Friday, January 28, 2011
Yesterday, as part of my Visual Perception homework I was required to take a walk. This walk had to be void of any technology devices, mainly to force us to concentrate on our surroundings. Since I am always up for a challenge I decided to venture out yesterday afternoon… in the aftermath of the latest “blizzard” that NYC – and the entire region – has been so blessed to have received this winter (haha).
Here is a picture from Wednesday night as the snow was falling in my fairy tale neighborhood (aka the West Village).
By the time I ventured out the snow had stopped falling, but the streets were still eerily silent. I immediately headed West and after some maneuvering (more on this later) I was able to pick up a nice clip on the Hudson River Park trail. I was able to get to about 12th street before the path was blocked with mounds of snow. Turning east I headed back into the dead quiet of the West Village.
I hate to be a negative Nancy but walking in NYC after a huge amount of snow is a huge pain. While one has to use some caution on the (mostly clear) sidewalks it is really the ADA sanctioned wheelchair ramps on every street corner that turn a lovely snowy walk into a treacherous nightmare. One has to gauge footing just right in order to bypass deep, disgusting puddles. Additionally, because of the intricate attention needed at most crosswalks, the busier intersections are prone to the bottleneck effect.
On a positive note, I did encounter a few native New Yorkers actually using their DSLRs, capturing the actual presence of nature in our concrete jungle.
Here are some more of my photos from the snow (although I did not break out my DSLR).
