For the assignment this week, I chose to look through Richard Howe’s photographs of the street corners of Broadway. I chose this section of New York because it is likely that I will spend much of my time around there this summer, and certainly be working there when I move to New York City to live.
Looking through the pictures, I was surprised to find the amount of familiar name brand stores and restaurants that I saw. What was unusual and unfamiliar was the shape of the buildings in which they are housed, in mostly stone and granite facades with bright and varied color awnings. There were many pictures with red scaffolding or covered walkways along sidewalks plus lots of construction cones and street barriers, which makes me think that this street is constantly growing and evolving. There were a couple pictures with small parks, or a few trees planted here and there, but most of the street seemed to be commercial and residential buildings side by side………by side. I hope someone gets that reference.
One of the most interesting parts for me to scroll through was “the crossroads of the world”. Times Square looked, as always, full of excitement and color and of course theatres. There were so many billboards advertising musicals and plays. Being a Performing Arts major, I have learned all about the theatrical community in New York City: the history, the foundation, and the way it is the center of the community for the whole world. You can feel the energy of Broadway especially brightly here, and I can’t wait to be around all of it in person this summer.
hjeffords 