Less humid this morning, breezy, but the kind of day to bottle: a perfect spring day. Hard not to stretch and smile and feel happy to be alive on day like this.

Everyday I Show is just a great site.

Dig these New York moments captured by Albert Levy.

Another Retronaut sure shot.

The last time I was in the Metro was to see “The Titanic” of all things. The upper west side movie theater–the spot where Woody goes to see “Duck Soup” in “Hannah and her Sisters”–has been closed for a while but is now set to re-open.

Nice.

Dig this gallery of old New York over at our favorite hang, How To Be a Retronaut.

There is a heavily graffitied wall just north of Isham St, where Isham Park spills out onto Broadway. It’s sanctioned graffiti, done with care and in broad daylight. Some of the murals have been excellent, others have been less so, but they always brighten the corner.

Yesterday, I saw the artist at work for the first time.

I would have stuck around to see him finish, but I had two important meetings up on the hill.

That’s a tightly packed sixty seconds; thanks New York.

Crowded subway this morning, I’m two seats in past the door. A group of teenage girls are standing above me. Hairspray, glossy lips, gold earrings, tight jeans. Eventually, they are pinned in place. One girl, her back to the door, is twisted around and practically sitting in the lap of a woman sitting in the first seat. The girl has no place to go and she says to her friend, “Yo, I can’t move, yo.” She laughs. “I got my ass up in this girl’s face, my nigga.”

I looked up and see a toy Minnie Mouse watch on her friends’ wrist.

Morning train.

Take the train.

Take the train.

Here’s an authentic welcome home after you’ve been gone for a minute. It’s not even that I need to eat a dirty water dog. I just need to see a stand with the words “Sabrett” printed on an umbrella to make me feel right.

From the wide open spaces of New Mexico to the confinement of the city. Sometimes, it takes a few days to adjust, man. This was one of those times because it is easy to get used to that big sky out west. And all that space. I’ve often felt overwhelmed by it. This time, I embraced it and it felt good.

Still, I not sorry to be home. Never am.

[Photo Credit: Elevated Encouragement]

After three or four years of avoiding the arduous climb whenever possible, I now usually take the stairs at 215th St and Broadway when I have a choice. There are 110 of ’em so it’s a challenge, but a welcome one after desk-jockeying all day.

2010.

1915.

This picture from 1916, taken from the East side of Broadway gives you a better idea of the climb.

What challenges do look forward to on your walks about town? Which ones do you avoid? I know I try to avoid the subway on treks of less than twenty blocks, though I’ll train it for less than ten in the rain.

Photos via myinwood.net & placematters.net

All this warm weather is good for us though I’m sure it isn’t great for Mom’s Nature, messing up the normal cycle of things.

Anyhow, the buds are on the trees in New York and that is always a welcome sight.

Just writin’ my name and graffiti on the wall.

[Photo Credit: Graffiti and Girls]

More photo fun over at Gothamist.

Here’s more NYC photography by Michael Sean Edwards over at Gothamist.

From the indispensable site How to be a Retronaut here is a gallery of photographs by Michael Sean Edwards of the Garment District in 1985.

Man, just another great shot from the New York Times‘ tumblr site. I remember this Times Square ad well. Actually gave me the chills seeing it again.

I had the King Kong lunch box and thermos when I was in first grade. Dag.

Baseball is in the air…

A mother and her two girls got on the subway this morning on the upper west side. I’ve seen them before. The mother has a long, narrow face with big teeth but she isn’t unattractive. The girls are maybe four and six respectively.

The mother had her hands full this morning. The girls shifted in their seats and the young one kept talking like an infant.

“No baby talk, please,” the mother said.

At one point, the two girls were seated across from each other. The older one turned her back on her sister and looked out of the window into the darkness. The seat next to her was open and an obese man sat in it. He took up more than one seat but there was still enough room for the older daughter. Barely.

Her sister saw this and said, “That woman is too big.”

The mother told her to be quiet. But she said it again, loud enough for the man–who was not wearing headphones–to hear: “That woman is too big.”

The man’s expression remained blank. The mother turned the little girl around and distracted her with baby talk.