Tag Archives: UES

OCCUPIED: Upper East Side

Yesterday hundreds of Occupy Wall Street protesters marched on the Upper East Side townhouses of several billionaires, including News Corp owner Rupert Murdoch, who paid $44M for his home. Other stops included the homes of Tea Party puppeteer David Koch and hedge fund titan John Paulson, where a check for $5 billion was waved in front of his door. Gothamist …

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Morning View – Surrender

After enduring more than two years of that mess outside their front door, the pizza joint on my block has joined the long list of shops put out of business by subway construction.

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Afternoon View – Third & East 71

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Afternoon View – Spanish Food

My favorite lunch spot of late is this UES dive where a long line of day laborers and hardhats point through a fogged-up steam table to select from a dozen trays of shredded pork, ox tails, bistecca, plantains, etc. My two favorite cuisines in one place: Spanish and stuff that’s already ready! (Note: The place does have a real name, …

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Morning View – Sotheby’s

The U.S. headquarters of Sotheby’s is a block away from me. Since there are bajillions in art inside, the building’s entrances are populated by rather formidable looking men in black.

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Morning View – Subway Thingie 2

This is the finished version of one of the several ginormous block-long Subway Thingies that have landed on Second Avenue. Each of the Subway Thingies completely blocks the windows of dozens of apartments and likely will for years. (Good luck selling THAT.) On this block, a handful of storefronts continue to struggle along in the narrow darkened tunnel between their …

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UES Parking Rates

Last night Mayor Bloomberg said city residents should move their cars out of underground garages to “higher ground.” To which everybody responded, “Yeah? Like where?” Anyway, this morning I noticed a long line of people waiting to get their cars out of the underground garage across the street and decided to snap a photo of their new rates.

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Photo Of The Day

The Second Avenue subway continues to sprout giant structures along my block. Whatever this thing is, a huge truck just drove down into it. I’m dragging you poor folks along on this decade-long project!

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Hard Hats & Microphones

Second Avenue subway construction worker Gary Russo spends his break time entertaining passersby with his Frank Sinatra impression. This clip was shot less than a block from my apartment, but I’ve not yet heard Gary in person.(Tipped by JMG reader Alan)

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Morning View – Subway Thingie

The giant subway drilling explosion apparatus that has literally been rocking my block has arrived on our doorsteps. I’ve mentioned here how the explosions were shaking my apartment from three blocks away. So I guess now it gets really interesting. (Photo by Dr. Jeff)

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Morning View – First & East 68th

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Afternoon View – Coming Soon

It has always annoyed my visitors that the closest Starbucks were an unreasonable (by Manhattan standards) seven to ten blocks away. But not for much longer as the chain just began construction at the massive and long-empty former Citibank space on my corner.

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Afternoon View – Blast Warning

Massive underground explosions continue to shake my block daily as the Second Avenue subway construction barrels on. I never hear the blast warnings but I do hear the “all clear” whistles after my furniture has stopped moving.

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Japanese Diet Pills

Walgreens, Upper East Side, Monday 10pm Old Lady: “Where can I get some of those nuclear pills?” Clerk: “What, like, diet pills?” Old Lady: “No! No! The ones they have in Japan!” Clerk: “Japanese diet pills?”

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Morning View – Lexington & 63rd

Back in the cold and grime. Sigh.

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Afternoon View – 70th & Second

The MTA just installed eight double-stacked construction trailers at the end of my block, meaning shit’s about get real for our section of the coming Second Avenue subway. The street has already been torn up here for about three years and at least a dozen shops have gone under within a block of my corner. But hey, I’ll have a …

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Afternoon View – Upper East Side

My block. Embiggens nicely.

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Morning View – 68th & Second

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Giuliani’s Daughter Busted Shoplifting

Rudy Giuliani’s 20 year-old daughter Caroline was busted on NYC’s Upper East Side yesterday when she tried to shoplift cosmetics from a Sephora. She was allegedly caught by a store security camera shoplifting five cosmetics items worth more than $100 — including Aqua Cream, Dior Skinflash Primer, Bliss hydroderm cream, a rollerball funnel and a hairnet — and escorted out …

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Afternoon View – Second Avenue

Only seven more years! UPDATE: Several of you have written to point out Rachel Maddow’s Geek Week story about the construction of the Second Avenue subway. The city has been trying to get the line built for 80 years. SRSLY.

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