There is no such thing as silence here. Everything jumps out at once, like the feathers on a peacock, immediately catching your attention. There are uncountable masses of colorful blobs moving, but within that great glob, there are many people, each person moving with the powerful confidence of a lion. The buildings all loom over the people, a grand oak tree above thousands of ants, tying together this concrete landscape. There is a tangible atmosphere of wonder, and you are left in awe of such an astonishing place. This magnificent place is none other than Times Square in New York City. It takes a while to process everything that is going on, but once you see the whole picture, the smaller details come out and are noticeable, even within the visually assaulting Square. The tall buildings are the first things you recognize; just the sheer size of them makes you feel like a tiny, unremarkable speck of dust. Each has its own character and was created with a unique design. A uniting factor of the buildings is the windows. The glass surface reflects the afternoon sun’s light, making a giant mirror from the buildings’ sides. The mirrors create an enormous hall of other building’s distorted reflections. Hanging from the buildings are advertisements for everything under the sun. Many billboards are for the different musicals that are going to be shown at Broadway soon; the classics, like West Side Story, Phantom of the Opera, Annie, and Wicked, are always there. Others are announcing the release of a new HP laptop, or Samsung HDTV. Some unveil a high fashion store’s new fall line of sweaters and jeans. Of course, there is the obligatory Coke commercial, telling you to enjoy a refreshing bottle of ice cold Coke. The cars are aligned ... ... middle of paper ... ...res and spend hundreds – and for some, even thousands – of dollars, yet this man does not have the money for a decent meal. His face is mostly covered by a filthy toboggan, but the few visible spots are wrinkled, either from age, or from the stress of wondering how you will survive the week. Without a doubt, Times Square in New York City is a unique experience, but the image created by TV and movies does not show the gloominess that accompanies the euphoria of being in the Big Apple. The atmosphere is so exhilarating and exciting, you don’t even know what to do for a few minutes, but it is tinged with the bitter reality that sadness and melancholy also trail closely behind the positive. With most, if not all, of your senses being stimulated – sometimes all at once – Times Square creates a memory that will surely be cherished, and haunt you for the rest of your life.
essence of New York and all its nuances in the form of terse observations. Whether
In “Brooklyn Bridge,” an account of a man on the bridge describes him in his “magic spot” or his personal area where two years ago he decided that New York wouldn 't break him. This suggests the essence of New York is tied to these “magic spots”. By magic spots I mean the places around the city where individuals decided to change their lives , something out of the ordinary happened to them, or just a place they feel serene. In the Library of Congress this work of nonfiction can be found under homes and haunts, a “ Magic Spot” is incredibly similar to a home. What makes a place a person’s home is the memories and experience they felt there. Even though New Yorkers begrudgingly accept all this change surrounding New York that Whitehead describes, they also thrive on it. By remembering the past in terms of their New York,their present is enhanced because the feeling of history contributes to a greater feeling of home because again the feeling of home is based on the memories. The only difference here is that instead of calling home a building or a house, the whole city acts as your home and like a tour guide Whitehead is giving his reader an insider’s account of his home. The essence of New York is this sense of home that you can find seemingly anywhere. People are drawn here based on that desire to feel comfortable and
Colson Whitehead explores this grand and complex city in his collection of essays The Colossus of New York. Whitehead writes about essential elements to New York life. His essays depict the city limits and everyday moments such as the morning and the subway, where “it is hard to escape the suspicion that your train just left... and if you had acted differently everything would be better” (“Subway” 49). Other essays are about more once in a while moments such as going to Central Park or the Port Authority. These divisions are subjective to each person. Some people come to New York and “after the long ride and the tiny brutalities... they enter the Port Authority,” but for others the Port Authority is a stop in their daily commute (“The Port Authority” 22).Nonetheless, each moment is a part of everyone’s life at some point. Many people live these moments together, experiencing similar situations. We have all been in the middle of that “where ...
I've loved this city since I was knee-high everything about it sprung out at me, the bright bold lights of times square, the hustle and bustle of Greenwich village and China Town and the serenity of central park. Everything about this city made me feel at home. I stepped out off the corner of pearl street and skipped into the Starbucks coffee shop on the other side of the street. The coffee shop
For instance, highly populous and famous cities such as Oslo, New York, Alexandria, and San Francisco hold some of the important architecture projects that have shaped individuals’ lives. Reporter David Owen, in his New Yorker article “Psychology of Space”, argues how the architecture firm Snøhetta utilizes their magic through their projects to build people’s moods, shape their relationships with cities, buildings and other individuals, and create illusions with exhilarating effects. The author’s argument is rhetorically compelling because his arrangement of ideas, selection of words, and supporting evidence maintain his public engaged in the magic of architecture and persuade anyone reading his article that architecture plays a critical role in their lives in numerous
When you associate anything with New York City it is usually the extraordinary buildings that pierce the sky or the congested sidewalks with people desperate to shop in the famous stores in which celebrities dwell. Even with my short visit there I found myself lost within the Big Apple. The voices of the never-ending attractions call out and envelop you in their awe. The streets are filled with an atmosphere that is like a young child on a shopping spree in a candy store. Although your feet swelter from the continuous walking, you find yourself pressing on with the yearning to discover the 'New York Experience'.
