New York Sadly NYC Meet-Up for October

[Prest_400]

I kind of lost the thread.

I do mountain biking as well, more or less as a weekend activity with my dad. Not in a very fast pace nor intensive.
I did manage a couple of years ago to wreck one of my front teeth and the upper lip. Since then I always brake downhill.
Have to say that I was enjoying the scenics going down hill on a rural asphalt road, and noticed a huge bump.
Instinctively my hands went for the handlebars, which twisted and could not be reached. I was thrown into the air and (in slo mo) my view went from the hills ahead into the asphalt.

Sadly a cop was shot and killed in my neighborhood last night not far from where I live.
[...]
I've noticed a lot more shootings/killings in my neighborhood lately. Please be careful out there.

Cal

😱
Where in Manhattan are you located? That's no good to hear, although I know the world is not rose tinted. Will be quite a contrast to the Scandinavian tranquility I have these months. Especially in harder neighborhoods at night. Anyways I plan and think that I'll be able to be on the streets 07-22 or so which is a time window of not so dangerous situations going on.

Sadly, I'm going to NY a Monday to Friday. 7 to 11 December. However, I have plans to visit B&H and if someone wanted to do a photo walk for a morning or afternoon, it would be appreciated. (Don't you have spare Texas Leicas Cal? 😛)

I'll be going with just a backpack and that will allow me to have a lot of liberty, though that means I will always carry everything on me. (Such is the world of low fares)
I'm very wary of the possible dangers. I guess the typical crowded centers have no immediate dangers but I know there are places that I might have to transit and won't be comfortable.

 

[Calzone]

😱
Where in Manhattan are you located? That's no good to hear, although I know the world is not rose tinted. Will be quite a contrast to the Scandinavian tranquility I have these months. Especially in harder neighborhoods at night. Anyways I plan and think that I'll be able to be on the streets 07-22 or so which is a time window of not so dangerous situations going on.

Sadly, I'm going to NY a Monday to Friday. 7 to 11 December. However, I have plans to visit B&H and if someone wanted to do a photo walk for a morning or afternoon, it would be appreciated. (Don't you have spare Texas Leicas Cal? 😛)

I'll be going with just a backpack and that will allow me to have a lot of liberty, though that means I will always carry everything on me. (Such is the world of low fares)
I'm very wary of the possible dangers. I guess the typical crowded centers have no immediate dangers but I know there are places that I might have to transit and won't be comfortable.

P,

I live in Spanish Harlem and the cop was killed only a few blocks away from where I live.

A few years ago there were a series of racial hate crimes against Asians in this poor neighborhood where the victims were basically Chinese immigrants that were beaten rather severely and robbed. At one point it became weekly news stories with multiple attacks happening. This went on for about half a summer before they caught the guy.

NYC is likely the safest large city on the planet, and considering there are 8.4 million people living here there is almost no crime, but still anything can happen, and lately there have been numerous shootings in Spanish Harlem. Meanwhile 125th Street and Lexington Avenue has become the new Bowelry that approaches the destitution I saw in the 1970's.

I live on the fringe, but I can't help but see that some things are changing in a bad way.

I own a GL690 and a GM670 with 65/8.0 (28mm FOV 6x9); 100/3.5 in both single coated and EBC multicoated (43mm FOV 6x9); and a 150/5.6 (60mm FOV 6x9). You are welcome to try a rig to shoot if you want to do that walking tour as I have many cameras. Particularly nice is a 100/3.5 on a GL690 for 6x9, and the 150/5.6 on the GM670 for vertical 5x7's to exploit the Sonnar signature. Happily I should be getting the 150 back from Frank Marshman later this week.

Cal

 

[jsrockit]

Meanwhile 125th Street and Lexington Avenue has become the new Bowelry that approaches the destitution I saw in the 1970's.

I was there the other day and it appears that they kicked everyone out of that area (as opposed to a few weeks ago) ... have you seen otherwise in the last few days?

 

[Prest_400]

P,

I live on the fringe, but I can't help but see that some things are changing in a bad way.

