New York, New York, USA

An expectation of every city is to mimic the bucolic pleasures of the countryside. What better place for a morning pick-me-up than by the waterfall! Incorporated into this scene is acoustic art: The sound of gushing water seems to bring peace and solace, even if you are amidst the hubbub of midtown Manhattan. [2021]

Old Bethpage, New York, USA

Dutch Barns looked a lot like English barns, but there was one main difference. The doors were on the gable end of the barn. Old Bethpage Village on Long Island has preserved the heritage of both English and the Dutch in the history of New York. [1983]

Old Bethpage, New York, USA

The English barn diffused to the United States, in this case Long Island, with agricultural pioneers. Given its simple design, it became one of America's most common barn types. Settlers from other parts of Europe gave it some competition, however. The Dutch brought with them the Dutch barn and the Germans brought the bank barn. [1983]

New York, New York, USA

Covid Behaviors: Get tested. In big cities, testing stations were on the street. Most of us, however, took advantage of our local drug store's drive-thru. Eventually, though, self-test kits became available at stores and on-line. How many times did you get tested or test yourself? [2021]

New York, New York, USA

The countdown to Earth Day 2023 begins today. Don't shrug off the responsibility to make every day Earth Day. Otherwise, the Anthropocene will end, and a new era of Earth history will begin, an era without human inhabitants. So sayeth Atlas, the titan. [2018]

New York, New York, USA

Anchor Cities of Megalopolis: New York. It's recognized as a "jacks of all trades" around the world. Get it? If Megalopolis had a capital, New York would be it. Why? Because it's the city all other cities look up to. Only London is on par. To you, NYC sends hugs (O) and kisses (X). Again, get it? [2022]

New York New York, USA

Banksy, the world's foremost graffiti artist, still lives in the shadows of the pop-art underworld. Geographically Yours could not pass up a chance to see a curated collection of his art (unauthorized, 'vandalous,' photographic). In 2008, London's CCTV mural appeared and disappeared almost instantaneously. But, apparently, more than my photograph survives. [2022]

New York, New York, USA

February is all about the number two, and 2/22/22 is a palindrome too (a 5-digit palindrome)! On this day in 1877, the U.S. Congress accepted Lady Liberty as a gift from France, but she didn't make her appearance in New York Harbor until 1885, when (because of the original torch) she was classified as a lighthouse. Be sure to see yesterday's post. [2020]

South Wales, New York, USA

February is all about the number two, and 2/22 is a palindrome too! Two arms, two legs, and too rusty. Even though it's his only job in life, receiving the daily mail and newspaper is better than being consigned to the other side of that chain-link fence. Be sure to see yesterday's post. [2013]

New York, New York, USA

Urban textures: Summit One Vanderbilt is the city's newest (and second highest) observation deck. Here is where you can be one with the skyline, and feel superior to everything you see through those glass panes. Transparent, translucent, and reflective surfaces combine with shiny balloons masquerading as cloud droplets to disorient and dazzle. [2021]

Esopus, New York, USA

What do we put on a pedestal in American culture? Working watercraft. The boat here symbolizes the important role played by the Hudson River, specifically Port Ewen, in building the town. Esopus may be upriver, but it is still at sea level and reachable by boat. [2019]

New York, New York, USA

Those six candles are for you. (You know who you are!!!) You can't do much better than being feted in the Big Apple, planet Earth's most important city. As we party (or not!): Let's Uplift Cheers And Smiles. [2012]

New York, New York, USA

Covid-19 Testing: $0 Cost: Stations like this one are all over New York City. You can't get much cheaper or more convenient. Judging from the prevalence of masks, the people of New York seem to be taking the pandemic seriously. And, whether you're going to a Broadway show or to eat out, prepare to show your vaccination card. [2021]

New York, New York, USA

Odds and Evens, Ones and Twos, Singles and Doubles, Which one be You? Here are two intrepid joggers disputing the notion that the only open space in New York is Central Park. The setting: along the Hudson River not far from the USS Intrepid. [2017]

New York, New York, USA

At 8:46 am on September 11, 2001, the first of the Twin Towers was hit by a highjacked aircraft. The second tower was hit at 9:03. Both collapsed. The footprint of each Tower is today memorialized by a sunken waterfall that encourages us and all future generations to reflect on their absence. Nearby is the new One World Trade Center. [2017]

New York, New York, USA

Manhattan's Garment District should really be called the Fashion District. Garment manufacturing has been experiencing a steady decline, but the concentration of the world's most favored labels continues to light up the neighborhood with sparks of new ideas for looking good. By whatever name, though, push carts and porters continue their traditional roles. [2018]

New York, New York, USA

What does the Central Park Zoo want you to know about the Red Panda? The Red Panda has a masked face and a ringed tail resembling that of a raccoon. This mild-mannered animal defends its territory by standing on its hind legs and using its sharp claws. If that doesn't work, the panda can release a strong odor from scent glands at the base of the tail. [2018]

New Paltz, New York, USA

Five years and counting.

Make the most of the next twelve.

Then starts adulthood.

[1995]

New York, New York, USA

The handful of skinny towers that now cluster around the southern shore of Central Park are the face of vertical urbanism, an attempt to improve (1) the quality of the environment by using less land for urban expansion and (2) the quality of living by bringing people together in numbers enough to sustain a diversity of urban services both private and public. [2018]

Hyde Park, New York, USA

Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt are buried here in the Rose Garden next to the "Big House," which he loved and she didn't. The humble tombstone was designed by FDR himself and cut from Vermont marble, the same marble used for the Washington Monument, the Supreme Court, and the U.N. headquarters in New York. [2019]