I don’t think there’s another city in the world that speaks more to the imagination than New York. It was the first American city I ever visited and I was both excited and confused actually. Not being accustomed to so much high-rise, I found it disorienting to find my way across streets filled with skyscrapers. It was also a strange experience to be in a city I recognised from films and TV, but actually didn’t know at all. At times I felt like wandering through a gigantic film set.

On that first New York city trip I visited all the important tourist attractions and utterly exhausted myself. Luckily, I was far more relaxed on my second trip and took pleasure from photographing charming front doors. Here’s a very small selection of my New York photo album from 2014. It includes some sights that might not be there anymore unfortunately. (Looking at the date it is about time for me to go back again!)

Public artworks

KAWS and ROA artworks // Done That Been There

Here on the left you see an enormous sculpture by KAWS. And right behind it lies the High Line. This long public garden follows the abandoned rail tracks that run over the old Meatpacking district. This photo was taken a few minutes before I spotted TV chef Anthony Bourdain and his filmcrew across the road! The sculpture is probably gone by now, but I do recommend going on the pleasant stroll along the High Line!

The photo on the right was taken in Williamsburg (Brooklyn, New York). You can see me photographing a mural by one of my favourite street artists, ROA. Over the years I’ve actually found quite some of his works whilst travelling, including during my street art city trip to Spanish city Málaga.

Today New York is known as one of the world’s leading cities for fashion, art and finance. But did you it was once founded as a Dutch trading colony? I wrote an article about it on my cultural blog Dutch Girl in London: Dutch Girl in New Amsterdam.

Random New York Snaps

Rainbow City New York playground // Done That Been There — Rainbow City: New York playground

American flags in New York // Done That Been There — There’s no lack of American flags in New York City!

NYPD police car // Done That Been There — I guess driving such a small police car is quite practical in a busy city like NYC

Alice in Wonderland in Central Park New York // Done That Been Ther — Alice in Wonderland sculpture in Central Park

Have you ever been to New York? How did you experience it? Did you find everything was indeed bigger and more overwhelming than back home? Share your thoughts in a comment below! Thanks, Zarina xx