W. 39th Street, Sept. 2006

This ghostly figure, on a storefront near Ninth Avenue, is named Alex. You probably can't tell from this photo, but the person who named him also penciled in some glasses and haphazard clothing, including Jockey underwear.

I made a musical discovery this week. I haven't been a huge fan of Edie Brickell and New Bohemians, that late-80s band that had a hit or two back in the day. (Remember "What I Am"?) But in 1994, Edie came out with a solo album, "Picture Perfect Morning," produced by Roy Halee and her husband, Paul Simon. (It has great cover art.) I got it used on Amazon the other day for $1.89, and I'm happy to report that it's excellent. By '94, Edie had grown up a bit - as a more mature musician, she was no longer singing about smiles on dogs.

Chelsea, July 2006

The Starrett-Lehigh Building is an immense, full-block structure built in 1930-31 at 11th Avenue and 26th Street. Architects Russell G. and Walter M. Cory gave the building curved corners and about nine miles of strip windows. It contains vast, loft-like spaces for offices. I think Martha Stewart Living used to be housed here; not sure if it still is.

E. 30th St., July 2006

This is from a particularly scenic part of E. 30th Street, from Lexington to Third Avenue, which happens to be right around the corner from my apartment. Other images from the same block are here, here and here.

East Village, Sept. 2006

She may look like a mermaid, but according to the painter's caption, she has been urbanized into a "merbitch."

This trash bin was at a construction site on Bowery near Bond Street. (Click the photo to see it larger.)

Eighth Avenue, July 2006

What caught my eye on this old building was the stencilled word "Twilight." I wondered what it was - a brand name? The name of a long-defunct store, or bar? It's a pleasant word for this particularly seedy stretch of Eighth Avenue, near 39th Street.

East Village, August 2006

Another example of my continuing fascination with construction bins.

United Nations, June 2006

I have a real soft spot for the United Nations. In High School I was a participant in our Model UN club, in which students act as foreign delegates and debate international issues. (It's a very nerdy thing to do in high school.) As an adult I've always had a secret desire to work there. I see the UN much like the Eleanor Roosevelt types who created it - as our best forum for international dialogue.

Idealistic? Sure. It's actually a big, sprawling bureaucracy, hampered by the inefficiencies of government and the diverse expectations of its players. But it's also all we have, and it deserves our support. I'm disgusted by the United States' reluctance to pay our dues and participate with reason rather than aggression.

This photo shows the Midtown skyline reflected in the glass of the tall Secretariat building at UN headquarters on the East River. The buildings that house the UN were created in the late '40s and early '50s, a collaboration by an international committee of architects led by Wallace Harrison and including Le Corbusier, Oscar Niemeyer and Sven Markelius. They have a mid-century gracefulness, though they've become a bit worn. There's a move afoot now to expand the UN complex to the south and modernize the facilities, while preserving the historic architecture.