“One can’t paint New York as it is, but rather as it is felt.” -Georgia O’Keeffe
Three years ago I was walking along the cobblestone roads that line the affluent Georgetown neighborhood in Washington, D.C. when the most enchantingly curious scene unfolded: A man had his car pulled over on the side of the street, all windows and doors open, blaring Bruce Springsteen’s cover of “Someday We’ll Be Together” as loud as his stereo would play. The gentleman was sitting on the hood of the vehicle, staring longingly toward the empty windows of an apartment building. Sadly, nobody was looking back at him. This was undoubtedly his rendition of the iconic scene from Say Anything… albeit with a different song. I looked around at the handful of other passersby, all ironically walking alone, and it didn’t seem lost on any of us that it was Valentine’s Day. That man’s John Cusack moment remains in my head as a perpetual, “I wonder what ever happened with…” memory; especially now that I have returned to the National Capital Region for another lengthy work-related stay.
I fully intend to do a write-up of what it means to be back in D.C. three years after my last long-term visit, especially being that my return coincides with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. But for now, I thought this would be a great opportunity to bid farewell to my time in the Big Apple by posting some miscellaneous pictures from the past few years. Enjoy!
My very first time in Central Park was a rare moment of clouds and sunlight at the same time. The body of water in the foreground of the picture below is the Reservoir, I am standing on the running path, and the view is the Upper East Side along 5th Avenue from roughly 91st Street on the left to about 84th Street on the right. It is difficult to see, but the Guggenheim is in the center of the frame.
Source: Dark Passport Photography
Central Park is just as breathtaking at night. The view below is from the edge of the Lake at the Ramble looking south towards 59th Street and Billionaires’ Row. On the far left is 432 Park Avenue, the third-tallest residential building in the world. It is so exclusive, the tower has its own private restaurant for residents and their guests. I didn’t think the food was anything special, but apparently you only go there to be seen. The tallest skyscraper in the picture is Central Park Tower, the tallest residential building in the world. Central Park is so much more than skyline views though.
Source: Dark Passport Photography
The hottest show in town! For over 60 years, the famed Shakespeare in the Park has maintained a free, rotating theater production in the intimate setting of Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Past performances have featured the likes of James Earl Jones, Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, and so many others. Don’t take my word for it that tickets are notoriously tricky to come by; here is an article with pictures (yes, some people really do arrive as early as 4am and camp out. And no, that is not what I did). I was fortunate to have attended the Twelfth Night starring Sandra Oh and Peter Dinklage on what was a spectacularly beautiful evening in the park.
Source: Dark Passport Photography
Back to tall buildings, here is the view from the 93rd story of my favorite New York City high-rise at sunset. One Vanderbilt is the fourth-tallest building in the city. The camera is looking west across Midtown towards the Hudson River and New Jersey. To the upper left is Hudson Yards, left-center is the Bryant Park ice skating rink, and the New York Public Library Main Branch is lower left. The colorful glow of Times Square can be seen on either side of Bank of America Tower near the center of the photo. Lastly, Rockefeller Center is off to the right (you can just make out the Peacock logo on 30 Rock) with the aforementioned Billionaires’ Row supertall buildings reflecting the sunset on the far right.
Source: Dark Passport Photography
What would a discussion of New York City skyscrapers be without mentioning One World Trade Center? At an official and arguable height of 1,776 feet (see what they did there?), One WTC is considered the tallest building in the United States. The SkyPod Elevator ascent to One World Observatory on the 102nd floor is just as memorable as the 360-degree view. The first picture below shows One WTC from the 9/11 Memorial South Pool, the second shows One WTC and the Oculus from the intersection of Church and Dey Streets.
Source: Dark Passport Photography
Source: Dark Passport Photography
Not all famous structures in New York City are tall. The vintage lights of Radio City Music Hall will brighten the mood just as much as the skies. The picture below is looking east towards the 51st Street entrance.
Source: Dark Passport Photography
Some iconic sites in the Big Apple aren’t even traditional buildings. Seen below is, of course, the Statue of Liberty from the ferry that also visits Ellis Island.
Source: Dark Passport Photography
The NYC ferries offer great views and are indeed utilized for commuting by some residents in addition to serving tourism. But the bridges and tunnels remain the modern arteries for transportation. Besides its purpose as a connection between boroughs, the Brooklyn Bridge is also a major tourist attraction. I first visited it on foot as shown in Blog #24: Tunnel to Towers. Below is the bridge as seen from Pier 17 in Manhattan.
Source: Dark Passport Photography
We’ll stop here and continue in the sequel to this blog. Stay tuned!
The Dark Passport 