streda 22. júla 2015

High all the time

Theres always so many contrasts in the city. This place is one of them. Streets full of cars are just a block away, but here people just come to relax and walk around. You get this strange feeling, many construction sites and buildings rising around it and then there is this wilderness.

 Its not just about to walk this whole 1.45-mile-long (2.33 km) path high above the street, you have to come back, and stop every few meters. Every single time you will find something there. You get to see the buildings from different angles, discover all of the hidden pieces of art. It feels like museum in the city, where actually it is the views which are part of the exhibition.







Park itself was built on railroad which was elevated above the street level and used for cargo. Most people were for demolishion of the old track, some parts were demolished even earlier but finally in 2006 they decided to transform it into a park.






I just cant help it.. this place. This is one of the best places in NY for me. The way they transormed this place. I mean, you can still feel the old spirit, the tracks, industrial architecture but there is this there is this totaly opposite side of it. High Line has brought so much life into this rather run down area, sometimes it may even feel way too turistic but still. 





I cant really get deep enough into New Yorkers souls and minds. I havent spent here so much time so far. I guess this is just a place for them tho. Its the same like this whole place get sometimes, it is a park with tons of people, during the day crowds take you all the way down and it can get really anonymous, you just fit into crowd and flow with it.

And then there are these people, just chillin or speaking to strangers, makes you feel you are in some small town. There was this guy writing poems. Poems on demand, just choose what you like. Might meet him next time.






Just calm down and enjoy the High Line. Watch other people, what they do, get involved, check out all the art, try to understand it, lean on, sit down, enjoy the views.








This is not the first time area has changed. Before they built this train track high above the road, there used to be a track in the middle of the street and trains were slow and causing crashes and deaths so often that there even used to be so called "cowboy" riding infront of freight trains getting the cars and pedestrians out of the way.


 They placed there two big windows, so you can watch the street and street can watch you. Whole world under your feet /literally/, sat on a bench leaving NY just a bit behind but still so close to it. People driving these cars must envy. I believe.




It looks kinda a big TV screen. In this TV adverts are funny and cool tho.







I spent good half an hour at this place and new people were coming all the time having fun trying to kiss this girl. Most just got their clothes wet, giggled, said caliente /hot/ and walked away.

Then there was this guy who helped this kid while his mother was taking a photo, then he came back to his wife, sat there next to me and carried on with their chatting.





Next day we came back to High Line. Went to Chelsea market, bought some fresh and sweet tomatoes, feta cheese, hummus and bread. Took one table, found a bench and enjoyed the High Line at its best. It was already dark but still hot and humid, however Hudson river is really close. It was windy and some old New Yorker kept playing Jazz all night long.

nedeľa 19. júla 2015

the heat is on

When you end up in a city, the heat is on and humidity is something what you are not really used to, all you want to do is just get out of this urban heat island and head down to the beach. This city has one great advantage, it lies on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean which is cold enough to cool you down.




And the best thing about it, you don't really have to think too much how to get there. It's the subway which takes you there. If you have your week pass /31$/ it's all good, trains take you right to the beach. There are not many big cities like this around the world, at least I can't think of many. Maybe Rio and Barcelona, Dubai.. But if you think about real megapolis I don't think you would find any as big where all you need is to jump on a subway train and make your way down there.




It's weekend and train is quite packed tho. It's about one hour train ride from Midtown Manhattan and up to like 2hrs if you live in Bronx and decide to leave the hoods. On weekends trains are full of people taking their sunbeds, toys, newspapers, tanning oils, crying kids with little surfs and random people falling asleep.




For some reason, it's really easy to get some nap in these silver cars. I guess it's a combination of factors like the sounds of wheels and rail track, sauna-hot stations and extremely cold trains, then after you fight for your seat you fall a sleep and your head keeps falling on one side and another almost hitting this black guy who would like to punch you in the face.


Video uverejnené používateľom simon_misk (@simon_misk),


Rockaway is indeed one of the most popular beaches in the states or in New York for sure. Back in 50s they built the world biggest car park and the development went on. The Island itself is full of houses and some ugly condos aswell but it is not as bad as so called Little Odessa which is full of Russians, Ukrainians and all these rather ran down 20fl high rises right on the beach.

