It is a little experiment I can advised to everyone: even a path that you have done many times e.g. by bicycle, if you do it on foot, you will discover other things. I had that close to my home and by slowing down and looking I found e.g. 'Studio - De Groene Vallei' near my home in Ghent, where one can do yoga, pilates, ... (I only did a few sessions there but it was a nice experience)
To my delight I discovered The Farmers Market, corner of East 17th Street and Park Av (I is certainly not the only one around New York, there's a whole string of them). All the products sold here are locally produced, by farmers living in the greater New York area. And mostly biologically grown as well.
I was very glad to have found it, since I read about this market in the book I read while in Mexico: 'No Impact Man', by Colin Beavan. About his own adventure to try to live during a year without any impact on the planet, in New York City! A book that I can really recommend, since it is not preachy at all: he is very honest in his own weaknesses, struggles and doubts. But the insights that he gains through his experiment are very important.
Starting at the Farmer Market, along Park Av. which I followed back toward Central Park, there was a Saturday market, for several blocks, with a very broad array of different stuff to buy. A lot of it hand made. Very nice to stroll around.
And be honest, what girl wouldn't be tempted by this kind of sign ;-)
I continued my walk and discovered something that immediately rendered me melancholic:
Okay, The New York Public Library, probably doesn't have immediately the seem influence on you, but especially the lion in the next picture suddenly triggered the memory in my mind: Ghost Busters (I told you that a lot of pictures were shot here)
Another example of a building you all know, even though you would probably not know the name is Grand Central Station:
Apart from it being a impressive building, it has been used as a setting in (among others) the following movies: 'I Am Legend', 'Men In Black', 'Religulous', 'Unbreakable', 'Superman: The Movie', 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind', 'The Fisher King' (which has an important scene in Central Park as well), ...
Probably one of the more eccentric buildings in NY : the Sherry-Netherland hotel, just at the south-east corner of Central Park. Like a little castle on top of a sky scraper!
And at last I am in Central Park. Enormously big and really very relaxing to be in. I can understand why New-yorkers come here to unwind.
A lot of couples come here to have there marriage pictures taken. This Indian couple was really great, they were followed by some of their friends/photographers and I came across them a few times. It almost looks like a scene from a movie :-)
I don't have a picture of it, but found the famous place where people come to play chess (again many movies, 'Independence Day' comes readily to mind), had a lovely organic diner and strolled back toward the bustling city. Everywhere people where running and cycling, enjoying a perfect autumn day.
In the end, walking through this part, gives a amazing sense of belonging, even though you are not living here: Like an Englishman in New York ;-)
(by the way, the official and beautiful video is here, but it has some annoying advertisement in front of it)
...
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten