Autumn in New York- continued

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

We're ashamed to say that it took us our fifth trip to NYC to get inside of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was as overwhelming and amazing as we thought it would be.

Here is a detail of the top of their building facing Fifth Avenue:

We don't know about you but, for us, sometimes we walk through various museums and view what is there knowing that it is perhaps very old and/or people with way more knowledge of such things has deemed it important so we try to appreciate it but it maybe isn't something that strikes us or hits our particular interests. However, for us anyway, there are moments when you come upon a piece that really resonates with you and you don't even have to read about its history or the artist to be moved by it. We appreciated the exhibits that we looked at first but when we ambled from the small room we were in into the expansive and bright American Wing Courtyard, we were overcome. In truth, Mrs. WYA! started to get a little teary. The space is so big and there are exquisite sculptures, a Louis H. Sullivan staircase, pieces by Tiffany, and a facade of the Branch Bank of the United States that was once on Wall Street. The great thing about art is that it is so subjective and different pieces will affect everyone differently but this was our favorite room at the Met. It turns out that we're lucky that we didn't come here until this visit because this area was renovated and just opened this spring.

This is detail from the top of a Vanderbilt fireplace so enormous that you can barely fathom a home big enough to hold it.

We also liked the Parisian rooms. These are the furnishings of a room from the Hotel de Crillon in Paris:

In the "well done curator" department, another breathtaking moment was when, from several rooms away, we could see Perseus with the Head of Medusa illuminated through the doorways.

Detail from Ugolino and His Sons:

Our only disappointment at the Met was that the entire Japanese art area was closed. We were especially surprised because a special exhibit of Japanese Mandalas in it runs through 11/29/09 so we certainly thought that we'd be able to see it. There also appeared to be some amazing Buddha statues in there and we were looking forward to seeing the Japanese Buddha altar that was pictured in our Museum Plan. When we asked an employee she said that the area was closed due to manpower. We're not sure if it was because it was Columbus Day or if they are just generally having employment issues. We were able to take this picture from the hallway:

Subway Tiles

We're sure that, if we lived here, riding the subways would just become routine and a grind but, as visitors, we love it. On one of our rides, we were talking about how nice it would be (and how much quicker) to take the subway from our house to the west side for dim sum. We also really like the tiles, some more ornate than others, that display the subway stops.

Scenes

What we love about Manhattan is that the whole island is like a living museum. On the way to the subway station you can just pass by a building that Abraham Lincoln spoke at in 1860 (Cooper Union, pictured below).

We had to snap a pic of a newsstand because, with everyone on the subway carrying their various electronics, we have to wonder how much longer they can exist. Personally, we still prefer to get the paper version of The New York Post.

Another reason to love Greenwich Village, they really get into Halloween here. We liked this window display.

Ah, to be wealthy and live in the Village.

We had the uber-rare ride in an empty subway car since we caught it on its first trip after being cleaned (which was nice not only for picture posing and breathing room but also because the Duane Reade ad in the subway car reminded us that the poles have about a "gazillion" germs on them).

City dogs are so sophisticated.

We love the old-timey signage:

The Empire State Building looked a little Christmas-y one night:

The gorgeous top of Grand Central Station:

Mrs. WYA! loves the Chrysler Building and really wanted to channel Margaret Bourke-White and climb out on one of the gargoyles for a photo but Mr. WYA! and laws meant she had to be happy with street shots.

Murals at the New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue:

Ceiling:

We passed the Chelsea Hotel nearly to the day of the 31st anniversary of Sid and Nancy's infamous night there when she died.

Detail of The Puck Building:

Broadway Street- Fort Wayne, Indiana

After we finished our photo assignment down South Calhoun Street in Fort Wayne, we decided to make our way back south via the equally interesting Broadway Street.

