When I first saw the sign in the featured photo I was taken aback. Somewhere a few paces back had I crossed an invisible line and now found myself in the New York of the Harry Potter universe? No such luck. It turns out that the department of transportation is behind these signs. There are stop signs on the road and pedestrian crossing at half-block points from the 51st to the 53rd street. These lead through a linked series of privately owned public spaces. This is the secret avenue in the heart of mid-town Manhattan. Just a badly kept secret, and not magic! I mentally shrugged my shoulders and moved on.
The day went by in a succession of muggle lattes. Later that evening I think I saw magic again. Looking out over the city I saw ectoplasm dribbling into the sky over the headquarters of the Ghostbusters. There’s a photo here to tell you that it’s the truth. New York is not totally mundane, rest assured.
