Adventures in the Blizzard

The blizzard Jonas struck New York City at late evening of January 22, 2016 and continued to dump snow the whole day of the following day. Since it was a Saturday, I went to the city to do my usual weekend walk.

I got off at Rockefeller Center in midtown Manhattan. Prometheus, the most photographed piece of art in New York City, was still clutching the fire while battling the falling snow at the skating rink.

When I passed by the Channel Gardens, it was literally a Winter Wonderland! Very apt for its first showcase for 2016 which has an 8-foot tall disco ball snowman as the centerpiece.

Also at the Rockefeller Center complex is the statue of Atlas, the largest sculpture at the center. He was carrying the world on his shoulders amid the falling snow.

 
Across Atlas is St. Patrick's Cathedral, it's newly-restored facade gleams through the falling snow.

After walking a few blocks along Fifth Avenue, I arrived at the Grand Army Plaza across the Apple flagship store. I could see the crew with their shovels but they were no match for all the snow that the blizzard was dumping.

One of my favorite places in the park is the observation rock by the Pond. I decided to climb and check the view when I arrived in the park since the snow was freshly fallen and wasn't slick as nobody has trampled over it yet. My climb was rewarded with this view.

So where do the ducks go in the winter? They were right there by the Gapstow Bridge huddling on the unfrozen waters of the Pond.

Looking back at this little path by The Pond, in all its snowy glory.

  
The snowflakes sting so much so I took shelter at the Inscope Arch. It was like a snowglobe world, looking out from the arch.

The Central Park Dairy House looked like a fairy-tale house in the winter with all the snow from the blizzard.

Just a few yards from the Dairy House is Playmates Arch, its design echoes that of the Central Park carousel which was already closed for the winter season.

  
Carousel rides weren't in the minds of the people in the park that day, but winter sports like sledding and for the more adventurous, snowboarding. The snow-filled steps of the Bethesda Terrace was the perfect place for it!

Just as The Mall was a perfect place to take a walk in the winter in the middle of a blizzard!

  
At the end of The Mall and the Bethesda Terrace is the Bethesda Fountain and the Angel of the Waters. Whether in the blizzard or on a bright sunny day, the area is everyone's favorite.

I stopped by everyone's favorite bridge, the beautiful Bow Bridge. It looked so magical with all the swirling snow.

I exited the park after the visit to the bridge. Much as I wanted to walk some more, I was monitoring the news as the subway system might be suspended if the blizzard worsens and I wanted to be home by then. On my way out I saw two officers of the NYC Parks Enforcement Patrol Mounted Unit who patrols the city parks on horseback.

When I passed the Imagine mosaic in Strawberry Fields, the part with the word Imagine has been cleared of snow. Fans are really the best!

Outside the park, the snow was still blowing hard. This was the scene I came across as I wait to cross the street.

I dropped by 42nd Street before I headed for home. This was Times Square during the blizzard.

By mid-afternoon the snow was still falling relentlessly, this was my view at the corner of 42nd Street and Sixth Avenue.

My final destination before I went home was the Josephine Shaw Lowell Memorial Fountain in Bryant Park. During extreme cold weather, the water in the fountain freezes, as it did during the blizzard Jonas.

26.8 inches of snow fell on Central Park during the blizzard, making it the second-highest all-time record in a 24 hour period.

Despite the cold and the stinging snowflakes, it was great to be out and walking in the city and the park. Snow really makes the city look like a winter wonderland, even if it would be back to reality the following day with all the shoveling to do.

For the rest of my Blizzard Jonas pics, here are the albums on Flickr:

Blizzard Jonas: NYC Streets

Central Park: January 2016

Weekend Walks in January

I started the year by ringing in 2014 in Times Square. It was great to be there with my family and welcome the new year in the middle of the city that I love.

As I've done in the past years, I walked on weekends, usually in Central Park. Here are my favorite pictures taken during my walks in January.

New York City had its first snow of the year on January 3 so when I walked in Central Park the first weekend of 2014, the park looked like a winter wonderland.

The kids and the young at heart had a great time sledding in the park.

Even Alice and friends were playing in the snow.

When I reached The Reservoir, it looked like a mirror with its frozen waters reflecting the sky above.

