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Last week I got a sudden urge to take a bus trip into my soul city. I felt the need to recharge, and what better place for me to do that than the Empire City.

Many people find the energy of New York a bit overwhelming and intimidating. However I'm just the opposite, I find it invigorating, welcoming, and inspiring. When I'm in New York, I actually feel stronger, more courageous, and that anything is possible. It's a city that gets my creative juices flowing.


I couldn't decide whether to go on Sunday or Monday because I had both days off. I was leaning more towards Sunday, but then changed my mind and went on Monday. And I'm so glad I did because the weather that day was picture perfect - it was sunny and comfortably cool (at 50 degrees). I couldn't have asked for a more flawless day to walk around Manhattan for seven hours.


I also decided to email my longtime Brooklyn blogging buddy, Rob at The Luna Park Gazette, to see if he would like to hang out with me for the day. Luckily, he was able to meet up for lunch, and then spend a couple of hours walking around Central Park and the Upper East Side. I hadn't seen Rob in about two years, so it was awesome to catch up with him. We talked and talked and talked!

One of my favorite things to do upon arriving in Manhattan is to hold my arms up to the city and say aloud, "Hello New York...I love you! It's great to be home!"

And that's exactly what I did last Monday.

Here are some photographs I took while in my favorite city...


On the steps of the New York Public Library


A mural on the side of the clothing store, Desigual






Interior of the cathedral, which has just recently been restored





Massive billboards along 5th Avenue


A view of the Chrysler Building


Food vendor
I love this image because it epitomizes a slice of life on the streets of New York


A view of Central Park


I spotted this Fossil billboard and had to take a picture


 Horse-drawn carriages in front of Central Park


Almost noon on 5th Avenue

*note: I edited this photograph to give it more of a vintage feel

Have a terrific week everyone!
X

42 comments:

  1. 'overwhelming and intimidating' ... Never! Like you, Ron, I found New York invigorating. I am, of course, quite jealous because I would so like to be back there. Oh, well, I can dream, can't I? I like the view of the Chrysler Building, it reminds me of the time I first saw it... looking up and feeling giddy in the process... smiles. Oh happy days.

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  2. Oh Ron, your pictures and expression of my hometown makes me miss it. Even though I no longer live there, I will always feel a deep connection to New York. There is no place quite like it! That first photo of the Empire State Building is amazing. I got excited just looking at it.The same with the Chrysler Building. It's just beautiful! I remember so well those food vendors on the street corners and purchasing a hot dog! Love the photos of Saint Patrick's Cathedral.

    You really captured the energy and essence of New York, Ron. What a passionate advocate you are. Thank you for sharing your day in the Big Apple! x

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  3. Ron, I've never been to New York City but have always wanted to visit. Your pictures make me want to even more! The first one of the Empire State Building and the last one of 5th Avenue are my favorites! I really need to visit :)

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  4. Hey, Ron, fabulous post! And I'm not just saying that because I'm in it!

    I'm so glad you came into town, buddy, you really cheered me up! These pictures are just fabulous, once again demonstrating your tremendous camera skills.

    Thanks for posting this and I will be coming down to Philly as soon as possible!

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  5. Ron, whenever I take my first trip to New York City, I want it to be with you because I'm sure you would be the perfect tour guide. Your passion for the city shines through every photograph and word. I can tell you l love it!

    Awesome photos, dude! The last one you edited to look more vintage is spectacular!

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  6. http://ladyfi.wordpress.comMonday, February 29, 2016

    I ADORE your shots of NY! So wonderful. I don't like big cities generally, but I do LOVE New York!

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  7. Ron, you know you're going to have to go back when Spring arrives in full bloom so we can see the city then, right?!!

    I love your photos, especially the ones of St. Patrick's. I remember stepping inside that beautiful building on my only trip to NYC (way back before the restoration, of course), and finding it so peaceful amid the bustle of the city. I love the votive candles, too. So many churches have done away with that tradition, sadly.

    Oh, and the horse-drawn carriage is fabulous -- love that white horse! Do they offer rides in winter months? Wouldn't that be splendid, riding all snuggled up in blankets?!!

    Glad you had a buddy to spend the day with -- looks like FUN! Enjoy the rest of your week!

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  8. Hello there Valerie!

    I would LOVE to one day meet up with you in NY if you come to visit American because I have a feeling you and I would have a blast walking around; enjoying every second.

    " I like the view of the Chrysler Building, it reminds me of the time I first saw it... looking up and feeling giddy in the process... smiles. Oh happy days."

    The Chrysler Building is one of my favorite NYC buildings. I love when I first spot it on my way into the city via bus because it's SUCH a beautiful landmark!

