to Ikea to find some shelving. No paparazzi there, but the great thing is, all I have to do to get there is walk three blocks from my house and take a free shuttle. They also have a free ferry for people coming from Manhattan.
Make a comment, send an email, give a call - let me know what you're up to.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Dumbo and the two bridges
This is going to be a photo blog, and since bridges are dominant the view in my neighborhood, I'll show you what they look like from my office. I took this from a window in my office bu
ilding.
Looking south you can see the Brooklyn Bridge very clearly every day. On this particular day it was snowing in that way in which the snow seems to be coming from every direction at once - even from the ground up. I thought it was a kind of Monet-like scene.
There something magical and solid at the same time about the B Bridge. It seems amazing that it's a real bridge, with traffic and people walking on it - very lovely but also utilitarian.
From the other side of my office building, looking north, you can see the Manhattan Bridge, after which Dumbo (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) is named.
Rumor has it that the artists who initially moved into Dumbo, when it was cheap and dangerous, gave it that name because they thought it would discourage others from moving in. Didn't work. Now it's chic and expensive, despite the fact the trains rumble overhead on the Manhattan Bridge making mega-decibel noise.
Here's the Manhattan Bridge, in the same snow
storm. Painted blue, with little curlicues and fancy finials at the top, it's frillier looking than the B Bridge - but it's a tough old broad as well, enduring year after year of train and car traffic.
More later - gotta go to bed.
ilding.Looking south you can see the Brooklyn Bridge very clearly every day. On this particular day it was snowing in that way in which the snow seems to be coming from every direction at once - even from the ground up. I thought it was a kind of Monet-like scene.
There something magical and solid at the same time about the B Bridge. It seems amazing that it's a real bridge, with traffic and people walking on it - very lovely but also utilitarian.
From the other side of my office building, looking north, you can see the Manhattan Bridge, after which Dumbo (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) is named.
Rumor has it that the artists who initially moved into Dumbo, when it was cheap and dangerous, gave it that name because they thought it would discourage others from moving in. Didn't work. Now it's chic and expensive, despite the fact the trains rumble overhead on the Manhattan Bridge making mega-decibel noise.
Here's the Manhattan Bridge, in the same snow
storm. Painted blue, with little curlicues and fancy finials at the top, it's frillier looking than the B Bridge - but it's a tough old broad as well, enduring year after year of train and car traffic.More later - gotta go to bed.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Glorious day in Brooklyn
The weather here was lovely - too bad I spent most of the day inside.
A couple of you asked me if I felt safe here, and I want to assure you that I do. Brooklyn Heights, where I live, is a nice nabe where there are always lots of people on streets. Maybe I'm suffering from newcomer's naivete, but I think NY in general is pretty safe. Mind you, there are certain places I wouldn't go alone late at night, but that was true in Seattle too.
Another question, asked by Lani: What is Dumbo? It stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, and it's and area that's actually between the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges. I'll post some pictures of both soon and let you know where you can see them.
A couple of you asked me if I felt safe here, and I want to assure you that I do. Brooklyn Heights, where I live, is a nice nabe where there are always lots of people on streets. Maybe I'm suffering from newcomer's naivete, but I think NY in general is pretty safe. Mind you, there are certain places I wouldn't go alone late at night, but that was true in Seattle too.
Another question, asked by Lani: What is Dumbo? It stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, and it's and area that's actually between the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges. I'll post some pictures of both soon and let you know where you can see them.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
OK, so it's February already
Hi everyone,
I have now been in Brooklyn, in my new home, for a little over a month. In that month, we've inaugurated a new president and the country has lost several million more jobs. On both counts, I feel very lucky. I get to say "President Obama" instead of "President Bush," and I have job - a good job - when lots of people have lost theirs. In fact, my company just cut more than 20 positions - the first time they've ever done that.
So I'm trying to put work in perspective, which hasn't been easy because of the way it has consumed my time since I've been here. And now, as a result of the layoffs, I'll be taking on some of the duties of one of the people who left.
But enough about work. I've also been trying to get out and about as much as possible, with the couple of going to at least one museum or gallery every week, as well as to some sort of cultural event or new neighborhood. Because my office is in Dumbo, it's pretty easy to reach the gallery goal - there are many nearby. On Thursday night, I left work, turned the corner and walked a half block to meet up with Sophie at a gallery opening. She and her friend Lizzie (also a Seattle ex-pat) have an assignment to write and photograph a guy who was showing his photographs of eagle handlers in Mongolia. So we went to the opening of his show, and then to a bunch of other gallery openings in the same building.