The laundry is boarded up but, thankfully, the cute Canton Laundry sign is still on Broadway between Washington and Jefferson:

The Brass Rail at 1121 Broadway- we like like old soda signs:

Looking south on Broadway from the intersection at Jefferson. It's nice to see a building getting some love, the pretty home of Beadrageous next to it, Antiques on Broadway, and another shot of the Brass Rail:

Aaron's Oriental Rug Gallery at 1217 Broadway (since 1973).
This gorgeous Old Fire Station Number 5 was built in 1893 and used as an active station until 1959:

The GE plant has a huge presence along Broadway:

The building at 1209 Broadway is fascinating. There isn't a business name on it but it looks like an antique shop and it did have a closed sign in the front door. The outside is very cool with lots of artsy embellishments. It is quite intriguing:

Durnell's has been there since 1950 (and yet, we've never been there). We don't know how long Broadway Joe's Tavern has been beside it but for quite a while judging from their adorable neon sign:

The building at the far left (2441 Broadway) used to be a theatre, was renovated into the lovely Catablu restaurant, and is now home to the Philmore on Broadway, a music and events venue with plans to have jazz several nights a week. The building on the far right has the name Eckrich on it which makes us wonder if it was owned by a member of the Eckrich Meats family.

Here's the lovely side of Chappell's restaurant with an advertisement for Otto Peters Drug Store. The drug store is long gone but we love that this painting has survived. Peters was Carole Lombard's real last name (born Jane Alice Peters) so we wonder if this was a relation.

Fort Wayne Mirror Works at 2829 Broadway:

Wildwood Liquors at 3019 Broadway:

Candlelight Antiques at 3205 Broadway is a really nice little antique shop:

South Calhoun Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana

By special request from Kevin over at Urban Indy, this is a post following South Calhoun Street in Fort Wayne from Rudisill to Murray Street, which is right before the overpass that leads you into downtown. It's an eclectic stretch full of great old buildings and signs and now with a mix of ethnicities breathing life into it. (click photos for larger image)

At 3702 S. Calhoun is Southside Vacuum, in business since 1947!

This building at 2730 S. Calhoun is the Calhoun Street Emporium. We love the top of the building where the name Leland is with 19 and 23 on either side of it.

At the Pontiac and S. Calhoun intersection, we liked the detail at the top of this building.

We couldn't tell what this rusty round thing on the side of the Rialto Theatre was from the street but, from the picture, we see that it reads "police alarm".

The gorgeous Rialto Theatre has had many lives. Right now, a non-profit is in the midst of restoring it into the "Rialto World Cafe and Cultural Center- a gathering place to engage and serve the growing international community".

This is a detail at the top of the building right next to the Rialto which is the store Finders Keepers.

And this is the wide shot of the Finders Keepers building at 2608 S. Calhoun. You can see both eagles at the upper corners.

At 2124 S. Calhoun is the adorable City Glass shop.

At 2302 S. Calhoun is Mannie's Place which Manta.com says was established in 1948.

We loved the look of the Mungovan and Sons Mortuary at 2221 S. Calhoun.

OK, St. Patrick's church is actually on Harrison, not Calhoun, but it was so gorgeous seen from the mortuary parking lot that we had to include a couple of pictures.

Hopefully something will go into this building at the corner of S. Calhoun and W. Masterson.
The Oyster Bar Restaurant building at 1830 S. Calhoun is so cute that we have to show 2 views.

We adore the people behind Calhoun Street Salads and Spirits for making this building look so good!

We had to take a picture of the public phone outside of Saigon Restaurant because they are a rarity now and will probably soon be obsolete.

We love old advertisements painted on the sides of buildings. This one was at Dewald and S. Calhoun.
The gorgeous Troy Laundry building at 1717 S. Calhoun which, according to this site, was built in 1914 and is one of only 3 remaining buildings in Fort Wayne with a glazed terra cotta facade (one of the other ones is the Rialto).

We loved the look of this building at S. Calhoun and Murray Street but had no idea what the HBC at the top meant. It turns out that it stands for Holsum Baking Company.