I love old things and I love quirky things. Old AND quirky is ideal.
Here in NYC, I occasionally go around and take shots of old and/or notable signage and storefronts. I guess you could say that it’s a hobby of mine. I really should do it more often; it helps me cope with the massive, decades-long wave of hyper-gentrification that continues to destroy everything I know and love.
I hope you like some of these shots. More, better quality ones to come (at some point)
*NOTE: A couple of these photos were taken in places other than New York City, and are captioned accordingly.
Flatbush Video, Brooklyn, NY. August 2016. (c) Gabrielle Lipner
Show World Center (what’s left of it). New York, NY. December 2015. (c) Gabrielle Lipner
Little Italy, New York, NY. December 2015. (c) Gabrielle Lipner
Carnegie Deli (may it rest in peace), New York, NY. (c) Gabrielle Lipner
Skylight Diner, New York, NY. December 2015. (c) Gabrielle Lipner
Murray’s Sturgeon Shop, New York, NY. July 2016. (c) Gabrielle Lipner
Broadway Restaurant, New York, NY. July 2015. (c) Gabrielle Lipner
Burger King at Vnukovo International Airport, Moscow, Russia. June 2015. (c) Gabrielle Lipner
Lobster stand, Syracuse, NY. August 2016. (c) Gabrielle Lipner
“The Attorney”, Cincinnati, Ohio. February 2015. (c) Gabrielle Lipner
Sounds kind of crazy, maybe? I don’t think so, but allow me to explain:
I absolutely LOVE to travel. I love learning new languages, I love geography, I love crossing places off of my bucket list. It’s a thrill, and I get pleasure out of knowing that I am comfortable going almost anywhere as a solo traveler when so many others (especially fellow women) are often reluctant to do so. For me, there is nothing more wonderful than finding myself in a brand-new place, with a brand-new culture and language.
So, almost two and a half years ago, I visited Israel for the first time. I didn’t go for any kind of religious or political reason, but out of simple curiosity. I wanted to learn more about the Israel-Palestine conflict, but I also just wanted to experience life in the region and talk to people who live there.
Before I even boarded my flight, reality struck like a hammer to the head. I was booked on El Al, Israel’s national airline, and I was unprepared for the onslaught of questioning that I would be subject to before I could even get in line to go through security. It was intense; I ended up being sequestered with two other redheads, and we sat together as a group as the El Al staff searched all of our belongings. Fortunately, we made our flight. Although I was shaking a little, I was very happy to be on the plane and on my way.
Long story short, I ended up spending a solid portion of 2015 living in Israel. I lived in Tel Aviv, a liberal, cosmopolitan, and very beautiful city. I worked at a startup incubator on the port off of the Mediterranean Sea. I made a great friend, began to learn two languages, and saw a lot of wonderful art. I also visited parts of the West Bank, witnessed religious extremism up close, had additional problems with Israeli security, and saw quite a bit of government-endorsed discrimination. I guess you could say my experience was a mixed bag, but it was certainly an adventure.
I get bored easily. I get antsy. My focus in life right now is getting a full-time job but I do hope to return to the region one day. I want to see more of the West Bank, and I also really want to go to Jordan. Maybe UAE too, or Qatar. I am very aware, probably more than most people, of the various instabilities in the Middle East. But that’s not necessarily a deal-breaker for me. Life is risk, and although I don’t plan on traveling to any war zones, I do want to spend more time in that part of the world. Life for me is a learning experience, a class that I never want to end.
I have a ton of photos from my time in Israel, but I’m going to divvy them up. I’m saving conflict-related shots for a future post. I also have a series of photos of Tel Aviv’s street cats, but that will also be saved for another day.
Tonight’s pictures are some of my most personal I guess. I have better shots, but these are just the introductory images. I don’t know…
Enjoy, hopefully:
I got off the plane and this is where I went first: the village of Zikhron Ya’akov. Â (c) Gabrielle Lipner 2015
Two cousins in the middle of the Negev Desert, in the dead of winter. (c) Gabrielle Lipner 2015
Dog in the desert (c) Gabrielle Lipner 2015
Me, with my friend Alina, in the village of Ein Hod. (c) Gabrielle Lipner 2015
My roommate, Sara. We disagreed all the time about almost anything, and yet we still managed to get along famously. (c) Gabrielle Lipner 2015
New Central Bus Station in Tel Aviv, where someone spoke to me in Arabic for the first time. (c) Gabrielle Lipner 2015
A street in Jerusalem. Not really my scene, but still cool. (c) Gabrielle Lipner 2015
Inside a mosque in Haifa. (c) Gabrielle Lipner 2015
Cofix, a haven of really cheap sandwiches and coffee drinks. (c) Gabrielle Lipner 2015
Respect your local vandals. I have a ton of great graffiti pics, but they’ll have to wait for another day. (c) Gabrielle Lipner 2015
I think that’s enough for one night. Thoughts welcome, as always.
I’ve been rather busy lately. Between my seemingly endless search for a full-time job and my volunteer position at the Paley Center for Media, I haven’t been able to dedicate my attention to writing as much as I’d like. No complaints, though. I am getting things done, and I even had time to do a little last-minute Valentine’s Day photo shoot for an old co-worker of mine.
Enjoy the photos. More writing stuff coming very soon.
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