Beekman Beer Garden Beach Club

While the island of Manhattan awaits the expected wrath that Hurricane Sandy is sure to bring, here I sit listening to the rainfall, dreaming of a sunnier time, sans natural disaster. In continuation of my very belated blog posts, I’ve been meaning to tell you about an awesome discovery made this summer, Beekman Beer Garden Beach Club at South Street Seaport.

My friend Erika was still visiting on August 22nd, and my Dad had tickets to the 3^rd Annual Nolafunk Summer Jazzfest featuring Little Feat with Papa Grows Funk and Stooges Brass Band. Visiting the beer garden was #18 on my summer bucket list, and I was happy to check it off.

Now if you’ve been following my blog, at the Umbria Jazz Fest last summer I was first introduced to Nola Jazz Zydeco music. The love has not faded, and this show was just as awesome. The brass band music is so powerful and exciting, the musicians always put on an excellent performance.

What I do want to tell you about is how cool this venue is. After you walk in and pass a long bar on your right, stroll through a tent, you are greeted with the most unbelievable view of the Brooklyn Bridge. While you’re walking to take in these panoramic views you can literally sink your feet into real sand on the ground. As I said, we were there for a concert so the set up was different, but I have heard from friends that on a normal day you can play ping pong and other various games, enjoy some food, cocktails, and of course, sample some beer. I look forward to being able to enjoy this cool spot again as soon as Sandy heads back out to sea...

Cloud City

I love art. Call it what you will, aficionado, admirer, enthusiast, I like to look at interesting, inspiring, beautiful things. The first time I stepped foot in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) was exactly three years ago yesterday, (the day I started writing this post). I went there after walking home from marching in the Columbus Day Parade with my job, put on my iPod and just walked, observed, and reflected. It was beautiful.

Continuing our exploration of beauty on August 21^st, my friend Erika and I walked from the Conservatory Garden to the MET at 82nd and 5th to take in some Monet, Van Gogh and Picasso before we went to dinner later that evening.

Now, if you’ve never had the chance to step foot inside the MET I’ll be the first one to tell you it’s huge, and even with my fantastic sense of direction I manage to get lost every time. Admission into the MET is free, however they recommend a $25 donation for adults…I usually never give more than $5 (sorry MET!)

The actual building itself is massive, two-million-square-foot massive. And today there are over tens of thousands of objects and art on view everyday. The exhibits can be found on the first floor, second floor, third floor, rooftop and mezzanines. The first floor and mezzanines house: The American Wing; Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas; Arms and Armor; Egyptian Art; European Sculpture and Decorative Arts; Greek and Roman Art; Medieval Art; Modern and Contemporary Art; and the Robert Lehman Collection. The second and third floors house: The American Wing; Ancient Near Eastern Art; Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran; Central Asia, and Later South Asia; Asian Art; Drawings and Prints; European Paintings; Greek and Roman Art; Modern and Contemporary Art, Musical Instruments, 19^th and Early 20^th Century European Paintings and Sculpture; Photographs.

My favorite spots are the Arms and Armor Gallery, Modern and Contemporary Art, and Nineteenth Century European Art. After asking a few kind souls, we found the gallery we were looking for and we met up with Mr. Claude Monet, Mr. Vincent Van Gogh and Mr. Pablo Picasso.

 Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies

Claude Monet (French, Paris 1840–1926 Giverny)

Date: 1899

Water Lilies

Claude Monet (French, Paris 1840–1926 Giverny)

Bouquet of Sunflowers

Claude Monet (French, Paris 1840–1926 Giverny)

Cypresses

Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, Zundert 1853–1890 Auvers-sur-Oise)

Date: 1889

Sunflowers

Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, Zundert 1853–1890 Auvers-sur-Oise)

Date: 1887

Wheat Field with Cypresses

Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, Zundert 1853–1890 Auvers-sur-Oise)

Date: 1889

Bouquet of Flowers in a Vase

Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, Zundert 1853–1890 Auvers-sur-Oise)

Date: 1890

Dora Maar in an Armchair

Pablo Picasso (Spanish, Malaga 1881–1973 Mougins, France)

Date: 1939

Woman and Musketeer

Pablo Picasso (Spanish, Malaga 1881–1973 Mougins, France)

Date: 1967

We also went up to the special exhibit on the rooftop called Cloud City. Argentinean artist Tomás Saraceno created an environment on the rooftop that, according to the MET website, is an “investigation of expanding the ways in which we inhabit and experience our environment.” Visitors are allowed to walk into, and around the exhibit, which is a mixture of architecture and art. We were not able to get tickets to climb inside the actual structure, but had a great time walking around looking at ourselves from above in the mirrored glass. You can also see the structure from below when walking by the museum in Central Park, however I recommend taking the trip up to visit it. 

