Corlears Hook / FDR Drive

This is the FDR Drive at Grand Street, just before it curves around Corlears Hook and heads towards South Ferry. The layer of clouds passing overhead was too good to pass up. This is one of the first photos I took while testing my new NEX camera. So far I've been pleased with the results I'm getting. I'm even more happy that it doesn't break my back carrying it plus a lens or two... a huge difference between this and the larger, heavier Canon gear that resulted in back, neck & shoulder pain and numbness in my hand whenever I carried it.

Kozy Korner at Night

This is the corner that most Lower East Siders know as Cozy Corner - where Grand, Madison and Lewis Streets meet up. Lower East Side, Manhattan

I'm testing Canon's new G15 camera, which I hope will complement my G1X in those situations where I need a faster lens and faster focus. I do a lot of shooting from moving taxis/car service and buses. I find, in too many cases, where the G1X auto-focus is too slow to grab a shot before the car or bus moves on. Also, while the G1X has superb image quality in low light, it's slow lens often requires a slow shutter speed. Between my aging/shaking hands and my aversion to carrying a tripod, this often results in wonderfully exposed but blurred photos. I'm hoping the G15 will fill in the gap in these situations

Last year I switched from using a T3i dSLR to the G1X because back problems made it painful and difficult for me to carry around the dSLR and lenses (which is also why I don't carry a tripod). I absolutely LOVE the results I've been getting with the G1X most cases. The addition of the G15 should help with the rest.

Lower East Side Rooftops

Roof tops of the Hillman Co-op, Lower East Side, Manhattan.These buildings were originally built around the late 1940s by the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America as part of a larger urban renewal / slum clearance program. It's one of the 4 housing cooperatives along the eastern end of Grand Street, collectively known as Cooperative Village (Co-op Village).

Irene!

Although Hurricane Irene lost some of her punch just before hitting NYC, she still managed to cause significant damage which included at least 650 uprooted trees in NYC. About 7 of those were at Grand Street & FDR Drive, where one tree swallowed up and destroyed a bus stop shelter.

Grand Street

Eastern end of Grand Street, Lower East Side.

Boardwalk Empire

Filming HBO's Boardwalk Empire near 511-513 Grand Street, Lower East Side

School Crossing

Outside a Lower East Side public school near the intersection of East Broadway and Grand Street.

Corlears Hook Flags

Trying out a new camera at Corlears Hook Park, where the U.S. flag is flying above the flags of New York City and NYC Dept. of Parks & Recreation.

Williamsburg Bridge x2

Here are two photos of the Williamsburg Bridge (connecting Lower East Side, Manhattan with Williamsburg, Brooklyn) that I don't think I posted here yet. The first is from about 4 weeks ago on a day with unusually heavy cloud traffic. The second one is from about 6 weeks ago, taken around twilight from a higher/closer vantage point.

Seward Park

Both the park and the apartments beyond share the Seward Park name

Snow Woman

Seen in the the fashionable Lower East Side

Slushfest

Today has been a miserable day, weather-wise. It started with a dusting of snow which put a fresh coating on top of the snow that still remains from the Dec 26 snowpocalypse (yeah, there's been snow on the ground for about 21 consecutive days). Snow turned to freezing rain, then rain. The good news is the temperature is now above freezing and the rain is slowly washing away the snow.

2 Weeks After

Two full weeks after the great Christmas Snowpocalypse Blizzard of 2010 - parts of Ahearn Park is still covered with snow (really ice) as are the curbs in many parts of the neighborhood. We're expecting another 6-13 inches of snow to begin falling later today!

Snow, Snow, Snow

Still lots of snow to be cleared, three full days after the storm. Grand Street, Lower East Side.

Blizzard Dig-Out

The Blizzard of Dec 26-27, 2010. It was a really intense storm that went on for over 18 hours and even included thundersnow (snow + thunder + lightning) for a while. It left just over 20 inches of snow that's been pushed around by snow plows and blown around by Mother Nature. It will take a while to dig out of this mess.

Post-Christmas Blizzard

3 or 1: First: at the height of the blizzard. The little plow trying to clear the sidewalk across the street is just no match for the snow. The bigger street plows aren't having much success keeping the streets clear, either. Second: taken during a brief lull in the snow and wind, about an hour later. Third: plow-equipped tractor trying to clear the sidewalk of snow

Schaefer Landing - Williamsburg Bridge

Yesterday's photo was taken about a month ago, from ground level at the river's edge. By coincidence, I was photographing a 10th floor apartment late yesterday afternoon and caught this view of the Williamsburg Bridge and Schaefer Landing.

Kozy Korner

Another look at Kozy Korner (intersection of Grand Street and Madison Street) from a different perspective.

Holiday Lights

Seasonal lighting is starting to appear around the city. This is a park at the East River co-op on Grand Street, Lower East Side.

Autumn Leaves

The leaves are starting to change colors outside my window