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The streets and buildings are taken for granted, juxtaposing the world-famous skyscrapers
(with their lights that remind me of Tetris) with beat-up tenements in Chinatown (with their
fire escapes that get used for plants and hanging laundry). Buildings seldom look just like
these anywhere. The streets are always filled with life, if it's not a crusty bum, then it's
a rat or maybe just trash blowing in the wind. The sidewalks have probably 100 years' worth
of dirt build up, the buildings have smudges of what could be human shit, and you're constantly
hit with garbage whiff. You can get all this if you're in Chinatown or surrounding areas. |
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The shapes, lines, and paint jobs add texture to the landscape, making each building original.
The first time I went to New York, I was obsessed with getting to the tops of things. I climbed
to the crown of the Statue of Liberty, the top of the World Trade Center (pre-bombing), and the
top of the Empire States Building. This time I was happy to stay planted to the ground, seeing
things eye-level except for the view from my friends' apartment windows.
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