I can’t tell you how many times I’ve taken pictures from the fire escape outside my apartment or standing just outside the building’s front door during those few precious minutes when day turns into night. For the most part, I accomplish what I set out to do — capture the sunset. But it always felt so cluttered. So many cars and buildings and traffic lights and just general busy-ness that is near impossible to escape when you live in the city. Of course, there are always those quiet places that offer some illusion of stillness, but they are never enough.

And then, I found it. I made mention of it once before. The park that was, literally, around the block.

How could I have missed it all this time?

And yes, in case you were wondering, those are fighter jets aboard a large ship on the right-hand side of the picture. And that ship? Oh, it’s nothing, just the Intrepid. Leave it up to yours truly to take this long to realize that she lived A BLOCK AWAY from the Intrepid museum. Some New Yorker I am, huh?

Jackpot. I can almost imagine I was somewhere far away from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. Even the noise pollution dies down here. The other people around are equally quiet. Perhaps we’ve all arrived here for the same reasons. Nothing but the sound of wind above and water below.

Now that’s what I’m talking about.