Key West: Colorful Streets

Key West is the southernmost point in the continental United States.  Its a cute and lively village thats filled with tourists.  Below are some of the colorful streets in Key West.  

Key West: Seagulls at Southernmost Point

 This pair of seagulls were perfectly placed over the heart graffiti at the Southernmost Point in Key West.  

Key West: Chickens everywhere

Spent way too much time watching the chickens running around in Key West, and now I definitely understand the phrase of "running around like a headless chicken".  Chickens are very erratic.  There is no pattern to predict their movements.  They are super annoying to try to photograph.  

Key West: Water at the edge of Key West

Below are photos from Mallory Square at the end of the village of Key West, where you can see the next key across the water - Sunset Key. 

Everglades: Crocodile in West Lake

Crocodiles are not very common in the Everglades.  Gators are everywhere, but not crocs.  Crocodiles reside in Crandon Park near me, but otherwise, it is rare to see a crocodile!  Below are photos of a lurking crocodile in West Lake in the Everglades. 

The everglades are the only environment in the world where both alligators and crocodiles both live.  Gators are relatively harmless, but crocodiles are more aggressive.  Gators live in fresh water, crocodiles live in salt water.  Crocodiles also have a thinner snout than gators and move a lot quicker.  South Florida is the only place in the USA where there are crocodiles.  

Everglades: Wood Stork

 Wood Stork were once an endangered species but now have been upgraded to threatened about a decade ago.  Below are two wood stork in Mrazek Pond near the town of Flamingo in the Everglades.  There were tons of heron, egret, pelicans and ibis in the pond - but the wood stork was the rarest.  

Everglades: Gators in ditches on the side of the road

Driving along in the Everglades, you have to look in the ditches on the side of the road, which usually are filled with murky water where alligators are lurking.  The first two photos - this gator turned around 180 degrees to look at me, once I got out of the car and was taking photos.  Freaked me out to get back in the car - too close!  I like how you can see their teeth in the bottom photos.  

Florida: Birds at Anhinga Trail in Everglades

 Below are the double-crested cormorant, which is a North American bird that looks pretty prehistoric with beautiful blue-green eyes.  

Florida: Gators lurking in the Everglades

 Alligators are the State Reptile of Florida... yes, the state of Florida has a state reptile.  They are also the largest reptile in North America.  Gators are always lurking in any swampy fresh water in South Florida.  Below are some from the Anhinga Trail in the Everglades.  

Florida: Birds in the Anhinga Trail in the Everglades

 The purple gallinule lives in South Florida, the Caribbean and Central America.  They have bright yellow feet, yellow edges of their beaks and beautiful iridescent feathers.   

NYC: Tribeca, really?

 Just next to high-end Tribeca is a slew of alleyways and streets that are old factories and yet to be gentrified.  Below is on one of those streets.  This guy was the perfect model.  

New York: People of Chinatown

 NYC's Chinatown in lower Manhattan has a population of about 100k and is the highest concentration of Chinese people in the Western hemisphere.  Below are some images of residents on the colorful Chinatown streets.  

NYC: Handbags for sale

 Canal Street in Chinatown in lower Manhattan is well known for its knock-off handbags.  These handbags looked particularly sad being sold next to a dumpster and so blatantly on the intersection of Canal and Lafayette Street.  

NYC: Chinatown fish market

 Fish for sale in the stalls of Mott Street in Chinatown in lower Manhattan.  

NYC: Shops of Soho

 Soho in Manhattan has returned to its history of garments and textiles and become a shopping hub within NYC with most designer boutiques and stores having presence on the cobblestoned streets.