I'm back! It's been a hectic month of travel, but am glad to finally settle in and catch up on some editing, and going through all your awesome photo streams...

Tough lighting conditions Tuesday morning at Grand Central. When in New York, I always make a point of popping-in, even if it's just to smell the creosote, see the trains and masses of people coming and going in this historic fixture of Midtown Manhattan.

Tags:   Grand Central Terminal passage Midtown Manhattan New York NYC moody low light chandeliers Leica LeicaM LeicaM11 Leicacam M11 Summilux-M 35mm F/1.4 ASPH FLE 35mm rangefinder Messsucher Meßsucher Meßsucherkamera

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Even under a leaden February sky and through thick observatory glass, the Manhattan skyline impresses as usual with its density and vertical feats.

Ninety-three floors up One Vanderbuilt (a.k.a. SUMMIT ONE), and the view looking South was incredible. Said to be the tallest building in Midtown Manhattan, and the city's fourth-tallest building after 111 West 57th Street, One Vanderbuilt rises some 1,401' (427m) above the street grant those with SUMMIT One ticket holders a breathtaking view.

Tags:   SUMMIT One Vanderbuilt Midtown Manhattan New York City skyline breath taking view Empire State Building South skyscrapers cityscape overcast Leica LeicaM Leicacam M11 Super-Elmar-M 21mm f/3.4 ASPH 21mm rangefinder Messsucher Meßsucher Meßsucherkamera gratte ciel

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Orange and white stacks like the one in this photo are ubiquitous in Manhattan. They are not spewing smog, but rather steam from a vast underground network of pipes and conduits that provide heat to many of the buildings and skyscrapers in the city.

Stacks are used to direct a steam leak or vapour condition away from both vehicle and pedestrian traffic, keeping the steam away so cars can can drive and not be impeded by it, and away from people because, steam - it's hot!

Besides being a cleaner form of energy, steam can also allow businesses such as hospitals to allocate traditional electric energy and add more MRI machines or live-saving equipment. It also requires far less equipment, so buildings that have limited basement space or value their basement space or want to reduce maintenance staff may opt for steam power.

Tags:   steam stack Con Edison Energy Street atmosphere streetphotography orange and white alternative crosswalk intersection city Leica LeicaM LeicaM11 Leicacam M11 rangefinder Messsucher Meßsucher Meßsucherkamera 5th Ave 55th SUMMILUX-M 50MM F/1.4 ASPH 50mm

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A New York minute is an instant. Or as Johnny Carson once said, it's the interval between a Manhattan traffic light turning green and the guy behind you honking his horn.

It appears to have originated in Texas around 1967. It is a reference to the frenzied and hectic pace of New Yorkers' lives. A New Yorker does in an instant what a Texan would take a minute to do.

Tags:   New York City NYC Midtown Manhattan New York Minute motion blur yellow cab taxi speed traffic light trails fast Leica LeicaM LeicaM11 Leicacam M11 Summilux-M 35mm F/1.4 ASPH FLE 35mm rangefinder Messsucher Meßsucher Meßsucherkamera

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Street photography on 6th Ave. at 55th Street.

Tags:   streetphotography street Midtown Manhattan New York City NYC English Bulldog Rocco waiting patience pet doggo deli Leica LeicaM LeicaM11 Leicacam M11 Summilux-M 35mm F/1.4 ASPH FLE 35mm rangefinder Messsucher MeÃsucher MeÃsucherkamera Ziegfeld Theater pup dog

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