Door Project - Gone

"There are places I remember
All my life, though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I've loved them all" -- Beatles, In My Life

While I went around New York City trying to take a photograph of all the doors that were important in my life, I couldn't help but think of the lyrics to the Beatles song, In My Life.

I decided to take some photos of the places as they stand now --  an empty lot, a rebuilding project, and an altered entrance.

When I retired from practicing law, I decided to spend a year focusing on ME.  Before that, it was school, then work, then family, and there was never enough time to get to do the things I wanted to do.  That year off gave me time to explore quilting, acrylic painting, and ceramics. 

My sister is the one who got me interested in ceramics and convinced me to take a class at the 53rd Street YWCA.  The spot where it once stood is now an empty corner lot.

53rd St YWCA

Many years ago, she introduced me to a very talented ceramic artist, Pak Hing Kan.  I'm sorry to say that Pak Hing just died this week.  That woman was so kind. She knew she was losing her battle with cancer, so she offered me her fabric stash two months ago.  She told me which ones she had designed, having been a fabric designer at one point in her life.  I felt honored that she remembered that I was a quilter and wanted me to have her fabrics.

Now the place where we first met is gone and so is she.

Elmhurst Library

I wrote about the Elmhurst Library being torn down and how it motivated me to hurry up and start this project. Here is a photo of the current construction site.

This library was the place I came to as a child, all year long, to get books to read to my heart's content.

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Since September 11, 2001, much of the landscape around the country has changed, but the security measures around New York have also altered the appearances of many places.  Besides the large planters placed in front of some office buildings, look at what they did to the United Nations!  I could not get a decent shot of the entrance because of the security tent.  Of course we're not alone in this -- some Paris landmarks also have security tents.

Why is this place even in my Door Project? Well, this is where I spent many hours volunteering for UNICEF at the gift counter in the basement while a student and even a little when I was a lawyer.

During Christmas time, I would often be assigned to off-site locations such as in a bank.  One year, I worked at a bank located in the lobby of the World Trade Center.  Obviously, that door no longer exists due to the collapse of the Twin Towers.  I didn't include a photo of the construction site or new memorial built in that area because I'm not really sure where that bank once stood amongst all the rebuilding.

Even if the door no longer stands where it once did, I can still have my memories.