Eyes on the Street

This striking color photograph was snapped on Broome Street near Baruch Place (a street that vanished beneath the Bernard Baruch housing project) on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, September 27, 1941. The photo is part of the Charles W. Cushman collection at Indiana University. A tip of the hat to Kevin Walsh's outstanding Forgotten New York web site for pointing this out.

City Council Member Robert Jackson, foreground, participates in the "Umbrella/Sombrilla" celebration, held in Inwood last Sunday. The Dyckman Street festival involved neighborhood residents simultaneously waving and twirling dozens of umbrellas to symbolize the birth of the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, an umbrella organization (see?) founded to promote uptown art and artists. Umbrella/Sombrilla kicks off the 5th Annual Uptown Arts Stroll, a three-week series featuring a sidewalk art fair and other outdoor exhibitions. Sunday's events culminated in a block party, with kids and their families taking over the streets.

What a big weekend for public cycling events. This Sunday, more than 30,000 cyclists enjoyed perfect weather for the 30th anniversary of the Five Borough Bike Tour, a 42-mile traffic free ride through the city including a jaunt along the Gowanus Expressway in Brooklyn. It is the largest recreational cycling event in America.

Further review of photos from Senator Charles Schumer's Saturday bike ride in Brooklyn, which included an entourage of about 20 cyclists and a police escort, has turned up what appears to be two more U.S. senators, both from the fine state of Vermont. Snapped outside of Schumer's Prospect Park West apartment building, that looks like Bernie Sanders in the blue and gray sweater and Patrick Leahy getting a little help with his helmet. And how about the guy in the white shirt back there? He looks vaguely senatorial. North Dakota's Byron Dorgan?

Senator Charles Schumer hit the road this Saturday with an entourage of about 20 other cyclists and a police escort. As he led the group down Prospect Park West our tipster heard him telling the assembled, “Jennifer Connolly lives here…” Does anyone know what the bike tour was all about? Photo: Dave Kenny

On-street parking space becomes a pub’s outdoor patio in Covent Garden, London.  Photo: Aaron Naparstek

West 90th Street Bike Lane between Columbus and Central Park West This is one use of the new bike lane on W. 90th Street that I did not expect to see. I’ll leave it to someone else to submit this to MyBikeLane.com. Photo by Glenn McAnanama