The Big Apple is a well known hub for architectural marvels from the Charging Bull on Wall Street to the skyscrapers that dot the horizon. The city will once again be holding it’s “Archtober” event the entire month of October, featuring a delightful variety of education and entertainment all focused on one of the many aspects that makes this island one of the world’s most astounding locations. [Read more…] about October is Architecture Month Here in New York
Architecture
The Manhattan Spring Sky- A Photo Essay
Everyone knows that the winter in New York City is long and particularly brutal. Just this year we had snow in April for the first time in as long as I can remember. I even heard of a police department issuing a warrant for the groundhog who predicted an early spring on the charges of fraud. When the cold weather stretches deep into March on a yearly basis it’s easy to dream of the eternal warmth of Miami or LA. [Read more…] about The Manhattan Spring Sky- A Photo Essay
Moving to Chelsea- Updated Photo Blog
You may recall that earlier this year I shared some photos from the apartment that a friend of mine was looking at in Chelsea. He ended up passing on it in favor of another building a few blocks away. The location is great for him but a photographer’s dream for me. With views of the Freedom Tower and Empire State Building, I was able to capture some great, sweeping cityscapes. I am always remind that art is truly where you find it* and it can be anywhere, even the rooftop of your brand new apartment building.
*More on this in an upcoming article! [Read more…] about Moving to Chelsea- Updated Photo Blog
Brooklyn Bridge Park- A Photo Blog
Last time I took you for a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, from Manhattan to Brooklyn. After exiting the walkway on the bridge you come to Brooklyn Bridge Park. One of the most unique public spaces in all of NYC. It pairs the unique, old school Brooklyn charm with sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline. In that way exact way it captures both the soul and body of New York City at large. I always try to present my work thusly. The gorgeous physical architecture being the body and the people who inhabit those structures being the soul. Brooklyn Bridge Park is a fantastic way to see both. [Read more…] about Brooklyn Bridge Park- A Photo Blog
From My Archives- A Beatiful, Snowy Photoshoot
On occasion, I will go through some of my catalog of work and look back on certain periods of my work. Since we are in the last depressing months of this New York City winter I decide to pull out some photos I took a few years ago during a frigid, snowy photo walk. I remember this walk well since about half way through the telescopic focus on my lens broke.
I was trying to capture how New York life still goes on despite a horrible storm. Until my lens broke… I still was able to capture some photos but all in all, you might consider this an outtake collection.
[Read more…] about From My Archives- A Beatiful, Snowy Photoshoot
A Cold Day on Nostrand Avenue – A Closer Look At Brooklyn
On a cold Wednesday last week, I ventured out to Brooklyn. Admittedly, I have not spent a lot of time there but you can see the appeal as soon as you ascend the subway station stairs. You step out into the charm and angst which make Brooklyn known the world over, even outside of it’s attachment to New York City.
I was fortunate enough to be able to have access to a rooftop looking out towards Manhattan You can see the tip of the Empire State Building and some of the glitzier high rise apartments but it might as well been a world away. These photos, some are heavily edited for a vintage effect, only begin to scratch the surface. I hope to spend more time in the upcoming year exploring and documenting the unique (dare I say quirky?) beauty of Brooklyn.
[Read more…] about A Cold Day on Nostrand Avenue – A Closer Look At Brooklyn
4 World Trade Center Photos
12 and a half years after the tragic day of September 11th, 2001 the new World Trade Center has risen in the Financial District in New York City. These photos were taken this spring from 4 World Trade before the building was entirely open to the public. Does it replace what was lost? No. Can it’s mere presence erase that horrible day from history? It can and will not. But that is not its function. Nor should it be. With views that sweep across New Jersey, New York Harbor, the Freedom Tower, and uptown with the Empire State Building dead center on the horizon, it simply reminds us that We Will Rise.
Photographers note: All of the below photos were taken with an iPhone as I was unable to bring my camera into the building.







