iPhone Photo Diary | New York City, New York

New York is a city of contrasts. Shop selling the most coveted clothes of the moment open the doors next to run down diners whose menus remain unchanged since they opened a century ago. Many restaurants require reservations months in advance if you want any hope of getting a table. And yet, often the best food comes from bodegas – I love a good egg and cheese – and street vendors. Almost every building holds history, even if it doesn’t have historic designation. And yet, despite appearances, the city is one of the most modern in the world, on the pulse of every new trend and discovery.

New York City can be overwhelming. No, it is overwhelming, but in the best way that anything can be. If you wanted, you could spend a lifetime there and never do the same thing twice. But if you’re like us, you’ll find yourself returning to the space spots over and over. The endless variety that New York offers is not limited to experience and sights, but includes the quality of both. There are as many disappointments and frustrations to be had as moments of wonder and joy. Endless construction. Subway closures. Taxi drivers who deliberately circle blocks to increase your fare. Restaurants that mislay reservations. And the list goes on… But that means that when you stumble upon something you truly love in New York, especially unexpectedly, you love it all the more.

After about five days in New York City, I am always ready to come home again. That is a reflection of how I feel about the city, but not in the way you think. New York is just so much, and I want to do all of it, immediately and without pause, to avoid missing a thing. The result is that the city exhausts me – or that I exhaust myself in it, trying to experience as much of it as I can. This trip was no exception, and the proof is in the pictures. We took as many in New York in five days as we did in Athens in ten. These are just my iPhone shots – there is so much more to come.

However you feel about New York, I think almost everyone can agree that it has a particular quality that means it always looks good in photos. Better, even, at times, than it does in real life. That’s part of its charm, as far as I’m concerned. I could look at pictures of New York all day – and I certainly save enough of them on Pinterest to prove it. I hope you feel the same, because this is just the beginning of what I captured on our latest visit.