OVER THE TOP LIGHTS IN DYKER HEIGHTS

Last night we had the good fortune of a friend with a car offering a trip to view the over the top lights of Dyker Heights. This elegant Brooklyn neighborhood has a long standing reputation for Christmas displays that began in 1984. It has expanded yearly since to a current cavalcade of Christmas kitsch that will leave you bedazzled with your eyes ringing. There are moments of tasteful and ingenious engineering as well, and the fact that this neighborhood opens up for 

the tens of thousands of light seekers is commendable.

                    all photos ©Ken Brown

END OF YEAR ODDITIES

                                     
                                                 a small batch of end of the year oddities...

                                  all photos ©Ken Brown

"FELLOW CITIZENS"

                        A favorite ongoing category in my street side rambles is 
                   “fellow citizens”. You may even recognize a few of them…

                                                all photos ©Ken Brown

HAND PAINTED WALL SIGNS

               I have been a long time fan, follower and advocate of the hand 

               painted sign. Original hand painted wall signs are a rarity in the 

               city and the combination of disappearing old buildings and the

               arrival of huge vinyl billboards have taken their toll. However, 

               I have noticed in recent years, there has been a renaissance 

               of this ancient craft with the arrival of several new mural 

               companies, all passionate about the combination of art and 

               design on large scale projects. 

                                   

                                            All photos ©Ken Brown

SHOE REPAIR STREET SIDE GALLERY

     Small street side businesses have a long history in NYC and though rare 
    today,there are still some wonderful examples. This shoe repair stall under
    an awning in Chinatown has been there for over 25 years and I always 
    enjoy the constantly changing gallery of artworks by the children and
    grandchildren of the owners.

all photos ©Ken Brown

   

URBAN ODD-IBILIA

             This past week has been so disturbing that I felt that this week could 
           use a change of channel with a quick dose of urban odd-ibilia… 

    


                           all photos ©Ken Brown

POLITICAL ART

I have been documenting political commentary on city walls since Ronald    Reagan and, as we careen into these last days of the most painfully disruptive campaign I have ever seen, there is a palpable sense of dread and discomfort. The primary cause is a complex and alarming amalgam of America’s ugly side which manifests in the form of Donald Trump.This dark cloud of bloviating insanity has been creeping across the land for far too long and I can can only hope that human dignity and compassion will rule the day on Tuesday. Please Vote!

all photos ©Ken Brown