Wow. Myself and a friend held a photo exhibit last year at Zion Gallery in Bedford Stuyvesant on this same theme. It was called "New York County" the tranquility within the city. Too many times we take for granted the things we pass everyday. There is so much country within thd city if you took the time to notice. Look up New York Country at Zion Gallery on google.

In the preceding comment I listed the shortcut to the website www.portalsontheuniverse.com incorrectly; the correct address is www.portalsotu.com

The perspective of an organism appears to be the result of its singular, dynamic experience upon its singular, dynamic biology. Consequently each can potentially provide access to perceived realities only they can provide.
See website www.potu.com (www.portalsontheuniverse.com) It observes "The term Portals on the Universe® identifies with the concept that all organisms and entities, especially humans in their individual and collective singularity, communicate a perspective on the universe unique to themselves, which we might not otherwise be privy to, making them, in effect, Portals on the Universe."

For over three years a friend and I would go into one of the five boroughs and we would walk up to seven hours without any predetermined destination.

You cannot believe what there is to see.

We have posted the pictures on Flickr under nycbyfoot hope you enjoy the sights as much as we did.

While it is indeed a grand thing to try to observe your surroundings in a new and different way, remember not to point or you'll be mistaken for a tourist.

I love skies in Brooklyn. The flock of pigeons gliding above the apartment complexes in coordinated flight, seeing the moon in daylight, the few times we have a relatively clear night and can actually see more than 5 stars. I sometimes stop mid-stride and stare at the skies and remember there's natural beauty in the city too.

I used to walk down E.43rd Street from Grand Central to my office. One sunny day I looked up to see that the street opening perfectly framed a reflection of the Chrysler Building on the U.N. Secretariat Building.

I'm so glad you are talking about this.

I love plants and flowers, and on my walks I have become intimately familiar with the plants along the way - I see seasonal changes, and anticipate these changes, and appreciate them when they happen. It's exciting.

Every year, I spot a new shrub or tree, even though it's been growing under my nose for years. And then it's everywhere.

I see so much that that was one of the reasons I started my blog, years ago, to document the seasons in the city.

I am sure that our interest in our immediate environment enriches our lives and connects us to our neighbors. Even if they are botanical.

http://66squarefeet.blogspot.com/search/label/New%20York%20Spring

I like thinking about how a UPS or other delivery person thinks of each building - that one is tough to get into, the doorways are narrow, nobody answers the bell, there's a ramp, etc. They notice and judge on different criteria than I do.

During the weeks after I tore my ACL, and limped around on crutches, I noticed for the first time how many New Yorkers have bad limps, or are dealing with some kind of disability. I constantly forget this, and then re-discover it every time I sprain an ankle.

It's not a walk exactly, but when I used to commute on the LIRR to Manhattan, I found a way to make the tedious every day commute worth it for me, and this was how: every time we passed Douglaston Bay (or Little Neck Bay) between Douglaston and Bayside stations, I'd make sure to look out the window at the bay and force myself to identify three different colors that made that view different that day. That was over 20 years ago, and even now, when I happen to find myself on that train, I drop anything I"m doing and look at the bay, and find three colors.

I can't walk a block without cigarette smoke being blown in my face.
It would nice if the City enforced the law that prohibits motor vehicles from idling for more than three minutes.

I walk in the evenings after dinner regularly. I always make a point of looking up at the the buildings and appreciating the distinctive architecture available on almost every block.

I particularly love that unique NYC architectural artifact -- the water tanks atop so many buildings!