Several years back, I had the opportunity to step out onto the decaying elevated rail line that runs along tenth avenue on Manhattan’s west side. Inundated with six foot high weeds, raised thirty feet above the city streets, and closed to the public it seemed like the perfect hide out for one to indulge in whatever type of debauchery served their purpose, as evidenced by the many empty bottles of forty ounce Old English 800 and pints of Night Train (which, by the way, is the only train that has been on those tracks since 1980) . Slated for demolition in the late ’90′s, until the Friends of the High Line formed to save the structure and turn it into a beautiful park that holds a unique perspective of the city, it’s like being on a twenty block long rooftop. So you can still go up there and get high, thirty feet at least (literally speaking) and high on the visuals of awesome architecture and wonderful wild looking gardens. I had a special treat when I took my mother and and we walked right past the second story apartment she grew up in. If you do visit, and I HIGHly recommend that you do, perhaps you might like to buy a t-shirt or pin to show a little support. Go get High!

Bugs, Rock, and Hippies

Oh, did I mention the beautiful vistas from the top of the mountains? Well it was an unbelievable view. Unfortunately it was hot and humid, so there were lots of bugs and lots of hippies. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against either, unless they attack me, the bugs, I mean. In 1969 the New York State Throughway was the trail leading to rock in Woodstock. A lot more hippies back then. The trail we chose to hike to the top this past weekend also lead to rock, which made it difficult to navigate the side of the mountain. Going up to the country is good for the soul, just remember to bring good hiking shoes to combat the trails, some repellent for those pesky bugs, and some deodorant for those smelly…armpits you will have after a day in the woods.

"The Amusement Park Rises Bold and Stark"

I spent a fair amount of my formative years on the boardwalks of New Jersey, and at times living out the lines from Springsteen ballads. Racing the circuit in Asbury Park in my 1971 Plymouth Roadrunner, "hiding on the backstreets" etc. I thought it was cool at the time, OK, well...I still think it's cool. Yes, I am a fan of Springsteen, but I am also a fan of the turnaround that this stretch of boardwalk is making. It's been through many incarnations, and now seems to be in another revitalization stage. So, once again... Greetings from Asbury Park NJ - Don't "waste your summer prayin' in vain" get down to the beach and check out the boardwalk.

Read Travel Photograph Write

If you can't think of what to do, like, read a book, take a trip, write in your blog, or break out the ol' camera phone and snap a couple of low res pics, I suggest you combine them all. Read a book, then travel to the authors house with camera in hand, then email a friend about it. After all, reading and traveling open our minds, photos help us remember our experiences and that our minds should remain open, and writing it down passes that knowledge onto others. Above are images of Mark Twain's and Harriet Beecher Stowe's houses, both of which you can tour. Just make sure you travel to a historic home and not one that the author is currently living in, because getting arrested for stalking is probably something you don't want to write about or have pictures of in your photo album.

The Mystery and the Beauty

“The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and the beauty in the world.” This quote from the Great Gatsby pretty much sums it up for me on my thoughts about this bridge. The Queensboro (or 59th Street) Bridge is definitely my favorite bridge in NYC. It’s beauty lies in its industrial look, this is no wimpy graceful suspension variety, it’s a hardcore steel Double-decked Cantilever bridge. It’s mystery lies in the crossing over into the metropolis that is Manhattan. Passing by windows at ten stories high, like a scene out of Bladerunner. Millions of windows, each with its own story. And of course the views of the city are amazing, take a walk across and you are sure to be impressed.

Where were you when I was stuck on a desert island?

I know people beat this kind if stuff to death, like, "where were you when?" "If you were stuck on a desert island", "what's your 5 top?" "If you could time travel", and on and on. As best as I can remember, there have been two "where were you when" moments in my life. The first being the assassination of JFK, in which I was only a couple of months old and so, I don't really remember. The second, which brings me to this photo, was when John Lennon was shot outside of The Dakota. I was driving my mother's 1977 Monte Carlo on my way to high school, thinking, if I could time travel I could go back and prevent some of these "where were you when" moments. Oh well, I guess time travel will have to be on one of my top 5 lists Incidentally, The Dakota was used as a time travel machine in the Jack Finney book

Gentlemen's Agreement

Hard to believe that a mere handshake kept the skyline of Philadelphia below the top of the statue of William Penn (at 27 tons, the largest statue upon any building in the world) for nearly 90 years. Pretty impressive, both the statue and the handshake, try doing business like that these days.

