72nd Street & Central Park West at 8:30pm

Before heading east after a long Hudson river bike ride I stopped in front of The Dakota at sunset and just watched the show.

Some of these photos and other new ones will be available for purchase at the end of next week at Thomas R. Pryor Photography.

My book, "River to River: New York Scenes from a Bicycle," is available for sale @ $12.95 through Amazon & YBK Publishers.

Sunset Over Central Park & Yorkville

Caught a lovely sunset over Central Park's reservoir the other night. 

In ten years, I would die a satisfied soul with no regrets if I could run the Central Park reservoir (view here is 90 St.) and the Coney Island boardwalk again - six miles, 4 times a week. 

With all due respect, "Up yours, arthritis!"

These photos and other new ones will be available for purchase at the end of next week at Thomas R. Pryor Photography.

My book, "River to River: New York Scenes from a Bicycle," is available for sale @ $12.95 through Amazon & YBK Publishers.

Bring Me the Head of Ira Chapman

Oh, I forgot to tell you, I'm being haunted by Ira Chapman's ghost. I was in a deli last week and the satanic Dachshund who feasted on my ankle flesh in the 1970s appeared on the store's counter and spoke, " I am Kaiser Soze!" I nearly dropped my soda. When the clerk gave me my change the wiener dog vanished. I'm doubling up my sessions.

Summer Solstice Memory on 86th Street

An old 86 St. memory ~ Mom's shoe store excursions, dragging Rory and me along with her looking for the unfindable: a comfortable shoe. Us  getting thrown out for speeding, riding the rolling ladder in the store much too fast and playing "Salugi" with the magical device that measured your foot that the shoe clerk claimed cost a lot. 

"Put it down! Now!"

"I Love the Beach" ~ Mermaid Parade 2013 ~ Coney Island

Coney Island was perfect Saturday. A beach day from heaven for the Mermaid Parade. I arrived early by subway and walked the beach and boardwalk for a couple of hours. First thing that caught my eye was this girl to the right. The way she was situated reminded me of Andrew Wyeth's "Christina's World." Saw a thousand characters, a barrel of colors and stayed until dusk. I love the beach.

In addition to the photos here, try this Facebook link to see an album of photos from a glorious day in Coney Island.

Wandering the sand, feet in the water, I listened to early Beatles for an hour on the Ipod (stop after Revolver). Finished up with a bucket of Garland Jeffreys songs. Last one, my favorite, "Lonelyville."

Family Nights On a Yorkville Roof

83rd Street Sunset

The roof was our oasis from the heat, we had many extension cords and hose extensions to get our stuff from fourth floor to roof, for water (had a baby pool), radio and black & white TV. Dad brought up a standing lamp once so he could see while he sketched at twilight. Mom wanted to kill him. She loved her lamps.

Before air-conditioning, I spent entire Yorkville summers with the lights out in our 517 East 83rd Street apartment until it was pitch dark.

Mom could page a calendar in the winter and start sweating when June, July, August flipped by. Dad loved heat. He slept under a pipe in the Navy. Made for nice conversation.

Rory Pryor on 517 E 83 St. roof @ 1961

One afternoon, I said "I'm going blind here!" I couldn't read my comic. Mom told me to go to the back window and use the sun light. This was one of my first openings to get her to let me play out on our fourth floor fire escape facing the backyard and 84th Street. I'd bring most of my stuff out there with me to play with. Eventually, Rory got out there to. I was afraid of heights and kept my butt glued to the stairs. Rory was not afraid of heights. He'd torture me by climbing over the fire escape to the outside, hang off putting his body in mid-air 40 feet over the concrete below and then he'd twist the knife, " Hey Tommy, look, I'm gonna fall and Mom is gonna kill you." I was frozen and he was right.

83 St Sunset

Tommy on roof @ 1961

Rory on roof @ 1961

view from 4R fire escape @ 517 E 83St. @ 1962

I received a "It happened in Yorkville," video from a neighbor, Janet Silverman. I like it, you might, too. Here is Janet's note and a link to her video.

Dear Tommy. This is a true story and stories like this only happen in New York City (and this one happened right here in our neighborhood)! New York is too small, the Upper East Side is too small! Hopefully people can really relate to this experience, laugh at my insecurities, and spread the word so that I can find my Prince Charming and/or future murderer!
Thank you!
Janet Silverman

"Janet's Missed Connection"

Yorkville Memoir on Way - 1900-1973

Over the last month of my Dad's life in the Northport VA hospice, he and I exchanged countless stories about Yorkville going back to 1900. I've collected the best stories we told each other and added old photos that fit right in. 

 My book with these stories and timeless photos will be published next year. I'm working with a collaborator finalizing the manuscript.