Highline Park is almost here!

This video, from Cool Hunting, shows a bit of the process for the development of the Highline Park in Lower Manhattan.

Jon works at a bar that is almost directly underneath the Highline (his restaurant actually used to be called 'Highline', now it's 'Sea') so I've been by many times. It's one of the things I've been looking forward to since I moved up to New York, and it finally opens in June. I will be there on week one to check it out.

So until I can get pictures from the actual park, watch this video...It has some really cool animations and renderings of the park.

This Sucks...

I have tendinitis in my right wrist, so I have to wear this brace at all times. It's basically like wearing a cast that I can only take off to shower and sleep. Not fun.

You don't realize how much you use your wrist for EVERYTHING until it is completely immobilized. Can't wait until this heals...

What (or rather Who) I'm reading...

About 2 months ago, I was reading one of my favorite blogs, BLDGBLOG, written by Geoff Manaugh. If you have any interest in architecture, or just interest in good writing, read BLDGBLOG! Anyways, he mentioned a lecture he was giving along with a few other people. One of those people was Lawrence Weschler, a longtime writer for the New Yorker as well as an extensively published author.

Mr. Manaugh (whose book's late summer release I'm anxiously awaiting) suggested reading the above book, 'Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonder'.

Originally published as an essay in the New Yorker, the book explores the often unbelievable exhibits at the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Los Angeles, along with exploring the mind of it's curator, Mr. Wilson.

Riding the subway every morning gives me plenty of time to read, so I picked it up.

Fantastic book...so good actually, that the minute I finished reading it I went straight down to Union Square and bought another Weschler book, 'Everything That Rises: A Book of Convergences'.


Equally as enjoyable to read as Mr. Wilson's, the book explores the often overlooked relationships between historical events, spanning the worlds of art, society, politics, medicine, religion, and more. Very, very interesting reading, and expertly edited to ensure the reader establishes a visual connection to Mr. Weschler's words. So with 10 pages left to read in this book, I bought another one:

'A Wanderer in the Perfect City'

18 pages in and I'm completely absorbed already. His writing style is such that paints every single subject to seem so interesting and unique, and makes you want to sit down and have a conversation with all of them.

This book is a collection of eight nonfiction essays, centrally themed around individuals who were just going about their daily lives, when all of a sudden they "caught on fire", as if their purpose in life was suddenly revealed to them, and follows their subsequent journeys.

My next book will be 'Boggs, A Comedy of Values', surprise it's another Weschler!

Quilted Maps

Ok this is really cool (appropriately from CoolHunting.com), it's a quilt sewn to resemble a network of streets, this particular one is of a neighborhood in Brooklyn.

This simultaneously attracted the 'Urban Planner' and 'Artsy' parts of me and had me started thinking of other interesting ways in which to integrate maps into art projects. My interest in cartography has been steadily growing in the last few months as I've come across some really cool maps and antique prints (a majority of which I couldn't imagine affording)!

The detail in these quilts is impeccable though, down to the street names which subtly appear, matching the background color. Check it out...

I want one.

Spring...finally...

I promised my mom I'd update the blog today for Mother's Day so I'm gonna try and put a few things up.

I don't know if you remember this picture at all, but this is our front yard about two months ago. There's a bush with a painter's bucket over it, our fig tree wrapped in black plastic, and a bunch of plants without a trace of green.

Well check it out now...


It's not exactly the most exquisitely pruned yard in the world but it's green finally! Actually the whole street looks a hell of a lot better than a month ago. And the best part...


The fig tree has figs already! It's only mid May and figs will be ready shortly...can't wait!

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Well the title of the post says it all, but not really. No words can be used to describe the amount of love and patience my mother has shown in raising me. I haven't always been the model gentleman that I now clearly am.

She has always worked her ass off just to make sure Courtney and I had the best possible opportunities available, and nothing I have accomplished or ever will would have been possible without the undying support from my mother. I love you so much Mom!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Happy Birthday Courtney!!!

Look how f-ing adorable we were!

Tomorrow marks the occasion of my amazing sister Courtney's birthday! She is turning 29, but doesn't look a day over 21. Courtney has always been the much needed voice of reason in my life (along with my mother).

Growing up in a house of women can be pretty taxing, especially when your sister and her slumber party friends come into your room late at night and laugh at you talking in your sleep, but I could not imagine having a more loving and caring big sis.

Walking her down the aisle at her wedding is one of the most meaningful moments in my life and I am eternally grateful for that honor. It was easy though, knowing that she was being blessed with such a great husband, and a damn good brother-in-law.

Now look at how good we turned out, man we're attractive! (Thanks Mom!)


HAPPY BIRTHDAY COURTNEY! I love you more than words can express!