View from the 7 train.

View from the #7 train, photographed by Steven Siegel. 52 Street/Lincoln station in Woodside, New York, late 1990s.

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Christmas in NYC, 1988.

New York, 1988. Photographed by Hiroji Kubota.

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Christmas shopping in snowy NYC, 1984.

Christmas shopping in New York City. Photo by Frank Horvat, 1984.

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In honor of the winter storm headed our way to give us a white Christmas this year.

Warm lights.

1. The New Yorker Hotel sign and the Chrysler Building. 2. The New Yorker Hotel sign and the Empire State Building, photographed by Jay B. Wilson.

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This is a cozy sight to me. For some reason, it reminds me of this time of year in particular, like heading out on a blustery December night for dinner reservations with some friends. The holidays and lots of lights: two things that make this city so viscerally memorable.

Rainy day in NYC.

St. Patrick's Cathedral. 5th Avenue, NYC.

Photo @mvb.

It's a rainy day today here in NYC, and inconvenience notwithstanding, it's the kind of weather that makes me sentimental about New York, especially around this time of the year when everything is gearing up for the holidays. It reminds me of running to catch a train, darting between the jungle of umbrellas of bewildered tourists, determined commuters, and other New Yorkers on a mission (is that a weird thing to feel nostalgic about?) or meeting up with friends between classes for a chai tea latte and a jumbo cookie at Starbucks... It's funny to think how rain can make NYC feel so cozy and familiar to me, kind of like a well-worn, comfy sweater.

Bella New York.

New York skyline, 1991. Scan by Luigi Donatello.

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New York City skyline.

New York City skyline, photograph taken by Kent Almqvist, 1984.

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Roses for June.

Rose garden at The Huntington Library, California.

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Lecce, 1988.

Fashion and Baroque, photographed by Ferdinando Scianna. Lecce Cathedral, Church of Saint Mary of the Assumption. Lecce, 1988.

Sicily, 1987.

Marpessa Hennink at Solunto, photographed by Ferdinando Scianna for Dolce & Gabbana. Sicily, 1987.

Skull and Cross

"Cause of our joy, pray for us."

An unexpected structural detail worked into the facade of a very old building in a small private alley in Florence. The buildings around Florence (and even around Rome, for that matter) are full of these little embellishments that often seem to serve a dual purpose: veneration and aesthetic inspiration.