A Couple of Cool Sites

I've always considered myself something of a "city person," and living in a very rural corner of Montana I often miss the hustle and bustle of a more urban setting. Luckily, I've found a couple of great websites that allow me to occasionally visit the Big Apple, if only for a little while in my mind. The first, as you may have guessed from the picture above, is called Scouting New York. This site is written by a guy who wanders around the five boroughs in search of locations for movie makers to use as background for films to be shot in the area. He uncovers a lot of odd and interesting places-- historic, artistic, offbeat buildings and settings that are written up with lots of pictures and great commentary.

The other site is called Forgotten New York, which is geared towards finding those spots that have somehow managed to survive all the various stages of renewal that the city has undergone over the years. This site is a bit more focused on the little things-- light poles, subway signs, fire alarm boxes, etc.-- but no less fascinating than Scouting New York. I'm sure part of the appeal of these sites for me is that I lived in NY for a couple years, so there's a bit of a nostalgic kick in being reminded of the days I spent wandering around the city. But if you too are looking for a quick, cheap "trip" to the city, you might want to click on those links yourself. I think the odds are good you'll get hooked too.