In Plain Sight
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45 Years Late to the World’s Fair
Originally published November 25, 2009. By the time I got there, it was gone. The World’s Fair, you ask? Nope. I am referring to something far more unbelievable… That’s right: Queens once had an honest-to-God Parks Department-approved fountain named “Fountain of the Planet of the Apes.” And if that’s not odd enough, an identical fountain…
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Exploring the Secrets of the Astral Apartments
Stretching a full city block on Franklin Ave (between India and Java) is one of Brooklyn’s most interesting apartment buildings, The Astral, built in 1885/86 by industrialist/philanthropist Charles Pratt (namesake to Pratt Institute), and looking pretty much the same nearly 130 years later. Designed in the Queen Anne style, its facade is a fascinating assortment…
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How Not To Exit A Parking Garage
One more fun one from the Biltmore, where I’ve spent the past week prepping/filming… Swing around to the Grand Ave side… Look above the arched entrance… And you’ll notice a patched section of bricks about the size of a car: As it turns out, this isn’t a coincidence – on the other side is the…
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Scouting The Tower of Terror in Los Angeles
Last week, I was scouting the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles when I suddenly got the strangest feeling… As I was taking pictures of the lobby, with its gorgeous Moorish Revival vaulted ceiling, a thought hit me without warning: I’ve been here before. Except I hadn’t. This was my first visit to the…