Photo Editor Emily Brinkman stands on the Highline in New York City, New York.
Being from Texas and seeing New York City for the first time was a bit of a culture shock.
It’s surprisingly very similar to Chicago with the architecture and how the buildings look and are set up, but it is far more crowded on the streets and sidewalks. Everything seemed like it was a part of the same building. I remember seeing a Target and it wasn’t a standalone building — it didn’t even have a parking lot. It made me realize there are no parking lots or even gas stations close by like you would see just about anywhere around big cities like Houston or Chicago.
The traffic is just as bad as what you see in movies, although it’s very different to see in person. Drivers were honking at every corner and would get super close behind someone when changing lanes since everyone is a defensive and aggressive driver.
Thank goodness they have the subway because I couldn’t imagine having to ever drive in that, which is why I only took a cab to and from the airport. There was a moment on our last day when a few of us were running across the street with just a couple of seconds left on the crosswalk and once those seconds were up some people sped up a little before we even finished crossing the street. It was probably unsafe, but it was more funny than scary to me.
Other than that, New York has by far been one of the best places I have traveled to. My professor, Antonio Martinez, sent me an email informing me of the trip — which takes those majoring in visual arts to experience art museums. Another student had gone on this trip and said it changed his life. Majoring in photography, I felt this would be a good chance for me to work on my skills and better myself since I knew I would see amazing art and photos that I could learn from. With all of that in mind, it didn’t take much for me to be convinced to go, so I signed up for it almost immediately.
Once I got the email that confirmed I was going I was absolutely ecstatic and screamed of joy. I instantly started thinking about what I would wear because I knew I had to put on my best. It’s New York! I probably over-packed as I normally do, but I had to be prepared for anything.
We stayed at the Hotel Belleclaire and it was just about one of the smallest fancy hotels I’ve ever seen. I got in the elevator and saw how compact it was. My room was small, too. I was mainly excited to see what beautiful view I have of the city from my window at this fancy hotel, only to be disappointed by a view of the side of another building. Also, you would think there would be a fridge and microwave because of how fancy the hotel is but nope, nothing. At least we got complementary water and a nice TV.
The first night I walked around the area and already knew I would have an amazing trip because of how I already felt like it was a place I’ve been to before. At first, I couldn’t wrap my head around how people could walk everywhere. I loved seeing the traffic, the different people walking, people with their dogs and the old vintage French look of all the buildings.
Sunday was our first day and it was a free day for us. I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to see or do. The person I was rooming with, Rialda, gladly invited me to go along with her and her boyfriend and their friend to visit MoMA, The Museum of Modern Art. We all wanted to see it since it wasn’t on our itinerary for the trip.
I got to see so many famous paintings from artists like Claude Monet, Van Gogh and LOTS of Picasso, I mean like in every room there was a piece made by Picasso. In one of the rooms I went into, there was a crowd around one specific painting but I couldn’t see what it was. It turned out to be “The Starry Night” by Van Gogh, one of the most iconic pieces. Honestly, to see it in person felt like a dream.
That same day I rode the subway for the first time, which felt just like the movies. I did eventually see a rat on the tracks. They aren’t as big as everyone says. I kept looking around at people to hopefully see a celebrity, but I got nervous that someone would say something. Thankfully, no one did. Later that night, when I was walking to get dinner, someone riding a bike in the bike lane cat-called me and it felt like a rite of passage in New York.
On Monday, we went to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Even though I was the most excited for MoMA, The Met ended up being my favorite stop on our itinerary. It was one of the most beautiful museums I have ever seen. One of my favorite things I saw at The Met was the Roman and Greek art exhibits. I’ve always loved how marble sculptures look. I’ve also always enjoyed Greek mythology so seeing some sculptures or temples of those gods and goddesses was amazing.
Tuesday we went to Louise Bourgeois’ house, which was also her studio. I didn’t know too much about her besides she’s made a lot of famous sculptures like the giant spiders, which are scattered around the world in places like London, Spain, Canada and New York at Dia Beacon. I was able to learn so much about her and her work. She also kept many diaries from her childhood up until her death. Her home was kept mostly the same which was really cool to see, I love seeing old buildings kept as they were.
After that I rode the Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty and take photos. It was beautiful to also see the skyline of the city. It makes me want to live there even more. I took photos in Central Park. I didn’t really get much until I was leaving. I came across a small creek near a little bridge. There were lots of little birds and different types of squirrels. I saw a black squirrel! I never knew they existed but it was so cute and fluffy. I want to be a wildlife photographer so this was a great opportunity to get more photos for my portfolio.
The highlight of the last day was going to Chinatown and Times Square. Being in Chinatown felt like I was in a different city. The streets were bustling with people selling fruits and vegetables, souvenirs and clothes on the sidewalks. Times Square was also one of my favorite spots in this whole trip. There weren’t as many street performers and scammers as I was told to expect. There was a group surrounding some guys that were going to jump over about six people. My group walked over and waited longer for them to get money out of people than for them to actually do the jump, which turned out to be super underwhelming.
Next to the performers were the Red Steps, which are always shown during the New Years ball drop. My reason for being so excited to see the steps was because BTS, one of my favorite bands of all time, performed there in 2019 right before the world shut down because of COVID. It was significant because their first performance for the ball drop in 2017 was how I was introduced to them and the whole genre of K-pop, which has changed my perception of music.
To end this dive into my trip, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Angela Reinoehl for taking the time to take us on this trip. We couldn’t have done it without you and wouldn’t have had the experience we did. I got to meet new people and can happily call them friends now. I have learned so much from them and they all truly inspire me with their work.
Photo Editor Emily Brinkman can be reached at [email protected] or on Instagram @erb_photo_