New York, September 2011

I <3 New York. It makes me totally emotional. Because there is so much stimuli to keep me thinking and when I think a lot my senses are heightened. I get instinctive. The city inspires me and everything is an event ... walking down the sidewalk, even. Every corner offers something of interest where I think to myself, "that looks cute", "that could be a moment", or "i bet the food is wonderful", and on and on.

I've gone to New York twice in the past two months (I know) but it was a long time coming. I moved to Manhattan when I graduated from UT, with romanticized dreams of becoming a writer and an artist. I wrote for American PHOTO and Popular photography magazines - creating advertisements and marketing pieces ... not exactly the visions I had of an underground, seedy artist's life. But it was good. And on travel photography workshops hosted by the magazines, I began to hone my eye for documentary and travel photography. I lived in Gramercy Park, then the East Village for a little over two years then moved back to Texas and traveled. I intended on moving back to New York (to the more affordable Brooklyn) but instead, ended up settling back in Austin. It is good.

Last August was the first time I'd been back since 2000. I had a quick layover on my way to Milan, where I had time to grab lunch with my aunt but that was it. My job at Yodle is what finally brought me back to New York. Love my job! The marketing team I work with is amazing so I love being able to work with them in person. And, of course, I love running around in the evenings after work. I get so excited seeing places I used to go and it's thrilling to discover new ones.

#whirlwind

High Line

Doc Holiday's, East Village

Dukes, East Village

Gramercy Park Yum!

Pete's Tavern, Gramercy Park

Oldest surviving bar in New York & historical landmark. 

321 2nd Ave. My old coop building. 

They spruced it up.

Gramercy Park

Restaurant and BAR

I remember, years ago, saying this after deciding we were done drinking for a little bit, "I'm not done." And we walked into Odessa and sat down in a booth at the back of the restaurant across from the bar top.

Old Dive

206 E. 6th. East Village. 2nd building I lived in.

 Great courtyard with my own entrance from the living area. Nobody else went back there. 

View from The High Line

The High Line

High Line View

Ditto

Ditto. Diane von Furstenberg.

The High Line

High Line

Off The High Line

Why does this guy look so familiar?

Turkish Street Fair, Times Square

Washington Square Park

NYU area

*Drool*

NYU

NYU

Generation Records Stairwell

NYU

NYU

Bathroom Fascination: Click here!

Amazing selection of jazz, soul, soundtracks, rare stuff

Really wanted to see Shit Year and Tabloid but couldn't fit it in.

West Village

West Village, Smorgas Chef: Gravlax.

Middle of the night slop up sesh or Americana breakfast

Tomkins Square Park, East Village

    

Food Trailer Mission & a Few Things in Between

If you like vintage airstreams, check this out - click here.

Austin Landmarks and Graffiti Art

To me, some of these photos are Austin landmarks ... South Austin landmarks that have been etched in my memory (visually and/or emotionally/psychologically) since the mid nineties. If that sounds cryptic or disturbing, I don't mean it to be. I have so many positive, thoughtful memories from the 17 years I've been here (on & off). Holy moly, that is an unbelievably long time! Many cities have seen their independent businesses disappear - Mom & Pop stores get replaced by big chains. It happened on the drag, here in Austin and it even happened in New York. I always tell myself I need to photograph a sign, building, or business that looks like it's on its last leg here in Austin and sometimes I actually get around to doing it. I got a small handful of them, here. Something else that can quickly disappear - graffiti art. It can quickly get "cleaned" up or replaced by another piece ... so the sense of urgency to capture it before that happens is even stronger. I absolutely am so in love with the graffiti art I saw on this day.

Austin is an amazing city. I think it's changed a lot. I can't tell. I can't tell because I'm in it. That's not true. You know though, how they say it's good to have an outside view of a personal situation? Well, I guess that wouldn't work because if you haven't been here then how would you know? I'll stop being lazy and just talk about it, then. I started writing this so I may as well finish it. It's what I used to say about exercise - Just put your shoes on and the rest will fall into place.

So.

I think there are more hipsters in Austin. More young professionals. Or maybe I've grown up. Maybe it's just a trend (the hipsters) - a sign of the times. Nobody really escapes that anymore. OK, what it really is is that I've had 1/2 a margarita and I totally feel it. So I'm looking around, thinking about the rowdy days with friends - would that fly here? Because although everyone is totally chill and just in their moments, it seems a little stiff. Like being at that Dale Watson concert in New York somewhere between 98 & 01.  Little round jazz tables where Stubb's dirt ground should have been; people hootin' 'n hollerin' and flyin' around. Instead, everyone just sat quietly and watched like we were at the theatre or something. I wore a dress that night that was totally see-through. I didn't realize that or else convinced myself you could only see things in a certain light and it was night time anyway. 

So, has Austin changed? Yeah. But more than that, I've changed. I'm exactly the same as I've always been as far back as I can remember - to about age three or four. I have the same spirit, the same soul. It's hard to explain how I've changed . Do I talk about it as relates to what happens inside of a relationship? That's way too much. Hmm. How I've changed? I have a lot less to react to at this point - maybe. OK, here it is: I have different things to react to now. Oh my god. Life is amazing.