photo diary 4

I wanted to share some more pictures from the past couple of weeks with everyone. My adventure continues each day bringing me to new neighborhoods, historic districts, interesting people, and of course delicious food. One thing about New York that most agree upon is that its incredibly photogenic. From the architecture of the buildings to the beauty of the parks, there are interesting spots to capture all over the city, and sometimes in the most peculiar of places. I bet over 100 years ago when these tenement buildings of the next couple of pictures were housing 1000's of immigrants in extremely poor situations, taking a picture was the last thing on anyone's mind. But now, the renovated buildings of the lower east side have a rawness and authenticity that enrich each building, giving them their own distinct character.

corner of Orchard Street and Stanton Street 

Ludlow Street 

I think I've mentioned Smorgasburg before, the outdoor specialty food event that happens every weekend in Brooklyn Heights and Williamsburg. The food is incredible. Popsicles, cucumber-mint lemonade, ramen burgers, hand-cut fries with 10 different specialty aioli's. I decided to go all out because a friend (she knows who she is) told me I had to try the Red Hook lobster roll sandwich. Glad I did, but for $16 I'll try it again next summer. Here are some snaps from the Brooklyn Heights Smorgasburg..

I visit Greenwich Village more than any other neighborhood. There is a feeling that washes over you while walking down the tree-lined streets that can only be described as comfort.

One of the oldest off broadway theaters in the city, on Commerce Street. 

frosting cupcakes at the infamous Magnolia Bakery 

Last Friday I went to Uniqlo Free Fridays at MoMa and barely waited in line. The museum was swarming with tourists taking advantage of the free admission, but I made it my personal goal to capture the museum at different angles, and found what appeared to be the only Braque (one of my favorite artists) painting in the place. 

staircase 

bird's eye view 

Georges Braque 

Earlier this week I made my way all the way up to Columbia University. I imagined myself being a student, walking underneath the trees, carrying my books to class, mingling with the professors. Who knows? Maybe graduate school here is in my future. I won't hold my breath. 

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Some random moments ...

looking towards Manhattan from Weehawken before dinner with Aunt 

drinks at the Frying Pan on the Hudson 

Cafe Lalo on the Upper West Side, where Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks traded barbs in "You've Got Mail" 

Bryant Park outdoor movie screening every Monday through summer 

at Culture Espresso in Midtown, I can't not take pictures of latte art

On Wednesday's in the Bryant Park outdoor reading room on 42nd street they host readings and discussions of new and noteworthy books. Last week I went to one with four debut authors who had just released their first books. Each answered questions about the writing process and then shared horror stories of their book's publishing.. It was both enlightening and entertaining. Writers are always the best people to see because they speak so well, being able to articulate their feelings in a universal way. This week I returned to the park because Piper Kerman, the author of the memoir "Orange is the New Black" that the Netflix series is based on, was going to have a discussion with Emily Nussbaum, the television critic at the New Yorker magazine. I thought my head might explode. Nussbaum is a fantastic critic, and an even better writer, regularly championing obscure and intelligent series she believes deserves an audience and a platform. Personally, "Orange is the New Black" is the most exciting thing to happen to TV since "Girls" three years ago. A provocative blast of fresh air in a television landscape mainly preoccupied with the white male antihero, it focuses on the women at a low security correctional facility in upstate New York. The show centers on issues of race, sexuality and sociology with humor, pathos, and an incredible amount of empathy. After two seasons it remains the best show on TV (well the internet). 

Kerman, who served time in a women's prison nearly a decade ago for a crime she committed when she was in her early 20s, talked not only about her memoir and the television series it spawned but also discussed the major issues and flaws in the American prison system. From her own personal experience she has in turn written this book which has exploded with the success of the television show, allowing her to have a remarkable platform to advocate for prison reform. It's an amazing story, and in her resilience and intelligence Kerman is inspirational in the way she has transformed her life. 

After the discussion I waited for Kerman to sign my copy of her memoir. She said to me that she looked at me in the audience and thought she knew me from somewhere. Apparently I had a familiar face according to her. She was delightful, signing my book with a smile. 

Nussbaum and Kerman

the reading room

Some snaps from a perfect afternoon stroll in Central Park...

 A few more random pictures ... 

for anyone who knows me, this poster is one my favorite things, saw it in a bathroom in a ramen restaurant on the Lower east side

Park Avenue 

And I'll conclude with some pictures of the exterior of the Guggenheim museum, one of the most artistically striking buildings in the city, located on Museum Mile (5th avenue) a few blocks north of the Met. I haven't gone inside yet, but I'm planning to before I leave. The shape of the building, the typeface of the name on the outside, it's all perfect, and such a contrast to the surrounding area. 

Hope you all are enjoying the city with me! Until next time.