vip in the city

(Post-)Holiday Stars

I noticed in my leap past December that I didn’t post any photos of the holiday decorations at Time Warner Center this year. These may be my favorite, and “Under the Stars” will be on display for just another day, through January 4. With temperatures in the city dropping into the bitter teens this evening and a RealFeel Temperature™ in the low single digits(!), these colored lights have the added benefit of being viewable indoors.

Tags: Columbus Circle, holiday decorations, stars, Time Warner Center

The 9th day of Christmas

A last look at the Christmas tree in front of the New York Stock Exchange. This tree lighting tradition, which dates from 1923, is believed to be Manhattan’s oldest. As in years past, 2007’s 65′ Norway Spruce from the Catskills was decorated with 10,000 multi-colored lights and 250 multi-colored balls. The six 50′ columns of The Exchange’s façade were strung with lights to create an illuminated American flag measuring 40′ high by 72′ wide.

After the weekend, like so many trees around the city, The Exchange’s tree will be converted into mulch. At MulchFest this Saturday and Sunday, participants can bring their Christmas trees to local parks throughout the five boroughs to chipped and bagged for mulch.

For those that miss out on Mulchfest, the Department of Sanitation will collect trees left at the curb for composting through Wednesday, January 16, 2008. Is there anything more melancholy than the sight of all those brown-edged trees, stripped of their tinsel and lights, lining the sidewalks?

More backfilling of December posts to come. Looking at that birthday cake from Ceci-Cela reminds me that this is the week the SoHo bakery prepares its galette des Rois (Kings’ cake), a Feast of Epiphany treat made with flaky puff pastry, that can be plain or filled with frangipane, an almond-flavored paste. Hidden inside the cake is a “fève” – once a bean, but now a small porcelain or china figurine; the recipient of the slice containing la fève is crowned King (or Queen) for the day. C’est magnifique!

Tags: Christmas tree, Epiphany, holiday decorations, mulch, NYSE

A matter of perspective

Around the corner at The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, the shop had sold out of their popular Almond Cookie, Don Tat (egg custard tart) and Black Sesame ice cream flavors after a busy holiday week. Boo!

As we perused the dry erase board for an alternative, we could have chosen from among Lychee, Durian, Pandan and Zen Butter (peanut butter ice cream with toasted sesame seeds) listed under “Regular” flavors. Under “Exotic”: Chocolate and Vanilla.

Reminds me of HSBC’s “Your Point of View” ad campaign.

And on the topic of wordplay, I read today that Dave Eggers’s nonprofit youth writing workshop and tutoring center, Park Slope-based 826NYC, is hosting a fundraising tournament on Saturday, January 19, 2008: Scrabble for Cheaters. When I forwarded the list of “cheats” for charity to my partner-in-crime (you know who you are, ahem!), he was “outragedqxz” by my revisiting of 15-year old indiscretions. Current price tag on our past peccadillos: $400.

Tags: Chinatown, ice cream