I own a GL690 and a GM670 with 65/8.0 (28mm FOV 6x9); 100/3.5 in both single coated and EBC multicoated (43mm FOV 6x9); and a 150/5.6 (60mm FOV 6x9). You are welcome to try a rig to shoot if you want to do that walking tour as I have many cameras. Particularly nice is a 100/3.5 on a GL690 for 6x9, and the 150/5.6 on the GM670 for vertical 5x7's to exploit the Sonnar signature. Happily I should be getting the 150 back from Frank Marshman later this week.

Cal

That is very appreciated Cal! Happily, meeting a New Yorker will allow me to truly get to know something about the place. And Medium format is happily welcome as sadly I left my GW690 in Spain.
As the time approaches will tell then.

I haven't ever encountered episodes of such violence very close in Europe, and hope not to. Everything here seems to be quite tranquil, though I've never lived in a Metropolis itself. Sweden is really quiet, though there are latent issues (they say, I don't see). I am always surprised at the villagey feeling of Stockholm, so quiet. NYC will take care of the little town blues nicely.

 

[Calzone]

I was there the other day and it appears that they kicked everyone out of that area (as opposed to a few weeks ago) ... have you seen otherwise in the last few days?

John,

This is the way that Mayor Deblasio is cleaning up the situation. Basically he sends out Department of Sanitation Workers and trucks. The clean up the area, but then everything backfills.

In the South Bronx they basically throw away all the belongings of the homeless that build encampments, but the City does not deal with any underlying issues for the concentration of mal-ease.

I've seen these clean-ups happen even before that New York Times article. Basically a "Spackle Job."

Cal

 

[Calzone]

That is very appreciated Cal! Happily, meeting a New Yorker will allow me to truly get to know something about the place. And Medium format is happily welcome as sadly I left my GW690 in Spain.
As the time approaches will tell then.

I haven't ever encountered episodes of such violence very close in Europe, and hope not to. Everything here seems to be quite tranquil, though I've never lived in a Metropolis itself. Sweden is really quiet, though there are latent issues (they say, I don't see). I am always surprised at the villagey feeling of Stockholm, so quiet. NYC will take care of the little town blues nicely.

P,

We live in a great city, but problems kinda get magnified on an American scale. Things here get kinda get overwelming often.

Recently on a fashion shoot I was talking with a German Creative Director of a magizine who mentioned how in your face is the disparity of wealth between the haves and have nots here in NYC. She commented that back home she did not see this.

Another German mentioned that NYC seems endless and vast. When I asked him what city he came from he said, "Munich."

A man from London I met in Central Park walking my dog remarked that he found that New York women are rather striking and stunning in an amazing way. We were comparing cities because London is about the same size as New York. In many ways NYC and London are being similarly developed into safe havens for the wealthy.

Sadly I see NYC becoming like San Francisco where only the wealthy and homeless live. It seems the artists and young people have been displaced into Oakland. I think this is where we are heading and my time in NYC is limited.

The level of construction I think you will find amazing, but realize that this luxury housing isn't being built for you and me. Where are all these rich people coming from?

Cal

 

[Prest_400]

Indeed most cities of the Old World have kept their "contained" character.
The issue you mention about San Francisco I was told by Frank Jackson, and observed by the discussions that people have about it online.
SF was another destination I wanted to choose for this trip, though I decided in favor of NY as it is "capital of the world", the December climate, and a must if visiting US, being my first foray there.
I've eyed those cheap Norwegian flights to the US though. From southern europe it's mucho expense to go West coast. Sadly, the student budget is quite light.

In Barcelona such phenomenon doesn't seem to happen. Spain never quite recovered from the crisis as such, and things have been moving very slow there. Lots of construction, but not the NY way 😀
There are quite a few issues concerning mass tourism, being serious the illicit night activities and pickpockets. On the other hand I think they are taking fair care of the city.

I have to say that after having been in just a couple of European Capitals, I've become a bit unexcited about.

