Central Park Rocks

Here's my take on the aftermath of the Big Storm. New York is bustling again, not missing a beat. Today, the snow began to melt, but there is such a volume that there weren't enough places for it to drain. The sun shone bright (as you can see from the photo above) and temperatures moved into the 40s. Everyone was outside.

The biggest hurtle for pedestrians in New York as snow melts are the street corners. Grey chips of ice mixed with water sit in large pools, some 5 or 6 feet in circumference, surrounded by lots of slush. The biggest hurdle for drivers? To wait for the pedestrians to make it across the sometimes treacherous city streets before they accelerate.

As I walked around today, this is some of what I saw:

On Broadway--
[Editor's Note: Broadway is the most commercial street on the Upper West Side with few amenities like trees lining the streets. But the center is planted with trees and flowers, and there are benches for people watching. Frankly I can imagine a lot of places I'd rather sit on a bench than on Broadway, but those benches have plenty of traffic in the warmer weather.]

Today, perched on top of a bench in the middle of Broadway and 82nd, I watched a very tenacious toddler scoop snow from the flower bed into his child-sized shovel, and deposit it on the bench, as much of it fell between the slats.

On Amsterdam--
A 20-something walked away from the gym with only shorts and a Tshirt to keep her warm. Optimistic?

On 79th between Amsterdam and Columbus--
I watched the doorman at 224 tip his hat and wish a passerby a happy Valentine's day.

At Columbus Bakery--
An 8 year old, ate a ( superb tasting ) double chocolate cookie. She read each of the Valentine's cards aloud above the noise in the room to her mother. Her mother looked at each card, looking interested in every word as she breastfed a new baby.

On 82nd and Central Park West--
An elderly woman, leaned heavily on a cane, an oversized, too- light jacket draped over her rounded shoulders. She mumbled to no one in particular, as she ever so slowly made her way along the sidewalk, her Zabar's bag thumping her thigh with each step.

In Central Park--
The snow glistened off the black rocks, soft puddles of mud collected on the edge of the walkways. A redtail hawk circled overhead.
M.C.