New York Morning

Oh, I was thinking as I fell asleep last night, I'm tired of what I've been shooting. I want to go somewhere different. I've done the night thing to death. I was mulling over different changes of scene - but it felt like I had been everywhere in this monumental city. That's not true - I haven't really explored a lot of places in the outer boroughs - and definitely haven't tried Staten Island and very little in Queens.

My thoughts circle around in this virtual tour of the city. I let them fly around until, much to my surprise they land at 59th street and 5th avenue. This just seems to be the navel of Manhattan for me right now.

But it's not the great navel it used to be with the Plaza closed down. And lately a lot of the lights are out by the fountain, and you just stand there in this murk and smell the horse manure.

I'm imagining it at different times of day. Dawn. Dawn on a weekend morning. So the alarm got set, and at 6 a.m. or so I was standing in front of the Bloomberg building waiting for the sky to change.

This time I put the tripod in the middle of the empty street - and photographed with the guards small in frame watching me. I was - after all - on public property so there was nothing they could do but watch me.

And then I moved on. The homeless hadn't been swept from the avenues yet. One was sleeping in front of a ad that has Greta Garbo. Oh - the contrast is a little too obvious. I'm sick of the obvious. More homeless. I'm finished with that.

And I walked past the obvious irony. But the image stayed in my brain and I had to return. That was a shot I had to have and I'd be pissed if I didn't. And I took several shots. Obvious. And can't wait to see it.

Windows were being cleaned everywhere. Construction workers sitting around eating breakfast waiting for things to start up.

The sky glows behind the buildings.

How beautiful the city was without New Yorkers. Stay in bed and let me watch the gleaming patterns form without the usual frenzy.

Into the park and there is this multi-seated bicycle by duck pond. Red. About 10 seats facing each other. As I approach it - a guy on a walkie talkie asks me if this (meaning the Party Bike) is mine.

No. Not mine. Never saw one before.

So he's on his walkie talkie trying to explain to some security guy: There's this bike - this party bike down here unattended.

But party bike sounds like something else to the guy on the other end of the crackle and I hear: There's a bike down there?

- Not a bike. A PARTY bike. You know - one of those bikes with like 8 seats on it. You'd better come down here and investigate.

- Roger that. Party bike. Stay there - I'll be right over. Over.

And I walk off and do some nice reflections in the duck pond - thinking of that question from Catcher in the Rye - but where do the ducks go in winter?

And on my way back - there are three park security guys standing around the red bicycle hydra trying to figure out how to move it. Could it be a new security threat?

I just stand around watching the show. I had no desire to take a picture of it. I'll leave it to your imagination. One of the security guards climbs into it - there is a seat in the center - and there might be a small motor in it. I'm not sure.

But the next problem seems to be what to do with the thing. It's like 8 bikes all pointing to a center hub where the security guy sits.

So they're going through where to bring the thing - and that's about as much of the show as I have the patience for so I continue on my way until the roll is gone. Hop in a cab and by 9 a.m. I'm back in my bed - sound asleep.