Back in Harlem's Jewish days, this building (currently New Bethel Way of the Cross Church of Christ) was home to Congregation Shaare Zedek. Completing the Abrahamic triad, the AIA Guide to New York City says: "Fanciful forms borrowed from Islamic architecture grace the façade of what, in another culture, might have been a harem."
shines through the vacant interior of St. Thomas the Apostle. This shuttered church, with its "wildly ornate" facade now hidden behind scaffolding, has been called "one of the most original buildings in the city"; the AIA Guide to New York City describes its style as "berserk eclecticism . . . unnameable but wonderful". You can see photos of the structure in happier days here.
After closing St. Thomas in 2003, the Archdiocese of New York decided to knock down the church and replace it with affordable housing for the elderly, and actually began dismantling parts of the facade. Stunned by the idea of losing this architectural gem, former parishioners filed a lawsuit to halt the demolition and politicians stepped in to try to get the building landmarked. Neither effort was ultimately successful, but the archdiocese opted to hold off on its plans anyway.
While the exterior of the structure is still largely intact, the stained-glass windows (made by Mayer of Munich), altars, and other religious items have been removed and shipped off to other parishes. Many of the windows (which you can see here) ended up at Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, a new church in Dutchess County, while others made their way to St. Brigid's in the East Village, which itself had been closed and briefly set upon by demolition crews before an anonymous donor stepped in with an offer of $20 million to restore and reopen the church.
The archdiocese finally gave up on the senior housing plan last year and sold the property to a developer who says he can save half of the church, including the facade, and wants to convert it into some kind of community space, although the rear portion of the building will still have to be torn down. This is all far from certain, of course, but it offers the preservationists a reason for measured optimism after so many years of disappointment.
At least someone is appreciating that pure Catskill Mountain water being poured out all over the ground.
Formerly known as the Bernheimer Building before some of its letters defected. Make sure to take note of the funny-looking security barrier and the not-so-funny-looking pigeons above the doorway; you can see them better if you zoom in. I failed to get a good shot of the awesome mural to the left, but fortunately this guy didn't.
The Lenox Casino, built in 1905, once stood on this corner. In 1912, police raided the place after discovering an audience of hundreds of men gathered here to watch "hot stuff", a.k.a. "moving-picture shows of a questionable nature" featuring "a wide variety of questionable poses".
The casino was later transformed into the Nation of Islam's Temple No. 7, led by Malcolm X. Malcolm left the Nation in 1964 and was succeeded here by Louis Farrakhan. After Malcolm was assassinated by three members of the Nation a year later, the temple was destroyed in a bombing. The Nation relocated the temple elsewhere, and the Sunni Mosque you see above, named in Malcolm's honor, was erected a few years later, designed by a man named Sabbath Brown.
The Urban Garden Center, part of the beneath-the-railroad marketplace known as La Marqueta
Surrounded by sports trophies and old Sunny D bottles, this standalone shrine fits snugly between an apartment building on one side and a metal roll-down gate on the other. According to one guidebook: "Originally put in place by the parish of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel to commemorate Italian soldiers killed in World War II, it is now used by the neighborhood's Latino residents." (I assume they meant Italian-American soldiers!)
Just dropped by for a quick beginning-of-the-day visit to the Self-Transcendence 3,100 Mile Race. Many of the runners cut the toes out of their shoes to relieve pressure, reduce friction, and let in some fresh air.
But this house has had a serious shave in the past year.
The owner of these horses said they live at the Bronx Equestrian Center, but he likes to bring them out here to Queens once a week just to hang out in the neighborhood.
Construction at the Locust Manor LIRR station. The coyotes will be pleased with the improved facilities, I'm sure. This station once served the adjacent Jamaica Racetrack, which closed in 1959 and was subsequently torn down and replaced by Rochdale Village.
It looks quite similar to the first one we saw just off of Kings Highway in Brooklyn. The horse trough hypothesis still seems like wishful thinking, and most of the streets in the northern part of Laurelton (including this one) were not built until after the age of horse travel, but it's worth noting that we're only two blocks from Springfield Boulevard, which is sufficiently old to have once had thirsty equines trotting its course.
than this guy! I count 19 eagles in Street View, although several of them have been decapitated.
This is a very linguistically innovative block. The next three businesses to the left are Rhea-listic Beauty Salon, Nick of Tyme Mail Depot, and Upgradez Nail Salon.
would be an ironic nickname for the dour gentleman holding the leash, who was very visibly not enjoying himself.
These old brick columns, and others like them found along the edges of Hollis Park Gardens, preserve the area's pre-numbering-system street names.
Could there be, in this entire world, a scent finer than that of Gorila Burp? To my nose, its only possible competition is the lustful fragrance of BIG BOOBS (partially obscured in the back row).
Just a couple of hours left before the end of Day 7 at the Self-Transcendence 3,100 Mile Race. As you can see, Atmavir is already approaching 500 miles!
Part of Staten Island's awesome Bluebelt system
Taking a stroll through the Bluebelt, we find some raccoon tracks at the edge of a little creek identified as Sandy Brook by a plaque mounted on a nearby stone.
Presumably for the purpose of reducing vehicle traffic in the area, six consecutive intersections along Vernon Avenue are bisected by these diagonal automobile barriers. Another pedestrian triumph over the cars of Staten Island!
One theory: "Queen Anne of England, whose only recorded grace was a 'harmonious voice,' was fat and plain. Her namesake, Queen Anne's lace, is delicate and a marvel of floral intricacy."
Others say the flower's name comes from Queen Anne of Denmark, or perhaps even St. Anne.
A dumpster in a bag. In yet another damning indictment of the modern age, this thing has its own Twitter account.
Did you know that Dumpster is actually a brand name? Not surprisingly, the writers of "The Simpsons" did.
