Catching A Half-An Hour Moment W/My Camera on Hudson River Park Before Sunset

I easily got enthralled while taking shots at couples who are caught in the depths of the demanding steps of their lovely, romantic dances set to old but still popular ballroom tunes. Most of us around in the City that time would still actually be at work or rushing to go back home or somewhere else, but I'm intrigued that these enthusiastic couples are spending their precious time away here at the park dancing their concerns away. They look so carefree, whiling their cares away in a lovely dance, just like all the other promenaders. Some are even curious to learn a few set of steps to be able to join the participants. Practice will allow them to bring these lessons to be commanded at will to be demonstrated at some other time. Those who braved to do more would have results shown to all interested onlookers.

Without plans at all for a visit, I found myself walking towards the Hudson River with another friend when I had to rush to the West Village house of one of my employers who forgot her housekeys. The Park, located 4 blocks away from the house, looked so inviting at that time of the day. My friend's happy and delighted to have been introduced to the Park, as he has been wondering where to go to find a wide open space that's close to a body of water. This visit turned out to be serendipitous. I happened to have brought my camera with me this time. Originally, I was not in the mood to take shots. I was prompted by all the activities and scenes available right there in half an hour prior to sunset time.

















Somewhere among the photos included here, on one of the photos showing the Jersey City on the other side of Hudson River, you may take note of the glimpse of the moon (no, it's not just a simple white blot caused by the camera lenses, or some kind of white-colored dust or dirt)---its appearance looking like a huge solitary rough piece of diamond set on a wide blue cloth-like spread on the expanse of the photo shot, plus the Jersey City skyline as the main decorative motif towards the midpart, and the Hudson River set across horizontally to provide some contrast at the bottom.




Taking a curious shot from where I stand at a photographer who's busy catching the fascinating and well coordinated movements of dancing couples in her camera. Note the green outfit, leggings, socks (barely visible from the photo) and shoes (good also for dancing?) she's wearing. There was a number of others in the park who also were busy taking shots at anything that will catch their fanciful and prying eyes. They knew it was something memorable to be recorded on camera. Subjects won't care at all; everyone's pretty uninhibited to curious onlookers.










































I got attracted by the Journal Square Tower as it takes charge from among all the buildings surrounding it (I found it Moorish in its appearance that time).




Take a closer look at the water vehicles plying the river. These water vehicles are always fascinating to look at. You don't see them that often, as most people live away from water bodies. Water vehicles carry a certain air of romance in them. Set against water, they provide wonderful opportunities to meditate on the passing fancies and other fleeting concerns in daily life. These scenes with water vehicles, e.g. boats, yachts, ferries, as they ply their huge masses of space on water, remind me that my situation now will not here all the time, that I'd be moving soon anytime. From one of the photos, where the pier cuts across the boundary of the engulfing movement of the river, I got myself thinking of some other phases in my life that I gotta pass and get over with in time.

Whenever I catch a view of the Empire State Building, and I happened to be close to either one of the Rivers, I get myself reminded that New York City, is primarily an island, surrounded by moving bodies of water, that allows for creative ingenuity to be shown by providing various modes of transportation, in the delivery of logistics, and in putting up marvels of infrastructure. New York City's vulnerability hinges on its very geological make-up, so it seemed to me. Yet, it's very structure also serves as one of the primary sources of its strategic strengths, like other great cities in the world.

Days after this unplanned visit, I still get to hear myself humming some of the tunes to which the couples enthusiastically danced themselves away. Something great, something creative, something memorable comes into my mind all at the same time. I was already in bed, preparing for my rest. I then smiled, and went on to post this write-up with accompanying photos.

A Friend Joins Me On A Visit to the Cloisters

"The Cloisters" is less than 10 blocks away from my current residence. Last week, a friend from Washington DC joined me to explore this branch of the Metropolitan Museum, up in Inwood, that some call as "upstate manhattan." I pointed to her the trees that cover the hilly part where "The Cloisters" is located. I knew from her reaction that she had second thoughts about the vertical hike from my apartment building to that hill. But the foliage can actually be deceiving. When we got inside, we went gaga over taking photos of what we saw inside. Unlike the bigger and main Metropolitan Museum, this branch can be visited in half a day, at the most, or even less than 2 hours. I have another friend who'd find it crazy to go up all the way to visit this part of Manhattan, which he considers really THAT far already. Actually, by subway, Inwood is just 30 minutes worth of travel time to Times Square. I have another friend who have planned with me to visit the Cloisters over a month ago, but up to now, we have yet to finalize the schedule. And I've grown aware that a lot of New Yorkers (plus visitors) have yet to visit this very interesting museum, primarily, perhaps, because of its distance from the main tourist attractions of NYC.

What do you see there? A lot of interesting medieval architecture fragments, overall platform and styles, that are European in origin. A lot of historically interesting installations. Plus a great, well tended garden in a courtyard. There are also the marvelous tapestries, including that one of a unicorn which I love very much, even in the little light allowed on it inside the walls of this museum. You'd see a lot of religious objects, installations, and articles as well. You actually don't need to get inside the museum if you're offended by religious objects, or even for some reason. You may just appreciate from a good distance the building which is called "The Cloisters." The park that surrounds "The Cloisters" is also sitting very close to the Fort Tryon Park, a few feet away, actually. Both parks actually afford the visitor to enjoy a grand view of the Hudson River, and New Jersey. Some friends have told me, you'd actually think you're not in Manhattan, when you get to see this part of the city. I can see that these parks are worth visiting, even during other seasons, just to see how the foliage have changed and gone. I once visited these parks with another friend, on a spur-of-the-moment decision on where to go here in Inwood, and we chanced upon finding ourselves after a quarter of an hour of walking under the arch of the wide spans of the very tall granite-made concrete bridge that connects the highway that runs on the West Side of Manhattan. I didn't have my camera then, but I remember it's one of those photo opportunities that I've missed. An angle that will certainly be kept in good memory. But I'll be back very soon, next chance I've got.