My Visit to NYC

Second Installment: Sights

In preparation for my New York trip I watched a fabulous nine episode PBS documentary (directed by Ric Burn, younger brother of my favorite Ken Burns) about the history of New York City from it’s early days as a tiny colony owned by the Dutch East India Trading Company, to the tragedy of the Twin Towers in 2001. I watched and was completely captivated. New York, more specifically the city of Manhattan, has a fascinating history, as you can well imagine. The history of New York precedes and mirrors the history of our nation as a whole. If you want to understand America, you must understand the history of New York City.

From the documentary…

    “When New York was founded at the dawn of the modern age, London and Paris were already 1500 years old, Rome and Beijing 2000, Jerusalem 4000; and yet, somehow, in the centuries to come, the tiny colony on the edge of the world would rise to become the greatest city on earth; the undisputed cultural and economic capitol of the world, and the supreme laboratory of modern life.”

New York is a unique place indeed. As I walked around the streets of New York, I experienced the total sensation of being on another planet, so different it was from my common daily realities here at home, but oh, how I loved it!

I read this quote recently…

                        One belongs to New York instantly; one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years.
                                                                                                                             Thomas Wolfe

I think this statement is true. One is swallowed whole in New York City. Even though as a tourist I felt a bit bewildered and overwhelmed at times, I did feel like I belonged, like I could claim New York as my city even though I’m not a resident; simply because I’m a citizen of the country to which New York City belongs, the good old U.S. of A.

Photo by Emilie

I walked around for four days…gawking, starring, noticing, making constant use of my camera and saw many a glorious sight…

A church near Emilie’s place in Harlem – Harlem is like Utah, churches on every corner. I was there on a Sunday. Everyone was dressed to the nines and you could hear jubilant gospel choir music seeping out from under church doors such as these, while you walked down the street. It was just as you would imagine it to be.

First stop…

Brontosaurus and Mastodon skeletons, Museum of Natural History – loved this place! I want to take my boys there someday. They would love these dinosaurs.

In New York City there is art everywhere you turn….

Venus De Milo sculpture on 6th Ave and 53rd St. – Jim Dine

Head sculpture “Echo”, Madison Square Park - Jaume Plensa


Zodiac/Animal head sculptures, Grand Army Plaza – Ai Weiwei.  Interesting article about these and their Chinese artist here. I’m was born in the year of the tiger. He’s cute, huh?

20-ton bronze, yellow bear sculpture, Park Avenue – Urs Fischer. He’s up for auction this summer if you want to jump on that.

City scenes…

One of my favorite things about New York City is how you can look down any given street and see a seemingly never ending canyon created by tall buildings. It’s like the Grand Canyon, city style. Also, there is nothing in the world quite like Manhattan at night. Above is a area in the Meatpacking district taken on our walk along the High Line.

Buildings, buildings, buildings….

Of course New York has some amazing architecture to behold. This is the amazing crown at the top of the General Electric Building (former RCA Victor Building) in New York, as seen from Emilie office on Park Avenue.

One reason New York City feels a bit ‘other-worldly’ is because every thing around you is giant. Giant buildings, giant sculptures, giant dinosaurs, giant piles of puppy dogs, giant noise, giant spectacle, everything in New York is larger than life, and there you are, feeling ant-like and small amidst it all.

I love it!