If a Building Falls in a Forest...

The past two months have been rainy, especially June. One of the buildings on Admiral's Row collapsed last week, now doubt saturated by the near daily onslaught of precipitation. I had made some pictures of Admiral's Row two years ago, so I wanted to see how it changed.


The weeds have benefited from the rains even if the buildings haven't (another building collapsed on Myrtle Avenue that was not as decrepit).

They wrapped around the fence creating an impenetrable wall.

They were thinner near the ruins.


But in other places they were so thick, I could barely make out the roof tops of the other buildings.

The damp air smelled like green and dirt. I realized that I didn't care if the buildings crumbled into dust. But should the powers that be succeed in building a supermarket here, I will miss the weed forest a great deal.

Nature takes a bicycle

I have never understood why people abandon locked bicycles. If I didn't want my bike any more, I would leave it on the street for someone to take. It saddens me to see them rusting slowly, falling prey to vultures who strip anything useful until there is nothing left but a skeleton.

This image may look familiar because I did some street art with it.


The plants snaking through this bicycle make its demise a little less sad. It is another example of nature reclaiming the space.

I guess I don't mind as much when it becomes an ivy trellis

Union Square Oasis

It is hectic in Union Square Park at the moment, with its renovation upheaval. The southeast end of the park meets a traffic triangle swarming with angry cabs and buses.
I have always found the 14th St. architecture to be abysmal. No matter how many new buildings go up, it cannot shake the discount store vibe.

So I was really surprised to find a beautiful little oval of nature in the middle of all the traffic.

The central tree area is ringed with smaller trees and rose bushes.

These were more riotous roses than the ones in botanic gardens. They were mingling with the weeds and whatever else was around.

There were a few of the more ornate roses.

The pigeons really caught my attention. As I have mentioned before, I am not fond of pigeons. But these were lounging contentedly in the grass, not because they were wounded or sick. They were just taking in the sun.

I have rarely seen such relaxed pigeons, their faces verging on a kind of ornithintelligence. Perhaps their stupidity comes from the stress of city living, like us.


The sound of traffic were always present. Like waves crashing against the shore, it was almost relaxing.