In a city where feet move fast and eyes constantly dart across phone screens, it’s easy to miss flashes of gritty beauty.
I captured as many of these moments as I could scouring the five boroughs while building THE CITY’s photo library.
Like the image above of Times Square from January, some instants leapt out, while others emerged when I allowed myself to quietly observe.
As we approach a new year — and a new decade — it’s a good time to reflect on what came before.
Below are photos from each month of 2019, capturing a city endlessly in motion:
Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
FEBRUARY: At work in the South Bronx on a frigid day.
Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
MARCH: Shopping and solitude in Chelsea.
Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
APRIL: Free views from the Staten Island Ferry.
Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
MAY: A walk under the Westchester Avenue El.
Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
JUNE: Chelsea blooms for the 50th anniversary of Stonewall.
Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
JULY: An embrace in the East Village.
Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
AUGUST: Wildlife aboard the Astoria line.
Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
SEPTEMBER: Communing with nature in Midtown.
Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
OCTOBER: A golden Bronx commute.
Photo: Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
NOVEMBER: Making a big turn in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
DECEMBER: A classic hangs on just before the start of the 2020s.
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