New York New York

A couple of years ago I was lucky enough to be able to visit New York and stay with my best friend Devin for about a week. My time spent there would ultimately shape my love for urban living. New York is so full of energy and youth. There are really more possibilities there than anywhere I have ever been. And the city has really cleaned itself up since the days of Gotham and crime.

From atop the empire state building. The density here is really spectacular. The closest to China America has to offer.

It's funny how nature really has a hard time penetrating dense urban cities like New York. I remember riding the elevator up to the top of the empire state bldg and being stunned at the difference in weather conditions. There were gale force winds up there with bone chilling temperatures. I could barely steady my camera to take the these photos. Whereas down on the street level, there wasn't even the slightest breeze, and the city emitted a strange warmth. It was pretty cool. Oh and word to the wise, do not pay the extra 10 bucks to venture 2 floors higher when visiting the building...things look no different from a gajillion and 30 feet than they do at a gajillion ;)

This is the Upper West Side at night. I'm still not sure how Devin scored this place, but that door to the top right was his bedroom door, atop his building. He basically had the entire roof as a living room, as well as the adjoining buildings. I used the rooftops much like Spiderman would, scampering from building to building, leaping across alley ways and kissing girls whilst upside down hanging from my own spider webbings...well not exactly, but you get the point. It was incredible.

The Upper West side.

The cityscape from Central Park. On a windy day, like most in the early spring, getting the water to be still and reflective is quite the laborious task. While a lake reflection is almost as cliche as a sunset photo, it's so hard not to find them pleasing. And I must have stood ankle deep in mud for 30 minutes trying to get this shot.



I love how timeless this looks. Thanks to Aaron for keeping the mafia look alive, and owning the pose in a plastic chair. For all anyone knows, this could be the only color photo to have been taken in the 30's ;)

Taking photos of ground zero is one of the most difficult things I've ever tried to do. It's one of those rare places in life where you so much emotion overtakes your mind, you shut down a little. No words really seem to be appropriate, and the only thing you can think of doing is taking a photo. Problem being, 99% of the vantage points there only give you a view of the immense cement hole in the ground, not a very picturesque setting. The entire area is bordered by a hideous fence that kills most photos, and well.... really the only thing I found interesting was right when I had given up looking for a nice shot. This was from inside one of the WTC's surviving buildings. I like the dimensional feel it has, looking at the people looking at ground zero.