"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness," Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
New York City is a city of harmonic contradictions. It's a blend of the old and the new, the exotic and the familiar, the rich and the poor...
It does not only tell of the tales of two cities but of multiple ones. This little city can take you to all the seven continents on a walking tour. Go to Chinatown and learn something about Asia. Walk to Little Italy and get a glimpse of the European lifestyle. Visit the little galleries and shops in Chelsea, SoHo, Greenwich and East Villages, and at Union Square to find interesting arts, artifacts, products and oddities from Australia, Antartica, Africa, and South America!
No other city can be as divisive as NYC. Its little pockets makes you aware of the gap between the haves and the have-nots. A neighborhood in Park Avenue contrasts greatly to one in Clinton, Brooklyn or even the Lower Eastside. A lady in floorlength fur coat alights from her chauffeured Mercedes next to a dirty and unshaven homeless man on a Fifth Avenue curb. NYC showcases the many ironies of life.

This is not a scene from Hong Kong or China. It's from NYC Chinatown. It's like going to a foreign country. Advertisements and conversations in Mandarin, Cantonese and Fookien! This place's ambience is very exotic and intoxicating!
This is the Cantonese chef at the chinese restaurant in Mott Street. He looks like an unhappy fellow but he sure can cook Cantonese dishes with magic!
Back to the English speaking side of NYC. This is in the vicinity of Times Square. Neon lights and advertisements are on 24/7. Big city atmosphere. Can be disorienting for the out-of-town visitors. A lot of neck craning to check out skyscrapers.

Yes, Virginia, Einstein lives in NYC! Darling Son with his hero at Madam Tussaud's Wax Museum. They look so charming together.

He also found my hero, Ernest Hemingway! He writes like an angel and looks like one, too. Too bad, he's made of wax and he's too big to carry on a plane.
The exterior of the Empire State Building. I took this because I like its contrast with the older buildings near it. This is NYC at its finest, a harmonic contradiction. The old stands proud next to the new. The rich walks in same streets as the poor.

NYC skyline as viewed from the observatory atop the Empire State Building. I did not feel like Ann Darrow in King Kong upon reaching the 80+ floor where the circular observatory is situated. I did not fear heights until I looked below. All I can think of was: "I am dead/minced meat if this breeze sweeps me off this ledge!!!"
More to come. Stay tuned. Same station. Same Bat Channel.