Archive for the ‘Astoria’ Category
ultimate step
Tuesdays are a season all their own.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
During these pandemic months, when I’ve gone out for my constitutional walks, my toes have been generally pointed towards the Newtown Creek industrial business zone. The reasoning behind that is that a) I’m obsessed, and b) people and cooties.
People are infested with viruses, and therefore if I go to places with few or no people I’m less likely to contract a respiratory plague. I know, this sounds crazy to you Liberpublicans or Republitarians, but I’ve given up trying to convince ideologues about anything of late. If you don’t believe in COVID, don’t worry, the virus believes in you. I know 50-60 people who have had it, and by all reports – the experience is quite unpleasant even if you don’t die. Mazel Tov.
A new skill I’ve developed, thereby, during this interval is the ability to completely avoid all other human beings – even when passing through a fairly densely populated area like the 31st street/Hoyt Avenue corridors here in Astoria. I’ve become like a phantom in a black raincoat, a specter visible only to the wackadoodles.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
My goal for this particular evening was to randomly point the new camera at different spots around the neighborhood for a bit, and then set up the tripod at Astoria Park’s Shore Road in pursuance of “getting technical” while photographing the wonders of the Hell’s Gate section of the East River.
Along the way, I spotted these two homes sporting rather tasteful holiday decorations, a fine example of what I call “ChristmAstoria.” As a note, I’m always rather uncomfortable when photographing somebody’s home. It would likely freak me out if I saw some ghostly creature in black taking pictures of HQ.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
If you’re wondering what I mean by “getting technical,” the shot above isn’t it. These were all handheld shots in today’s post, whereas the ones you’ll see tomorrow and Thursday were a bit more intentional in terms of composition and camera technique.
Pictured above is the Hell Gate Bridge in the distance, with a section of the Triborough Complex’s East River Suspension Bridge visible at top.
Note: I’m writing this and several of the posts you’re going to see for the next week at the beginning of the week of Monday, December 21st. My plan is to continue doing my solo photo walks around LIC and the Newtown Creek in the dead of night as long as that’s feasible. If you continue to see regular updates here, that means everything is kosher as far as health and well being. If the blog stops updating, it means that things have gone badly for a humble narrator.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
inevitable razing
Merry Monday, true believers.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Recent endeavor found one wandering about the Astoria section of Queens. While I was waiting for the N train pictured above to enter the frame, some fellow walked up to me and said “excuse me.” Figuring that he was about to ask for directions, I said “yeah, wassup.” The fellow then informed me of his nationality – Egyptian – and that he was hated by the local population of both his nationality and by those Astorians who originate from the nation of Morocco. He continued on, informing me that the North African community of Astoria had forced him to move out of the neighborhood some eight times, and that he intended on buying a gun which he would use to shoot precisely fifty people in pursuit of vengeance for his suffering. I let him know that I thought this was a bad plan and that he should rethink things.
I then said “if you’ll excuse me, I have to take a picture of that train,” which seemed to form a good enough or acceptable excuse for me to stop talking to him. He continued along 31st street in a generally southern direction, whereas I headed north and then west after capturing the image above.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
“Wackadoodle” is the word one such as myself uses to describe the inebriates and sanity compromised creatures of the street I often encounter. 99% of the time, wackadoodles are entirely harmless and fairly sympathetic creatures. You have to worry about the 1%, but part of the skill set of a New Yorker can be described as being “teflon” and not allowing anything to stick to you.
Just the other night, there was a superficially East Asian and quite middle aged woman who was pushing three loaded shopping carts down Northern Blvd. She would move one of the trio of carts forward while laughing maniacally, then as she walked backwards to move the next cart her exhortation mimicked the “caw caw” sound of gulls. Forward motion saw a return to hilarious and somewhat maniacal cackling. By “maniacal cackling” I mean literal the “HA HA HA heh HA Ha” sort of laughter, which was audible some two blocks away.
Wackadoodles abound.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One has been looking over his shoulder more often than usual in the last few months. There’s a lot of desperation out there in the world right now, and a significant population of people who struggle with their sanity under the best of circumstances are drowning right now under all of the stressors introduced by the pandemic. Wish I could say I’m being paranoid, or succumbing to my own psychological and mental handicaps, but I’m not.
As a note, long time friends will tell you that a humble narrator is an absolute magnet for the wackadoodles. For one reason or another, I seem to be considered quite approachable by these folks. I’ve had to develop a series of ” Teflon dodges,” accordingly.
My favorite one is to say “Listen, they’re watching and videotaping me right now bro, get the eff out of here before they recognize you too.” “The President has his hand in my pocket, yo.” That usually gets me a knowing look or a wink, and the wackadoodle wanders off, feeling that he’s met a comrade in arms.
