View of Midtown from the Brooklyn Bridge

The post office

One thing I particularly appreciate about the United States is their concept of a post office. Most of them are so charming, occupying amazingly beautiful old buildings and offering a very warm atmosphere. I sometimes find myself "creating" occasions to go there...

These pictures were taken at the 8th Avenue Post office in Midtown.

People watching - Midtown

Beautiful West Village

In my dreams, I live there...

Nice apartment building

Seen on the Upper West Side...

Emblematic Chrysler Building

The famous and emblematic Chrysler Building is by far my preferred building in the City. With its unique Art Deco style, the 1,047 feet structure was the world's tallest building for 11 months before it was surpassed by the Empire State Building in 1931.

The Chrysler Building is located on the east side of Manhattan at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue.

Rainy day...

Trailer Park on West 23rd Street

Starting today, I will be publishing my daily photos 7 days a week. Not only they got very popular but I have so many nice pictures that it's a shame to keep them hidden in my computer!
 

Here's your first Sunday picture: Trailer Park, probably one of the "kitschiest" place in the City (and also a restaurant).

Geminola on Perry Street

Situated on one of the most charming streets of West village – the one where were filmed the Sex and the city scenes of Carrie’s brownstone – , Geminola is what I would call a high end thrift store. It was established in 2004 by Lorraine Kirke, a British designer who transformed her interior design expertise into a clothing line.  All of the materials used by Lorraine are vintage (pre 1950) and each piece is hand made.

Expat stories: Claire from Central Park Wedding

This week, I am happy to publish my first expat interview – I have wanted to do this since the beginning of this blog. Claire is a British expat who moved to NYC in January 2011, following her boyfriend who had a job offer.  She got married in Central Park and guess what… she now runs her own business specialized in weddings in this beautiful landmark of Manhattan. I really admire her entrepreneurship!
 
I always enjoy hearing about expats or NYC lovers experiences, so don’t hesitate to contact me for an interview or if you wish to submit a blog post; I would love to hear about your story!
 

Claire, you’ve been in the City for more than a year now… What do you think about New York?
Americans think New York is an unfriendly place. I suggest they take a trip to London, to put things in perspective. There, you might be lying in a gutter, clutching your chest and gasping for air and people might still give you a (polite) kick as they step over you. 
 
I made numerous friends more quickly in New York than anywhere else I have lived.  We found a flat on the Upper East Side and I furnished it with Craigslist, I went to a Brooklyn woman's apartment to try out her sofa, it was nice, but too expensive but she was pretty great, and has become one of my closest New York friends. 

Bistro tables in the Riverside Park

I got a plan for my next happy hour!

Soccer field in the heart of the City

This soccer field is situated in Chelsea, on 10th Avenue between 27th and 28th streets.

Keep dogs off garden

I like this photo; it looks like the 70's. It was taken a few weeks ago; we can tell because in New York, around Easter, all cabbages decorating winter streets disappear and are replaced by tulips....

Jeremy Lin Graffiti in East Village

You probably know Jeremy Lin, the new star of the New York Knicks. Here’s a cool tribute to him, created at the beginning of the year by New York graffiti artist Wilfredo “Bio” Feliciano and three members of his Bronx-based Tats Cru. 

Bio started his artistic career in the early eighties at the height of the New York City subway graffiti movement. He is now very famous; his work has been featured in many movies and music videos and can be seen in different countries around the world.

Meatpacking cab

This picture is one of my favorites. I stood about 10 minutes on the street corner, the objective of my camera fixing the same spot, just to get this special shot that I had in my head.

Street market in Williamsburg

Have you read my post about Williamsburg? I love this place. Here is one more picture that was taken on Bedford Avenue, the principal and very busy commercial street of the neighborhood. There you can find many street merchants selling vintage goods.

A stop at Rudy's Music in SoHo

My brother, who’s a talented musician (here's the link to his band's Website), was in New York this weekend. We were walking in the lovely neighborhood of SoHo when our path randomly led us to a beautiful and unexpected music store: Rudy’s Music.

Rudy’s Music Soho opened in 2009 as an expansion of the famous Rudy’s Music in Midtown, whose clientele over the past 32 years has included Mick Jagger and John Mayer. The owner of the place, the guitar designer and collector Rudy Pensa, has in his new location what he calls a “guitar gallery” : the store contains over 100 vintage hand-built acoustic and electric models.

Photo credit: Jean-François Gagnon

Rudy Pensa came to America in the 70’s from his native Argentina with a suitcase and a dream to be a part of the music industry. He started his business with only a few guitars but has now established a world-wide reputation. Rudy also designed Pensa custom Guitars, his own brand name, which continues to be hand made in his shop.

Lazy afternoon on a West Village terrace

 Could these people ask for more?

Landing in NYC

I took this picture while I was leaving the City, not when I was landing. But I preferred this title. Should this become the header for my blog?

Garden ornament market in NoLiTa

Just in time for spring….

Artsy garage

This cool place was spotted in the Meatpacking District next to the Chelsea Market. The owner often leave the garage’s  door open so one night, I decided to enter to steal some pictures of the graffiti.

Modern buildings - West Chelsea

The construction on the left is the 100, 11^th Avenue: a 20-story condo tower, also known as the “Vision Machine”, designed by the Famous French architect Jean Nouvel – the same guy who designed the Torre Agbar in Barcelona as well as many other modern and beautiful buildings around the world. The building on the right is an office complex.

Contradicted Williamsburg

I’ve wanted to visit Williamsburg since Forever; even before knowing that we would move to New York, I remember reading an article about the neighborhood and that was it, I was instantly fascinated by it.

Williamsburg is a neighborhood of Brooklyn known to be an influential hub for Indie rock music as well as for its local art community. The area, which has been gentrified these past years, is being redefined by a growing population and a rapid development of housing and retail space. Williamsburg is a young and busy neighborhood with numerous popular bars, shops and restaurants; it is equally one of the coolest places I’ve seen in New York. 

Bicycle in West Village

I just like the shadow effect on this picture. The secret: the magical and always flattering late afternoon light.

Penn Station’s work of art

This wall mural was created by the artist Andrew Leicester and is part of Ghost Series, which consists of five monumental bas-relief terra cotta artworks installed throughout the station. All 5 pieces evoke the 1910 Pennsylvania Station building, the Penn Station’s predecessor, which was demolished in 1963.

Hudson River view at sunset

This picture was taken from the rooftop of my building; we can see a part of the Gallery District of Chelsea as well as the famous Chelsea Piers. On the other side of the river is the state of New Jersey.