In looking over the screencaps of Special, I noticed something interesting in the hospital corridor. The first two pictures that you see as Susan wheels him into the hall are pictures of soldiers. They look pretty old from the style of dress. There is also an entire section of photographs on the wall that we can't really see. Thoughts?

there is a VA hospital on E 23rd st in Matt, NY

Did you just say East 23rdStreet?

Might Michael have been in the first Gulf War? This could be a connection to Sayid and to Hurley's "friend." It also makes Michael's comment, "I might not be a warrior, but I am going south" pretty interesting. Hmm...

OK, this is exciting!

http://users.commkey.net/daniel/flata.htm

Is it possible to see the Flatiron Building from a window of the VA Hospital? The Flatiron building is between East 22nd and 23rd streets!

You 2 ROCK HARD

The Flatiron building is shaped like a triangle, and there are a ton of triangle and 3 sightings in Season 1. It's also crosses with 5th Ave.

Did you just say East 23rdStreet?

Might Michael have been in the first Gulf War? This could be a connection to Sayid and to Hurley's "friend." It also makes Michael's comment, "I might not be a warrior, but I am going south" pretty interesting. Hmm...

Could Michael mean he did a job like Sayid (communications) that was non-combative. Something to do with his artistic skills, architectural knowledge, aquaduct building skills or maybe his 8 years in construction.

Another number reference with this line of thinking is the 104th (?) battallian (sp) that Hurley's friend served in.

Could Michael mean he did a job like Sayid (communications) that was non-combative. Something to do with his artistic skills, architectural knowledge, aquaduct building skills or maybe his 8 years in construction.

I'm not sure Sayid's involvement could be considered non-combatant. The other thing I think about is Michael's insight into Sawyer's motives. Perhaps he has seen the behavior of heroes and people who just want to die in the past. Anyway, I'm inclined to believe he has been an artist since he was a boy, but the engineering aspect has come since his military service. Maybe he was with an engineering regiment. Hmm...

The Tee (aka The Flatiron Building) on Otsego Street (http://www.geocities.com/~ilionny/the.tee.html)
Doesn't that look like the scene when Michael gets hit by the car?

As Broadway crosses Fifth Avenue it forms a small triangular patch of ground between 23rd and 22nd streets that has become known around the world as the location of the appropriately shaped Flatiron Building.

Local lore, and many historical postcards, have it that the juxtaposition of the angled building and Madison Square Park across Broadway generated a wind-tunnel effect that caused women's dresses to flair exposing their ankles to men who gathered on 23rd Street for the show. The slang expression "23 skidoo" supposedly originated when the police used it to disperse the voyeurs.

I read somewhere that the scene was not actually shot in NY. It was made to look like it was. Who knows if it is supposed to look like a particular place in NY? I can't remember if there was anything about that in the article. I'll tell you what I'm thinking though. I'm thinking he was laying in a hospital bed looking at the Flatiron Building and decided to draw it. Of course, it could have been someone else in the hospital bed. Someone he was visiting, maybe his father? We don't know what his Daddy issues are. Maybe he followed in his father's footsteps to join the military, then decided it wasn't for him. He wanted to be an artist. Hmmm...

That makes total sense to me. He didn't specify when or where he first discovered his love for the building as I recall.

I can't find anything on a VA hospital, have you guys?

http://www1.va.gov/visns/visn03/nyinfo.asp
hospital location and picture

Flatiron Building Commentary

Considered the oldest remaining skyscraper in New York, the Flatiron Building is 285 feet (87 meters) tall.
Address

at 23rd Street, Broadway, & 5th Avenue, New York, New York

The VA Medical Center New York is located on the East River in the heart of New York City's health care community on 1st Avenue at East 23rd Street. Adjacent to NYU Medical Center, Bellevue and Waterside, the VA hospital's main entrance fronts 23rd Street and is easily accessible by public transportation and automobile.

Sweet. If there is not super tall buildings on 2nd 3rd and 4th Avenues, you should be able to see the Flat Iron building from many of those windows.


How about Rose? The sound she heard may have something to do with the hospital? Could she live in an apartment on 4th Avenue?

I forgot how much fun figuring out these things was. I'm hoping the writers keep feeding our obsessions. :rolleyes:

Yes, there's a site for the VA in Manhattan. Was there something specific you were looking for?

Edited: I see coupons was working on that for you. Here's a map of the Flatiron District.

http://www.nycvisit.com/content/index.cfm?pagePkey=446

It says on the VA website that there are public parking garages on 23rd St. at
2nd and 3rd Avenues. Would parking garages be very high? Not around here.

I found a virtual walking tour of what might be Michael's neighborhood.

http://home.nyc.rr.com/jkn/nysonglines/23st.htm#8av

Notice there is an art school and some condos called The Foundry. I sure wish we had someone from Manhattan to help us out with this. If you've read my Iron Mike thread in General Theories you'll understand why I find that interesting.

Sweet. If there is not super tall buildings on 2nd 3rd and 4th Avenues, you should be able to see the Flat Iron building from many of those windows.


How about Rose? The sound she heard may have something to do with the hospital? Could she live in an apartment on 4th Avenue?

I forgot how much fun figuring out these things was. I'm hoping the writers keep feeding our obsessions. :rolleyes:
Walt, I thought Rose said she lived in the Bronx.

Walt, I thought Rose said she lived in the Bronx.

Too true. Thanks for redirecting me. I get a bit excited sometimes, and don't think things through.

Rose visits someone in the VA hospital? I don't think we'll connect her husband to it because he's a businessman, but again you never know. He could have been enlisted years ago? So many questions. Is it Wednesday yet?

shootfire the walking tour is perfect for clue gathering. I fell asleep last night with it on my screen, and haven't really checked it out yet. It's this evenings pleasure.

Speaking of parking garages. Tom was killed leaving one. The third level to be exact. Is there now a parking garage theory? lol Give me time, I'll come up with one.

Did anyone happen to notice the little blurb about Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll on the walking tour site? There's also a St. Vincent de Paul mention. Hmmm...