St. Mark’s Place through a Photographer’s Lens
Through the window of my room, I see a small branch growing out of a large tree that rests in the backyards of my block. Rich and green thick leaves clothe its shape. Summer air and noise drift through my open window as the day passes. And every afternoon, in the midst of our celestial rotating, the sun peeks in and its light slowly grows from left to right on my wall, illuminating the dust in my tiny room before receding.
The first photo of this series shows a spirit that feels like the sun in my room. It is truthful, peaceful, and joyous. We see a poster display at East Village Books where they have a great selection of books on spirituality. Next door is Yaffa Cafe (closed as of Fall 2014), where I have spent many an early, sleepless morning eating breakfast after night-long conversations with friends. Yaffa is overloaded with decor including a small picture of Jim Morrison that inspired me to grow my hair out long.
Nearby, you can always rely on the occasional tourist taking a photo of the building used as the cover of Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti album. And, not too far down, is Dumpling Man – I can always count on watching a Chinese puppet Kung-Fu movie while I wait for my order of delicious steamed veggie dumplings.
Crossing the street, we reach my favorite restaurant, Cafe Mogador. Just go! Crif Dogs has made a home for itself too. And then comes the infamous bar stretch including Ten Degrees – buzzing at night. My favorite bar, though, is back on the other side of the street in between The Crooked Tree and the Holyland Israeli Market: Saint Dymphna’s – the perfect mix of relaxed and rowdy. Just a bit further down is Bua – always packed at night. And it is right above this hot spot destination bar that I live. Whenever I emerge from my building, energy from my surroundings seeps through me and I can be nothing but grateful that I live on this block.
For me, St. Marks Place between 1st Avenue and Avenue A is a place of freedom, self-discovery, and soul – embodied by the woman in the poster. This is where I started to see the world differently. This is the place where I like to say I was born. These photos show St. Marks through my eyes – a place that is both dramatic and subtle…and always welcoming.