PD: I've jsut seen another thread about the 2016 Meet Camera olympics. Sadly I too miss that one but I will happily be a beta tester of any Olympic gear I am able to get my hands in.

 

[benmacphoto]

Having trouble posting the photos into this thread, so I just made them as attachments.
A few from the meet up last weekend.

Great seeing everyone there.

 

[jsrockit]

Wow, Steve is checking out the best camera ever made?

 

[Calzone]

Indeed most cities of the Old World have kept their "contained" character.
The issue you mention about San Francisco I was told by Frank Jackson, and observed by the discussions that people have about it online.
SF was another destination I wanted to choose for this trip, though I decided in favor of NY as it is "capital of the world", the December climate, and a must if visiting US, being my first foray there.
I've eyed those cheap Norwegian flights to the US though. From southern europe it's mucho expense to go West coast. Sadly, the student budget is quite light.

In Barcelona such phenomenon doesn't seem to happen. Spain never quite recovered from the crisis as such, and things have been moving very slow there. Lots of construction, but not the NY way 😀
There are quite a few issues concerning mass tourism, being serious the illicit night activities and pickpockets. On the other hand I think they are taking fair care of the city.

I have to say that after having been in just a couple of European Capitals, I've become a bit unexcited about.

PD: I've jsut seen another thread about the 2016 Meet Camera olympics. Sadly I too miss that one but I will happily be a beta tester of any Olympic gear I am able to get my hands in.

P,

NYC is a hard city to leave. Also know that there is always something to do, life is beyond busy and becomes a heightened reality where there is non-stop stimulation. I feel that I don't have to leave NYC to see the world because the world has come to NYC. I meet interesting people from all over the world even when walking my dog.

There is this dog culture where many people "rescue" dogs from shelters. You would be really surprised how many dogs in NYC are rescues; I would say likely about half. Then there are these over the top images like photographing this woman on the Upper Eastside pushing a large "Dog Stoller" with a fully grown Pit Bull in it. I took the shot, and when I said, "Baby-Dog," the dog responded by barking in a playful manner.

In Williamsburg I ran across the Bedford Avenue to take a shot of this small woman struggling carrying a fully grown Pit Bull in her arms. I took a few shots and asked why she was carrying the dog like it was just a big lap dog. Understand that there was no leash. She responded by telling me that she had found the dog abandoned a while back and its claws were all worn from trying to get free. My spin on the situation is that this woman was disturbed and a bit crazy which kinda comes across on the negatives without enlargement. It seems that the dog tolerated being carried around like a lap dog because it had found a home and did not want to become abandoned again.

My own dog is also a rescue. He is part Beagle and part Minicher Pincher, but he thinks he is Brad Pitt. It seems universally women find him good looking, and he kinda knows it. His real name is "Chase" but I rarely call him by his real name because he has too much personality for a 14 pound dog. First off I have to muzzle him because he is an aggressive dog that basically gets scared. The first week I owned him he bit my neighbor when my gal was locking up our apartment. He drew blood and luckily it was not reported because if it was he would of been taken away and put down.

Anyways I meet more people walking this dog and basically he is a chick magnet. I use to think I was widely known but my dog is kinda famous in my ghetto neighborhood and in Central Park. Many people are rooting for him.

Some of his names: Baby-Dog; Beagle-Face; Porky; Chubby-Butt; Pig-Dog; OCD (short for Obsessive Compulsive Dog); Tough-Guy; Runway-Dog; Louie-Dog; Louie-Vuitton; Luxury-Dog; Pooper; Doggie-Dog, Snoopy; Joe Cool; Food-Hound; Beggar-Dog; Thugster; Gangsta-Dog; Ghetto-Dog...

In my ghetto people ask me all the time, "Why the muzzle?" and when they hear his story it kinda breaks their heart. Generally he will now approach strangers, but sometime he goes off into attack mode for no reason. Last week some people were petting him after they had inquired about the muzzle; when someone walked behind me on the sidewalk the went off on that person lunging in full attack mode; then he'll return to the other people to get petted again.

Anyways he is like me: a bit crazy, but people love him.

Cal