Apologies for this post… it’s mad long… I sort of condensed almost 5 days of my trip to New York in this one post. To be honest, I was expecting some next-level shit in New York City (first time there)… but for some reason it felt pretty standard-like fare. Times Square where I had the misfortune of staying is like Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong, mad people, people hustling on the corner as well as the rip-off tourist trap camera stores. However, New York City does play host to some awesome urban landscapes, there’s something about the city’s architecture that is inevitably very interesting. The preservation of their past can not be said for other cities around the world especially Hong Kong. Although the talk of the whole gentrification process has taken place, it’s an interesting topic to see exactly what effect it has on culture itself. I draw many parallels between NYC and HK and I have witnessed first-hand the sometimes boring-culture that comes with “money culture” and it is inevitably those with money that are occupying the newly revamped areas I assume. I didn’t have to opportunity to hit up the so-called gentrified areas but as my one friend Alex mentioned, the economic downturn was sort of good in that it slowed things down a lot.
But New York City definitely houses some interesting people, at the end of the day, I’m sure many are like myself, you connect with good people more so than your environment. I could be anywhere in the world, just put me in the company of creative, fun and interesting individuals and I’m set.
The landscape tens of thousands of feet in the sky never ceases to amaze me
Gerd Mueller getting his due props in this documentary… good watch, funny how he never gets properly accredited.
Times Square… shit sucks.
But you can find this beauty in the area…
New Yorkers don’t fuck around when it comes to sandwiches (@ Ben’s Deli) and I’m pretty sure I’m the only one that likes chopped liver.
Chrysler Building in the distance
Papa Kan before he got taken for a $12 USD ride for an ice cream cone and a sundae… SUCKER!
Empire State Building from the outside…
To the 86th floor observation deck…
The view of the city
Lombardi’s Pizza, one old ass pizzeria
Looks even better in real-life but wasn’t as big as I had originally thought.
This park in Chinatown was cool, bunch of FOBs playing Chinese chess… like a bunch of mobsters assembling and doing battle haha
Deep thought…
5 dumplings for a $1… can’t really go wrong
This was probably the best piece of pork/pig I’ve ever had over at Tia Pol
Yeh it was shot at night… but we all know this place is super quiet.
My friend Joan made the move from finance to the airline industry and is now dabbling in the creative world of design… pretty interesting jump and here is her paper sculpture haha