New York in New York New York.

December 2010.
The US Postal Service issued the Statue of Liberty Forever Stamp.


March 2011.
An error was discovered by a stamp collector…The Statue of Liberty on the Forever Stamp was not The Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, but the Statue of Liberty Replica at New York, New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The image selection was inadvertent. It was picked from stock photos believing it was the ‘real’ Lady Liberty. Ten and a half billion stamps later, it was the largest run of errors in USPS history.

December 2016
My annual December Vegas trip with my Gambling Buddy Robin. Each year we have a photography contest with various photographic categories….you know….the standard stuff….Hookers, Barfing, Hidden areas of Casinos, Farm Animals....those kinds of categories. Neither of us had ever stayed at New York, New York Hotel and Casino and we had 2 nights booked this trip. It seemed fitting to add a new photographic category in honor of the 2011 Statue of Liberty Forever Stamp....I call it: New York in New York New York. The intent was to capture photos that appear to be in New York and aren’t obviously in New York New York Hotel and Casino. Scoring was 25 points per photo.

Without further ado...I give you the New York in New York, New York competition.

Apartments of New York


1. "Flamingo 1"


2. "Pink Flamingos"


3. "36"


4. "101 B Hudson"


5. "Door 34 Where are You?"


6. "Blue Apartments"


7. "Dead plant on AC"


8. "That's my Bike"

Streets of New York


9. "Christopher Who"


10. "Karate Chop"


11. "Master Yang Jun Karate"


12. "Park Here 24"


13. "American Flag. Mexican Flag."


14. "Roxy Hardware and Housewares"


15. "Broadway and Greenwich"


16. "Fulton Fish Frye...Original"


17. "PAC FIC RIM BOOKS"


18. "NEWSBLDG Mural"


19. "Greenwich Village Coffee CO"

Windows...AKA Peeping Leroy's"


20. "Window Dog"


21. "Window Dog 2"


22. "Geisha Window"


23. "Window Tiny Naked Dancer"


24. "Utensil Window Clock"


25. "Roxy Hardware Window"


26. "Hookah Window"


27. "Another Window"


28. 'Ch'escher window"


29. "Birdcage window"


30. "3 windows"


Architecture


31. "Soldiers and Sailors" To the memory of the Brave Soldiers and Sailors Who Saved the Union.


32. "Soldiers and Sailors Monument" 1902.


33. "Empire State" April 11, 1931.


34. "Empire Strikes Back" 1250 ft.


35. "The Century" 1931.


36. "The New Yorker Hotel" 1930. "Inventor Nikola Tesla spent the last ten years of his life in near-seclusion in Suite 3327, where he died, largely devoting his time to feeding pigeons." Now owned by Rev Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church.


37. "55 Water Street" 1972.


38. "Liberty Plaza" 1972.


39. "Chrysler Building" May 27, 1930.


40. "Chrysler Building 2". Tallest building in the world...for 11 months.


41 "Ellis Island Center". Built 1903. Millions passed through this gateway to the American Dream.


42. "Grand Central Terminal". Built 1903.


43. "More Flags"


44. "1936. It was a very good year"


45 "Liberty IS Black and White"


46. "Fresh-Faced, Sultry, Smirking Liberty...Looks for Huddled Masses"

December 2013

Robert Davidson the sculptor of Statue of Liberty at New York, New York Hotel and Casino sued the US Postal Service for copyright infringement. He argued that his creation was a work of art covered by copyright and not merely a reproduction of the one in New York Harbor. He claimed the Vegas statue was more “fresh-faced” and “sultry” than the original.

"There are many differences from the original, from a “softer, more feminine and realistic silhouette” to the “fuller chin, a friendlier expression...". According to the New York Post, "The two ladies do look unmistakably different. The Las Vegas sister has more stylish hair, and appears to be smirking slightly. Her crown also features a plaque, visible but not legible on the stamp, that reads, “This One’s For You Mom.”"

https://nypost.com/2013/12/03/sculptor-sues-postal-service-over-fake-liberty-stamp/

Today
In retrospect we had a great stay at New York New York Hotel and Casino. I've walked through that joint many times over the years. I never realized the full scope of New York details the original designers built into the property. There's so much happening on a Vegas trip that it's easy for those details to blend in with the tapestry. AlanLeroy says "Examine the trees to appreciate the forest"

After the first Category in our annual photography contest ("New York in New York New York") Robin and I are tied at 460 points (23 Photos Each). Go Figure. If you're still reading...Please help us break the tie! Vote (by number) for your favorite photo. And you thought the barfing and hooker categories were going to be exciting...Ok...they are too.

I'm making my first NYNY Casino stay on March 1-3. I'll keep an eye out for these places. Thanks.

That was a lot of work. If you have a collection of photos of LV hookers, some of us would love to see it.

You should get extra points if you can capture the ground in the scene too. I'm with Roulette Man. Bring on the hooker photos.

No hooker pictures until you guys vote for your favorite in the current contest. One contest at a time.

I vote photo 40. The Chrysler Building is an architectural wonder.

My favorites, photographically, in order:

1.--#41. Architecture galore and lighting, framed against clouds and blue sky.

2.--#18. Fabulous retro art and angular accent pieces, glorious color.

3.--#9. I kept going back to it. One gorgeous color of brick accented architecturally by the white window frames, framed between the green leaves of two trees (or bushes?).

Good stuff!

I'll vote for the picture with this little guy.



When Anthony Bourdain did his first show on Vegas he had a couple of fun comments:



The first was something like, "I wouldn't go to Vegas if they paid me, then someone actually paid me.

When he walked into NYNY for the first time "This is so wrong". He was referring to many of the interior scenes you shot. He asked where the pigeons were.

I can remember watching NYNY being built and being anxious to see the interior. I've stayed there only once.

I think the amazing thing is they never replicated the World Trade Center for the exterior of the building. I don't know what they would have done after 9/11 if they had done so. NYNY had a great tribute to all of the NY Firemen and policemen who lost their lives on 9/11. It was outside and you could literally spend an hour reading all of the exhibits. Anthony Bourdain's First Vegas show

I like #6 blue apartments, if I were voting. watch out for those hanging chads.

Many of you have asked: "AlanLeroy....Is there a map of New York, New York Hotel and Casino so that we might have our own New York in New York New York photography contest?". Fortunately for you, there is. I scoured the Internets for such a map prior to my December trip, but was not successful in finding such a treasure. At check in, I asked the check in clerk if she had ever heard of such a thing....and she gave me this...