The following day, Sunday, I visited Brookfield Place. I was also in the area during the Canstruction Exhibit last year. The light fixtures of the place looked great, especially at night.

I also passed by the pedestrian pathway which opened just last October, the WTC West Concourse which leads to the WTC Transportation hub.

There was no snow the following weekend but it was a foggy day in Central Park. The mist definitely added to the park's charms that day.

At the Harlem Meer, the mist was easily seen rising out of the frozen waters.

Light mist was also swirling around the waterfall area inside The Loch. I love it here, it's so peaceful and beautiful.

The following day I had a short walk in Battery Park. It's always a pleasure to watch the day end and see Lady Liberty across the New York harbor illuminated by the sunset colors.

Battery Park is currently undergoing renovations but I was surprised to see that The Sphere has been moved to another location. This time, it was placed near the Korean War Memorial which is located at the west end of the park. The new location has allowed visitors to view the memorial and the Sphere with One World Trade Center, rising tall just several blocks away.

After Battery Park, I proceeded to Brooklyn Bridge Park to take some night time pictures of lower Manhattan. Ah, New York, you always look pretty at night with all the lights.

Brooklyn Bridge Park has also a great view of the Manhattan Bridge. It was shining brightly that night, the lights reflecting on the water looked like jewels.

Central Park celebrated its third Ice Festival on January 18. This time it was held at the Bethesda Terrace where the Okamoto Studio carved a scaled ice version of the Angel of the Waters.

Last year the festival was held at the Belvedere Castle and a scaled castle in ice was the main attraction.

On my way home from the Ice Festival, I passed by Bow Bridge, it looked so pretty with the colorful sky above.

The following day I dropped by Roosevelt Island for a short visit. The sun was starting to set when I neared the southern end of the island where the Four Freedoms Park is located. It was cool to see the sun "set" on the buildings of Manhattan across the East River.

At the other side of the East River facing Queens, the iconic Pepsi sign along Long Island City's waterfront stand among the new buildings in the area. When I was in the island last spring the building at the back of the sign was just several stories high, its lower eight floors were recessed 12 feet to keep them 45 feet distant from the back of the sign.

The linden trees at the Four Freedoms Park were all leafless but they still stand guard over FDR's huge bust at the center of the park. I can see One World Trade Center peeking at the right side of the picture.

It was already dusk by the time I left the island. Here's a shot I took as I walk towards the subway station, the Upper East Side shining across the river.

It snowed again on the last Saturday of January when I walked in Central Park. The park carousel was closed for the winter season but it looked so charming when viewed from the Playmates Arch.

The ice carvings from the previous week's Ice Festival were still at the Bethesda Terrace area. A lot of visitors were admiring the ice sculptures, even Charley the Lhasa Apso had his picture taken with the angel.

By the time I reached the Bow Bridge, snow has already covered its walkway. I love this bridge, it looks beautiful no matter what angle.

From the Bow Bridge and Lake area, I took the pathway up the Cherry Hill towards the fountain area which is usually full of horse carriages, as this is one of their viewing spots in the park. This looks magical!

Now shall I walk or shall I ride? 

"Ride," Pleasure said 

"Walk," Joy replied.

On the last Sunday of the month I walked along The High Line. There were only a few park goers as the cold that day was so numbing but the park was looking peaceful and beautiful.

It was even glowing from the reflection of the setting sun!

And to top it all, I saw a marriage proposal right by the park. How sweet! And she said yes!

What a great way to end my weekend walks for the first month of the year.

For the rest of my pics, here are the albums on Flickr:

Central Park, January 2014

Night Views from Brooklyn Bridge Park in 2014 

Roosevelt Island, 01.19.14 

The High Line, 01.26.14

Finding Nemo in Central Park

The blizzard Nemo struck the US northeast coast on February 8.  It brought more than a foot of snow to New York City and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands, and stranded drivers on the Long Island Expressway. In addition to a massive amount of snow, Nemo also brought gale-force winds and coastal flooding. This was The Pond last Friday afternoon, when snow started to fall heavily in the city.

