NYC, by definition, has a sense of magic.
To kids, it’s the buildings—the massive, endless skyline. To adults, it’s the same exact thing. The difference is how we see it.
Growing up in New York, the wonder of the city was lost on me from a young age. I grew up in the mountains. Where many of my city friends grew up on boardwalks and beaches, I grew up jumping off mountain cliffs into lakes, doing backflips off dams into gushing waters.
But going back with my family was something different. It was the first trip we took after the pandemic—and the first time going somewhere with my kids where I started to see the world through their eyes. I’ll write a blog about my kids’ photography experience in the city, but here is some of mine.
As a photographer, I enjoy people watching. NYC is one of the best places to do it. You see everything. But what I enjoyed most was watching interaction—between kids who had been kept inside for a year, and adults experiencing that same release.
There is a magical exchange between people in Times Square—almost like a movie. The suspension of belief. The acceptance to join a different world for a few moments. Street acts, street performers, artists, musicians— they bring life to the city.
The pandemic might have stopped many things, but not spirit.
“In Times Square, it feels like a collective agreement: for a few minutes, we all step into the same scene—and let the city carry us.”
