New York, New York!

New York, New York! My very first stop on my trip through the Americas.

This trip is the first time I've visited the USA and so I was keen to go out and experience every inch of the city.

Everything about this city screams big and bold - the bumblebee yellow and black colour scheme of the traffic lights, taxis and school buses; the oversized 6 metre wide sidewalks and pedestrian crossings; and avenue blocks that take you 5 minutes to walk between. The boldness is also reflected in the personality of the people that live in this city who instinctively seem to involve themselves with whatever is going on in your head. I've had amusingly engaging conversations with homeless people who have brazenly reached out to me on the street to ask for money, filter paper for cigarettes and random other items, to train guards who have shouted instructions to me over the loudspeaker of a subway train.

Covering Brooklyn, Wall Street, Ground Zero, China Town, Little Italy and East Village, check out my photo series documenting the City of New York.

Best viewed using desktop view to read accompanying captions :)

Ground Zero: View of Freedom Tower and The Oculus.  These buildings are located around the 9/11 memorial and architectural marvels.

Ground Zero: The Oculus. Retail space and transportation hub.  Walking into this space, you can't help but look around in quiet contemplation and appreciate this space - a perfect complement to the 9/11 memorial that sits adjacent.

Brookfield Place.  Manhattan Island is peppered with parks and public open spaces for people to sit and relax, and enjoy the city. 

The New York skyline.  New York is a city of islands and is home to one of the largest natural harbours in the world.  The name of the most famous island, Manhattan, originates from the Lenape language word, Mannahatta, meaning 'island of many hills'.

The Staten Island Ferry.  This free commuter ferry managed by the New York Department of Transport carries 22 million passengers a year, and offers one of the best views of the New York City skyline and harbour.

Food stands.  Serving bagels and pastries in the morning and hot dogs, gyros, and curry dishes all other hours of the day, these food stands can be found all over the city.  Yum!

A New York local.  This is Jerry, an 80 year old avid walker who has been taking tourists on 12 hour walking tours around New York for over 19 years!

Brooklyn Bridge.  The engineer in me swooned at the sight of this bridge!  Opened in 1883, this hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge is one of the oldest bridges in the United States.  Isn't it beautiful?

Brooklyn Bridge. This a rare quiet moment on the bridge, which is generally packed with tourists taking selfies or buying fresh fruit from vendor carts.  Keep left, or you will be yelled at by an irritable cyclist!

East Village: Walk down many of the streets in Manhattan's Lower East Side and you'll come across these delightful community gardens - a reflection of the city's radical history.  In the 1970s, entire areas of New York were left burn.  Through the work of the Green Gorillas, vacant lots were turned into gardens, and after significant petitioning to the city government, the Green Thumb program was formed. 

Citi Bike.  New York's official bike sharing system.  At around $160 for an annual pass these bikes are a great way to get around the city.  As a tourist however, at $12/d it is a bit pricey.  Travel tip: Download the Citi Bike app realtime bike and dock availabilities.

Navigating New York is made easy by the grid naming convention of the city's streets.  However, the scale of the city's blocks can be overwhelming.  Rule of thumb: Streets running in the north-south direction take 5 min to walk between; and those running in the west-east direction 1 min to walk between.

Remsen Street, Brooklyn.  Quiet and wealthy neighbourhood, located a mere three stops away from Manhattan.  Built in the 1830-60s Antebellum style, this area is a popular place to live because of the apartment high ceilings.

Remsen Street, Brooklyn.  Purpose built niches for recycling bins!  

China Town. The sidewalks from Spring Street westwards are filled with independent vendors selling artwork and accessories.  Canal Street, the main market street, is a great place to shop for bubble tea, tourist souvenirs, sunglasses, and watches.  Remember to bargain!

Little Italy - the place to go for authentic Italian food.  This photo captures Little Italy in the midst of the Feast of San Gennaro, a 11 day festival celebrated every September.

New York humour.  There are little signs of political tensions through the city - an other example being the temporary security lockdown of rubbish bins in certain locations. 

Greenways and bike lanes are being installed throughout New York.  However, the installation of this infrastructure was hard fought, with tensions existing between cyclists, the city government and police even as late as the early 2000s.