The Salt-White Streets of New York

The winter streets reveal a new canvas for artistic expression.

Jan 26, 2025

We saw each other on Zoom in Charlie Allenson’s writing prompt class. Two strangers poured their words onto paper in eight minute intervals. She was nervous, and before she read her first story she said, “It’s my first time doing this." Her writing was impressive, and the group offered her plenty of encouragement. Her story began with a vivid description of New York's salt-white streets. In winter, whenever there's a chance of snow, rock salt is scattered across the streets and sidewalks to prevent ice from forming.

Her description of the salty streets lingered in my mind and the next day, I saw the city differently. As I dashed out in the cold to run a few errands, something caught my eye.

A discarded New Yorker tote crushed, frozen, and entombed in the salted asphalt.

I slowed my pace. Crossing the street, a smashed banana bespeckled with brown spots dared pedestrians to walk over it without slipping.

banana smashed and frozen on salt-covered street

On the next block, I followed the white parking line, observing how the salt crusted in circular patterns. The photo I took could be mistaken for abstract art.

parking line and abstract circles from salt on the street

Continuing down the block, a familiar manhole cover transformed into a new visual language as the salt highlighted certain letters while obscuring others.

manhattan bor manhole cover on salt coverd street

Finally, just across from home, I spotted a pair of 2025 New Year’s glasses damaged by traffic and aged by rock salt.

In just a few blocks, a new writer’s words inspired me to see things differently. They transformed the salt-covered asphalt into a canvas for my imagination. It's a reminder that sometimes, a change in perspective can change everything.

Words of the Week

“To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake it is necessary to stand out in the cold.”

– Anonymous (but often misattributed to Aristotle)

Photo of the Week

Another white surface in the city—the floor of The Oculus. I took this photo in 2019 when I worked in the area and when the floor was pristine. These days, there are a lot of concerns about the tiles being chipped and damaged.