Note: I’m writing this and several of the posts you’re going to see for the next week at the beginning of the week of Monday, December 21st. My plan is to continue doing my solo photo walks around LIC and the Newtown Creek in the dead of night as long as that’s feasible. If you continue to see regular updates here, that means everything is kosher as far as health and well being. If the blog stops updating, it means that things have gone badly for a humble narrator.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
something monstrous
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Gas Stations, as previously mentioned, are sort of grabbing my attentions when I’m out with the camera lately. Partially, it’s because I have a new camera I’m still getting used to, one which offers a tremendous advantage in terms of “dynamic range” over my old one. Difficult subject matter like a gas station at night is precisely the sort of thing I’m looking for when out scuttling in the night. Also, they look cool, and last year I didn’t have any in my library when a well known stock photo agency put out the call for images of them.
The Mobil station pictured above is found on Astoria Blvd. South, at 44th street.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Astoria Blvd. was recently paid some attention by a humble narrator, in my role as the Transportation Committee Co-Chair of Community Board 1. Specifically, the area I inspected and photographed in minute detail was the stretch of Astoria Blvd. between 33rd and 49th streets. There’s a whole lot of stuff that I encountered which confirms that the last time anyone took a holistic look at this stretch was in the 1960’s.
This subject is something which the Committee voted to spend some of our organizational time on, and hopefully we can find ways to improve road conditions for all users of this particular stretch in the ancient village. There’s entire 2-3 block long stretches, such as the pedestrian bridge between 46th and 49th streets on Astoria Blvd. South, where there aren’t even functioning street lights. Grrrr.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Another Gas Station, this one found on Astoria Blvd. South and 31st street. These little puddles of light and saturated color just fascinate me at the moment. Expect more loving shots of them in the next few months. Hey… it’s wintertime during a pandemic.
Back next week with something different, at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
Note: I’m writing this and several of the posts you’re going to see for the next week at the beginning of the week of Monday, December 14th. My plan is to continue doing my solo photo walks around LIC and the Newtown Creek in the dead of night as long as that’s feasible. If you continue to see regular updates here, that means everything is kosher as far as health and well being. If the blog stops updating, it means that things have gone badly for a humble narrator.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
term because
A Monday Firebox.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Running a bit late today – was up late, got up late, and “late” is how I feel. That’s an FDNY Firebox pictured above, one found on the southern edge of Astoria, Queens. Back tomorrow with something a bit more substantial.
Note: I’m writing this and several of the posts you’re going to see for the next week at the beginning of the week of Monday, December 14th. My plan is to continue doing my solo photo walks around LIC and the Newtown Creek in the dead of night as long as that’s feasible. If you continue to see regular updates here, that means everything is kosher as far as health and well being. If the blog stops updating, it means that things have gone badly for a humble narrator.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
honest physician
Remember when Friday was special?
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As mentioned in the past, there’s something about the design principles of the “House of Moses” – which is what I call the teams of municipal engineers and architects that were employed by Robert Moses and who designed the network of highway, expressway, and parkway infrastructure of NYC between the early 1930’s and late 1960’s – which has always appealed to me. There seems to have been a governing philosophy back then that despite the mission calling for you to draw something utilitarian and inherently ugly – a high speed road, for instance – you should go out of your way to gussy it up and find ways to make it aesthetic. This is before Brutalism and massing shapes became the calling card of civil works.
I’m not being sarcastic, look at that 1940 section of the Long Island Expressway above. It could have been so much worse, and there’s all sorts of small detail built into what’s essentially an off ramp and an elevated travel lane. Truly under appreciated, I’ve always thought. The cloverleaf ramps nearby LaGuardia Airport are also quite visually pleasing to me.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
When I’m screaming at Government Employees in the modern day, I’m usually the only person in the room who’s not standing on a firm “Go ‘Eff yourself” on new or upgraded municipal infrastructure. Instead, I’m asking why they can’t spend a bit more time thinking about what it’s going to be like living with this stuff nearby. Why not make it visually interesting or even attractive? Look at the new Koscisuzcko Bridge, or the sewer plant in Greenpoint, for examples of what I’m talking about. I mean… you’re spending the money anyway, why not make it nice?
Pictured above is a Long Island Railroad train rolling through the Harold Interlocking at the Sunnyside Yards, photographed from my favorite hole in the fences. Want to talk about screwing up the public interface for a municipal facility? Look at the plate steel fences they’ve thrown up around the Yards, which are graffiti magnets. Uggh.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Despite the pandemic, ChristmAstoria is risibly present again this year. Lights are deployed and electrified, and luckily the fad for light strings with xmas music speakers attached seems to be dying. I’m into the decorative lights, but detest the piping of holiday music into the streets.
Back next week with more shots from different adventures.
Note: I’m writing this and several of the posts you’re going to see for the next week at the beginning of the week of Monday, December 7th. My plan is to continue doing my solo photo walks around LIC and the Newtown Creek in the dead of night as long as that’s feasible. If you continue to see regular updates here, that means everything is kosher as far as health and well being. If the blog stops updating, it means that things have gone badly for a humble narrator.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
The Newtown Pentacle 