79th St Between York Ave and 1st Ave

Yesterday I complained a bit about one's inability to cross 1st Avenue on the Upper East Side during the New York City Marathon. It's an admittedly sore point amongst the locals, feeling a bit trapped in their own homes. However, an interesting and somewhat pleasant side effect (at least for pedestrians) are the multiple street closures which surround the race route. Being able to walk down the center of 79th Street is a rather unique feeling, especially later in the day when the crowds of race fans have subsided and you're left with a mostly-desolate stretch of road.

Meandering from curb to curb I still find myself looking over my shoulder, expecting to see either a car barreling down the street, or someone yelling at me to get out of the way. Luckily I was delusional.

The block is lined with fancy apartments and condos with doormen guarding the entrances of their respective fortresses every few feet. In between a few older buildings have managed to survive including a rather beautiful church on the northern side of the block. There appears to be an attached rectory right next to the church. This street also features a rare non-Cemusa newsstand which has been able to retain much of its vintage charm and grit.

1st Ave Between 77th St and 75th St

Walking down 1st Avenue last weekend was a bit of a lost cause in terms of documenting its more mundane elements. Every year the New York City Marathon does a tremendous job of holding hostage those who live east of 1st Avenue between 57th and 125th streets, so my options for block documentation were a bit limited. I figured it'd be as good a time as ever to check out the runners since I had never experienced the marathon in person before.

As I walked down the block, going against the current if-you-will, the infectious and constant roar of the crowd at mile 16 was unlike anything I had ever encountered. Passing by local stores I had seen dozens of times before it was difficult to imagine the street under normal circumstances, which bummed me out a bit since I like my photos to represent blocks at their most ordinary. However I still couldn't get over the spectacle of the race. The good cheer brought by the anonymous volunteers and spectators brought a party atmosphere to the street. If only I could cross it.

74th St Between 1st Ave and York Ave

Unique for the Upper East Side, this block is populated by mostly older apartment buildings. The dark street has narrow sidewalks that are made even narrower by all the trash bins and trees. The eastern end of the block is capped off by a large condo building and a church.

Across 1st Avenue, there are two handsome buildings. The southernmost is home to a liquor store called Baccus which has wrought iron detailing and stain glass windows. Across the street a building which appears to be a restored bank or post office or restaurant and now houses some medical offices. Their twin detailing play off each other nicely, though few other buildings in the area are as nice.

76th St Between York Ave and FDR Dr

    

As with many east side dead-end streets this one is reserved for expensive apartments, private schools and some unique park space. I'm always fascinated by these end-of-the-line roundabouts. We're so used to the standard midtown intersections that it's easy to forget that they all terminate abruptly on either side of the island.

The Glenwood Luxury Apartments take up most of the space on the north side of the street while the south side is a mixture of schools and housing. 2/3rds down the street John Jay Park can be found, though it's not directly accessible from 76th Street itself, you can wander north towards Cherokee Place to get in. As the park rises higher and the elevation of the street dips lower to meet the FDR, the street switches to a pattern of paving stones. At the end of the block a large planter surrounds a typical double red light "dead end" marker. I was surprised that you could walk along a narrow sidewalk on the FDR, separated from the quick-moving traffic by only a small metal barrier. Not exactly the most comfortable stretch of sidewalk in the world, but I guess if just have to get to 78th street and you're terribly opposed to the west side of John Jay Park, then this is the place for you.

76th St Between York Ave and 1st Ave

With a school and a handful of doctor's offices, this block has quite a bit to offer when compared to its more residential neighbors. While not the most beautiful stretch of buildings by any measure, there is a good deal of variety to enjoy here – wether your tastes are more modern, more industrial, or more classic New York, there's a little bit to enjoy for everyone.

Having only walked down this street a few times before, I was startled to see a large bonze statue adorning the front of one of the newer apartment buildings. Fittingly named The Impala, the statue is of, of course, an impala – which is apparently some sort of antelope. The amount of good taste that goes into the planning and construction of something like that could probably only be measured in units known to microbiologists.

80th St Between East End Ave and York Ave

    

Featuring panoramic views of Roosevelt Island, 80th Street begins on an upbeat which it manages to sustain for the rest of the block. The mixture of apartments, trees and flowers make for a rather quaint stretch which is simultaneously pleasant and boring.

The street would be utterly dead if it weren't for the fact that the east-bound M79 diverts here for its final run over to East End Avenue before looping south to 79th Street to head west again. As a result you tend to encounter a line of loud, idling busses as they release the final few passengers. As convenient as it may be, I wouldn't want to live on any one-way street with a bus stop. The traffic congestion, the noise and foot traffic would be enough to drive me away.