It’s amazing the things you can accomplish in one day when you have some free time. I know I’m not the only one who wishes I used my time like this more frequently… they do say our city never sleeps…right? Better start moving. 



**All pictures taken on my iPhone. I do not own any rights to anything. 

Beauty is Everywhere

After an emotional morning visiting the 9/11 Memorial, and a glass of wine at lunch at Adrienne's on Stone Street, Erika and I gallivanted back uptown and stopped to take some pictures at the Central Park Conservatory Garden. If you know me well, you know I have a slight obsession with Central Park, and this might be my number one unknown, least traveled spot.

The entrance to the garden is located on 5^th Avenue between 104^th and 105^th streets. Once you walk through a large iron gate, your breath will be taken away by the first grandiose Italian-style garden. Your eyes will first notice an immense lawn with a fountain in the center. To the back there is a pergola, (similar to a gazebo) that is lined with beautiful vines and flowers. My first thought was that this would be a beautiful spot to have an outdoor wedding, (for all of my future brides to be).

If you walk to the right you’ll discover a French-style garden. There is also a fountain in the center with “Three Dancing Maidens.” This was my least favorite of the three gardens, but nevertheless extremely beautiful.

Walking left from the main entrance you’ll encounter my favorite of all the gardens, the English-style garden. The first time I walked through here I felt like I was walking through The Secret Garden, and in doing some research I discovered that the fountain and water lily pool in this section of the park is meant to honor the author of The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett. It is such a magical place; you would never imagine you’re in the middle of the hustle and bustle of this city.

I highly recommend taking the bus or subway uptown, bringing some music or a book if you need a quiet getaway alone, or as I keep telling my parents, some wine and cheese and just relax, breathe, and embrace the beauty of the gardens. 

9/11 Memorial

I’ve thought about how I was going to share this post with you all for a long time, and kept writing and deleting my thoughts and ideas for it. I certainly was not fully prepared for how emotional of an experience it was, being in the presence of the memorial. I’m not even sure if my words or pictures will be able to explain the power and grandeur of the moment, and I know it is one I will never forget.

This is the Mission Statement of The Memorial:

“Remember and honor the thousands of innocent men, women, and children murdered by terrorists in the horrific attacks of February 26, 1993 and September 11, 2001.

Respect this place made sacred through tragic loss.

Recognize the endurance of those who survived, the courage of those who risked their lives to save others, and the compassion of all who supported us in our darkest hours.

May the lives remembers, the deeds recognized, and the spirit reawakened be eternal beacons, which reaffirm respect for life, strengthen our resolve to preserve freedom, and inspire and end to hatred, ignorance, and intolerance. “

To view The Memorial you need to make an online reservation. There are certain times you are allowed entry, however you are free to stay as long as you like. Erika and I went at 11:30 am on Tuesday August 21^st.

The 9/11 Memorial opened on the 10^th anniversary of the attacks. There are now two pools that rest in the exact spot the original Twin Towers stood. The names of the victims are inscribed in bronze around the perimeter of the pools. The North Pool has inscriptions of victims from World Trade Center North, February 26, 1993 and Flight 11. The South Pool has the names of victims from World Trade Center South, First Responders, Flight 93, Flight 97, the Pentagon, and Flight 175.

Construction of the new World Trade Center is still going on. You can visit 911memorial.org for more information.

On a final note, it is my wish that The Memorial's mission of respect is reinforced on a daily basis. I hope that its visitors respect this sacred spot. Unfortunately during my visit it was very apparent that there were some visitors showing a lack of respect. I couldn't quite fully understand smiling and posing for a picture in front of the names of the victims and heroes, or resting a small child on top of a name. Though I know these things are not done with malice, it would be reassuring knowing that all visitors are well informed and honor this site. 

