The Brooklyn Bridge has long been on my photo bucket list. The leading lines and iconic architecture are almost unparalleled.  In 2021 I took my oldest daughter on a trip to New York to shoot her senior photos. I had really wanted to get photos here but when we came in the evening near sunset it was packed with people and I couldn't get a decent shot in. We decided to try early the next morning on our last day and it turned out to be absolutely perfect. There was hardly anyone there and I got some great shots of both her and the bridge. This trip and especially this location will forever be a special memory to us both.

p.s. the Mets were my childhood favorite team so of course, I had to have her wear the hat! :)

And, when I am ready to tackle city traffic, helicopter is the way I roll. Two helipads on this property: Atlantic Aviation and Blade, the future of vertical flight.

Check out the Electronic Vertical Aircraft (EVA) in development for 2023-2025.

BLADE Urban Air Mobility is a technology-powered, short-distance aviation company committed to reducing travel friction by enabling cost-effective air transportation alternatives to some of the most congested ground routes in the U.S. and abroad.

Our goal is to make aviation more accessible by preparing for the adoption of EVA (Electric Vertical Aircraft). Quiet, carbon-neutral and cost-effective electric aircraft are currently being developed and flown by our investors and partners today.

Electric motors allow an aircraft to land like a helicopter, cruise like a plane, quietly. Quiet is a key innovation of EVA. Reducing noise, emissions, and cost will help bring urban air mobility to more people in more places.

The future is borderless:

United Nations International School (UNIS):

Under the auspices of the United Nations and guided by its ideals, UNIS provides a rigorous international program in an inclusive and diverse learning environment focused on academic excellence.  UNIS fosters innovation, creativity and cross-cultural communication, educating and inspiring its students to become an active force in shaping a better world: peaceful, compassionate and sustainable.

If I have to do anything in the city it will be at the waterfront!

The Water Club is a NYC favorite outdoor event venue for over thirty years – with a reputation for perfection in party planning that is still unsurpassed. The open air rooftop provides beautiful views of upper Manhattan.

NFT NYC Party With EightBit

My first trip to New York was a whirlwind. I was travelling to attend the NFT NYC event with the Metablox team and we had big plans and a full schedule. 

During the planning phase, another project I'm part of - Eightbit - announced they'd be having a party at Ray's during the event so I secured enough tickets for the team to attend. 

Hanging With NFT Luminaries

We had a crazy day - crisscrossing the city, meeting and greeting, while trying to make connections and generally just being productive. Fortunately Joe and James were able to help us navigate the city subway and make our way to the event. 

Ray's Bar looks to be a pretty cool place - but we were escorted through a side door after checking our names off a list. I didn't realize it at the time, but maybe this was a little foreshadowing to Addison's (co-founder of EightBit) upcoming NFT speakeasy project, OldSport.xyz. 

The event itself was great - casual, loud music, dingy basement, and good food - everything you'd expect from the EightBit team! 

While there we met and missed a bunch of legends from cornerstone NFT projects: 

• Nyan Cat
• Turf NFT
• Drippies
• Moonbirds
• and more! 

My one regret is leaving too soon - I heard later Kevin Rose showed up, and he's the reason I learned about EightBit way back in 2010!. 

Fun With the Team

All in all it was great to hang with the Metablox team and meet so many cool people from the space. It's always interesting to meet people in real life, that you've come to know through Twitter or Discord. 

To celebrate our 30th birthdays, my wife and I planned a one-week trip to New York City, our first opportunity to visit the city. It was amazing to see all the famous places that I only knew from a distance and feel a bit of the energy of the city. This memory focuses on our visit to the New York Public Library. It was an impressive experience. The place is very beautiful, an antique building with astonishing architecture and a beautiful garden. Inside, it is very cool to feel humanity valuing literature, knowledge, and sharing between one another. There were many places in NYC that stayed in my memory and the Public Library was certainly one of them!

Two Brazilians speaking almost zero English, lost in NYC. Let's register it. Sounds a good idea. No awesome phone or camera, no Google Maps, no Internet. Just love and partnership. Jessika is the best, and NYC lives in our heart since then. <3

El 7 de Junio de 2009 fue el primer año que se celebra la Premier Paella Parade, patrocinado por El Coto de Rioja (España).
La fiesta culinaria ofrecía paella, vino español El Coto y buenas vistas de la bahia de Manhattan a todos aquellos que estuviesen dispuestos a pagar $25 (cuando hay morriña por tu casa se paga lo que sea :) ). La fiesta la montaron en el Pier 17.
El evento empezaba a las 11 de la mañana y terminaba a las 3 de la tarde, por lo que decidimos salir de casa sobre las 12, ir paseando por el puente de Manhattan y bajar a degustar las paellas. Cuando llegamos fuimos a comprar las entradas pero nos dijeron que ya no había!!!!!!. Hablando con el chico de la puerta supimos que aún podíamos comprarlas por internet, por lo que buscamos en cibercafe (si, todavía no teníamos internet en el móvil :-O ), pagamos $3 (por 15 minutos de internet) y compramos nuestras entradas.
Cuando fuimos a entrar nos encontramos con más gente que estaban igual que nosotros, sin entradas (parece que no se esperaban que fuese tanta gente). Justo cuando ibamos a entrar, una organizadora nos advirtió que las paellas se estaban acabando (a las 12:30 y ya no había paellas!!!!). En fin, fuimos rápidamente pero solo pudimos probar arroz negro (sin alioli) y después de unos cuantos empujones con el resto de gente.
La verdad es que la paella estaba bastante sosa, no tenia mucho sabor (la próxima vez me quedo en casa y me la preparo yo mismo :-) ).
A las 2 de la tarde se celebró el concurso: mejor paella, mejor uso de ingredientes, mejor presentación, etc.... La que nosotros probamos no se llevo ni un premio (ya decía yo que estaba sosa :-) ). El premio a la mejor paella se lo llevó una mujer mejicana y su hija.

Came across this photo online - a stunning & beautiful building on the west side. Amenities include: fitness Center, swimming pool, lounge, and spa rooms. 71-story high-rise building with ultimate NYC luxury. Life Time Gym. Washer/Dryer in Apartment. Bike Storage.

David Ippolito aka "That Guitar Man from Central Park".

This musician has been singing in Central Park for over 20 years. He communicates a lot with the audience and coolly performs the songs that he is asked to sing. It seems as if David knows absolutely all the tunes. He also has some great songs of his own. I was especially impressed by "Stupid Country" (about America, of course) and "Hashtag Jesus" (about 9 questions to Jesus if he lived in our time).

Fantastic museum exprience! Intrepid aircraft carrier is full of history, dramatic events, and heroic deeds.

What's more, I enjoyed delving into the story of Enterprise, the first space shuttle, which was a massive step for humankind.

And there are many aircrafts as well. All of it looks stunning on a background of Manhattan skyscrapers.

Kate, Ksu and I took 3 different flights to New York. We met near Apple store to start our 2.5-week journey in the US:

• New York adventures
• Agile 2018 conference in San-Diego
• California roadtrip
• Couch surfing in Big Bear Lake, CA
• Visits to Facebook and Google campuses

It all made our friendship even stronger and created unforgettable memories!