The bicycle locked-up on the sidewalk shot

Cliche? Maybe, but hardly as offensive as a sunset picture. I mean, sunset photos are meant to be pretty, but they are not very revealing about our way of life except of course, well... that the sun does set. A bicycle locked-up on the sidewalk can be pretty, dirty, and enlightening. A glimpse into the city and it's dwellers, the architecture and the mind-set. So feel free to unlock the bicycle, experience the city, and then ride off into the sunset, but please don't take a picture of it.

Take a Stroll

Walk it, bike it, drive it, or just sit there and watch it. The Brooklyn Bridge is one of New York City's jewels. An added bonus to visiting this jewel is the beautiful views and unique perspective of the skyline that it offers. So next time you are downtown, pull up a bench and enjoy the sites.

Around the Corner

This is probably one of the least traveled streets in the city, located just around the corner from heavily traveled sixth avenue. Situated in NYC's Village, it has that "hangin' around the corner" neighborhood feel. It also happens to be around the corner from one of my favorite coffee shops.

Vicariously

Although these days I prefer a clean restroom, I am always on the lookout for a graffiti-laden hole in the ground in which to relieve ones self of a few tasty lagers. Stopping for a quick local brew while venturing through Brooklyn Heights, I wondered what it would be like to live in this beautiful neighborhood. Well, as the mirror suggests, I will have to live here "vicariously" for now.

Coexisting

New York City's architecture is as diverse as the people who live and work inside of these buildings. Here are a couple of shots of the old Knickerbocker Hotel, a Beaux Arts classic amongst the newer glass skyscrapers of midtown.

What the city needs more of

Public restrooms are pretty scarce in Manhattan. This one, situated in Bryant Park is wonderfully maintained and located in a beautiful structure. You will be thankful for it next time you stop by the park for ice skating in the winter or a movie in the summer.

No Parking

Getting in/out and across the city are without a doubt difficult tasks, but perhaps the most daunting challenge while driving in Manhattan is not driving at all, but parking. Here is an image of one option.

Crosstown Traffic

Getting from east to west in midtown Manhattan can be a nightmare, to say the least, however, this view looking west across 40th street from Madison Avenue shows the challenge to be much easier, thanks to a light traffic day due to the MLK holiday.

World's Largest Store

Most of us have probably been there. I've passed it by a million times, and finally decided to snap a quick shot. The upper floors here still have those old wooden escalators, which are kinda fun and worth a ride.

Up in Albany

Traveled up to the NY state capital this past summer for work. Never having been there before, I took to the streets in search of Albany architecture. Here are a few shots from my iPhone 3G.

"Mama don't take my Kodachrome away"

With the final processing of Kodachrome coming to an end last week, I am posting this image that I took using the legendary film in NYC in 1991 of the ticker tape parade for Dessert Storm. Perhaps there should have been a parade for Kodachrome.

White Shoes, Red Steps

The 27 red steps above tkts booth at the north end of Times Square will give you an elevated view of the famed intersection. However, I chose to not climb up, but rather photograph the steps instead.

Nelson Tower

On my way up Seventh Ave., I noticed the sun was hitting the tower just right, so of course I snapped a couple of shots. This is one I decided to grunge up a bit to give it a vintage feel.

A Rainy Day in New York

This is an image that I entered into an international iPhone contest run by i.Phoneography in Italy. It landed in the top 40, and was picked for the gallery show in Italy and also for a 2011 calendar to benefit Actionaid. Images of the calendar are below, it is being sold all over Italy.

Times Square at Dusk

I had some time to kill yesterday before an appointment near Times Square, so I decided to take a stroll through with iPhone in hand. This is an area I usually avoid, but the light at dusk was quite nice. This shot is pretty straight forward, but you can see that nice warm quality of light.

Grace Building

You would be hard pressed to not get a great shot of the W. R. Grace building, as the graphic lines, convex curve, and black and white contrast of the windows and structure allow for many photo opps.

Hearst Magazine Building

This is the tower portion of the building, built in 2004. It is a stark contrast to the base which was built in 1928. It was difficult to capture both and do it justice with my iPhone, but I will definitely venture back with my SLR.

The Swamps of Jersey

I took this shot through the window of a New Jersey Transit train while traveling through the Meadowlands. It is quite beautiful through there, lots of birds (egrets I believe) and grassy marshes. I love the contrast with the man made structures.

Looking Down

While looking up in NYC can provide great views of amazing skyscrapers, sometimes looking down can provide a unique view as well.

Looking Up

I am constantly looking up to find interesting subject matter, here is a shot of the ceiling of a new extension at Penn Station in NYC.