Nolita/Little Italy Walk

Yesterday I went for a walk with my suitemate through Nolita (North of Little Italy), Little Italy, and Chinatown. We only walked 2.5 miles but it felt like 10. It was 95 and humid.... I wilted.

Fire escapes always make me think of a hot New York City summer.

A typical restaurant/scene in Little Italy.

I'm always interested in old cars. The curves are beautiful.

What year was this taken?

This is one of the many fantastic views on my walk to school.

I went to Midtown and saw the mother of all Art Deco designs- The Chrysler Building. I hadn't realized that there are several other Deco buildings in the neighborhood. They are absolutely amazing. I love the details in the designs. They aren't your average modern box building!

Save Union Square 2008

I've uploaded some of my images from today's protest/rally at Union Square. I haven't gotten the blogging thing down yet and forgot to post them in reverse order.....sorry. The way they are posted it seems rather anti-climactic. This was my first time photographing anything political. It was strangely liberating and refreshing. I was totally unafraid and was focused only on the task at hand- photographing the event.

The protest was put on by Reverend Billy and The Church of Stop Shopping (www.revbilly.com). They were last seen in the Morgan Spurlock film titled 'What Would Jesus Buy?'. They are protesting the privatization of public spaces in NYC. Currently there is a lot of construction going on in Union Square. It turns out that a private corporation is trying to build a high-end restaurant in the historic pavilion that has played host to many political speakers and radical thinkers. Public space is disappearing at a rapid rate. More traffic lanes are being added for cars and pedestrian/public space is being eliminated. Did you know that the first Labor Day was celebrated here? Read about Union Square here: www.nycgovparks.org.

What I found interesting is that many NYC dwellers that stopped to talk had NO IDEA that a restaurant was being built on this historic site. Almost all were upset by the idea and vowed to do something about it.

Some observers were very serious....

Some were working.......

while others were having a good time.

These photos represent our past, present, and future.
We are walking in the footsteps of the radical pioneers who fought for our individual rights and freedoms. Most of us take our rights and our history for granted as we pass through this life, totally oblivious to the world around us. What kind of world are we creating? What kind of world are we going to pass on to future generations?

Who have you spoken up for today?

Are you willing to stand up for the rights of others?

Or will you ignore them and walk the other way?