September 20, 2011
Tonight is Monday, which I’ve turned into what I call my “Six Pack” night where I do something in a series of sixes. Tonight I’d take six photos of a well known building on Fifth Street with the devilish address of 666 Fifth Avenue.
And we're off, it's a little chilly out, I have to remember to start wearing my jacket.
Okay, here's Fifth Avenue...
About 22 blocks straight up and we'll be there.
A shot of the Manhattan skyline in midtown. When you live here, you forget to look up sometimes and you miss all this.
Holy shitballs, talk about missing things, here's a Papaya Dog that I never knew existed.
It's probably the smallest Papaya Dog I've been to.
But they serve a great hot dog as always. Sorry, Al!
Aaaahhh!
Ironically, just a couple blocks from the devilish 666 Building is St. Patrick's Cathedral.
Check out the giant wooden doors, impressive.
She kind of looks like a character from Little House on the Prairie.
Okay, we're almost there.
Here's the building. It looks like a place where Satan would live.
Shit, they must be working on the building, I wanted some sort of iconic shot of the 666 address, what a gyp!
Maybe there's something down here on the side of the building.
And here we go! My original idea was to take six shots here, but there's only so much you can do with one address marker. So I'll take three to mirror the three sixes. And here we go...SIX...
SIX...
SIX...goodnight everybody and see you tomorrow after dark.
Further reading: New York Magazine, Wikipedia and Guest of a Guest.
You Might Also Like: Duke Nukem, Duke Slater and Sir Duke.
I shouted out,
Who killed the Kennedys?
When after all,
It was you and me.
24 Comments
Reader Comments (24)
OK .... that surprise link is funny !
Years ago used to work right across the street, 53rd and 5th, in Doubleday Bookstore. I, too, was fascinated with the address, 666 5th Avenue. You would think someone made it up.
You need a new bottle of SOL
Why change,,,it was the Tishman for years, since 1957. Well for a pick six,,,,it was the trip over there, the twenty plus blocks, the desolate, dark streets, that was the trip. On your next Swizzle stick nite, try "Harry's New York Bar" at the Park Lane Hotel,,,,I think you will like it. The Stones song,,,is ok,,,but I've never been a real big fan, only a handful of songs I like by them. But again,,,666 building, etc.
The first time around I didn't realize that the top Empire Pizza, electronic sign is scrolling. Only after comparing and contrasting the 2 shots did I suss it out. (That and figuring no one would pay for an electronic sign that made their store an inter-office memo." In Re: Empire Pizza".)
I had "Sympathy For the Devil" in my head all Friday night, Kara Kennedy died (Ted's daughter). Since I live in Kennedy Central, every station's newscasts and news teasers lead with it. Luci got another. (I still like Laibach's versions of SFTD the best.)
@GENE: I like it too.
@Mykola Mick Dementiuk: Is Doubleday still there?
@Terry: I'm waiting for the BBC to get back here and refresh the SOL supply!
@Al: I'll check out Harry's bar tonight, thanks for the tip, co-pilot!
@csp: I didn't hear about Kara Kennedy, I'm sure it was big news in Boston. Did you have a bowl of chowder in her honor? Now I have to go Google her. The Kennedy Kurse lives on!
Hi Marty! I used to work at 666 -- in fact, I believe Jon and I met there. Back then there was a modernist waterfall in the open entryway -- it was a pretty wild looking street level before the mall stores redesigned it into blah.
Shirley Clarke made a beauty of a film of the erection of the buliding, called Skyscraper.
I think i might have jinxed the Kennedy kid...
When i was on the cape last Tuesday i asked my friend if any of the Kennedy kids were still alive.
I had to knock on wood yet there was none.
All my fault.
One of my fave things when i was a kid was St Pats..I felt drawn to it with my silly little antique camera.
Maybe that is why I take a bunch of pics of churches now.
Never been to the 666 building though.. didn't know about it:(
so how many Kennedy kids are left?
I only went to the north shore of the Cape..Not where jr died or anything.. so maybe they are all safe LOL...
