RUN THIS CITY

EVOL created this miniature streetscape in Hamburg Germany. He calls it Rural City, and it was designed in only 8 days for the MS Dockville Music Festival. He even had his artist friends tag the mini buildings.

Trippy.

See more of his work here.

Photos courtesy of www.inhabitat.com and www.unurth.com

THE (NOT SO) SECRET GARDEN...

...that's just as magical and enchanting.

About a month ago, my parents came to visit me in my new city. The week was filled with non-stop sight-seeing. Golden Gate Bridge, check. Chinatown, check. The Cliff House, Lombard Street, Union Square, checkcheckcheck. Towards the end of their stay, we stumbled upon the Japanese Tea Garden, right next to the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, and were SOOO pleasantly surprised. It's quite the oasis, and it quickly shot up to the top of my running list of my favorite parts of the city. Serene pools of water...some areas hidden under a canopy of trees...other areas completely bathed in sunlight...narrow passageways....beautifully intricate gold and red pagodas...

Built it 1894, it's the oldest public Japanese Tea Garden in the US. Aaandd, it's FREE if you go before 10am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. If you haven't been, it's certainly a sight to see.

See more here!

BEAM ME UP

I love this! Dubbed the "Small House in Nakanohigashi" and designed by the Small House Design Lab, this structure is nothing short of HEAVENLY. With little tricks such as the long rows of hanging bulbs and horizontal windows, the architects created a sense of continuity that makes the space seem much larger than it actually is. Raw chipboard was used for the stairs, and the accent colors keep it feeling light and airy.

See/read more here.

BEAM ME UP SCOTTY

This dreamy little artist's studio was designed by A31 Architecture in one of my favorite places in the world, Greece.

Nestled between olive and cypress trees, it lies on the North-South axis with the wall openings reflecting the trajectory of the sun.

In other words, it's heavenly.

Check out more of the studio's work here.

MACHU PICCHU

...and how could I talk about Peru without mentioning Machu Picchu??

The morning my travel partner and I trekked to this mountain-top treasure, the mist got the best of us. Unfortunately, we weren't able to view the sun rise over the mountains from Inti Punku (Sun Gate), as the entire area was engulfed in white fog and we were lucky we could even see the trail!

As we made our way back down, however, the mist began to clear, revealing terrace upon terrace upon terrace of 600 year old structures, mysterious stone sculptures and grazing llamas (or alpacas? Still can't tell the difference). 

What is Machu Picchu? Well, to this day, it remains a mystery. Some believe it was a hacienda built for the Incan king Pachacuti. Others believe it to be a place where the ancient Quecha people would observe and worship the sun and stars. Another theory is that it was some type of mountain-top citadel.

I was c-o-m-p-l-e-t-e-l-y floored. Its immensity alone will take your breath away. 

If you haven't yet seen it with your own eyes, consider it a MUST. And while you're in the country, check these out.

Read more about it here.

SIDEWALK FINDINGS: CUSCO, AREQUIPA, LAKE TITICACA AND COLCA CANYON, PERU

I'm baa-aack. And with lots and lots to share.

It's impossible to sum up my journey to Peru in one concise blog post, but I'll try my darndest. I think this calls for list format: 

1. Arequipa, dubbed the "White City", is chock-full of buildings made of volcanic ash. What's volcanic ash architecture good for? It's ability to withstand earthquakes, for one. Two, for it's ability to be carved into. Arequipeños create wonderfully chiseled type and ornaments on building facades, much to my delight.

2. Cusco, with its narrow and hilly winding streets is a wonder at night. A photographer's heaven.

3. Colca Canyon...immense and picturesque! The incredible hues of blue and green left me salivating.

4. The people? Probably some of the most warm, selfless, humble, yet PROUD that I've come across in all of my travels. 

5. Color, color everywhere.

6. Pisco, pisco everywhere.

7. Little old me. In awe.

JULIAN SCHNABEL

...and his Palazzo Chupi.

Really, what's not to love? While directing one of my favorite films of 2007, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Schnabel helped to design this pinkish-red architectural bit of loveliness, located in Soho. The director/painter was inspired by American architects Addison Mizner and Stanford White.

What do I love about it? How about the layers of lively color and lovely texture, those wood panels on the walls and how they relate to the black and white tiled floors, the AMAZING artwork (yes, those are Picassos...although the Femme au Chapeau will be auctioned at Christie's...)

In one word, it's luscious.

Visit it yourself at 360 West 11th Street. Or just go here.