The photos of the Mongolians were magnificent large-format black and whites of these beautiful people who looked like Native Americans, Chinese and Slavs all at the same time. Really gorgeous. Down the hall was a set of about 40 Vietnam war photos by Eddie Adams - I'm sure a lot of you recall his pics. The most famous was the one of the South Viet soldier shooting a prisoner in the street in Saigon. The Adams photos were journalistic and grainy and just as gorgeous in their way as those of the Mongolians.
But my favorite show of the evening was altogether different. A British photographer, Helen Sear, does these amazing photo collages of the backs of women's heads that appear to be shot through reflective glass and a scrim of netting that looks like old-fashioned hat veiling. Check them out online - not the same as seeing them in person. I also spent next month's rent on one.
Speaking of renter, I finally found a renter, a post-doctoral student in biology at the UW who just moved up from the Bay Area. I had a sudden flood of eager, qualified potential renters, so I guess the thaw finally broke. Such a relief.
Movies: just saw Frost/Nixon - Frank Langella is indeed amazing as Nixon, as was the actor who played Frost, Michael Sheen. But I must confess that I find Sheen's physical appearance distracting in the same way I did when he played Tony Blair in Queen. Something about his weird, upturned nose - plus, he's not nearly the hunk he needs to be to play either of those sexy, smart men.
Also saw Rachel's wedding - interesting style, interesting acting, but too much of Anne Hathaway chewing the scenery for my taste. Everyone else is subtle and a little odd in a good way.
Sorry - too late in the evening for very insightful movie reviewing.
Let me know what you're up to. Promise to keep this updated more often.
Rose
I have now been in Brooklyn, in my new home, for a little over a month. In that month, we've inaugurated a new president and the country has lost several million more jobs. On both counts, I feel very lucky. I get to say "President Obama" instead of "President Bush," and I have job - a good job - when lots of people have lost theirs. In fact, my company just cut more than 20 positions - the first time they've ever done that.
So I'm trying to put work in perspective, which hasn't been easy because of the way it has consumed my time since I've been here. And now, as a result of the layoffs, I'll be taking on some of the duties of one of the people who left.
But enough about work. I've also been trying to get out and about as much as possible, with the couple of going to at least one museum or gallery every week, as well as to some sort of cultural event or new neighborhood. Because my office is in Dumbo, it's pretty easy to reach the gallery goal - there are many nearby. On Thursday night, I left work, turned the corner and walked a half block to meet up with Sophie at a gallery opening. She and her friend Lizzie (also a Seattle ex-pat) have an assignment to write and photograph a guy who was showing his photographs of eagle handlers in Mongolia. So we went to the opening of his show, and then to a bunch of other gallery openings in the same building.
The photos of the Mongolians were magnificent large-format black and whites of these beautiful people who looked like Native Americans, Chinese and Slavs all at the same time. Really gorgeous. Down the hall was a set of about 40 Vietnam war photos by Eddie Adams - I'm sure a lot of you recall his pics. The most famous was the one of the South Viet soldier shooting a prisoner in the street in Saigon. The Adams photos were journalistic and grainy and just as gorgeous in their way as those of the Mongolians.
But my favorite show of the evening was altogether different. A British photographer, Helen Sear, does these amazing photo collages of the backs of women's heads that appear to be shot through reflective glass and a scrim of netting that looks like old-fashioned hat veiling. Check them out online - not the same as seeing them in person. I also spent next month's rent on one.
Speaking of renter, I finally found a renter, a post-doctoral student in biology at the UW who just moved up from the Bay Area. I had a sudden flood of eager, qualified potential renters, so I guess the thaw finally broke. Such a relief.
Movies: just saw Frost/Nixon - Frank Langella is indeed amazing as Nixon, as was the actor who played Frost, Michael Sheen. But I must confess that I find Sheen's physical appearance distracting in the same way I did when he played Tony Blair in Queen. Something about his weird, upturned nose - plus, he's not nearly the hunk he needs to be to play either of those sexy, smart men.
Also saw Rachel's wedding - interesting style, interesting acting, but too much of Anne Hathaway chewing the scenery for my taste. Everyone else is subtle and a little odd in a good way.
Sorry - too late in the evening for very insightful movie reviewing.
Let me know what you're up to. Promise to keep this updated more often.
Rose
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