I have no idea this was in late 1968 or so, they had store all over. I worked there a few months then moved to Scribner's Bookstore on 48th Street, they paid a nickle more, I think. I worked as a stock boy packing up books. Worked with some cool people, Patti Smith was one, many years before she became famous. We all were nothing but childish hippies, and some still are. Oh well...
Hey I've been to St. Patricks back in 1996, so been near there! It's a beautiful building. The surprise link just opens up a blank page for me, sad. I wonder how many other unknown Papaya Dogs are hiding out there.
@Grade "A" Karen: Pretty wild that you used to work there and that you met Jon there. Very cool! I'll look for the Skyscraper movie online. I'm sure I can find it via Google, thanks for letting us know about that!
@Gidget: So it's you who Kurses the Kennedays! I don't know how many are left, but I think Robert and Ethel Kennedy had around 3,017 kids, so there's probably some still around. They're probably having chowdah right now!
@Mykola Mick Denetiuk: I would love to take a time trip back and go to those book stores back in the day!
@kari: St. Patricks is a cool building, I'll have to go back when it's open some day. Sorry the surprise link isn't working, try it from home, it's pretty funny. And I think I've now hit all the Papaya Dogs in the city, much to Al's horror!
I walked past St. Patrick's when the pope was in town, but forgot to wear my red shoes. Nice pics of the address, but I especially liked the one with the boarding up and the glowing hand in the forefront. It was telling you to go back and drink your brews, no doubt. Smart hand.
Hey, this just occurred to me. Do you think the pope wears those shoes as an homage to Elvis Costello?
Nope, they are utilitarian. If he clicks them three times, POOF, right back at the Vatican. There's no place like home.
@Biff: Ha ha ha! I didn't even see the hand and had to go back twice to find it! Nice going eagle-eyes! And I don't know about the shoes and Elvis Costello. I see the pope as more of a Graham Parker fellow.
@csp: A timely comment as I'm traveling back to Peoria in two days.
what a devilish 'venture MAD went on,,,wish he had fulfill his mission,,,ah gave it his best shot,,,gave us some great shots and links,,,,got a papaya dog to boot...sounds like it was a "great place at one time"...nice mix religion (St. Pats and the "mark of the beast")...but "Now if uh, six uh, huh, turned out to be nine Oh I don't mind, I don't mind uh"...maybe we are all misinformed...sorry to read Al not a "fan" of the stones...each his own...a lot of their shit stands up today more so than the shit of today...blah blah blah...
We did six records, then six movies. Now we need to do six of something else, so we get 666 - and then our master Satan can return!
~Cheech Marin
rr
@rr: Love that Jimi Hendrix reference! And the perfect quote as always! I had no idea Cheech and Chong did six movies!
You're bringing back memories, again. Marty, I used to work on East 46th Street betw. 5th & Madison. There was a Korvette's department store (look it up) across the street, on 5th betw. 46th & 47th. I think they went out of business sometime in the mid 70s. The one thing I remember is that they had a records sale prior to bankruptcy. I bought a huge collection of classical vinyl at something like 79 cents per disc. The going rate everywhere else was between 17 & 20 bucks. Spent like 2 weeks pay on Deutsche Grammophon vinyl. That's why I'm so kultchured.
Oops - my Zywiec just overfloweth the cup. My typing may appear somewhat erratic in the near future.
How lame am I, was able to see the surprise link at home, and it is funny, but can't get past the fact that after working for Walmart for 6 years, I know that .66 is not a price point they use. So the chances of that being the actual price they were charging are pretty much none and just changed for the photo. Sometimes I wish I could just shut off that part of my brain and just laugh at the picture :) Would totally love the shirt on the left though.
still laughing at "where Satan might live"... can't get over how clean your fridge is! and YES, the "surprise" link was really funny :)
@Uncle Waltie: I had no idea you were part of the Kultchre Klub! And I look forward to the erratic typing. Sip Ahoy!
@kari: Turn off the WalMart monsters in your brain and just laugh at the picture!
@Green Monkey: Good to hear from you, I need to check your blog out, maybe there's an update!
I should have brought a replacement Sol with me! Fail. Next time!
@Britta: No worries, there'll always be a Sol here for you!