I’ve tried on a number of occasions to become one of the masses who say aloud the sentiments of those “I heart New York” t-shirts and hats. On the many occasions I visited ‘the Big Apple’ I somehow couldn’t find the magic, the spark, the stuff that makes so many people say they love the city that never sleeps.
Last year I decided to take four days out of my itinerary and take a trip from Boston to New York City. I was going to New York to see if I could fall in love, to see if somehow we could put aside the times we had awkwardly met in the past a begin afresh. I had no plan, no map and no expectations and if I was going to ‘heart’ New York, it would be for real, and not because of a slogan on a t-shirt.
I enjoyed my unplanned days in the city which awarded me with good springtime weather. I walked and walked and walked some more. The tourist traps were only on the agenda if I stumbled upon them, most of the time I just wandered around without a care in the world, as if walking in a Welsh field on a summers afternoon. I was probably the only person in New York who wasn’t supposed to be somewhere else already. I looked around book stores and stopped in coffee houses and little bistros when the whim took me. I took pictures, took the subway and took my time.
So do I now ‘love New York?’ I can’t say that, maybe because it feels like London, only with American accents. Or maybe because I’m more a Boston kind of man, I just don’t know. But New York and I are certainly better friends now, and in a couple of weeks I might drop by to see my friend, take some pictures, ride the subway, and swim in the ocean of people who will all be in a far greater hurry than I.
For now though, and for no particular reason, here are some of my favorite pictures that I took while in New York City last spring. I’ve never released them on the web before despite my best intentions. I hope to create a new photography website soon, but for now they’ll have to enjoy this fairly private viewing by the few people who visit my little blog.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 6, 2005 at 3:31 pm
Renata, I don’t live anywhere near London! :-)
It’s at least a four hour drive from where I live. My nearest big city is Liverpool or Chester. What I mant by it feels like London, is that NYC is just to big to swallow whole. My favorite American cities are Portland (OR) and Boston (MA). They’re managable cities, with a feel to them. They could be my home and I would feel like I had some kind of ownership of them in a small way, almost like I do with Liverpool. But New York and London, I just can’t get romatic about them.
Having said that I decided to take some time out to photograph both Liverpool and New York this year, and I mean wander around them as if a stranger, like I would NYC or Houston or some place. Liverpool has some of the countries best architecture, and it’s about time I gave the city a chunk of my time in the same way I give it so willingly to American cities. But you know how it often is, home is never as amazing you you as it is to a visitor.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 6, 2005 at 9:15 am
HA! I was going to say that your probably don’t heart NY because you live in London… lol…
“So do I now ‘love New York?’ I can’t say that, maybe because it feels like London, only with American accents”
Wrote the following comment on Apr 6, 2005 at 11:50 am
as always, simon, incredile pictures! i do heart new york! maybe it’s cuz i’m from texas and we aint got no big cities like that down here!! (imagine that being spoken with a very southern accent!)
Wrote the following comment on Apr 6, 2005 at 2:49 pm
you’re pictures are awesome..really awesome!
Wrote the following comment on Apr 7, 2005 at 3:30 am
The funny thing is with these pictures, I actually didn’t really think I had so many good ones. For example the one that Christine (CrazyWomanWriter) likes the best, the one of the bridge, wasn’t obvious to me and was very nearly deleted. And the mood of the subway ones was totally changed when they were altered to grainy black and white pictures, a move that was inspired by a book that I bought in ‘The Strand’ bookshop in New York, and just finished reading, called ‘Subwayland‘ by Randy Kennedy. In fact I think it was finishing that book that inspired me to want to return in a couple of weeks.
As for Liverpool reminding Mr J of ‘The Beatles,’ well, they are the cities most famous export. But the Titanic (and all WhiteStar shipping lines ships) was registered here, and indeed in the Movie Titanic, the words ‘L I V E R P O O L’ take up the entire screen as the you watch the bow of the ship dip into the ocean. We also have one of the greatest football teams in the world, though I am not even slightly into football, or soccar as you say. :-)
Wrote the following comment on Apr 6, 2005 at 7:35 pm
Jaw-dropping pictures as usual. The bridge picture with the sunset (?) in the background really grabs me, since I love bridges and also urban landscapes. The one below it is also so striking. I don’t have the vocabulary right now, being dog tired. Your blog’s always a pleasure to visit.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 6, 2005 at 8:46 pm
Really nice pics.I visited NY years ago as a young art student and I think I can say I “like” New York.I remeber walking or running up to the top level of the Guggenheim museum and slowly walking down to look at the art work. I think the Museum itself is a work of art! I “like” Houston too and I found your xanga through Shae’s site I think. I’ve wanted to comment on some of your other posts but was too lazy! Liverpool makes me think about the Beatles . Anyway, keep up the nice work, Mr J.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 7, 2005 at 7:36 am
Beautiful pictures Simon. I think you look at life through different eyes to most poeple. I look forward to see how you’ll photograph Liverpool.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 7, 2005 at 9:29 am
I can honestly say that there’s nothing I “heart” about NY-I kinda dig SF though……
Wrote the following comment on Apr 8, 2005 at 3:07 pm
Hey thanks for coming by my site. Random is very kewl and unstructured kinda like ur trip to the big city. I love Manhattan and absolutely enjoyed ur pics. My wife is a huge bridge fan and admired the pic with the bridge supports intertwined. Baby and momma are doing wonderful. We just made it back from the hospital and we are excited but exhausted. Kinda like Christmas day. All the anticipation, waking up early, enjoying the gifts, and collapsing afterwards!! Drop by anytime. Mind if I subscribe to your site?
Wrote the following comment on Apr 9, 2005 at 1:27 pm
Nice pics Englishman!
Wrote the following comment on Apr 9, 2005 at 8:22 pm
Your photos are wonderful, as always. I don’t know that I “heart” NY either. Too impersonal. Too cold. Too much. Way too much. I probably get more from a quiet beach or a wheatfield at sunrise or possibly rain moving over the mountains. Thanks for the private showing!