A Tribute to The People Of New York
One of the most inspiring parts of my trip to New York was looking at the people in the streets. What you notice immediately is their unique style and charm. You can see they care about the communities they belong to, but every person is expressing themselves visually in their own way. You just look around and read hundreds of beautiful stories. New York is a city of art and its citizens contribute their little masterpieces every day.
I must say people there also appear to be very open and friendly (big contrast compared to Moscow and London). Here are some of the moments I captured:
- The person playing sax near Times Square. I know you can find street musicians in every touristic place, but it’s all about the way people approach it. You can just play something with a deep sadness in your eyes or you can be full of positive energy and be grateful if people simply smile to you. This guy was expressing his joy with the language of jazz to every person passing by (even the people in the bus who would forever disappear for him in a second).
2. The futuristically-dressed man in the New York subway. The subway itself is the place that brings together the people who look like they come from different universes. It’s like a micro-sample of the city’s diverse population. The style of the guy to the right immediately captured my attention. The jumpsuit combined with his curly hair and cool sneakers made him look like he is coming from “Back to the future”. And together with his friend they definitely look like a cool gang.
3. This person is probably not a newyorker but he represents a big part of the city’s life — endless tourists in search of iconic landmarks. The man is taking a picture of the famous statue of the fearless girl who is looking at the world’s largest stock exchange.
4. Fashion photoshoot in the World Trade Centre. New York is also known for its impact on the world’s fashion industry. By simply walking around the city you can witness some high-end fashion events and then immediately get blown away by some great examples of street fashion. What I found interesting in this photo is the overall context — the photo was taken in a huge shopping mall full of light and volume right next to the place of grief — the 9/11 memorial. This space was now given to newyorkers to find new ways to express their hope and build new vision for the better future.
5. Expressive hockey fan of the New York Islanders one second after the game ended (guess who won :)). I could feel that sport plays an extremely important part in the life of Americans. You can see that everyone is identifying themselves as a fan of at least one team. I have an impression that being indifferent to sports at all is impossible in the US. This young man came to the game with Colorado to support his team and was becoming more and more expressive with every next beer he could get during the break. But what surprised me most — this expressiveness was not aggressive. He was teasing the fans of Colorado, but the overall environment was super friendly. People can easily draw a line between supporting their team and being aggressive to the people around them regardless of how the game goes. I love how expressive and happy he was when the game was over, you can see pure emotions and happiness on his face.
Bonus — a real NYC dog. Because of the snow and salt the dogs of New York are not feeling comfortable walking barepaw, so they all dressed-up and put on their winter shoes. I saw multiple dogs like that and their shoes and dresses look super stylish. How else could it be in New York…
