Puddle Hopping

It's taken only a few days for the second largest snow storm in New York City history (in the last 150 years) to nearly vanish from the streets of Manhattan. Most of what remains is gray snow and slushy puddles that require, in some instances (above), a man-made assist to maneuver.

Blizzard of 2016

I took these photos before 1 p.m. today, when the storm was only getting started.

#42ndstreet blanketed by blizzard. #blizzard2016 #snowmageddon #firstblizzard #snowstorm #n'oreaster2016 #❄️

A photo posted by Rob Wolf (@robwolfbooks) on Jan 23, 2016 at 9:25am PST

Remember the sun tan lotion Sea & Ski? This is Swim & Snow. #workingout #blizzard2016 #snowmageddon #n'oreaster2016 #firstblizzard #❄️

A photo posted by Rob Wolf (@robwolfbooks) on Jan 23, 2016 at 9:02am PST

Subway stairs never looked so pretty. #unionsquare #subway #snowmageddon #blizzard #storm2016 #❄️

A photo posted by Rob Wolf (@robwolfbooks) on Jan 23, 2016 at 6:41am PST

Weddings+Snow=Spring in New York City

My friends John and Vincent got married today. Like my husband and I, they've been together for nearly 30 years (29 in their case, to be exact), so in a sense, the wedding was putting a bit of legal icing on the cake of their relationship (a horrible metaphor but weddings make me think of cake, I guess). I was honored and joyful to serve as a witness, and I also got a kick out of seeing once again the clockwork machinations of the Manhattan Marriage Bureau. There were hundreds of folks there when we arrived, each group waiting for their number to be called.

It was the first day of Spring, a typically fickle time weather-wise, so it seemed appropriate that by the time we left, snow had begun to fall.  By late afternoon, the trees in Riverside Park were thoroughly (and beautifully) covered.

Snow: the Good & Bad

New York has two faces when it comes to snow storms. There's there the beautiful moment when the snow is fresh or even still falling, and the flakes collect on branches and sidewalks, softening sounds and conveying tranquility. The calm and beauty is especially evident on side streets, like 43rd between 10th and 9th pictured.

Then there are the days post-snowfall, when the white turns gray. Sometimes, at busy intersections, the gray appears instantaneously, especially when the new snow combines with old snow. Such was the case a few minutes ago in Times Square, where a man was trying to squeegee away a huge puddle of slushy snow from the corner of 42nd and 8th Avenue.