October 29, 2025
Blog
Conversations with New York City
New York City is ugly, dirty and smelly. And yet, somehow, it's one of the most beautiful places I know.
The noise, the chaos, the mix of languages and dreams – it all reminds me that beauty isn't always clean or easy.
There are many New York Cities
The one from the movies.
The one from my dreams.
The one from inside my apartment.
The one from the movies.
The one from my dreams.
The one from inside my apartment.
The one from the streets.
Your New York City.
Your New York City.
It’s a city as complex and fractured as a human being.
Dumbo NYC 2018
Walking through its streets — through dirty sidewalks and strange smells, past luxury buildings and fancy restaurants — is a constant reminder that we can feel both full and broken at the same time. That we don’t always have to be happy or joyful, but that it’s okay to feel the other side too. That “It is what it is” — and the city will still be there, ready to embrace you or spit you out.
In these gloomy autumn days, I like to walk endlessly until my feet ache, having long conversations with the streets — about life, the unbearable lightness of being, the new tiktok trends.
Pero dime que motivo the he hecho yo
I’ve lived here for twenty years and moved at least nine times: Corona, West Harlem, Williamsburg, Gramercy Park, Bushwick, Murray Hill, Gowanus, East Harlem.
I enjoy coming back to old neighborhoods and looking for the changes — or for the things that have endured over time. The deli on the corner that somehow survived. The restaurant that started the trendiness and is now an old-timer. Most have changed too much, as we all do — almost unrecognizable, and yet still carrying their essence, like that friend from childhood you still recognize under white hair and newly earned wrinkles.
I enjoy coming back to old neighborhoods and looking for the changes — or for the things that have endured over time. The deli on the corner that somehow survived. The restaurant that started the trendiness and is now an old-timer. Most have changed too much, as we all do — almost unrecognizable, and yet still carrying their essence, like that friend from childhood you still recognize under white hair and newly earned wrinkles.
But the city isn’t just its streets.
It’s the people — and their stories.
It’s the people — and their stories.
After many years of walking and wondering, I decided to start a podcast to explore this city through its people. As with all my projects, I began with those closest to me — neighbors, friends, friends of friends — letting the circle grow organically.
Pa que me tires las ropillas a la calle como a un pícaro ladrón.
Al Titi, Flamenco Song
Today, I’m writing because the podcast is finally live.
The first episode features flamenco artist Xianix Barrera — a dancer, teacher, mother, and New Yorker I deeply admire.
In our conversation, she shares her 20-year journey of redefining flamenco on her own terms — blending deep respect for its Spanish roots with bold expressions of feminism and LGBTQ+ identity. We also talk about motherhood, art, and what it takes to build a creative life in this city.
It’s not a “how-to” podcast. It’s a conversation — one I hope you’ll join, reflect on, and share.
And because these conversations are also portraits — soon you’ll be able to see them in beautiful prints.
On November 14th, I’ll be hosting an artist talk and live interviews at the upcoming Being in New York exhibition at El Barrio’s Artspace PS109.
More on that soon — but for now, I hope you’ll take this first walk with me through sound and video.