...mselves into the buildings to really experience the space, material, lighting and colors, and then cerebrate laboriously and practice repeatedly to find the answer.
When you think about New York, you think about Times Square, The Statue of Liberty, or The Empire State Building, however most people are blind to other attractions going on all the time. Since I am from the wonderful state of New York, I can fill you in on other attractions. New York City is way more than just a big, blooming, business city. Let me help you, by getting that sky scrapper image out of your head, and inform you on one of the oldest, most beautiful places to visit, containing plenty of attractions for one to do.
Were walking in the hot summer heat of July in Times Square. I’m exhausted, after cramming myself inside a rush-hour subway for 30 minutes and taking a 45 minute ferry to the Statue of Liberty my parents still wanted to go to Times Square. I reminded myself that vacation was meant to be fun and relaxing, so I told myself to “get over it”. As we're making our way through the tourist trap of the city I notice a very brightly lit building with a full clear-glass structure, that read “M&M”S World”. I jumped, M&M’’s was my favorite candy and I was already intrigued by the structures unique color combination across the outside of the building. My and I walked in and were awed by the displays of red, white, blue, green, and every color imaginable.
The street is quiet, and seems like it is dead. The sounds I can hear are the leaves rustling in the breeze, and the pitter-patter sounds of raindrops falling on the ground. Together, they compose a brilliant song of nature. No din from the high-school students, no irritating noise from the car. No one, not even a soul dares to make a sound to disturb this moment. Everything is silent, as if it isn’t even alive, just like a ghost street that only emerges in the mid-night and will vanish when the first sunlight strikes down from the sky. Wet dirt mixes with the smells of perfumes that left behind by people suffuse the air. Making me think of the mixture of sodas and expired apple juices.
As I walked down the sidewalk, my nose picked up the salty scent of the sea breeze. I looked ahead and saw the gleaming beach in the far distance. Before me, the tranquil city along with the endless blue sea sandwiched the golden beach that stretched across for miles. Then my eyes were grasped by the incredible beauty of the city skyscrapers that stood hundreds of meters tall, and they probably had also captured the sight of many other tourists. Some people were jogging and others were bike riding Just as the yellow sun rises from behind the buildings. It’s easy for many people t...
The coffee shop I decided to do my observation was the well known Starbucks just a couple blocks away. The reason I chose this coffee shop was because of it 's style inside, it attracted me. For example, one side of the wall has a glass top, and the lower part of the wall, made of wood and painted in a bright red color, which was one thing that attracted me and stood out. Outside of the shop people can actually see through the glass wall and get to see what’s happening inside of the coffeeshop. By the entrance you see these two red ceiling lamps which were shaped in a flower bud and these two tall green plants. Once you were in, on the right of the shop there was a counter with food and things to put in your drinks such as milk, sugar, chocolate, etc and the colors and how the food was displayed and served was appealing to my eyes. Behind that counter there was a long table with different electronic devices plugged into the wall. On the middle of the those there is a fridge just for ice and when I turned to the other side and I noticed a big menu on the wall. Further more into the shop, there was an area filled with tables, chairs, and sofas. The tables were in different shapes, one was round and the others rectangular, also there was four bamboo baskets and I looked around and noticed that the walls in that area were decorated with paintings.
It has many wonderful activities such as theaters, museums, landmark buildings and shopping. It has unforgettable things to do. The Twin Towers is one of the most unique places. Up until recently they were the largest buildings in the world. New York City is a wonderful place.
Every time I hear this song it makes me long to leave all of my responsibilities and head off to the city of dreams. A trip to New York has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl. I have always wanted to visit the place of tall buildings, history, and where culture is intertwined with its people. I have wanted to live the fast pace life of a New Yorker, where I could stand outside and see, smell, and taste all of the experiences that this city has to offer. I have been building and building this ideal image in my mind for so long. If I ever get to New York, will I be disappointed by the city that never sleeps? The city that is a part of almost every movie I watch. Can New York live up to the expectations I have created?
The view my window offers may not appear intensively interesting at first, as, for the most part, it consists of wayfarers’ legs moving in opposite directions. However, after several hours of observation, it is possible to notice that the pace of people is at variance not only according to hour of the day, but also shifts throughout the week and year. And the pattern in the manner of how the passer-by’s gait changes embodies the city life’s rhythm.