Walking, Sharing, Exploring..

“It is with roses and locomotives (not to mention acrobats, Spring electricity, Coney Island the 4th of July, the eyes of mice, and Niagara Falls) that my ''poems'' are competing.”

E. E. Cummings

Union Square Market

Another Friday morning waking up to a beautiful summer morning, I went down to my writing class for an interesting hour.  I then meandered down 5^th Avenue to the Union Square Farmer’s Market where I happily roamed and purchased many goodies for dinner.  (The Markets are a bit expensive, in NYC and Boston, but oh so lovely!)  I dropped my bounty off at the Hx3, shared a salad with Kristi and walked to the MET.

Sculpture of Sopheap Pitch (fromt the Met website)

I greeted one of my favorite new People in my life, my NYC Landlady who was down for an overnight.  We spent a lovely hour poking through a very interesting Cambodian Rattan xhibit, sharing stories, updates, and future plans for our lives.  She left to get back to Northampton, and I waited for Kris to come join me.  We also poked through a couple of exhibits while making our way to the Rooftop for a wonderful glass of Proscecco!  On our way back through I was very impressed when walking through the Egyptian room, I recognized the work of El Anatsui, today’s most successful African artist who creates all his work from recyclables.  I then created a tasty dinner with my catch from the market, we relaxed, and just were.

Entertainmentin the Park

Canada Day Street Hockey

Saturday we both decided to lounge, read, catch up on work for awhile, and then since neither had plans we started walking..through Central Park, as always being entertained, even saw some of Canada Day!  We went to a funky Hotel, the Hudson on the West side where we enjoyed a cocktail in its garden and rooftop bars.  (Diverging for a bit: One of Kristi's Easters in college we met in NYC to play.  The Hudson Hotel, designed by Ian Schrager, had just opened.  Very cool public spaces the bar having been on Sex & the City, tiny rooms.  Kris was quite impressed with my choice.  They were having a great deal at the time!  Many People told me I was crazy over the years, "allowing" Kristi to major in theatre.  She has had this passion since she was 5!  I knew it was a valid passion that weekend as I scored tickets to "Gypsy" at the TKTS booth in Times Square.  Bernadette Peters played Mama Rose.  Kris sobbed from pure emotion for quite awile after the play from seeing her hero in stage..) We then rode the MTA a few stops to reach the beginning of the Highline, whereupon we enjoyed a wonderful twilight walk along the length of it, enjoying another of El Anatsui’s pieces of work which has hung there since last winter.

Hudson Hotel's Garden

A Garden of the Highline



El Anatsui's Broken Bridges (from the Highline's website)

The Spotted Pig

At the southern end of the Highline we found ourselves in Tribeca, and walked south into  the Village. We decided to try to have dinner in a restaurant I’ve been wanting go to but is always packed, The Spotted Pig (W 11th and Greenwich Street).  We scored great seats at the bar and shared a wonderful dinner.  Since it was Pride Weekend, there was lots of goings on, especially in the Village.  After dinner I was happily done, as was Kris, so we made our way home.  A truly special day and evening.



Special Kiddos

Sunday I got up and out early to head to Coney Island.  I volunteered with the Met Council again.  They, in partnership with a local youth organization,  hosted The Coney Challenge, a day in the park where local youth competed through a series of challenges to win prizes.  I knew that Coney Island had been hard hit by Sandy.  It was hard to wrap my mind around the fact that the park we were in, Kaiser Park, lovely right on the water, was under eight feet of water from the storm.  The median income of Coney Island is 22K, yes, in the most expensive city in the US.  Services that we all take for granted, including the  internet can still be spotty.  As a matter of fact, many people rely on the library for the internet.  It is closed indefinitely.  The Children were of course amazing, polite, and fun.  The Young Women from the Met Council and volunteers, as always, were interesting, gracious, and People I hope to meet and work with again.



Beach @ Coney Island

Closed Arcade

I will admit that I felt I was not really needed.  So, I gracefully, I hope, bowed out early and decided to walk and explore as it was my first time out to Coney Island (quite a trip on the MTA from the UES).  The neighborhood is gritty, rundown.  The Boardwalk is lovely.  The beach is beautiful.  It was a foggy, muggy day, so not as crowded as a hot sunny one would be, but that is one of my favorite types of days for a walk near the beach.  I saw the famous amusement park, thinking of Tom Hanks in the movie “Big.”  Some of the classic structures are closed, but you can still imagine what it must have been like in its heyday (a bit like the old Paragon Park for us Bostonians).  I decided to add to the economy in my way and have lunch.  I poked into a cute place, Place to Beach Cantina, and enjoyed a nice light lunch and chat with John the Bartender.  I then settled in for the long train ride back to the UES.  Another part of my beloved city explored!

A Roller Coaster

The Carousel

Beach joint