I have not been able to acclimatise to the Northern Hempishere’s winters (my body functions better in warmer climates, preferably those of the tropics), though I was quite excited to see New York experience its first snowfall for 2012. Not only because it is nature’s way, but also because I wanted to see New York shine once again, in snow-covered glory. Don’t get me wrong – I have experienced the City in winter many times before, though last year’s heavy storm left a lasting impression on me. I haven’t relocated back to warmer shores yet (as I vowed to do so at the time), though I am glad that I wasn’t succumbing to cosy hibernation at the first sight of this year’s snow flake. It really was good to see New York’s snow-fringed beauty again.
Here’s a little about how the weekend unfolded…
SATURDAY
Whilst drinking hot chocolate and watching movies all day would have been idyllic, I decided to make the most of the 3+ inch snowfall and headed to the area around Manhattan’s West Village. With the Christmas festivities over and holiday lights now taken down, the neighborhood’s streetscapes were still as pretty as ever; window sills lined with snow, street lights and restaurant signs topped with a light dusting of flakes, sidewalks – shiny from the ice. There were a few people out and about: owners walking their dogs; window-shoppers, strolling around the cobblestoned Meatpacking District; store owners on the sidewalks, salting the way.
Along with a few determined sightseers, I had ascended to the High Line via its Gansevoort Street entrance and managed to enjoy some of its views, until the wind pretty much stopped me in my tracks and had me scrambling towards the nearest exit. Unfortunately, no amount of layering in the sub-zero temperatures would have been enough to keep me from experiencing that chilled-to-the-bone feeling; my fingers were numbed-out after an hour and I had no choice but to race back home and defrost in the heat of the loft – with a hot cuppa.
NB: I altered a few of these shots with the retouch menu on the Nikon D5000.
The heart of the Meatpacking District
A tangled restaurant-front
"Call in Sick" - smart street art, especially for nine-to-fiver Mondays
Restaurant delivery bikes. Fatty Crab, in the background
A storefront in the Meatpacking District
The Standard Hotel, on the High Line
View from above
Railway Lines at the High Line
Sidetracked and sidelined - on the High Line
Grand Exit
Yippee - back home in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
SUNDAY
With the temperatures a few degrees higher, I pictured Central Park in my sights. I’d seen the beauty of its fall colours, and more recently – Manhattan’s silhouetted skyline from its Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, on a mild winter’s day. Now I needed to see it again – covered in snow. I ventured up-up-uptown to 79th Street and Central Park West.
Manhattan’s streets were painful to walk along; the snow had either turned into dirty slush or melted into brown puddles. So, it was a sigh of relief to step into Central Park’s pristine beauty; the space felt other worldy. For lack of a better phrase, think winter wonderland. A blanket of pure white snow covered its expanse; the park’s trees and bridges were outlined in white. It’s as if the Park had taken on another guise; it had become a playground for snow-enthusiasts. Skiers whizzed past; sledders whoosed down hills; ice skaters circled the Wollman Rink. The pathways were crunchy underfoot, and slippery; ducks sought refuge (and warmth in numbers) under low hanging tree branches, where the water had not frozen over. Some of the birds braved a stroll along the ice. The sound of clicking hooves was a regular one; horse-and-carriages carrying tourists were aplenty.
I could go on, but I won’t. I’ll let this series of photos speak for themselves. They were taken as I made my way from 79th Street, toward The Shakespeare Garden and on to Belvedere Castle. From there, the Ramble’s meandering pathways led me over the Oak Bridge, along the shoreline of The Lake, past Sheep’s Meadow and Wollman Rink. After snapping a picture of The Plaza from the shores of The Pond, I made my way into slushy Manhattan via the 59th Street and Fifth Avenue exit.
I’m grateful for this snowfall and whilst I hope this is the last one, I won’t be dreading the next (as much). Enjoy!
Oak Bridge, looking over The Lake
Entering from 79th Street
Sledding
Skiing
In Shakespeare Garden
A tower of the Belvedere Castle. Erected 1869.
A castle doorway
Inside, looking out - Belvedere Castle
Manhattan skyline from The Lake
Frosted beauty - The Lake
Ducks on Ice
El Dorado Apartments, from The Lake
This was one slippery pathway, alongside The Lake
Beauty and The Lake
My little poser
Wollman Memorial Rink. Constructed in 1950; rebuilt in early 1980’s.
Sheep’s Meadow – closed for the winter season though usually grassy and green in warmer months; a social space.
The Plaza, seen over The Pond in Central Park
My token of love to Central Park
Back to busy Manhattan
Filed under: Art, Brooklyn, California, Inspiration, New York, Photography, Travel, USA Tagged: 59th street, 79th street, Belvedere Castle, Central Park, Central Park West, Fatty Crab, Fifth Avenue, Gansevoort Street, High Line, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, Manhattan, Meatpacking District, Nikon D5000, Oak Bridge, Pastis, Sheep's Meadow, Street Art, The Lake, The Plaza, The Pond, The ramble, The Shakespeare Garden, The Standard Hotel, Williamsburg, Wollman Rink 