    Thanks so much for stopping by, dear lady. Have a great Monday and week!
    X

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  9. Hey there Elaine!

    I LOOOVE NYC! And I too will always feel a deep connection; not only when I lived there, but also from the very first time I visited on a school trip to see the Rockettes. I was only 14 years old and yet knew I would live there one day!

    The first photo you see (of the Empire State Building) was actually the very first photograph I took when I got there that day. It made me excited as well!

    The last time I was in NYC, they were still working on restoring the interior of St. Patrick and couldn't get any photos. However, this time I was able to go inside and see the finished restoration. And it looks faaaabulous!

    Thanks so much for stopping by, neighbor. Have a grrrrreat week!

    X

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  10. Hey Candice! OMG...you must one day visit NYC because it's such an amazing city. The energy is phenomenal! It's not a place that everyone could live, however, it's a place that everyone should visit at least once in their life.

    Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend. Have a fantastical week!

    X

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  11. Helloooooooooooo Rob!

    I am so glad I came into town as well. I was soooooo great to see you again and hang out in my favorite city in the world! Thanks so much for taking the time to meet up. I had a blast!

    Say hello to NY for me, buddy! And yes, please come to Philly so I can give you a tour. I would love it.

    Have a great week!
    X

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  12. Aw...thanks, Matt! If you ever do visit NYC, please let me know because perhaps it would work out that I could take the bus into the city and meet up with you. That would be fun!!!!

    "I can tell you love it with all your soul!"

    Yes, I do love it. I truly do. And hopefully one day I will be living there again.

    Thanks so much for stopping by, buddy. Have a most excellent week!
    X

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  13. Thank you, Fiona :) Isn't NY a faaaaaabulous city? And what a great place to take photographs too!

    Have a fantastic week, my friend. Thanks so much for stopping by!
    X

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  14. Ha! You're absolutely right, Debbie, I WILL have to go back sometime in the Spring to share the city in full bloom! My friend Rob is planning to come to Philly sometime in the Spring, but I will most definitely make another visit there too.

    You know, I had a feeling you would like the ones of St. Patrick's. In fact, I thought of you when I was inside.

    "I love the votive candles, too. So many churches have done away with that tradition, sadly."

    Yes, so many churches have done away with using real votive candles (which I remember when I was a kid), so I was happy to see that St. Patrick still use them.

    Yup, they do offer rides in winter months. When I lived there (many, many years ago) I took a ride through the park with some friends. I think back then it cost $35.00 for 30 minutes. I'm not sure how much is cost now though. I'm sure much more.

    Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend. Have a super week!
    X

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  15. I've known you long enough to be well aware of your love for NYC. It truly is your "soul" city! So I've been meaning to ask you for some time now...why don't you live there? Would you ever consider relocating from Philly? I mean, sure, you'd have to give up your beloved cheesesteaks, but it seems like that's a sacrifice you might be willing to make for a city that is so much a part of who you are.

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  16. hey ron!

    well you know i love all things new york, so i know how happy you must have felt being there. walking for 7 hours is awesome. i need to get my butt over there soon with my camera and walk around.

    i love all your pics and now you see the world. i still have not made it to harlem, but that is on my list.

    has it been two years really since you've seen rob. was it that time the three of us met up? wow, 2 years!

    thanks for sharing. i also love the changes you make to your blog. looks great!

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  17. Ron, it's so funny that you posted about NYC because I just recently came back from visiting my family on Long Island for a wedding and spent a day in Manhattan with my younger sister and cousin. You're spot on about the energy there being so inspiring and invigorating. It's been years since I've been back and realized how much I missed it. What a great city! And your photographs convey that. The first one of the Empire State Building is so awesome. I love the ones around Central Park too. We walked in that area the day we were there. Love the last picture of the clock on Fifth Avenue!

    Thanks for sharing my hometown, Ron. You make me feel proud to be from there! Have a wonderful week x

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  18. Hey there Val!!!!!!!!!

    "well you know i love all things new york, so i know how happy you must have felt being there."

    You are right about that! And I was so thinking of YOU while there because I know how much fun we had on the day-trips there together. You're my favorite person to visit New York with because you share my same passion for it and walk as fast as I do - HA! We really must go there together again sometime in the Spring, okay?

    " i still have not made it to harlem, but that is on my list."

    Neither have I, so if we meet in NY this Spring, perhaps we can go there.

    "has it been two years really since you've seen rob. was it that time the three of us met up? wow, 2 years!"

    Yes, can you believe that? The last time I saw him was when you and I went there together. It was in July, two years ago.

