Photo of the Week 59
This week Alex in Wanderland was featured on Nomadic Matt’s list of his current favorite travel blogs, as well as being spotlighted in the current issue of Native Foreigner Magazine! Many thanks to both for the honor!
Today I’m back in Albany after a few days of birthday celebrations for my little sister. One of the best things about spending this summer based in New York has been being able to celebrate milestones and holidays with people who mean so much to me. I spent mother’s day hanging out with my mama, I spent my best friend’s birthday partying with her on a boat around Manhattan, and I got to watch my little sister try alcohol for the first time as she turned 21!
Anyway, I’ve been meaning to go have a little photo shoot at the Albany Empire State Plaza for a while now but I’ve been waiting for the perfect combination of great weather and available free time. The Empire State Plaza is Albany’s most recognizable landmark, making up the majority of the city’s skyline and government buildings. It is often compared to the architectural design of the Brazilian capital, Brasília, which I would love to visit someday. This plaza’s construction came with a $2 billion dollar price tag and a host of controversy over architectural styles and eminent domain — pretty dramatic stuff.
Photo A
The plaza is home to many modern sculptures and other artworks, like the one floating in the reflecting pool at left.
Photo B
These buildings are creatively named Agency Buildings 1-4.
Photo C
The Egg is my favorite building in the plaza and definitely the most iconic.
Photo D
The most important thing to know about The Egg is that my senior prom was held here.
Photo E
A more abstract shot of the building.
Photo F
A silhouette of the plaza including from left, The Egg, The Corning Tower and the New York State Museum.
Which photo is your favorite?
I'm a New York native who left my home to explore the world slowly and thoroughly. I love photography, scuba diving, and reading guidebooks to countries I have no immediate plans to visit. Read more on my 
The pair of Egg shots in D. Although the Egg shot that looks like a pregnant bowling ball is a close second.
I love both of those, except I hate those stupid lights on the right-side shot!
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
That is my desktop background right now
Photo B!! Definitely! Congrats to your little sister on becoming “legal”, and congrats to YOU for such awesome honors!!
Tiffany @ theUnimaginedLife recently posted..The Ultimate Swiss Train Challenge. Part 3.
Thank you Tiffany! And yes, I love the colors in B!
I agree with mom— Photo D. My prom was also at the egg, thank you!
On that note, why is there no prom for grown ups? Ugh.
If I vote for C do I get ‘Art Direction’ credit? It really is my favorite because of the framing and the the ‘WTF?” factor of unfamiliar viewers
Yes, I should have given you credit for being my photo assistant on all of these!
Congratulations on the blog mentions and being featured! I think photo D is my favorite!
Vicky recently posted..Funny Spam Friday – A Look At Spam
Thanks Vicky, seems to be a popular one!
Ooh, I like E the best this week – and congratulations for your mentions – very well deserved
Thank you Hannah! Its always an honor to get a shout out
Congratulations for the honors bestowed on your great work. I certainly look forward to it every day. Pic – C — combination of nature etc
Thank you! And thanks for voting
D for me. Nice shots. I love modernist cities. Think I’d like Albany but a fiver says the coffee sucks.just my luck. Reminds me of the great Corbuisier cities:Chandigarh and new Delhi, and the post war bits of Paris that get overlooked. Canberra is another one. The egg is deadset gorgeous. Thanks for making me aware of it.
I had to Google Chandigarh… I definitely learn something new every time I talk to you. I’ll have to keep those cities in mind if I’m ever in those parts of the world. Brasilia isn’t too popular among tourists but when I make it to Brazil I will definitely huff it there to pay homage to Albany’s twin city!
I like C best. It’s like, WOW
Thanks Gram! I love that one too
These are ALL beautiful but I think photo B because of the pop of color!
Andi of My Beautiful Adventures recently posted..Andi’s Pick: East Hong Kong
Yes, I like to organic flowers against the hard mad made buildings. A nice contrast!
I second your papa. C!
Thanks for voting Nicky!
I’ll go for D!
Rachel recently posted..Travel Photo: Charlottesville, Virginia
Definitely the winner this week, thanks for voting Rachel!
Love your architecture photos! My faves this week are A and C because of the symmetry.
Cat recently posted..Azalea Festival in Wilmington, NC
Thanks Cat! Your comment made me realize a lot of my Photos of the Week are more organic subjects rather than made made things… interesting!
[...] The Empire State Plaza makes up the Albany skyline and consists of the 19th century state capital building, the state museum, several modern state government offices and a performing arts center called “The Egg.” While it’s construction and architectural style remain controversial, it’s definitely unique — some compare the architectural style to that of Brazilian capital Brasilia! History buffs will love the mastodon skeleton on display at the New York State Museum while art lovers will appreciate the Hudson River school paintings at the Art Institute. [...]