I had a seminar in Manhattan on Thursday and Friday, and after our sessions, I dropped by Central Park for short walks. This was how midtown Manhattan looked like from the park late Thursday afternoon ..looks like the calm before the storm.

That Thursday was the day before the blizzard Nemo was expected to strike the northeast. When I was at the Bethesda Terrace, I could already see some storm clouds gathering, and for once, the terrace was empty of people.

On Friday, snow was already falling by the time our seminar was over around mid afternoon. I went to the park just to skirt around the Pond area, there were just a few of us walking amidst the falling snow. Somebody even made a snowman, you can lend him your hat and scarf for some photo-op, and take it back after. He's here by his lonesome posing in front of The Plaza Hotel.

I didn't stay long at the park as snow was starting to fall heavily. The snowflakes of winter storm Nemo were fat and stings when then hit your face. Took this pic of a people-free Gapstow Bridge and tweeted it to @EverythingNYC and The Weather Channel retweeted it. How cool!

Saturday dawned clear and bright but with snow everywhere. When I entered the park at the gate from 6th Avenue, this was one of the scenes that greeted me.

It looks like I'm in a middle of a fairy-tale land. There were a lot of people at the park enjoying the winter wonderland. Snowmen, sleds and toboggans were everywhere. It was great to see the park full of visitors that day.  

This was the Pond area taken from the top of one of the rocks. Central Park was a vision in white! 

Even the Dairy House looked like something from a fairy-tale.

When I passed by Strawberry Fields, the marker was cleared of snow and somebody left flowers.

♫ Imagine all the people, living life in peace .. ♫

A sharp contrast to my pic taken last Thursday, Bethesda fountain was teeming with people that day.

The wings of the Angel of the Waters were dripping a little bit because of the melting snow. The angel looks beautiful whatever the angle.

 
At Belvedere Castle, you can see the Great Lawn also teeming with people enjoying the snow. The shadow of the castle can be seen reflected on the frozen Turtle Pond.

Passing by Cleopatra's Needle, I saw this guy painting the scenery before him. Isn't he good?

I thought Cleopatra's Needle looks best in spring when it is surrounded by magnolia trees. Seeing it standing in the snow, now I'm not sure which is better.

Snow in the park means lots of snowmen. I love the ones made by kids, here's a collage I made.

But I think the best snowman award goes to this guy .. he is just too cute!

I was so entertained by the all the snowmen projects that by the time I reached the Reservoir it was already late afternoon.  The Gothic Bridge lies between the Reservoir and the tennis courts by the North Meadow. It looked gorgeous in the snow and setting sun.

And so is the Pool, looking peaceful in the snow when I reached it.

Entering the North Woods after a snowstorm is like entering a different world. Snow was clinging on trees and it was very quiet, the silence broken with a few bird calls. And amidst all the winter white were flashes of red.

I stayed there for quite some time watching the cardinals play in the snow. It was already late when I reached the waterfalls but it was so great to stand there seeing beauty amidst the solitude of a hushed forest in the middle of the city, and being thankful for a beautiful winter day.

By the time I reached the Harlem Meer it was already dark so the following day, Sunday, I dropped by the Conservatory Garden and the Harlem Meer for a short visit. Ahh, I love it here, would you like to come and walk with me along this pretty alley?

The fountains were full of snow which I think, added to their charm.

When I went to Harlem Meer, the frozen lake made the area look a little wider and made me appreciate more the beautiful sky. Isn't it stunning?

All the waterfowl were at the west side where some parts of the lake were not frozen. 

There were a lot of the usual ducks that you see in the park and one swan. I remember seeing her before last autumn, also at the Meer.

Blizzard Nemo may have dumped a lot of snow in the city but it sure made the park looked beautiful. That weekend after the storm was also a kind of family day as kids and their parents enjoyed many winter activities which I'm sure created lots of memories to last a lifetime.

“The color of springtime is in the flowers; the color of winter is in the imagination.” 

~	Terri Guillemets ~

For the rest of my pics, here are the albums on Flickr:


Taken during winter storm Nemo - Nemo in the Park

Taken the weekend after winter storm Nemo - Central Park: The Day After Nemo

Pics taken the day before winter storm Nemo are part of the album - Central Park, February 2013