    Thanks so much for stopping by, girl. Hope is well and have a faaaaaaabulous week!

    X

    P.S. Thank you. I changed blog templates about a month ago. I bought it from a designer who sells them on Etsy. She designs themes compatible with Blogger and WordPress blogs.

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  19. Hey there Mark!

    " It truly is your "soul" city!"

    Yes, I know you know how I feel after all these years blogging with each other. I LOVE NYC!

    "So I've been meaning to ask you for some time now...why don't you live there? Would you ever consider relocating from Philly?"

    Absolutely, I definitely would consider relocating from Philly. I would do it in heartbeat. And it's ironic you mentioned that because I spoke to two of the managers where I work and let them know that I was interested in moving back to NY and working at another store. They have many stores in Manhattan so if/when something opens up, I could transfer. And I would be VERY happy about that :)

    Thanks a bunch for stopping by, buddy. Have a fantastic week!

    X to you and Tara

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  20. I have been to NY but not NYC. I would LOVE to go... take pictures and pretty much eat my way through every place I could find. Especially New York bakery items. The REAL stuff!

    These pictures are so beautiful. (as are all your shots!) The Trump Tower is such a beautiful picture. It blew my mind! The one that touched me the most is the candles. I was told when David was in the hospital that someone lit a candle for him. Being a born and raised Catholic... that picture really touches me a lot.

    The vendor one is so good - I especially love the colors in it. They really stand out and make the picture striking.

    Your eye is always so on point. I would love to walk the city with you and let you show me around!

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  21. Hola Denise! OMG...you're kidding? You mean that you were actually IN New York recently? How awesome is that! Isn't Manhattan faaaaaaabulous? The second my feet hit the pavement, I can feel the energy vibrating through my whole body. It's electrifying! And every time I visit, I realize how much I miss it too.

    The photo of The Empire State Building was the first picture I took when I arrived. I was walking down the street and turned the corner, when I suddenly saw it. I grabbed my camera and snapped about three photos. It put my a whole day into a great mood!

    Rob and I walked through part of Central Park and hung out at the Children's Zoo on 65th Street and 5th Ave. We watched the seals swim and play in the water!

    Thanks so much for stopping by, girl. Have a wonderful week too!
    X

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  22. Katherine, and I would LOVE to someday meet you in NYC so that we could hang out and eat all the New York bakery items (which are awesome, btw) and run around the city taking pictures! And I know, know, know that you would SO enjoy the city and get all invigorated by the magnificent creative energy there.

    "I was told when David was in the hospital that someone lit a candle for him. Being a born and raised Catholic... that picture really touches me a lot."

    Aw...that is so sweet and touching. Me too, I was born and raised Catholic. And even though I no longer practice it, I still feel reverent and respect whenever I enter a church, chapel or cathedral. And I love the whole candle-lighting ritual. In fact, I still light candles in my apartment whenever someone I know is going through a personal challenge.

    I love the vendor one as well because of the three guys in the picture; all doing their own thing yet, together. It's a very natural image of real life in NYC.

    Thanks so much for stopping by and for your supportive and encouraging words, my friend. And back at you!

    Have a spectacular week!
    X

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  23. Great photos Ron. I like the vintage feel to the last one

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  24. Hey there Dale!

    Thank you :) That last picture reminds me of the opening scene from Breakfast at Tiffany's, which was shot on 5th Avenue.

    Have a super day, buddy. And thanks so much for stopping by!
    X

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  25. Hi Ron!
    Great post! I'm more at home in the middle of the desert, or some other form of wilderness, than I am in any city, much less NYC. HOWEVER, gazing at your fantastic photos of it, makes me want to go there. If for no other reason, to take photos. Really nice photos Ron!

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  26. Hey there Pat! Thank you:) Great to see ya!

    I can totally understand not being a city person; enjoying more of the wilderness and being surrounded by nature. Cities are definitely not for everyone. But I will say, NYC is such a special city, and one that BEGS to be photograph because there are so many amazing things to look at. If you ever get the chance to visit, I think you would enjoy yourself.

    Thanks so much for stopping by, buddy. Hope all is well and that you're enjoying the season. Have a terrific week!

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  27. OMG Ron! I haven't been back in YEARS! I would SO love to go! I, too, find the city to be infused with ENERGY!! Fossil is one of my most favorite brands of all time! Your photos have captured a lot of the awesomeness that is NYC!! I have a friend who is a fellow blogger, who also happens to be a NYC cab driver! I would love to spend the day with him..oh, the stories he can tell!! So glad you had a CREATIVE day's vacation! It is a five hour drive for me and the flights have gone up a LOT so don't know when I will get there again...Have a super day Ron! xo

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  28. Ron, your affection for New York is always so evident in your photographs. I can see why you love it so much. And your photos are fabuloso! The first one of the Empire State Building looks like something out of a magazine, it's beautiful! I love the way you captured the shadows in the picture of the New York Public Library. Trump Tower is amazing! That final photograph of the clock on 5th Avenue looks so vintage. Great work on the editing!

