Bushwick.
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The late afternoon sun scores through mongering storm clouds and strikes the Statue of Liberty off Manhattan, New York City, NY.
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Bushwick.
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A young boy enjoys the museum wonders.
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I was recently sent on assignment to the Supreme Court in New York City to cover the murals painted throughout the building. They appear mainly in the front entrance and the foyer - beautiful, hand-painted and ornate representations of early New York life, painted in a style imitative of classicism to match the grandeur of the neo-classical building containing them. The Supreme Court itself has been standing in New York since 1927 and was designed by Guy Lowell of Boston. It is an impressive building, but nevertheless an imitation of it’s somewhat more ancient and symbolic European counterparts. Visitors are allowed, but be prepared to be vigilantly monitored and don’t expect to walk away with nice pictures of the murals as photography without special permission is banned.
Despite the beauty of the murals inside, I was more drawn to the towering pillars and the particular viewpoint that could be achieved by standing at the top of the great sweeping staircase that leads to the front entrance. The Supreme Court looks over the busy junction of Centre St and Chambers St, and as you look out numerous tourists, visitors, students, breaking secretaries and bored taxi drivers look back. The squat hexagon sits awkwardly amongst the taller “skyscrapers” that surround it, almost swallowing it in it’s tight little corner. Strangers walk in and out, security guards have lunch on the steps. It’s a strange place, at I least I think so, representing austerity, duty, law-abiding and traditional American politics amongst the creativity, multi-culturalism and experimentation that defines the city of New York. I guess you need that in a city like this.
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Delicious produce similar to that found in most New York Farmer’s Markets
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A selection of the artefacts held in the Brooklyn Museum. Lodged proudly in the high-end of Brooklyn near Prospect Park, the Brooklyn Museum is a wonderfully intriguing, contemporary and unconventional look at modern New York, America and outside cultures that have influenced American life and thinking. Above all else, the museum is an art museum (one of the largest and oldest in the country apparently), dedicated to art in all its forms - from ancient vase paintings to nineties urban graffiti.
The museum has one of the most varied and wide-ranging collections in the US and is housed in a beautiful, neo-Romanesque sculpture of a building. The museum offers a chance to see art as a living and breathing being - whether ancient, classic or contemporary - allowing interaction on all levels. This includes seeing the collections poised behind glass in finely lit boxes or in their traditional settings in specially designed exhibitions, to climbing all over experimental art installations. Yes, it’s a museum, but not a “lets pack everything away behind screens and remind everyone that its all in the past and completely unrelated to modern culture and so the kids can’t relate to it” kind of museum. This is a museum of the New World, and one which reflects the attitudes of that world. Things aren’t static, they’re moving and changing as we speak, and while we need to appreciate that, we also need to see it in a way which allows us to build upon it, and that means continuing to interact with it. We need to see how things connect, and that’s exactly what this museum offers. Does that make sense?
Whether it does or it doesn’t, you need to check it out. It’s great fun.
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A stall-holder at Williamsburg flea market proudly poses before her wares. Every Sunday, the waterfront at the favourite hipster-hangout neighbourhood becomes packed with vintage, antique and unique vendors selling a mix of items - from classic Americana furniture to European film cameras, modern original art and favourite childhood collectables - served alongside organic, natural and inventive snacks and meals.
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Brooklyn kids enjoy cooling off during record temperatures in the city. Throughout the city, hydrants are unhinged and water released to avoid residents suffering from extreme heat exhaustion. As well as being beneficial to the City’s health during the high temperatures, the activities surrounding these hydrants offer the opportunity to see the City at its most care-free and playful.
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The food at Brooklyn Farmer’s Market is something that definitely shouldn’t be missed. The wide selection of produce is created by artisan bakers and cheesemongers, organic farmers and sustainable butchers. It is a unique opportunity to experience New York street food at it’s finest and most health-consious.
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Fresh flowers also make an appearance at the Brooklyn Farmer’s Market.
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Fresh herbs at Brooklyn Farmer’s Market next to Prospect Park.
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