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Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Variety = Spice of Life

East 10th Street
Photo by myself in the East Village, outside Veselka, a popular Ukranian restaurant.

A group convened on East 10th Street and 2nd Avenue, to admire a recent addition.

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One of these days, very soon, I'll have to take pictures in the West Village and Tribeca. It seems as if all my photos come from the East Village (where parking is a breeze), Midtown (where I work), Union Square (where I hang out), the Upper West Side (where the project I'm working on is located), and Brooklyn (where I live).

Photos from Hell's Kitchen would be nice, too, and Alphabet City, and Murray Hill. But again, is it about the places, or is it about the people?

The above photo could have been taken anywhere, but there is the sensibility of New York there - pedestrians, chatting on a scrubby sidewalk, wearing nondescript clothing. The scene looks more Brooklyn and Manhattan to me, in its lack of pretension. It could have taken place anywhere.

For me, though, it's the fact that these images all come from the same place that makes New York the city that it is. This group might convene on a sidewalk, next to a homeless man and his shopping cart. Steps away, people stand in line for expensive fashion/accessories/tickets, a mix of hipster douchebags, businesspeople and artists, while a street musician plays an impish tune.

Diversity. That's where it's at.

Related posts: East (Side) Versus West (Side) and All That Jazz.

19 comments:

yogesa said...

Beautiful, Involving picture...

Meead said...

Nice pic, ofcourse it's social! I like it.

JAMJARSUPERSTAR said...

Hey this is a very sociable picture. How come they didn't notice you taking it? Do people not care that you're taking pics of them in NY? If I tried that here I'd get a whack around the head for my troubles lol!
Ciao

http://scarletsculturegarden.blogspot.com
http://jamjarsuperstar.blogspot.com

PJ said...

I remember reading that Cartier -Bresson used to cover his Leicas in black tape so they would be less obtrusive.

Anonymous said...

An interesting photo. I noticed the mother's foot.

Kitty said...

Welcome Yogesh
Always great to meet another City Daily Photo person. Your photos from India are great!

Welcome Meead
Thanks! It amazes me to have visitors from places like Iran. The internet boggles me little mind. I'll be visiting your blog to learn more about your country.

Hi Jamjar
These folks probably thought I was taking a photo of the building; I was standing on the opposite side of the street.

I forget where you're posting from?

Hi PJ
Love your avatar. The stealth photo is not easy. In places like the subway where there is little room, it's the hardest to wrangle. Once people see a camera, they act all weird.

Cartier-Bresson is one of my favorite photographers.

Hi Mr Lincoln
The mother is a bit pigeon-toed, yes. Lol.

BrianC said...

Mmmmmmm, Veselka. My favorite place for stuffed cabbage!

Meead said...

Thanks for your kind notes Kitty. You welcome too. I hope you'll learn something more about Iran other than what the media would always like you to believe. We can be good friends!

No, we live in the middle of dense residential parts of the city. Cities in Iran often look like dense European cities like London or American downtowns. All parts of our cities have high residentail density, mixed with commercial. There is really no countryside or suburb here like those in the US. Our urban design is different.

Dana said...

loving this photo and a great choice to put it in B & W!

Kizz said...

It does have a Brooklyny feel to it. I wonder if it's because of a migration issue. People who loved the East Village and got priced out moved along to the places in Brooklyn that draw us.

Mom Knows Everything said...

I really like this picture! It makes me wonder what they are all talking about.

yogesa said...

Thanks !

Jilly said...

Really nice shot and so works in black and white.

Kitty said...

Hi Brian
Some people find Veselka overhyped, but I don't agree. I love how down-to-earth the place is. Unpretentious and dependable.

Hi again Meead
I'm glad to have a blogging friend in Iran.

Thanks Dana!

Interesting thought, Kizz about E Villagers. I hadn't thought of that. Makes sense, since artists in the East Village needed more space and lower rent.

Thanks Tammy
I will have to strap on the microphone next time.

Thanks Jilly!

Ming the Merciless said...

Apparently, you and I hang out in the same area: EV and Union Square.

I rarely got to UWS because it's such a pain to get to. Plus I hate the nazi-stroller-moms.

Kitty said...

lol, Ming.
I love the UWS because I used to live there. But yes, I know the stroller nazis well. I live in Park Slope!

Anonymous said...

I love this picture it shows real life!!!

Anonymous said...

I do wanna go back to N-Y

Louis la Vache said...

Fantastic image! Great rhythm! Capturing life as it happens!