Freedom Tower and entrance to The Memorial

 Survivor Tree

Return From Unintentional Hiatus

In the words of great American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson, “This time, like all times is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.”

I knew what I wanted to do with my time this past summer, and I do believe that I used it wisely. Unfortunately, the two weeks I had off in between my summer job and my real job flew by, and given the insanity that every beginning of the school year brings, my blog, even while on many to-do lists, always fell to the bottom.

Here’s a peek at some of what I've been up to:

Organizing in the apartment. 

Decorating outside my classrooms.

So here I am, October 7^th, ready to inform you of the continued awesomeness I discovered this summer traveling around New York City. Get excited.

My good friend and Miami Fashion blogger (Black.White.Blonde.) Erika, took a vacation from her life in Miami and came to stay with me from August 17^th-24^th. Luckily it coincided with my first week off from teaching, and I was happy to plan various explorations around the city.

We checked off #’s 1, 2, 15, 18, and 19 from the list, and probably did a few things that were not on my list. Fabulous!

On Monday August 20^th, after a quick visit with our friend Kaleigh on Long Island, we hopped back on the LIRR and were able to stop by the Bryant Park Summer Film Festival. We caught the last half of Raiders of the Lost Ark, starring Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones. Sponsored by HBO, the film festival took place every Monday night from June through August, and I totally regret waiting so long to go to it. Thousands of New Yorkers flocked to the lawn every Monday night with picnics (and some wine) to relax from a probable stressful start to the workweek. Some films in the series included Psycho, The Wizard of Oz and Rebel Without a Cause, to name a few. These classic films were projected onto a large portable screen that could be seen and heard from anywhere in the park. Even though I feel like I didn’t take full advantage of this great, free activity in the city this summer, I am excited to make it a new Monday night tradition in 2013.

 View of the crowd and the New York Public Library in the background.

Side view of the screen and the Empire State Building in the back. 

Gentlemen of the Road

Driving in my white VW Jetta was always fun in nice weather…(I also think I appreciate driving more now since if I’m ever in a car it’s in the back of a yellow cab). Back in the day, I'd roll down the windows, open the sunroof and blast my XM satellite radio. I'd always tune in to BBCRadio 1 (xenophile) and I would love hearing music that hasn't really been discovered yet in the US. I came across Mumford and Sons while driving one day during grad school and haven't stopped listening to them since.

Mumford has become pretty popular and thanks to my good friend Katie, I found out at the end of June that Mumford would be starting their US tour in Hoboken, NJ on August 1st. While at work I found a computer to check out the info and ticket prices only to find out the show had already sold out...No!! Upon some further Internet exploration (thank you ticket liquidator) I was able to snag two tickets to the sold out show.

Now, if you live in the New York area you’re well aware that this summer has been H-O-T and we’ve had some scattered rain and thunderstorms, but there haven’t been too many all day washouts. Well, on August 1st it POURED all day long. The concert was in Hoboken at Pier A...outside. I went to the show with my pops and he brought along very chic blue ponchos that we usually save for rainy Giants games. Much to our dismay, we didn’t need them. Luckily the clouds dispersed, and just as Mumford and Sons were about to start there was the most beautiful ray of light shining off the Manhattan skyline with a rainbow to boot.

Rainbow!

Marcus Mumford, Country Winston, Ben Lovett, and Ted Dwane are the brothers (though not by blood), which make up Mumford and Sons. Their music can be described as a combination of country, bluegrass, folk and rock. Don’t expect some computerized beats here, these guys are the real deal and play a wide variety of instruments including guitar, drums, accordion, keyboard, banjo, and string bass to name a few. A large portion of their popularity can be attributed to their genuine love of music, which emits through every musical note and lyric.

In short, the concert was amazing. Mumford played all of the songs from their first album, several songs that are on their new album (Babel - out September 24th) and Boxer, a Simon and Garfunkel cover. As the clock stuck 10:00, the band stopped playing and a 5-minute firework show erupted off of a barge on the Hudson River to end a great performance.

