During the pandemic, I was basically stuck within walking distance of my apartment in Queens for months. Once I got vaccinated and felt comfortable riding the subway again, I started going back into the city.
I'd never gone that long without going to Manhattan -- I'd been commuting five days a week for over 15 years -- so it was definitely surreal to emerge from the 7 train into Grand Central and see that everything was, in fact, still there.
The city looked the same yet felt strangely new. I found myself drawn to the amazing old buildings and stubborn little architectural holdouts that dot the city and started working on this series.
New York was badly hit during the early days of COVID, so there was something so comforting in seeing these buildings that had survived previous periods of disruption. These buildings were powerful visual reminders of the resilience and grit of previous generations of New Yorkers.
![Gramercy Ale House](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6104b75d6b519edfeebc2db86af93d03/b52f0630-3b70-4848-a4d9-5369bd16b7ad_rw_1200.jpg?h=f83f69a2816e7273e5902caa1f949b31)
the hangover
![Upper East Side, Manhattan, holdout building](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6104b75d6b519edfeebc2db86af93d03/4bd4e328-032d-49c0-947f-63acf53612be_rw_1200.jpg?h=320f12e85c5983eae04737fc3bb78356)
driving a wedge between us
![Carriage House, Murray Hill](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6104b75d6b519edfeebc2db86af93d03/82ac0fdb-2455-480b-a78b-acc45c32404a_rw_1200.jpg?h=c15a55798dee4a9d74c1b7e8dc18a321)
little red riding hood
![Broadway, New York](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6104b75d6b519edfeebc2db86af93d03/1e914857-6796-4bad-97d2-583bb846cab4_rw_1920.jpg?h=397babe714520bcc3d685258572e8570)
broadway belles
![Bowery](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6104b75d6b519edfeebc2db86af93d03/f28d3dcc-e5e9-4f33-be67-274026462810_rw_1200.jpg?h=4676e69e2fffa300b567580465ee0ff6)
still here
![Bowery restaurant supply](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6104b75d6b519edfeebc2db86af93d03/e2929d5a-13ea-4435-b523-7b92a07c9890_rw_1200.jpg?h=1deaf60da445d6d6715412d0c3dd565f)
taking a seat
![34th Street, NYC](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6104b75d6b519edfeebc2db86af93d03/092eba7f-6831-403c-b333-ad1e4d797062_rw_1200.jpg?h=575c7b0ae5654ba803e76110edad28e9)
holy crepe
![Times Square peep show](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6104b75d6b519edfeebc2db86af93d03/a7fa60d4-52ff-4548-90f9-769ae5e36c5c_rw_1200.jpg?h=f2166710e3c964c783ebdbec7e9d69bc)
one more peep
![New York bagels](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6104b75d6b519edfeebc2db86af93d03/15317d3e-bfe8-4aee-afa3-a9607a26ccde_rw_1200.jpg?h=7524ee4b190a9b6925bb34b658cc5ff1)
bagels & locks
![Fifth Avenue, New York](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6104b75d6b519edfeebc2db86af93d03/96b9b643-14ab-4d30-b111-ad1f9f92d62a_rw_1200.jpg?h=6c56b887fb301010ade6744c73264bb6)
luck of the irish
![Fifth Avenue, New York](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6104b75d6b519edfeebc2db86af93d03/e5d458e8-c8de-4599-973e-b50f030124ff_rw_1200.jpg?h=5308efd75292f5a8cda51ae76f255a4b)
taking the fifth
![Avalon Chemists, second avenue, New York](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6104b75d6b519edfeebc2db86af93d03/d73d774b-a8da-40ca-880c-1c980f56b462_rw_1200.jpg?h=895233789682e1c20238d8e337fba5c8)
zero chemistry
![Cohen Optical, Bloomingdale's](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6104b75d6b519edfeebc2db86af93d03/8cabe496-9804-41c2-8eea-ded9ca5ee69e_rw_1200.jpg?h=131af2440d85f73b5f1d2e7da3a7c00f)
from head to toe
![Murray Hill liquor store, NYC](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6104b75d6b519edfeebc2db86af93d03/170fc525-10bf-4de2-b4cc-c3af95d541ee_rw_1200.jpg?h=a7fa55c825eef965be012846c71fc0d6)
holding your liquor
![42nd St, Grand Central](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6104b75d6b519edfeebc2db86af93d03/d3ad47ab-ade1-4377-b789-c67f3d368857_rw_1200.jpg?h=633b8ef7d77c62eebdf07b417a3e076e)
sandwiched
![Bowery New York, new construction](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6104b75d6b519edfeebc2db86af93d03/093b6556-0ef2-47dc-804c-cef423d05d85_rw_1920.jpg?h=92807f2ecc03d355001b91e2c924f60a)
on the bowery
![Bowery Restaurant Supply, New York](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6104b75d6b519edfeebc2db86af93d03/e858a24e-f14d-4f5d-8474-63fec079f75e_rw_1920.jpg?h=bd2ceb2b0b19b6d7fb74a17b4f8f2b8c)
give it a rest
![Canal Plastics Center, Canal Street, NYC](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6104b75d6b519edfeebc2db86af93d03/020e331b-0b22-4054-bc5c-9ca3f14c2fcf_rw_1920.jpg?h=6e97d66a5ad5d5e5e39ab447eb1a6f0b)
plastics
![34th Street, Art Deco storefront, NYC](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6104b75d6b519edfeebc2db86af93d03/ed4bc772-4dcb-44de-a4c5-371de9e77fb5_rw_1920.jpg?h=7726255be5a96573303dce8e29b9f033)
experience ny now
![Chris French Cleaners, Astor Place](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6104b75d6b519edfeebc2db86af93d03/ba2c5aa8-7012-43b8-b499-c3f09c0de5ce_rw_1920.jpg?h=0626dc34bb5b098f3c4f23711e2eec23)
taken to the cleaners
![Sixth Avenue, Manhattan, candy store](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6104b75d6b519edfeebc2db86af93d03/8b1a0eb3-de37-466b-8a71-7e6ce0590e8c_rw_1200.jpg?h=5daaa96e680ee88ca55bbfba0b65edbe)
when the novelty wears off