I find these buildings located right on the beach even much worse looking than commie blocks back in Slovakia, however grass around them and surroundings look well-maintained tho.





they found a good spot indeed

The sea /ocean/ itself, isnt as great but come on, I mean, we are just on the outskirts of the city, its great there is any beach at all! But it is somehow green rather than blue, full of green stuff which will get around your ankles. Compared to European beaches, there are almost no cafes or restaurant and of course you shouldnt drink so much alcohol at the beach like back home /oh yes, remember this for your stag parties/.



going back to Manhattan, more than 1 hour ride







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Oh yes, you know its like in the news on telly, I need to wrap this blog up with something funny, possitive and if it is including cat, thats ideal! These days most New Yorkers feel like this -


Manhattanhenge

Many people go so crazy about sunset photos. It can get a bit cheesy sometimes and well also shit. I mean I do like this "golden hour" when the sun is going down and even the ugliest city gets the shades of gold and becomes somehow brighter. Yeah it can get too romantic at times.



I was walking down the 5th avenue, actually a bit in rush so it took me a while to realise that the sun was setting down exactly at the end of a side street. I was even lazy to took some photos as I thought, well it is nice indeed but theres gonna be many similar evenings in this city. Meanwhile a group of Hungarians has surrounded me and got their cameras out.


I have spent all day walking around with my camera and not taking pictures /as always/ and these Hungarians also forced me to /we all love you/ and good they did..



That was actually more unique romantic-cheesy-summer sunset than I would have expected. The sun was setting down aligned with the street running east-west. Its actually called Manhattanhenge and happens only twice a year around July 12 and May 28. These are the days when all New Yorkers get their smatphones out and drivers are stuck and temporarily blinded.



↑my ig ↓and other New Yorkers

This urban phenomena is actually quite rare and there are only a few cities where they get so cool sunsets but not as perfect like in NY. Anyway if you dont want to travel to NY /i bet you would/ you get that in Baltimore, Toronto or Montreal too.

Fotka uverejnená používateľom PATRICK⚡️LAWLER (@patricklawler),


Fotka uverejnená používateľom PRVT PRTY (@ourprvtprty),

Fotka uverejnená používateľom Janette Struzzieri (@jstruzz14),

Fotka uverejnená používateľom Vika (@tribeca66),

Fotka uverejnená používateľom Vika (@tribeca66),

utorok 14. júla 2015

výhľady

Manhattan mi na jednej strane nepripadal až tak veľký, a na druhej strane až prehnane obrovský. Kým som ho nevidel naživo. Samozrejme že každý má nejaké skreslené predstavy. Boli to tie klasické scény kedy sa dvaja gangstri stretnú pri autách s cigaretou v ruke a v pozadí za nimi je zubatá panoráma plná high-riseov.

Sedím v lietadle a dole New York. Len nekonečný rad striech, prekvapivo kľukaté ulice, veľa zelene, ostrovy, more. Skôr pripomínajúce Európu ako ten New York z filmov. A potom je vidno prvé baseballové ihrisko, a prvý školský autobus.


Keď si človek pozrie čo už i len Manhattan na mape, nevyzerá to ako až tak príšerne veľké a komplikované mesto. Niekoľko hlavných tried /avenue/ a pomedzi ne desiatky mrakodrapov ako záchytných budov.


A potom stojím na druhej strane rieky a uvedomujem si že v podstate skoro naraz ani nevidno oba konce ostrova /downtown & uptown/.

Queensboro Bridge, spajajúci Manhattan s Queensom, v strede Roosvelt Island na ktorý sa dá dostať aj metrom alebo lanovkou /pomou/


Vľavo sídlo OSN

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a potom kráčam pomedzi ulice plné alejí a v diaľke Freedom Tower. Čisto na pohľad to nevyzerá ďaleko ale tú smiešnu štvrtinu alebo pätinu Manhattanu kráčam asi hodinu a to je 30 ulíc /od 20th St dole a nižšie/.

Ulice idú od 1th /a menej/ do 220th St, na štvorcovej míli žije asi 26 000 ľudí, keby mal hustotu populácie ako Aljaška žilo by tu  28 New Yorčanov, je tu niekoľko desiatok častí, každá s vlastným pomyselným centrom a objaviť ich všetky by trvalo roky. Ten ostrov nie je až taký malý a pešo to nestíham.
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