Author: Marcia Mayne

Marcia Mayne travels a world full of books, music, art, fun people and great food. She raves about them constantly. Currently, she is journeying through Jamaica, her home country, to discover the places she missed.

Manhattanhenge 2012

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

Everyone was excited about yesterday’s Manhattanhenge the twice yearly (May and July) phenomenon during which the sun sets in perfect alignment with the east-west grid of certain New York City main streets: 14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd and 57th Streets.

This year’s Manhattanhenge dates are May 29th and July 12th and 13th. Yesterday, with its beautiful sun, promised to make up for May’s dismal rain. To say I was excited would be an understatement.

My niece and friends had planned to view the sunset from the overpass near Grand Central. The overpass is a perfect spot. High above the traffic, it offers the perfect vantage point to get a clear shot of the sunset without distractions. Unfortunately, as soon as we took up our positions, the police arrived and told us to leave. We had no choice but to take to the busy 42nd Street, which is not closed to traffic.

Manhattanhenge 2012
Manhattanhenge 2012

At 42nd & Fifth Avenue, a crowd had gathered. Perhaps the police had urged some of them to leave the overpass. There were a few intrepid photographers, one had set up his tripod right on the yellow line in the middle of the busy intersection. Of course, as the lights changed he, and the rest of us, were forced to move.

When the traffic stopped again, everyone, myself included dashed back into the street to get a view and take some photos. The photo above is what I got before cars and buses started honking.

Unfortunately, yesterday’s Manhattanhenge was almost totally obscured by a thick clouds. Normally, you’d see something that looks like this.

Manhattanhenge
Manhattanhenge, image from the Internet

Manhattanhenge doesn’t occur only in Manhattan. If you live in Chicago, Toronto or Montreal, you have your own henge. Although this is such a short and an unpredictable event, it’s definitely worth looking forward to.

When the sun dropped behind the clouds, we headed to a nearby bar and rounded out the evening with a few cold ones.

Have you experienced Manhattanhenge?

 

I’m linking this post to Endless Summer, a round-up of summer-themed travel posts
hosted by Travel Rants and Raves.

#Travel Photo Thursday: Times Square Afternoon

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

I love Times Square, especially in the summer when I can grab a seat and watch the world pass by. It’s not hard to spot the visitors — in Times Square, they outnumber New Yorkers.

#TPThursday: Times Square
#TPThursday: Times Square Afternoon

You never know who you’ll spot in the crowd. Shortly after I took this photo, I glimpsed the Naked Cowboy strolling across Broadway. An eager crowd surrounded him as soon as he got to the other side of the street. I thought that if I hurried, I could get a photo before more people arrived. But by the time the lights changed, he had moved further down the block. I never caught up with him.

Who’s the Naked Cowboy? He’s Robert John Burck, a street performer who wears only a cowboy hat, briefs, and cowboy boots. He also plays a guitar which he carries in front of him covering his privates.

Originally from Ohio, the Naked Cowboy has been a fixture in Times Square for many years now. He’s become a franchise, licensing Naked Cowboys in other cities.

#TPThursday: Times Square Afternoon

The Naked Cowboy isn’t the only street performer in Times Square — they come and go — but he’s probably the most popular. I noticed a few Elmo impersonators who, for a few dollars, will let you take a photo with them. Here are videos of two others.


photo:

Mark Scott Johnson

I left Times Square, and less than 20 minutes later the friend I was meeting saw Snoop Dog when she passed through to meet me. A huge crowd had gathered, almost taking up a block.

That’s the other thing about Times Square, the crowds. The only time there isn’t a crowd is in the early morning. Go then to experience it and go back later to see how different the energy is.

Have you been to Time Square? What did you like about it?

This is my submission to this week’s Budget Travelers Sandbox Travel Photo Thursday series. Be sure to check out other photo and story entries on their website.

It’s One of Those Days….

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

I’m having one of those days. It’s hot. I’m tired and my brain’s not cooperating. It’s processing far too many words and none of them make sense, least of all on paper. I need water, I need the beach. Any beach will do. But it must have sand so I can bury my toes. Deep, really deep. Aaaah, but maybe a waterfall will do.

YS Falls, Jamaica
YS Falls, Jamaica

What do you do when you’re having one of those days?

Cheap New York City for the Budget Savvy Traveler

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

You’d never know it, but there’s a cheap New York City that beckons the budget savvy traveler. Here are my picks for cheap ways to get around and enjoy the Big Apple.

Most travelers, including Michael Bloomberg, the current mayor will agree that New York City has one of the best transportation systems anywhere. With express and local buses that connect to major subway stops, it’s a breeze to get around the city or get to the airport. And Bloomberg, one of the city’s richest residents, takes the subway to work.

Getting Around

As soon as you get to the city, buy a MetroCard. A single ride on the bus or subway costs $2.50 but a better buy is the one-week unlimited ride MetroCard which costs $29.50 and gets you on subways and buses. Sold at vending machines at subway stations and some kiosks. Vending machines take cash and credit/debit cards. Cards are better for refunds if your MetroCard is lost or stolen. Most subway stations have elevators and/or escalators; many are wheelchair accessible.

Making connections to the airport

La Guardia, take the A, B, C, D or 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 train or M1, M101 bus or Metro North to 125th Street then connect to the M60 bus which takes you directly to the airport. Price by bus or subway $2.5o one way or Metrocard. Add $6.75 for Metro North peak hour rate.

For JFK, take the A train to the Howard Beach/JFK stop and connect to the AirTrain which will take you to the airport. Cost $7.25, including $5 Air Train fare. You can also take the E, J or Z train to Queens, get off at Stuphin Blvd and connect with the Air Train or the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) to Jamaica Avenue. There’s an in station link to the Air Train which runs every 4 to 10 minutes. For LIRR, add $8.75 peak time rate.

Going to or from Newark? Head to Penn Station and take NJ Transit to Newark Liberty Airport station and connect to the Air Train, which picks up passengers every 3 minutes. Cost $12.50, includes the $5.50 Air Train fee. Travel time 25 minutes.

New York Airport Service operates express buses that will take you to and from the major airports. Buses run every 15 minutes and make stops at Grand Central, Penn Station and the Port Authority. If you reserve online, the fare to JFK and La Guardia is $10.

Shuttle Vans/Shared Ride. If you want door to door service on a budget, schedule a pickup with the Supershuttle, also called the Blue Van. For under $20, they will pick you up at your home or hotel and take you to any of the airports. This is a shared service so they’ll be picking up other passengers as well.

On your next trip, make sure you take advantage of these cheap New York deals.

Akwantu: the Journey, a New Film about the Maroons

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

Akwantu: the Journey, a new documentary film by writer/director, Roy T. Anderson, a Maroon, answers the question, Who were the Maroons?

Akwantu: the Journey

Akwantu: the Journey documents the struggle for freedom of the Maroons of Jamaica who were able to flee the plantations and slave ships to form communities in some of the most inhospitable regions of the island. Poorly armed and outgunned, the Maroons faced down the mighty British Empire led by such brave warriors as Cudjoe and Nanny. Cudjoe who has historically been described as a “short almost dwarf-like man” fought for years to maintain his people’s independence and freedom. However, Cudjoe also held the belief that the only way to secure a stable future for his people would be to negotiate a long-term peace with the British. This way of thinking, some would say eventually lead to the signing of a peace treaty with the British in 1739. Nanny, a spiritual leader skilled in the use of herbs not only managed to keep her people healthy, but safe as well by utilizing effective “guerilla warfare” tactics to defend against the vaunted British firepower. More about the Maroons.

Watch a preview here.

 

More Art From Toronto’s Streets

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

I love art and have worked in the art world for several years. But nothing excites me more than finding art in ordinary or unexpected places, where the general public can experience it. I also love to see designs that push the envelope or shake things up a bit.

Take the Sharp Centre for Design building. An expansion of the Ontario College of Art & Design, it’s fun and whimsical and was totally unexpected. It’s probably not everyone’s cup of tea, but for a design school, I think it works.

Finding Art on Toronto's Streets
More Art From Toronto’s Streets – Sharp Centre for Design

I liked the juxtaposition of these two buildings. There’s nothing unique or surprising about either but there are design elements that echo in both.

More Art From Toronto's Streets
More Art From Toronto’s Streets

I did make it to a few of the galleries on Morrow Avenue where I took these photos of the exterior of the building.

Finding Art on Toronto's Streets
More Art
Finding Art on Toronto's Streets
More Art
Finding Art on Toronto's Streets
More Art
Finding Art on Toronto's Streets
More Art

Still on Morrow Avenue, I spotted this piece.

Finding Art on Toronto's Streets
More Art

This 500,000-tile mural at the first Trump International Hotel and Tower to be built in Canada was created from two photos of Torontonians, one taken at an Air Canada Center and the other at Roy Thompson Hall. The photos were superimposed to create the image for the mural.

More Art from Toronto's Streets
Trump Tower Art

The Bay Adelaide Centre, which is directly across from the Trump Tower, features an impressive public art piece which was designed by American lighting artist, James Turrell. The lights are set against what looks like granite walls. It’s pretty cool to watch them change colors – from green to pink to blue to beige, etc.

Finding Art on Toronto's Streets
Bay Adelaide Center Art

What’s the most unusual piece of art you’ve come across in your travels?

#TPThursday: Toronto’s Street Art

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

Toronto’s street art. New York is considered the center of the art world but whenever I visit Toronto, it’s their art scene that I’m most interested in experiencing.

This time around, I was taken by the amount of street art I noticed mostly on the sides of buildings. Here in Toronto, graffiti is legal provided it is approved by the property owner or occupant. It must also enhance the surface it covers and add to the general community surroundings.

The city has even implemented a graffiti management program called StreetARToronto. Its mission, according to its website, is “to counteract graffiti vandalism by developing, supporting, promoting and increasing awareness of street art and its indispensable role to add beauty and character to neighbourhoods across the city.” You gotta admit, that’s pretty progressive, right?

Here’s a taste of the street art I was able to photograph.

Toronto's Street Art
Street Art
Toronto's Street Art
Street Art
Toronto's Street Art
Street Art
Toronto's Street Art
Street Art
Toronto's Street Art
Street Art
Toronto's Street Art
Street Art

My friend and I happened upon a rock balancing artist at work. We joined the crowd and watched as he painstakingly placed small and large rocks, and cinder blocks on top of each other without them toppling over. It was my first time seeing rock balancing done and it was fascinating. You could see the concentration on his face, like he was willing the rocks to stay in place. When he finished a piece, the tension in his facial muscles relaxed ever so slowly.

I overheard him tell someone in the crowd how centering the work was but he can’t do it if he’s angry.

Toronto's Street Art

 

This is my submission to this week’s Budget Travelers Sandbox Travel Photo Thursday series. Be sure to check out their website for other travel photos from around the world.