New York City

The Bronx

Brooklyn

Tar Tadpoles

Location

7th Av subway station at 9th St, Park Slope

Directions

Enter the station at 8th Av and 9th St outside of Dizzy's (stop in for breakfast or a milkshake first). Don't go through the turnstile; instead, walk downhill on the right side of the caged area. About 1/3 of the way down there is a cinderblock bunker inside the cage, with a large pipe protruding through the cage and vanishing into the ceiling. Under the pipe's elbow are the tar tadpoles.

Discoverer

ranjit

Discoverer Commentary

In Proust's Swann's Way, near the end of Part I (Combray) the narrator drops a piece of bread into the Vivonne and imagines that the tadpoles that swarm around it have crystallized out of the water. This is the only thing I remember from that book, except the bit about the pee fairies.

Instead of water, here think concrete.

Discoverer's Site

moonmilk.com

Manhattan

Lion

Location

77th St. subway station, downtown side, paid area.

Directions

At the bottom of the stairs that go to train level, turn left and look at the tile wall. Find the fourth tile over from the corner (not counting the rounded corner tile) in the second row down from the top. Find the lion face.

Discoverer

K.R.

Discoverer Commentary

The striking thing about this lion face is the wide set eyes. I have never seen a lion with such wide set eyes. Also where are the whiskers? This lion has no whiskers.
**

Best Little Slice of Beneath the Planet Of The Apes

Location

92nd St. and Lexington Ave.

Directions

It's in the subway station. Go to the bottom of the stairs that go down to the train on the downtown side. At the bottom of the stairs, look where the stairs meet the wall on the right side.

Discoverer

Monica D.

Discoverer Commentary

You have to pay to get in there.

Large Foreheaded Man Shouting

Location

At corner of 42nd St. and 5th Ave.

Directions

Find the "International Pavilion" on the northeast corner. Look at the windows along 42nd St.. There is a triangular window, then a thin, upright rectangular window, then a series of longer horizontal rectangular windows. Go to the first of these long rectangular windows-the one next to the thin , upright one. A steel frame surrounds the window and there are welds where the part of the frame that sticks out from the wall is attached to the part that lies flat against the wall. Look at the second weld from the top on the left side.

Discoverer

Kurt Robinson

Discoverer Commentary

Fair nose. Excellent upper lip. Unfortunate giant chin dimple.

Dog on a Manta Ray

Location

45 East 34th St., between Madison and Park (I think)

Directions

Go to the entryway to the Raymond building at 45 E. 34th St. The "By Appointment Only" sign covers part of four squares of green marble. Look in the upper right square. Look 5 inches up from the bottom of that square and 1.5 inches over from the left edge. The nose is right against the sticker that says "Women's Hair Systems, wigs, etc". The dogs rear legs playfully torment a manta ray which sports a "The Scream" face, probably as a joke.

Discoverer

Kurt Robinson

Discoverer Commentary

Ok, the manta ray is not well defined. Still it's worth a visit to see the optimistic, double-chinned smile of the dog.

Face Behind the Pipe

Location

Between 31 E 33rd St. and the Airborne Express office.

Directions

Look for the red pipe with two nozzles coming out of the ground. Behind that, an indentation has been chipped out of the wall, probably by firemen, and within that indentation, there is a face.

Discoverer

Kurt46

Discoverer Commentary

It's not a very good face, but the expression is interesting and hard to place. Almost angry, but not really.

Lunging Bumble

Location

1025 5th Ave. Between 83rd and 84th or 84th and 85th (I forget)

Directions

Look at the green and white marble slabs on the ground in front of this building. It's not too hard to find the one with a lunging Bumble (the abominable snowman from "Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer")

Discoverer

K.R.

Discoverer Commentary

None at this time.

Squirrel

Location

33rd St. between Madison and Park

Directions

Find the green marble column (not exactly a column but you'll figure it out) under the Desktop Publishing Technology Center sign. Facing the building, go to the left side of the column so that you're looking at the side of the column that is perpendicular to the wall of the building. Find the 6th square up from the ground. Look just to the right of the center of that square. Find a squirrel.

Discoverer

K. Rubischnoble

Discoverer Commentary

The Airborne Express office seems to frighten the squirrel.

Large Headed Rock Climber

Location

Bleeker St. subway station for the 6 train headed uptown.

Directions

After going through the turnstiles turn left. Go to the first blue tile Bleeker St sign. Find the "S". Look at the white tile that is 8 white tiles beneath the "S".

Discoverer

Kurt100

Discoverer Commentary

Don't bother. A Major Disappointment.

Rabbit

Location

49th St at 7th Ave. in the N/R uptown subway station.

Directions

Go through turnstiles and turn left. Go about 50 feet to where the wall does a zigzag. From where the wall becomes parallel to the tracks again, count 9 burnt orange bricks over, continuing to move away from the turnstiles. The rabbit is 8 bricks up from the layer of vertical bricks that is along the floor.

Discoverer

K

Discoverer Commentary

If you looking for a "bunny rabbit" you will probably be disappointed. This rabbit's dark, stylized, off-center eyes make it a little disturbing. Note: As my train came I noticed an abundance of other potential rabbit heads on this wall. Or at least one other one. I haven't been back for a closer look.

Face

Location

77th St. and Lexington in the downtown side of the subway station.

Directions

Go through the turnstiles and turn left. I don't have precise measurements but go about 15 feet and look at the wall at about knee height. It's about the size of the palm of your hand.

Discoverer

K. E. R.

Discoverer Commentary

It's just a simple face but the expression is great. Happy and peaceful. Nose is sausage shaped but works well. Actually, I have a picture.
**

Bottle Nose Dolphin

Location

77th St. and Lexington in the downtown side of the subway station.

Directions

Go through the turnstiles. There's a railing down the middle of the stairs that are ahead of you. At the top of the stairs and just to the right of the railing there is a patch of lighter colored concrete shaped like the profile of a bottle nose dolphin's head.

Discoverer

kurt

Discoverer Commentary

1. You might be able to see without entering the station if you look throuh the fence. No, I checked. You can see that it's there but you can't make it out.
2. It's awful.
3. It's fading. It may be gone.

Mickey Mouse

Location

Lexington Ave. at 35th St. (map)

Directions

Find the fire hydrant in front of Advisory TV and Radio Labs. Find the first sidewalk crack you would hit if you walked straight out of the door of Advisory TV and Radio Labs (not counting the one that is right in the doorway). Look eight inches back towards the door from that crack, lined up with the center of the fire hydrant.

Discoverer

Kurt

Discoverer Commentary

No comment at this time. Here's a picture.

Queens

Staten Island