Land of (Retail) Opportunities

Like most New Yorkers, I rarely go to Times Square. Despite what tourists may think, it is probably the least "New York" part of New York.

But I walked through there a couple of weeks ago, camera in hand. At first, taking photos in Times Square felt like shooting fish in a barrel -- seemingly interesting sights everywhere I looked. But, alas, that wasn't really true, at least if you're not interested in simply taking the typical touristy shots of Manhattan.

I did get a couple of keepers, however. I especially like this one:


I initially wanted to take this picture because of the juxtaposition of the Lady Liberty mime with the sign in the background. But when I raised my camera, Lady Liberty raised her flag-draped arm, refusing to allow "her" (it was actually a man underneath the blue makeup) picture to be taken without an upfront cash payment.

I was disappointed at first. But then I realized that this gesture made for an even better picture: Lady Liberty not allowing her picture to be taken without pay, taking full advantage of this "retail opportunity." Only in America -- USA! USA! USA!

I also saw for the first time after living in New York for 11 years, the so-called "Naked Cowboy." (He is not fully naked, as his tighty-whiteys demonstrate). This particular gray-haired lady really hammed it up with the ol' Cowboy, jumping on him while her posse captured the moment for the folks back home:


Here's another one, entitled "Trinity." I didn't know that the Cowboy was religious:



Everyone's happy but Jesus.