    I was thinking the same thing Mark expressed in his comment about relocating to New York. It's certainly sounds like a city you belong.

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  29. Helloooooooo there Jeanne!

    "I would SO love to go! I, too, find the city to be infused with ENERGY!!"

    To me, NYC is the most faaaaaaabulous city ever! The energy there is so contagious that you immediately feel it the second your feet touch the pavement. I always feel so energetic when I'm there.

    "I have a friend who is a fellow blogger, who also happens to be a NYC cab driver! I would love to spend the day with him..oh, the stories he can tell!! "

    OMG...me too! And bet he's got the most interesting stories to tell. What a fascinating job!

    Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend. Have a most excellent week!

    X to you and the girlz

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  30. Hey ho Robert!

    Thank you :) The photo of the Empire State Building was the very first one I took when I arrived in NYC that day. I spotted it while walking around a corner....and THERE it was. I whipped out my camera and snapped about three pics. I had both my cell phone and Canon camera, so I was taking pictures using both of them.

    I originally shot that final picture in color, but then edited it to black and white before posting it. I did the same with the picture of the Chrysler Building.

    "I was thinking the same thing Mark expressed in his comment about relocating to New York. It's certainly sounds like a city you belong."

    I'm working on a possible transfer with my job. *fingers crossed*

    Thanks so much for stopping by, buddy. Have a fabuloso week!
    X

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  31. Thanks for sharing your day in NY and all these wonderful photos. It's not a place that I'm all that interested in visiting but I can certainly understand the allure and cachet that it holds for so many people.

    As Frankie sang so well....if I can make it there I'll make it anywhere. A city of dreams either realized or lost.

    Great post as usual, thanks Ron. :-)

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  32. Hello there Geraldine!

    Thank you :) I had so much fun taking these pictures on my recent trip into Manhattan!

    NYC is definitely not for everyone, nor does it have the same allure that it does for me and others. But OMG...it is a city whose energy resonates so closely with my soul. I feel so alive there!

    Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend. Hope you're having a spectacular week. Can you believe it's already mid-week?

    X

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  33. Great photos, as always, Ron! It's two years since we were in NY and they were restoring St. Patricks whilst we we there so it's lovely to see it finished.

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  34. Thank you, Pearl :)

    Yes, same here. I remember meeting my friend Rob in the city two years ago and St. Patrick's was still under restoration. So it was great to finally see it completed.

    Thanks so much for stopping by, m'dear. Have a lovely weekend!

    X

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  35. PS: Forgot to mention before, you look great in that photo, very healthy!!!

    And what a gorgeous interior shot of that cathedral, thanks for sharing these. :-)

    Hope your weekend is off to a great start. Are you working or off?

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  36. Aw...thank you, Geraldine :)

    I think it's a combination of feeling 100% better than I did last October, and being in NYC. That city makes me feel faaaaaabulous!

    I worked today, but I have off tomorrow and Monday. It was a very busy week, so I'm very happy to have the next two days off.

    Enjoy the rest of your weekend, my friend!
    X

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  37. I've always longed to visit New York Ron & you've just given me a pictorial tour!

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  38. Benze, I think you would LOVE New York City if you ever visited because the creative energy there is amazing. It's a city in which you feel so alive!

    Thanks so much for stopping by and catching up on my post, my friend!

    You're a sweetheart!
    X

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  39. I love the idea of a soul city. And I don't know that I have one, but I do know there are places that feed my soul - usually tiny towns and natural spots. You got some really great shots on this trip - I can see why NY inspires you so much.

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  40. "but I do know there are places that feed my soul - usually tiny towns and natural spots."

    Yes, that's exactly what I mean when I say that NY is my soul city because it feeds my soul. I've also felt that way about places like small towns and natural spots like, the Pocono Mountains.

    Thanks so much for stopping by, my friend. Have an AWESOME weekend!

    X

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  41. Oh, how fun! I loved each and every photo! I can't believe you met up with Rob! Jealous!

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  42. Aw....thank you:) I had so much fun taking these photographs, visiting my favorite city, and meeting up with Rob. It was so great seeing him again!

    Thanks so much for stopping by and catching up with my posts. You're a sweetheart!

    X

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