New York Daily Photo Analytics

Monday, April 19, 2010

Enchanted April



Please click and play audio link to accompany your reading.


I will never forget one particular scene in the film Enchanted April. Four women from England in the 1920s decide to leave the damp and rainy climate of home for a vacation on the coast of Italy, only to arrive to a rain more hellish than what they left behind.

However, one morning, unbeknownst to them, the rain has finally stopped, and when they throw open the shuttered windows, they are just flooded with light and witness the most stunning scene of natural beauty imaginable. I recall seeing this in the theater, seated relatively close to the screen and nearly having to shield my eyes from the brilliant light after my eyes had adjusted to the dark, dreary and rainy start of the film.

One of the banes of New York City life is the window unit air conditioner. In a city with such an inventory of older buildings, window units are the norm, even in very large multi-story buildings. Look up when you are walking the city, and you will see an abundance of these unsightly, ungainly, and noisy metal boxes hanging from windows everywhere. Tying up windows with air conditioners is particularly egregious in the city, since most of us have few windows to begin with and spend most of our time in one or two rooms.

Also, the vast majority of windows in New York City are the standard up/down double hung style. French windows are a rarity, even in smaller historic townhouses. I am extremely fortunate in this regard. However, my windows were in extreme disrepair, and two out of three were encumbered with window unit air conditioners. Recently were my windows replaced and my window A/C units removed. I have full access to all the sashes and can open my windows completely.

So if you want to reenact and relive that scene with me, let me throw my windows open for you today and give you a peek at a New York style Enchanted April :)

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this very nice post. I had the privilege to visit your city a couple of weeks ago and your blog is a great way to re-visit from home! N.Y. is really my favourite city. If only I had the stamina to show the world my city through daily photos. Keep up the good work!
Greetings from Malmö, Sweden.

Gunn said...

Thanks for sharing this beautiful view, your photo and the music!:-) I enjoyed that!

Mary said...

I love the photos from your window!

Fashion Schlub said...

oh, what a wonderful photo! I can just feel the spring air. so lovely.

AND, Enchanted April one of my Very Favorite Movies! I hope to have my own enchanted April sometime (note: this is not it!)

Judit said...

I love all you posts!

I hope someday i'll write as well as you do!
And also about NY 'cause someday, I don't know how, I'll live there.


Judit.

Unknown said...

So romantic! ...for you, I hope. Love the sound tracks you have been adding lately!

Leslie said...

I'm just sitting here, playing your music over and over, imagining I'm in that garden...