NYC PHOTOESSAY

By Alba Lepe

New York is one of those few cities in the world where it doesn't matter if you've never been to it, it feels familiar. The number of movies, TV series, and video games based in this city gives it an aura of magic and romance that's unique to it. My friend Kike is an artist and fashion designer from Spain had been dreaming of visiting New York his whole life, and he finally got to do it. I was able to experience the impressions of someone from the provinces visiting the Big Apple for the first time.

“Birds are fatter here”

“There was a lego flower building event in Madison square park, this type of events only happen in this city"

“Everyone that’s not from New York wants their apartment to have fire emergency stairs because it gives the 70s/80s Velvet Underground

Washington Square park arc

“It is noticeable that there are many European vestiges in New York, with things like the Washington Square Park arch that is reminiscent of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, and these European nuances differentiate New York as a city distinct from the rest of the United States"

“Being able to smoke legal marijuana in public without being judged was a very liberating feeling, since in Spain it is still illegal and has a very negative social connotation.”

“I (love) NY is a milestone in graphic design because thanks to it, the external perception of the city changed to give way to the image we have now of an artistic and lively New York.”

“I was very surprised at how different the graphic design of road signs is. For example, in Spain, the calligraphy is different, and instead of green, road signs are dark blue”

"Little Italy feels like a touristy gimmick that mimics Italy only superficially to fit the American imagination. It's a tourist trap.”

 Chinatown feels very real, and the food is real Chinese food and doesn't feel like a tourist trap. Also, in Spain, there isn't the tipping culture like there is here in the United States, so I left a $2 tip, and as we were leaving and were already on the street, a restaurant manager came running up to us and told us that $2 was too little and that if we wanted to tip $7

 “The subway is very dirty, smells bad and is full of people so thank Hollywood for the romanticization of it. Its even a little bit scary sometimes.

“I've never seen so many people from such different cultures so close together and mingling. The diversity of this city is based on a very strong cultural coexistence, something that doesn't happen as often in Spain, not even in Madrid.”

“I've appreciated New York from a different perspective. Although I'm from a town in Castilla y León where there aren't that many people, I've been in Madrid for three years now. The huge amount of people and cars doesn't overwhelm me like it used to. If I weren't used to Madrid's pace, which is even slower than this one, I would have been a little overwhelmed”

“I loved seeing an LGBT flag in front of a church. It made me feel very safe where I was, and I feel that in these times when the queer community is being so demonized and singled out, seeing a church take that stand so publicly makes me feel welcomed.”

“I needed to see Warhol's works in the city that is the birthplace of that artistic movement, and I loved seeing the Campbell’s Soup Cans. The MoMA is a museum full of historically important works, and I felt I had to see them.”

“ I was surprised by how much the sun filters through the buildings in Manhattan. With such tall buildings, you're almost always in the shade when walking down the street. There are skyscrapers in Madrid too, but there aren't as many, and they're not as close together.”

“Strangely, I feel the same way I do when I go to El Retiro in Madrid. After spending so much time among buildings and cars, there's nothing I'd rather do than be surrounded by trees and squirrels”

“Im a dj and I have a project of collecting Vinyls from every country I go to, and I wanted to buy something that sounded like new york (R&B, american rap…) but didn’t end up finding anything”

“Seeing the New York skyline at night with the lights on is an experience worth seeing and unrepeatable. There is no skyline as iconic as New York’s.”

“Manhattan was very noisy, but Brooklyn was much quieter, and I appreciated being able to talk without so much background noise. The streets reminded me a lot of England, with the cobblestone roads and red brick buildings.”

 “Bagels aren't as common in Spain as they are in the United States, and while I was there, I tried one for the first time. I've been buying bagels since I returned from New York.”

“Pigeons have a lot of character in this city; in Spain, they are not as brave.”

“The Chrysler is an Art Deco gem. If you study art history, you're always shown this building, as it perfectly defines the movement. It stood out above all others because it has its own aesthetic and doesn't look like any other skyscraper, which makes it very unique.”