Results tagged “mikeepstein”

With 30,000 red yardsticks on hand, New York artist Gene Schmidt is measuring the width and length of Manhattan. Each yardstick is numbered, used once, and later taken to Schmidt's studio and added to a sculpture. The pilgrimage/performance/art project, titled Manhattan Measure, was inspired by an ancient Hebrew text, but also parallels city walking "pioneers" like Mike Epstein.

In the wake of a federal judge criticizing the NYPD's videotaping procedures last week, I-Witness Video looks at what the NYPD actually uses to record public events and calls it "360 degrees of surveillance," best illustrated by what the police used during the 2004 Republican National Convention.

- And Mike Epstein, Will Sherman, and Jake will be giving a Street Art Bike Tour tomorrow, starting at noon in Brooklyn - here's the information!

Joseph Holmes captured this great picture of a 5 train recently that makes Gothamist think of the 80's. Broken windows be dammed, when was the last time anyone saw a burner like this on a subway? Joe's got two additional shots up on Flickr as well.

While walking all of downtown Manhattan is quite a feat, Gothamist wasn't that blown away by Robert Jay Kaufman's below 14th street travels. Mainly because many other have tried to walk all of Manhattan, most recently Caleb Smith (whose markered up map is above). Photoblogger Mike Epstein of Satan's Laundromat is in the middle of his all-Manhattan walk (we interviewed him a few weeks ago). What is pretty cool about Kaufman's walk is that he's writing a walking guide, Blockology to accompany it. But there are many other things you can do besides walk Manhattan blocks. You can photograph 'em, talk to a different friend every five blocks on the phone, scoop dog poo, buy a different iced drink, pee in alleys... This is how New Yorkers spend their days.

Mike Epstein, City Walker

The Wooster Collective has a great podcast featuring Darius Jones, one of the great New York streetartists. He's been doing a series of pieces featuring lamp-posts and street lights leaning in to kiss each other- and apparently he has just installed a new one somewhere in North Brooklyn- write in if you spot it!

The NY Times Metro section tackles the world of mis-spelled signs, mostly by immigrants, even titling the article, "The Grate American Dreem." The article dips into the sociological waters of the American immigrant experience, namely the New York one, with pockets of so many different cultures, but all of them prone to some funny misspellings. As Gothamist has trouble with the English language ourselves, we found the story charming, because our experiences are certainly informed by the signs we see on a daily basis. Like knowing that the pizza place that serves "lazange" when we need it.

In a series called "everyday life in the city," rion took this photograph (above) of a building on Libert Street, right across from the World Trade Center site, where the tenants on the top floor have created this anti-war message. Gothamist likes this sign, because Ground Zero has sometimes been used as a reason to go to war; with all the tourists who flock to Ground Zero and see the hole where the World Trade Center once was, it's good for them to see that some New Yorkers, though angry and upset, would rather there was peace. We're also very curious about how the owners of the building feel - or maybe the tenants are the owners.

Critical Mass meets tomorrow night at Union Square North. And photoblogger Mike Epstein at Satan's Laundromat was one of the biking arrestees last go around. And related, Kryptonite is offering free locks to those whose locks are easily picked.

It's wonderful how much people love the city and, not only love learning more about it, but love sharing what they know about it. Gothamist once gave a tour of Park Slope in the 7th grade. Plus we usually give the right directions to tourists (except in the West Village where we are easily confused). Hands down, the best directions we ever gave were to Central Park West - from West Broadway!