Ellis Island part 1

photocat

is up now...

http://photocatseyes.typepad.com

Thanks for all the ones sending me feedback, you are all so lovely!

Thanks for reading or looking

Catherine

Angelo

Cat:

Your blog is truly fantastic. I've been following along since you first posted. Very well done indeed.

Dee

How nice to see your photos of Ellis Island. We left New York in 1986 so never got a chance to visit it. I remember as a youngster my mom took us to the Statue of Liberty and I vaguely remember passing an island with a bunch of "old dirty buildings" on it.

You are lucky you missed the time of what we used to call "lady in a cage" when they were restoring and cleaning the statue for several years.

And, we didn't have colorful skaters in the park at that time... so much has changed, yet so much is the same.

I'm glad you survived the heat and humidity!

photocat

And, we didn't have colorful skaters in the park at that time... so much has changed, yet so much is the same.

I'm glad you survived the heat and humidity![/QUOTE]

I was extremely angry that I could not get closer to the unrestored buildings, as that is what I really wanted to shoot. That guy said the place was build on landfill, and I wondered (and told him so) if my 80 kg would make the place go under the water.
The heat and the humidity were unbelievable, I can not do humid. I was soaked the whole day, certainly because I was dragging 2 big and 1 small camera with me. (silly me!)
I am aware that lots of the places that are now crammed with tourists
were a no go area before the zero tolerance laws came in. I LOVED New York, loved the people, the contrast between money and no money...
I think it is a great magical city, and I am very happy that it is getting cleaned up, so people can visit. I am extremely happy with the restoration going on of old buildings, as it is all history... I really want to go and see the old buildings on Ellis Island though, I want to see walls peeling, feel the old souls floating around... If anyone knows how to get it done, please let me know...

Dee

Besides downright just silly rules and illusions of power some of these guards have (or are they just bored?) there are "insurance" reasons to keep tourists away from places not open to the public.

There are so many people filing frivolous law suits in this country -- and that's the main reason you can't do a lot of the things you might want to.

Google "urban explorations" sometime to get to sites where people (usually young men) break into or find their way into closed sites and buildings. It's an entire underground cult thing!

Here's one link: http://www.uer.ca/

As for heat and humidity, I lived in New York for years and years, and although it was always an unpleasant time, I considered myself acclimated to that kind of weather. However, I'll never forget the blast of heat and humidity that seemed to hit me in the face and almost knocked me down when we de-planed at the Miami airport!

It doesn't help to be a tourist, out and about, lugging stuff, plus the stress of being a tourist in a strange location when it's so hot and humid. Non tourists stay indoors with their air conditioning -- except for those not that bothered by the heat and humidity. I have one friend who just loves it when it's hot, and another who loves to go running when it's hot outside. Not for me...