Archive for the ‘Subway’ Category
Archives #014
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Continuing with the archives posts today, as a humble narrator ‘keeps on keeping on’ in terms of recovering from a severely broken left ankle. This experience is just no fun whatsoever, I’d mention. The three posts offered today were all published on this date in their respective years.
This post from 2009 delves deeply into a visit to Manhattan’s Grand Lodge of the Freemasons, and was the first of multiple posts describing the experience.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I really doubled down on night time photos in 2018 and 2019, and I’d often be observed wandering around Newtown Creek’s concrete devastations in the dark. Miss those times, and my splendid isolation.
This 2018 post sees me ‘freelance philosophifizing’ about the state of the world, which is a string of narrative and reasoning that led ultimately to my final motto in NYC – nothing matters and nobody cares.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I think that I was attending a Working Harbor Committee meeting before shooting the photos in this post, but that’s a guess. Can’t imagine why I would have been in the theater district otherwise.
In this 2019 post, I reveal the fact that the Times Square subway station sits on top of a subterrene Hellmont to the general citizenry, which accounts for why it’s always so hot down there.
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“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.
Archives #010
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Catching up with what’s going on here at Newtown Pentacle: about a month ago, your humble narrator suffered a severe ankle injury, called a ‘Trimalleolor Fracture with dislocation.’ Surgery was required to put me back together, which has kicked off an interval of painful recovery during which I’m quite disabled. As the healing process plays out, photowalk activities are obviously not happening, so archive posts are being offered here instead. The conceit is that all of these posts were published on this calendrical date, but that’s really all they have in common other than myself as author.
On October 18th in 2011, a ‘placeholder’ post was published which coincidentally carried the best shot of FDNY’s ‘Three Forty Three’ Fireboat that I ever captured (above).
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It’s been an interesting thing, being useless. Normally, I like to contribute as much effort as possible into life’s list of mundane tasks. Long suffering, Our Lady of the Pentacle has shouldered the entire household’s ‘to-do’ list unto herself and has been caring for my needs as well as those of our clinically insane dog Moe. To his credit, Moe adapted pretty quickly to ‘Daddy’s in a wheel chair.’
In 2016, a description of a nocturnal visit to Brooklyn’s Greenwood Cemetery was offered in this October 18th posting.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I’ve got about two to three weeks worth of sitting around ahead of me, an interval that is bookmarked by my next appointment with the surgeon. My status will theoretically change after that meeting, and hopefully the healing process will have advanced to the point where I can use my left leg again. I miss walking around, and especially pacing back and forth while cooking up my plans.
I have no recollection of what it was that set me off while writing this 2019 post, but at this point in time I was already on the Community Board back in Astoria so… it was likely bike lane related. Those people…
“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.
Archives #002
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Day two of archive posts greets you, lords and ladies, as your broken but still humble narrator recovers from a fairly severe fracture of multiple bones in the ankle. My life at the moment isn’t much fun, and I’m sitting down all the time – which is anathema to one such as myself. It’s a bit like that Hitchcock movie ‘Rear Window’ here around HQ.
On this date in 2019, this post was published here, describing a minor adventure wherein I was riding on an all electric boat, and spotted the USCGC Katherine Walker anchored on the East River.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Thankfully, I don’t require the pain dulling medications anymore, which introduced a fog of narcotic haze into my thoughts. Attention spans of less than 10-15 minutes on that stuff. It’s good to be able to mentally focus again, although I’m still a little drug drunk after two weeks of opioids. Hangovers, amirite?
2018’s October 8 post was focused on me getting back to Astoria and negotiating one of MTA’s meltdowns, while needing to poop. I’ll point out that NYC isn’t a ‘City of Yes,’ it’s the city of ‘No, there aren’t any public toilets.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Trouble I’m having right now is how to occupy my mind. Boring, boring. I’ve found myself watching hour after hour of Police body cam videos, and can advise the citizenry on roughly 20 things not to do when the Cops show up. You don’t want to set the Cops off with #7 – spitting – for instance.
One of my tricks to avoid the madness of isolation during the pandemic months was to go ride the NYC Ferry, as described in this post from 2020.
“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.
disreputably nourished
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
October 11th saw me conducting a small walking tour for a couple of friends of First Calvary Cemetery.
I haven’t been able to conduct any commercial tours of Calvary for quite a while now, due to a cease and desist letter which the Roman Catholic Church sent me. I actually consider that to be a feather in my cap.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
October 13th was a rainy day, and night, so I lingered at HQ and shot a few portraits of the Bodega across the street from my porch.
I had an invite to a fundraiser party in Williamsburg the next day, and planned on getting to Brooklyn the long way around.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
October 17th, one left HQ and started trekking towards Brooklyn. I didn’t have too much else going on, so a photowalk was on order for the day. The rain was coming and going, but I had an umbrella.
My plan was to walk for three or four subway stops to Court Square, and then use the G line subway to complete the trip.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I could have taken the train the whole way from Astoria and just transferred – but where’s the fun in that?
I actually wandered pretty far afield of my intended path, and ended up – as usual – in the neighborhood surrounding Dutch Kills in LIC on my way.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Foliage. That’s my excuse. Fall foliage.
The party I was heading to was for the Evergreen outfit, which is one of the groups that Newtown Creek Alliance is allies with. They’re a “BID” or Business Improvement District group which advocates for the industrial zone of North Brooklyn. Nice bunch of people, and it was a good party with lots of friends in attendance. In the end, I just walked to Williamsburg from LIC.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
At some point after the party, the rain became somewhat intense, so I made my way to the subway and caught the G.
Y’know what? That was probably the last time that I’d ever be riding the G train. After all, my entire world changed a couple of days later.
“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.
formal blessing
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
“Every time might be the last time,” I keep saying. On the 27th of September, one was traveling during the late morning to Brooklyn’s Greenpoint section. Specifically, I was heading for the Manhattan Avenue street end. An appointment was involved, and to ensure my timeliness the Subway was invoked.
Moving through the transit portals I do, one inevitably found himself over at the MTA’s Court Square facility, and the G line subway.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A brief ride, and then one found himself in Greenpoint itself. The MTA has recently installed an elevator system in this station.
Its signage caught my eye.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That must be some elevator, thought I.
Since I like using things I’ve helped pay for, I hit the button and had a funny exchange about the improvement with another commuter, whose personal invective was framed by English spoken with a syrupy Polish accent. Ahh, Greenpoint, how I’ll miss the default state of sarcasm that you inspire, and that I always enjoy interacting with, in your residents.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One scuttled down hill along Manhattan Avenue, towards the fabulous Newtown Creek.
“Every time might be the last time,” and this time around, I was meeting up with a friend that owns a boat. He offered to take me out for one last “from the water” photo session on my beloved Creek.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
While I was waiting for him to arrive, the tug Miss Madeline reappeared in front of the camera.
Just a few days ago, shots of the selfsame vessel attempting to conquer the laws of physics and mechanical engineering were offered here.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Tomorrow – I’ll show you what I captured on this particular day.
Miss Madeline navigated under the Pulaski Bridge, as we soon would.
More tomorrow.
“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 