New York Day 6 - André, the story teller and Coney Island.

We went to visit my friend André da Loba, the very talented illustrator, artis and story teller. He showed us around the building where he works, The Invisible Dog Art Center in Brooklyn, a place that, together with a bunch of people, he managed to spruce up and turn into the wonderful place it is now, full of creative studios and a spacious exhibition space. 

André doing business over the phone. 

Phil balancing Andre's flying horse. 

Me holding a giraffe and André pulling a funny face and holding a folded creature. 

The exhibition space. 

They even have a back garden!

Floating woman on the wall. 

On our way to Coney Island. 

Nathan's Famous. 
Nathan’s Famous was founded by a Polish immigrant, Nathan Handwerker, and his is truly an authentic “only in America story.” He started his business in 1916 with a small hot dog stand in Coney Island, New York. He sold hot dogs that were manufactured based on a recipe developed by his wife, Ida.

SCREAM ZONE.
The rides weren't working on Coney Island that day but it was still worth visiting. The atmosphere is strange and artificial, a forced fun feeling. Almost melancholic. 

I loved the hand painted signs. 

Remembering Patty Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe. 

Tillie. 

It was a very hot day. Phil enjoyed getting sprinkled.

We ended the day at the McKittrick Hotel where we experienced the incredible SLEEP NO MORE show. I don't want to spoil the experience for anyone who might be going, so I will say no more. It's a must if you're in NYC.   

Feeling shaky after the adrenaline rush at Sleep No More. 

One day gas stations will be obsolete. And nature will take over... wishful thinking. 

New York Day 5 - James Turrel and King Krule.

Phil plans the itinerary from our friends' beautiful flat. We were so lucky to get such an amazing place to stay. Gracias, Ero y Guille!!

Gorgeous Guggenheim!

Aten Reign by James Turrel. Only to be enjoyed from below. 

This woman was just standing like this. No taxis in sight. 

Natural History Museum. 

Kiosk. 

Proof that NYC is now a safe city. 

The night ended with King Krule at the Bowery Ballroom. Quite like magic.

Back to Day 3 - The High Line and 20 minutes in Times Square.

I had lost this film and found it later so it took a bit longer to get it developed than the rest.

We spent our third day in Greenwich Village where there was a street market on and a nice atmosphere. Music seems to be around every corner, free music everywhere!

The High Line was stunning. Ever since I interviewed Piet Oudolf for The Plant magazine, visiting The High Line was on my to-do list.

Our morning walk to the subway started on the lovely Bergen Street in Brooklyn. 

Approaching Flatbush. 

Stopping for a drink at Hector's Cafe. 

Sipping ice tea on the High Line. 

Train tracks on the High Line. 

The floor slabs on the High Line are a reminder of what it used to be. 

Wonderful views of West 18th Street with a mural by Gilbert & George. 

Enjoying my mango popsicle to help bear the warm temperatures. 

The High Line is still under construction. 

People in NY give a lot of importance to their looks. There are so many different styles! This woman suited this red lace dress so well. 

Printed Matter is the world''s largest non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of publications made by artists. Founded as a for-profit alternative arts space in 1976 by artists and artworkers, Printed Matter reincorporated in 1978 to become the independent non-profit organization that it is today.
Source: http://printedmatter.org/about/

This store was so great! I treated myself to a bunch of zines. 

We are still wondering how these parking lots work. 

Pizza slices are a constant temptation. 

Greenwich Village and its buzz. 

The basketball players in Greenwich Village are worth watching. 

As per usual, one of my favorite parts of the day involved music. This band called Select Blendz blew me away with their powerful voices. Here's a video of it, I even get pointed at on second 5 of the vid. The girl that passes by on minute 0.35 of the video, that's the average pose for New Yorkers that age, iPhone in hand, ready for action.

What Americans can dress up as for Halloween. 

We ended the day in Times Square. It was horrible and amazing at the same time. We could bear it for about 20 minutes. 

New York Day 4 - Portumus Johnson and working it out in Central Park.

After a delicious breakfast in Brooklyn in the cafe Building on Bond we made our way to the ferry terminal to get on a boat to Staten Island. The boat is free and it offers nice views of the skyline from the water. We didn't find much to do on Staten Island so headed back shortly after arriving. 

Spotted in Brooklyn. Memory of a house. 

Subway mosaic. 

At the ferry terminal I saw this man with his grandson. They had such a special bond, it was pleasant to watch. No wonder that little girl looks jealous despite her pink dress, fancy shoes and giant pretzel. 

Views from the boat. 

The tallest building is the new One World Trade Center.
It cost $3.9 billion to construct. Not bad.  

Feathery plants on Staten Island. 

Patriotic feeling. 

I found this memorial monument for 9-11 specially moving because the design really enhances the individual people that were killed, as opposed to a long list of names that comes across as quite anonymous. 

One thing Staten Island is great for is naps. 

The Statue of Liberty gave us a wave.

Central Park, finding a place to sit down for lunch.

We weren't the only ones with this idea.

It's nice to have a breather from the city inside the city!

Rowing boats in Central Park.

Feeding a squirrel. 

I want a Central Park in Rotterdam, please. 

Alice in Wonderland!

 This lady sat next to us on a bench in the park,  she carried this turtle with her. She introduced us to

Portumus Johnson (aka Pojo), the turtle. They live on 3rd Avenue and come to the park every day. 
Pojo swims in her bath. She treats the water so it gets extra slimy for him. They sometimes share her 
bed. She feeds him veggies, veal, chicken and whatever she gathers from her own meals. 
He's 17 years old. She loves him to bits. 

After the encounter with Portumus Johnson and his owner, we carried on walking as the sun set. 
We heard music from far away so we followed the sound. There was a party going on with Nick Johnson 
as the DJ right in the middle of the park. EVERYONE was dancing and smiling and made us 
feel welcome. We joined. I'm always amazed and moved by how happy and connected 
music makes people feel. 

A man kept shouting at me, "WORK IT OUT!" so I complied and danced away. 
The sun set as we danced and there was magic in the air. 
And this is when I felt certain that I love New York City. 

Here's a video of it:

Empty subway stations are creepy. 

I recommend the Comedy Cellar. Brilliant stand up comedians. Guaranteed night of giggles.