I love New York City. I do love that big, dirty, grimy, rough city. I was lucky to be able to visit NYC on my trip to the east coast. The Bolt Bus goes there from Philly for a reasonable price. I paid $23 round trip from downtown Philly to midtown Manhatten. It's a two hour bus ride, with traffic. That's closer than Portland to Seattle. If I lived in Philly, I'd probably visit NYC once a month.
What is it that I love about NYC? I don't love crowds of people, in fact I am an introvert. This city is alive and vibrant, yet there is a pace about it that allows space within chaos. During my two days in the city, I found many moments of solace among crowds. I felt lost within the bubble of activity, but I did not mind. Having brought my watercolor book and paints to the east coast, I did more artwork during the 30 hours I spent in New York than I did in all of the other places combined. I may not know how to describe that in words, but I feel as though it is what people call inspiration. As a visual learner, I take in the environment that surrounds me. In NYC that environment is rich with colors, people, movement, art, music and smells. As I stepped out of the bus in midtown manhatten, I had no idea my location, but I knew that I could walk anywhere and be somewhere fascinating. People watching is timeless in this city.
(Brooklyn Bridge, walking Manhatten to Brooklyn; a tradition of mine while in NYC)
I got some cold brew from Stumptown in Chelsea and sat in Washington Square Park near NYU for nearly two hours listening to a brass jazz band busk in the plaza while I painted what I saw. Another aspect about NYC that really appeals to me is people's sense of self importance. I noticed that no one bothered me while I was painting in the streets there, it must be common. Either that or people are busy doing there own thing.
Above is a photo of an old lady collecting cans and bottles out of the trash cans in Chelsea. She had so much weight on her shoulders, but was balancing it quite nicely on a stick.
