Walks of Life

Walks of Life

Originally uploaded by /\/\ @ r 0 0 |\| 3 |).

One of the things I like about busy urban venues is getting lost in a crowd. There’s something about watching people in motion. It is relaxing!

Wine Bars and Pubs

l’invitée

Originally uploaded by Tsunami Notes.

On my travels through Europe, I noticed one popular gathering place is the “wine bar” or “pub”. Weird but different from America. In the U.S. drinking establishments are for getting sloppy drunk and embarassing oneself… in Europe, I get a sense that there is more moderation – as if people treat these spaces as if it were their own living rooms. Pubs and Wine Bars are places where people meet, socialize and relax after a long day. I think that’s cool.

Hop Louie

Hop Louie

Originally uploaded by bullock_waterman.

Not sure how it all began, but every urban space is not complete without a “china town” or a chinese restaurant. Of all the Asian ethnicities represented in the world, I find it interesting that Chinese restaurants prevail as the representative of the “eastern hemisphere” in the urban spaces of foreign lands…

13.27

13.27

Originally uploaded by senils.

A shot of a subway tube and a passing train… it looks like a laser in a futuristic space!

London Eye

London Eye

Originally uploaded by merialc.

An urban space in London. I’m not sure about this fascination with ferris wheels. I’ve seen them pop up in various urban venues. It’s like a giant eye overlooking the landscape!

The wifette…

The wifette…

Originally uploaded by Mark Strandquist.

Great pouty look to this woman. The grainy quality of the picture along with the style of the woman’s dress gives this pic a certain old-school, vintage look and feel.

Illumination

Illumination

Originally uploaded by ElseKramer.

I like this urban space for the lighting discovered by the photographer. I like the way it spills through the cracks and reflects off the water below.

Flyways and Byways

520 Bridge

Originally uploaded by .roland.rodriguez..

Living in California, I’ve noticed that there’s a very large demand for roadways and highways. The per capita ownership of autos is phoenomenal. As a result, there’s a challenge to the ways that roads are arranged and designed. How do you pack high capacity roadways into tiny spaces? It astounds me because for the most part, the arrangement of highways and flyovers is virtually breathtaking. Huge structures of concrete, steel and asphalt still manage to have an aesthetic…

curving roadways carving across the sky…

I’ll have to post some pics of our local raised highways to show you what I mean. For now, here’s a pic from Seattle – apparently they have the same idea as well and are doing a good job of it.

Glassy Retreat

P1024135

Originally uploaded by STC.

I really like the look of this urban space – which appears to be a restaurant or cafe of sorts perched high up from the vantage point of a hillside. I like buildings and spaces with a lot windows and glass – particularly for a view but also for more lighting. Well lit places are relaxing as well as healing spaces. Sun comes in and brightens a well-lit room with a flood of light.

Fast Food Nation

burger king IMG_2850

Originally uploaded by dty1dty1.

I read an interesting article the other day that argues that socio-economic status has a very strong bearing on a person’s life expectancy; namely through nutrition and the effects of food on one’s health.

The argument is that poorer individuals do not have access to high quality, healthy foods: fruits, vegetables and supplements are essentially inaccessible to some income brackets because they are so expensive relative to foods more easily available such as fast food. Fast foods are minimally nutritious but are filling and also cheap. Without proper nutritional education as well, lower income people tend to frequent fast food restaurants and eat fewer meals supplemented with essential vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and other body nourishing elements. Without these elements, life expectancies are estimated much shorter than for others who can afford healthier meals.