Photograph: Urban Canyon, Maiden Lane

Urban Canyon, Maiden Lane

Posted on 26 August 2010

Urban Canyon, Maiden Lane

Morning light strikes buildings above the curving urban canyon of Maiden Lane in Lower Manhattan.

We were in this area of lower Manhattan for several reasons on the morning of the last full day of our New York City visit. We made a stop at the nearby World Trade Center site – it is difficult to explain all of the reactions that I had to this. The last time I visited (close to New Years Day 2000) we stood on top of one of the buildings to see the nighttime view – and now there is a void in that place.

We were also there to visit our oldest son who was working that day in an office on Maiden Lane – and, later on, to join the throngs walking out onto the Brooklyn Bridge. (This was our first day of clear, blue sky weather.) I made this photograph as we approached that street a bit early, giving us some time to look around a bit. Oddly, when I visit the very narrow and twisty “canyons” of this part of Manhattan, with the very tall buildings towering immediately above and following the curves of the old streets, I always think of different sorts of canyons, for example the sort that I frequently visit in the Sierra. It occurred to me that the same light falls on both types of canyons. You can bet that I would have my camera out if light like that shining on the front of these curved buildings appeared in “my” Sierra!

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Category: Photographs: New York City, Photographs: Structures, Photographs: Urban/Street
Tags: architecture, brick, buildings, canyon, city, column, curve, district, downtown, escape, financial, fire, haze, island, lane, ledge, light, lower, maiden, manhattan, morning, new york, north america, photo, photography, reflection, scenic, sky, skyscraper, stairs, state, stock, stone, street, structure, tall, travel, usa, vertical, window

4 comments to Urban Canyon, Maiden Lane

Joshua Sigar

says:

August 26, 2010 at 10:14 am

Hah, I didn’t know it until I saw this photo. Converging lines look all wrong when you show only one side of the buildings. I would believe you if the buildings were really slanted.

I like how you captured windows of different forms, and the tight framing (no sky, no street).

G Dan Mitchell

says:

August 27, 2010 at 5:17 pm

Thanks for leaving the comment. The perspective lines in this scene can be confusing, partly due to that lack of any sky and also because of the way the street curves.

Dan

Edward Mendes

says:

August 27, 2010 at 5:22 pm

I like the image very much, very Manhattan! You’ve had a very busy summer, a lot of great new images from all over the place it seems.

G Dan Mitchell

says:

August 29, 2010 at 12:49 pm

Thanks to both of you for your comments – and, yes, it has been a wonderfully busy summer! I’m in the Seattle area right now, and I photographed in the Mt. Shuksun/Mt baker area yesterday.

Dan