Sometimes it takes a non-New Yorker to capture the whimsy that can be New York City. London-based animator James Curran came to New York City for a month in November, and created one gif a day which he uploaded to his Tumblr. It wasn’t his first visit, but he deliberately made it enough time to “feel like I’d lived there,” he tells Motionographer.

Curran himself is the main character of the gifs, throughout the 30 days, portrayed as a bearded and very flexible cartoon that clearly enjoys eating and enjoying what the city has to offer. Although the character doesn’t miss the major landmarks, like cavorting atop the Empire State Building like a touristic King Kong, its the mashup between the ordinary day-to-day life of the New Yorker and the iconic images of the city that enable the whimsical feel.