I like the second image a lot, the B&W conversion is great.
The first image doesn't really do it for me... There's a few things specifically:
o The bright blueish spot on the left edge is distracting
o The bright line on the bottom right does not really work as a leading line - it keeps my eye there and keeps me asking what it is.
o Maybe because of the lighting, I don't get the eerie "foggy" feeling, rather a P&S feel. Maybe try adding some vignetting to darken the image up?
I also like the second image and agree that the B&W conversion was done well. I also like your placement of the bench in the composition. I think it works nicely.
