First Avenue: 1st - 34th Streets

I've always been obsessed with storefronts, and living in New York has only amplified my love of a great neon sign, classic typography and anything that looks remotely old. I've recently been trying to be conscious of capturing some of the wonderful signs and storefronts that I see, before they're gone forever.

I recently had a wandering Sunday that I was content to spend taking photos, so I decided to narrow my focus to First Avenue. I started my walk at the southern beginning of First (at Houston) and walked north until 34th Street. It wasn't a huge walk by my standards, but I have a tendency to overdo things, so taking it slow and exploring a small slice of Manhattan was a nice change.

I know I'm always moaning about the changing city, about diners being demolishedand soulless luxury condos rising in their place, but there is still a surprising number of wonderful, authentic and old businesses in the city. Of course these too seem to be disappearing at an alarming rate, but there are still charming things to find if you look hard enough, even in the most desirable parts of Manhattan.

I would love to keep taking these mini-adventures—no matter how long I live here I think I'll still keep finding new-to-me places that instantly transport me to the "old New York." Of course what I think of as the "old New York" probably never really existed in the way that I'm imagining, but these places also remind me that "new New York" is still pretty extraordinary.