thosespacesinbetween

getting back to nature is something that can make you feel so so good… good friends… the open skies… adventure… beauty… serenity… the true qualities of life… just got back from an amazing 2 day hike… place glacier, british columbia… 1300 meter elevation… sketchy rocks… fallen trees… waterfalls… epic views… and now as i write this a peaceful sense of accomplishment… see some photos below… go hike… experience our beautiful planet… and please don’t ruin it for our kids… with luv x

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lately i’ve been reflecting on what makes a place a great place to live… or more importantly a place where you want to live… a place which offers you something and you just feel at home… so when i stumbled on the photo showcase neighborhood treasure it couldn’t have been more fitting… but i’ll let the work talk for itself…

neighborhood treasure offers a peek into communities around the world through large-format captioned photos taken on the street and in local haunts… the collection is featured on pictory, an online magazine of sorts founded by laura brunow miner as a way for global citizens to document their experiences and cultures in a collective format… this following intro (taken from the website) sums it up perfectly…

“it can take years to feel at home in a new area… at first it’s just a place with unfamiliar streets, restaurants you might like to try, and shops that look interesting from the outside… but over time you see yourself reflected in parts of the city, and begin to block out the rest… certain patches of sidewalk almost feel like they should be worn down by your foot traffic… but these familiar spots aren’t always your favorites… sometimes it’s the anomaly — new, foreign, exotic — that attracts, and sometimes it’s the rare treat…” (laura brunow miner, march 3rd, 2010)

on a personal level i’m been missing my crew heaps lately so just wanted to send some love and a big thank you to all my friends, old and new, that have helped me out along the way… i hope you enjoy… with luv x

The Paperback Room... Photographer: Johnathon Williams

Smile... Photographer: Aisa Villarosa

Love Shack... Photographer: Wade Griffith

montreal is a feeling not a place… unesco city of design… the world’s second largest francophone city… cool, calm, collected… be it the jazz festival, the comedy festival, the architecture, the very very attractive people or simply the drumming in the park (every sunday in summer is tam tams)… never a dull moment… and the sheer volume of separated bike lanes and ever so popular bixi public bike service makes exploring the city a joy… and although i have been warned that montreal is a different place in the winter, this is not in a bad way… for the moment thou j’adore montreal… please go there, such a great feeling… with luv x

during my recent stint in nyc i was fortunate enough to catch an excellent (and soon to be traveling) exhibition regarding the future of transportation in urban life, a topic very close to my heart… our cities ourselves… currently on show at the center for architecture in new york (its first stop)… presents transportation and urban renewal visions for ten of the world’s most fascinating cities, from ten of the world’s leading architects… these cities where chosen as proven leaders in innovation in sustainable transport and thus fertile ground for further transformation… developed by the institute for transportation and development policy (a US based sustainable transport advocacy group) the exhibition highlights the amazing opportunities for these cities… and all cities… with particular emphasis on where itdp is currently working… check out the website here… vote for your favorite city… and please go ride a bike… with luv x

AHMEDABAD, INDIA: 2030

see you later new york it was nice to meet you… x

the high line is very much a marvel of urban design… what was originally constructed to take freight trains off of manhattan’s streets, this former 1930’s rail road is currently in the process of being transformed into a mile-and-a-half-long elevated park… designed by landscape architects james corner field operations alongside architects diller scofidio + renfro, the high line combines winding concrete pathways with lush native greenery, fixed and movable seating, lighting, public art and very hypnotic viewing stations… access points from street level will be located every two to three blocks many of which will include elevators to ensure accessibility for all…

the high line is located on manhattan’s west side between 10th and 11th avenues… once completed it will run approximately 22 blocks (from gansevoort street in the meatpacking district to 34th street) with section 1 (from gansevoort street to 20th street ) opened to the public on the 9th june 2009… i had the pleasure of taking leisurely stroll last week and was left very impressed even more so once the plantings have had a chance to grow… so next time you visit new york make sure you go walk the high line… maybe take a book, you won’t regret it… find out more here, check the pics and watch the design video below… with luv x

trees matter… sitting in a heat box of an apartment where the windows don’t really open (apparent security concern) where the air conditioning doesn’t really work (not only do I hate air-con but the cool air escapes so easy through our uncovered windows) and where the heat loves to rise and settle on the sixth floor, you can’t help but feel a little uncomfortable… probably due to the fact that unless you want to blast the air-con all night (please no) you can’t actually sleep… this is why on a hot nyc day you can’t help but muse why a green city matters… trees matter… they absorb heat and help cool the city… they are nice… they make you happy… and, as I am finding in the midst of a hot nyc summer, they help you sleep… a green city is a healthy city and more trees combined with better building standards can only be a good thing… the woodland trust, a leading uk conservation charity, just released a report outlining the benefits of urban trees… you can read the full report here… and next time its gets really hot in your neighborhood make sure you go and sit under a tree… it will do you so much good… with luv x

unless you have been living under a rock it is likely that you have heard of médecins sans frontières, the international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation that has been delivering emergency aid to those affected by armed conflict, epidemics, healthcare exclusion and natural or man-made disasters since being founded by a small group of french doctors in 1971… the new documentary living in emergency presents an honest view into the lives behind the surgical mask… the volunteers of msf, the people they treat and the extreme difficulties and often heartache faced working in devastation areas… the film really does an excellent job of highlighting the sacrifices being made everyday by the volunteers of msf and leaves you with an even greater respect for those who choose to contribute… although sometimes difficult to watch I urge you to please see this film… and please contribute… choose your battle (whatever that may be) and try to help the cause… we need to make a better world and it starts with you… with luv x

new york is such a great city on film… something in the air… its the grit of the city, the weirdos, the hipsters, hustlers, and handball players… you can definitely feel it… a recent visit to the metropolitan museum of art (the MET) introduced me to leon levinstein, an unheralded master of street photography and best known for his candid and unsentimental black-and-white figure studies made in new york city neighborhoods… the exhibition “hipsters, hustlers, and handball players: leon levinstein’s new york photographs, 1950–1980” (on show until october 17) is drawn exclusively from the MET’s collection and features some forty photographs that reflect the artist’s fearless approach to the medium of street photography… just wanted to share the beauty and married with the perfect quote “i walk, i look, i see, i stop, i photograph” – leon levinstein, 1955… I hope you enjoy… with luv x

music is truly an amazing thing… the feeling of bliss sitting in a new york city park surrounded by the hustle of this city… it transports you to another world, a world which helps you stop, take a breath and listen… “play me, i’m yours” is an artwork by british artist luke jerram who has been touring the project globally since 2008…. by placing street pianos in public parks, streets and plazas throughout the city, it seeks to question the ownership and rules of public space… described by jerram the piece “is a provocation, inviting the public to engage with, activate and take ownership of their urban environment”…. launched as part of the june 21st make music new york festival 60 pianos will be available to play across new york city from 9am-10pm each day until the 5th july… and yesterday I was lucky enough to witness an ordinary joe play some extra ordinary music… on his lunch break no less… sydney also housed jerram’s work as park of the sydney festival back in january 2009 to much success… which begs the question why should such beauty be temporary??? … just some food for thought… now go on get comfortable, light a candle and listen to your favorite song… with luv x