farewell, new york
Central Park, 2017
Bryant Park, 2015
Frozen Fountain in Bryant Park, 2015
One World Trade Center, 2015
Midtown East, 2016
Manhattan Skyline from Astoria, 2016
Broadway Station, Astoria, 2015
Astoria Blvd Station, 2016
Kips Bay Sunrise, 2014
Astoria Park Outdoor Pool, 2016
Hoyt Ave, 2016
Hell Gate Bridge, 2016
Westfield World Trade Center, 2016
Brooklyn Bridge, 2015
Chelsea, 2017
Flatiron Building, 2017
Socrates Sculpture Park, 2016
Central Park, 2016
Edible Schoolyard NYC PS 216 Garden, Brooklyn, 2014
Edible Schoolyard NYC PS 7 Garden, East Harlem, 2014
Central Park, 2016
Battery Park, 2016
New York is not unlike an ocean: teeming with life, unforgiving, an immense source of power, often deceptively alluring and simultaneously full of splendor. Both can be an assault to the senses; New York is a place where there's a new smell on every corner, where you're packed like sardines into subway cars, grocery store queues, and where screaming into the Hudson on your lunch break goes unnoticed and unquestioned, especially with the incessant car horns blaring in the background. Both can make you stronger—you either sink, swim or float. In New York you learn how to survive loneliness, harsh weather, and how to stretch small sums of money until your next paycheck. Yet, with every struggle, there is also room to thrive.
After spending my first carefree twenty-four years living a stone's throw from the Pacific, my three years in New York were equal parts struggle and thrive. Like many transplants, moving to the big city meant fulfilling a childhood dream and setting out to experience all it had to offer, even the clichés. Yes, I walked the Brooklyn Bridge at sunset, was single in my twenties, and danced 'til sunrise. I made countless memories with incredible friends and took every chance to appreciate the beauty around me. Ultimately though, and with zero regrets, I came to realize that my heart and priorities were better suited for the West.
After gathering the images above I realized that most are entirely devoid of people. While you won't find my favorite folks or places to eat in these photographs, they do represent my search for beauty in the juxtaposition of the natural world with the man-made New York environment.