Standout Urban Trends from the BMW Guggenheim Lab
From 2011-2013, the mobile BMW Guggenheim Lab studied life in modern cities, offered free programs and workshops, and implemented projects across New York City, Berlin, and Mumbai. 100 Urban Trends emerged from the Lab as a database for the most talked-about trends in city life. Participatory City, a recent exhibit at the Guggenheim, provided an overview for the major trends explored by the project.
The Lab teams were interdisciplinary, and included experts in the fields of urbanism, architecture, art, design, science, technology, education, and sustainability. What follows is a sample of standout trends from the Lab’s work in NYC.

Altruism may be a surprising trend for anyone who thinks of NYC as a hardened, “get yours” type of city. “Altruism” means showing concern for the wellbeing of others in a selfless way (even at cost to oneself). During Love Night, psychologists and neuroeconomics experts attempted to design environments that could inspire even the most wolfish of Wall Street to act decently. The idea is that design combined with citizen action can encourage friendly behavior in daily life.
Bike politics takes a critical look at the debate on bike infrastructure in cities—covering topics such as traffic laws, cyclist fatalities, and the need for more bike lanes. During the Mobility in Cities event, Benoit Jacob, head of BMW’s division on sustainable transportation, met with New York City Department of Transportation chief of staff Margarat Newman. The two brainstormed on the future of urban mobility, exploring new possibilities for public transportation, cars, and bikes.
Evolutionary infrastructure looks at modalities of architecture and city planning that allow for natural and artificial systems to work effectively together. Engineered and natural processes are viewed as reciprocal evolutionary forces. Michael Manfredi and Marion Weiss from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design led a workshop on evolutionary infrastructure, with the aim of discovering renewed potential for mega-utopias.
Hacking the city refers to the capacity of urban inhabitants to transform city systems through informal actions. Sociologist Saskia Sassen came up with the idea, in order to show how open-source, grassroots participation can help make cities more habitable and humane. The idea is to subvert the meaning of hacking from technological to humanist. Perhaps dog-walkers, old ladies on stoops, and other vigilant community members are preferable to the most advanced surveillance technologies.
Resilience is a city’s ability to cope with and recover from hardship. While it can mean different things, often a resilient city is able to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change. It goes without saying that NYC’s response to Superstorm Sandy falls under this category. A panel discussion took place on different ways that New Yorkers can actively respond to environmental stress in the coming years.
Urban psychology studies the effects of city life on mental health and wellbeing, looking into areas such as stress, overstimulation, anxiety, relationship to space, and urban fatigue. Journalist and Lab member Charles Montgomery gave a talk (Comfort, Cities, and the Science of Happiness), arguing that similar components go into designing happy, sustainable, and resilient cities.
Some have criticized the BMW Guggenheim Lab for being overly conceptual and having little impact on actual urban existence. During its time in the East Village, some residents complained that the ideas being explored by the Lab where already in effect in the area (such as community gardens, locally owned art galleries, and small businesses). Critics said that the Lab might have done more good in a community lacking the resources of the LES.
While the BMW Guggenheim Lab’s work was highly academic, it’s relevancy can’t be blown off easily. During the Lab’s stint in NYC, it explored and engaged with critical issues for New Yorkers. However, the extent to which city-dwellers will be able to apply what was learned through the Lab in daily life remains to be seen.
New York City Photography: The Queensboro Bridge
The Queensboro Bridge is one of the most iconic crossings in the world. It spans the East River along side the world famous Roosevelt Island Cable Car. The bridge draws thousands of tourists and commuters per day. It also is one of the only toll-free crossings in all of New York City.
One of the best parts of the bridge is that it is available to pedestrians. Along the walkway is a chain link fence where many people leave locks with messages on them. Others are blank, leaving only the ones that have placed them to know their true meaning. It’s definitely something you have to look for but priceless when you find them.












New York City Photography: Pershing Square
In the heart of New York City, there is a tiny section named Pershing Square. However, in all of Manhattan, there is more asked of this little square than of any other neighborhood. Located directly outside Grand Central Station it serves as a gateway to all who exit the old, Art Deco designed train station. Emerging from it’s doors is like a trip back in time and a welcome to the modernity of the city all in a first glance.


