A city is quietest in the early morning. When I took my morning walk yesterday, the only people I saw were rushing off to the subway to get to work. By the time I reached the little park near Mansion Where the Mayor Would Live If He Wasn't Filthy Rich, a misty rain was falling. The little playground, with its bright red metal jungle gym, was empty. The swings dangled from chains above puddles of water. On one of the small lawns, a young man was practicing tai chi. The little tables with the chessboards painted on them were empty, the black and white squares glistening with rainwater. A woman strode by with a dog, and one runner came through, listening to his iPod as he went by.
The little park runs along Tidal Strait That Everyone Calls a River, famous mostly as the place where mobsters in movies dump dead bodies. As I stood at the railing, I could hear the water surging past below me, mixing with the hum of traffic and other city noises. I could just picture all the commuters coming over the bridges, hurrying to work. So many of my mental images of the city come not from mobster movies, but from my favorite children's books, so I was not surprised to see a cheerful tugboat moving along happily on the river, excited to be seeing the world at last.
14 comments:
I like bridges and all the lines in the first picture with that shock of blonde grass to the side.
The red tug really stands out in the gray water.
It's so cute and cheerful, especially in contrast to the grey.
one question?
Where's all the snow?
;)
Beautiful shots as always.
Have you seen the Little Red Lighthouse under the Great Grey Bridge?
Really exists (still)...but on the West side of the island.
The park you mention is my favorite place in NYC. Beautiful photo!
These are both great. I love the grass and the tugboat. They warm up the pictures so much, just with a little splash of color.
Little Toot is my all time favorite children's book.
:)
very cheerful little tugboat! the bridge in the foreground borrows its lines from the golden gate.
the bench in the first photo reminds me of benches in charleston SC; we have one, well over 20 years old now, and need to replace the slats.
I always like the pictures which have lot of blue tone in it. Both of the picture has some amount of blue in it, this is a real feast to eyes. I wish to study my favorite book, do gym or at least be there for quite a sometime in that place..
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Thanks for the photo. I grew up there, spent hours in that very park. I don't get back there very often, but when I do--or when I see a photograph like yours, I am always surprised--shocked, really, that the wrought iron fence has gotten so much smaller. When I was two ot three years old, I fit into its curve--I'd stand on the bottom rail, stretch my arms out to grab the furthest struts I could reach, and lean, belly out, toward the river. In my memory, that fence is about six feet high.
Beautiful post and picture; makes me miss this city.
My goodness, it's "Scuffy the Tugboat," as ever was...
Wow, these are great shots too! Different colors in both, but love them both.
Hee hee - my son just looked at this page and shrieked, "Look! It's Scuffy, but in real life!!!"
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