Flare up in the neighborhood last month

The night I got back from Toronto, tired, hungry and over worked I dropped everything, ordered food and flicked on the dvr schedule to check out 30Rock and the John Stewart shows I’ve missed. My take-out from Lovely Day had just arrived when I heard the random chirping and sirens of the Bowery 33 barreling down the street. A usual occurrence every few weeks but very comforting how quickly the FDNY responds to emergencies.

This time, I could smell the burn, a real event, not your typical first response to a fallen elder or car accident. I grabbed the camera and took a few shots from the roof, but rather than catch some action on the street, I didn’t want to dress for the cold and leave my food to chill. The fire was out in a few minutes and apparently was a non-event for the neighborhood.

Lunch in the Park in winter?

It’s FUCKING fridgid in NYC and I hear it’s going to drop more in the next week. I enjoy the option to work at home and wonder the neighborhood to find chill spots to people watch, read and take a break from the work day. One such spot is Vesuvio Playground on Thompson. It’s my playground for free tennis practice in the spring/summer and a good spot to watch the tourists, models and locals wonder off the SOHO strip mall. I’ll be waiting for the spring in 4 months to hit this spot again.

Unfortunately the bakery the park is named after is still closed and just last month it was found, up for sale. It will be missed less for it’s expensive coffee and breads but as a very cozy local Italian bakery to hang out in the winter time, read a historic biography or grab a classic cannoli.

The notice of apology and commitment to reopen which has still not been realized since Vesuvio’s closure in mid-2008.