Elaine Tsui

While not my first time in State, it was my first time in Manhattan, despite my exaggerated image of cloud piercing old skyscrapers; it was quite the contrary. The Manhattan I found, was bustling with new architecture mixing the old , the city is constantly reinventing itself.  

New York geographically layout makes a complex space immediately navigable. Manhattan invites long walks, because walkers can judge distance easily and always know where they are. This is particular useful say you are on 50^th Street and 6^th Avenue and need to go to 30^th Street and 2^nd Avenue, you have about 1 mile to walk south and 1 mile to walk east. This helps a lot when judging whether or not a subway ride is worth it.

The city is rich in culture doesn’t happen overnight. It is the result of centuries of migrations, polices, protests and practices of people that value culture, heritage and expression. From world famous productions on proscenium stages to longstanding drumming circles in City parks, New York is home to an unparalleled variety of artistic activities that give New York’s a sense of belonging amid a dense, impersonal urban enclave, provide space of people to engage in civic action.  The 5-day trip in New York has been inspiring.

The Oculus station house, designed by Santigao Calatrava, consists of white ribs that interlock high above the ground. Spectacular during day-time visit, stunning with lights on during night-time.

A highly recommend museum in NYC. There is something really calm about the spiral ramp leading visitors to a domed skylight, it provides a unique forum for the presentation of contemporary art. The rotunda’s inverted ziggurat deviates from the conventional approach to museum design based around a series of interconnected rooms. Instead, we as the visitors make our way through the rotunda on the gentle slope of a continous ramp. What i like about the space is I can see art works on multiple levels at the same time on unparalleled perspective. 

Another place worth spending halfday is the Domino Park located in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Having stayed in NYC only a few days, i observe the city is a treasure trove of street art – from professionally painted to graffiti with many expressions.

Storefront Gallery – In the lower Manhattan’s SoHo neighbourhood, there is a narrow shape gallery which is a public venue you could not miss. The Storefront gallery is designed by Steven Holl and Vito Acconci.

Apparently there are over 100 great markets in NYC. I wish i had more than a weekend to spend. The market i visited with my friends was the Columbus Avenue ( between 76th and 77th) which is a combined outdoor Flea Market and antiques hall. Many food vendors including coffee and cakes, flowers, plants and garden ornaments.

Last but not least, if you haven’t been on a carousel, there are more than a dozen merry-go-rounds in NYC alone you could easy to stumble upon them.

A huge thank you to Design Trust Hong Kong. It would not have been possible without your sponsorship on this study trip.