New York 2011

New York City...what can I say?  This is my favorite city in the whole, w-i-d-e world.  There's so much to do and so much to photograph, you can get lost at where to start. But before I ventured into the city, Jersey City, New Jersey was my first stop. Along the riverfront, I shot a partial view of the awesome New York City skyline. And visible is the construction on the World Trade Center building that was going on at the time. I also photographed the Jersey City 911 Memorial, which was dedicated to the New Jersey residents who died in the World Trade Center attacks. Finally in New York City, I started my day off in City Hall Park. I saw a very colorful sculpture called "Splotch 15", which was sculpted by Sol LeWitt. Other highlights I captured were: the Gershwin Hotel, which I nicknamed the "Nose" Hotel because of the sculptures on the facade. After photographing Juame Plensa's "Echo" sculpture in Madison Square Park, I went across the way to the Flatiron Building. Walking up the street, I saw a store called Museum Of Sex. And of course, I had to walk in there to be nosy. From there, I went over to The Waldolf-Astoria Hotel, made famous in the movie "Coming To America". A smooth drive across the George Washington Bridge, I worked my way into Harlem. I found a parking spot on 125th Street near St. Nicholas. My first stop was The Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center. After checking out the Center, I later found out that this was the old Audubon Ballroom where Malcolm X was murdered. I was like, "Wow"! Other stops in Harlem were: The Cotton Club, Langston Hughes' House and the Apollo Theater. I ended this day walking through Times Square to feel the true essence of New York City.