To me, there is nothing more special than seeing a concert outdoors on a hot summer night. Whenever these “Gentleman of the Road” come back to the area I suggest you purchase a ticket if you can, as they are definitely a band you shouldn’t miss. As the lyrics in one of the new songs proclaim…. “I will wait, I will wait for you.”

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Three for the Price of One

The Brooklyn Bridge has served as a staple to the New York skyline since it’s completion in 1883. Its history is unprecedented and has been the sight of many major films, TV shows and special events. Tourists visiting New York flock to the bridge in droves just to get a glimpse of, and experience the vast history and to take home memories of an iconic New York landmark.

Early on Sunday morning (July 29th), my beautiful, newly engaged friend Kaleigh and I set out to explore this New York landmark. Being an inhabitant of the Upper East Side of Manhattan, we needed to walk to Lexington, and hop on the 4, 5, or 6 train to Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall. After about a 15-minute ride, we arrived at our first destination of the day, The Brooklyn Bridge.

There is easy access to the pedestrian walkway of the bridge and with the help of a few signs, we figured out where to go fairly quickly. I'm not exactly sure what I anticipated seeing or feeling when I walked across the bridge for the first time, but I can assure you that I didn't experience any mind-blowing emotions. The bridge is under construction, so for about the first half of the walk metal scaffolding surrounded us, hiding the views of Manhattan, Brooklyn and the East River. Once we hit the middle of the bridge the scenery changed and you can find a picturesque view from all directions. The walk is approximately 1.2 miles in one direction. We were lucky it was an overcast morning, so we didn’t have the sun searing our skin. When we made it to Brooklyn we didn't want to turn right around so we made our way to the DUMBO section of BK (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) and headed toward the Brooklyn Bridge Park. As we walked through the park we noticed some shipping containers and construction and there was a special summer art exhibit covering the blockades called “The Fence” at Photoville. Photographers were asked to explore the theme of community and submitted photographs into five categories: home, streets, people, creatures and play. The pictures of the “creatures”…aka really cute dogs were my favorite.

Besides walking around, there are several other things to do after crossing boroughs and one activity in particular that most of us enjoy…eating. The famous Grimaldi’s Pizzeria is just a few blocks away from the bridge entrance and there is also the Brooklyn Ice Cream Shop and chocolates by Jacques Torres to help gain some of those calories burned from your oh-so-strenuous walk across the bridge. Kaleigh and I didn't indulge though because we were saving ourselves to experience #12 on my to-do list, another Manhattan staple, Shake Shack.

Shake Shack first came about in 2001 when a hot dog cart popped up in Madison Square Park to help support the Madison Square Park Conservancy’s first art installation. The cart was pretty popular for three summers and in 2004 the big guns at Shake Shack won a bid to open up a real hot spot that would last for years to come.

There are now several locations sprawled around Manhattan, one residing on the Upper East Side. Passing Shake Shack everyday, twice a day getting to and from work, and seeing the line stretch down the block, I always knew this was one New York location I couldn't pass by.

We decided to try the original location and a few friends (Steph M. and Jen L.) joined us. After about a 40-minute wait in line, it was our turn to order. We each got a burger, shared some fries and sampled a shake. When the buzzer went off that our food was ready, I knew the moment I looked at it why I've waited this long to try it. I regret to inform you that I'm not much of a meat connoisseur and generally will eat a hamburger only when my body is yelling at me to intake more protein. I also try to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and a greasy burger and fries was never really something I considered to fit in that category. That being said, since I added the Shake Shack to this growing list of things I simply need to do in Manhattan, I granted myself the right to indulge.... for one meal anyway. The food was good, pretty much what I had expected it to taste like. The burger had all the works on it and the fries were crinkle cut and fried to perfection. Is this something I'd choose again on a cheat day? Honestly, probably not. But I am glad I tried it and have since been running an extra mile a day to burn off the calories that I later discovered were in the meal.....(big mistake I don't recommend looking into it if Shake Shack is on your weekly food agenda).

After our overindulgence at lunch, Kaleigh, Steph and I decided to go on another adventure and walk a little bit to digest our feast. Almost every Sunday during the summer, Central Park Summer Stage at Rumsey Playfield is host to a bevy of entertainment from 3-7pm. On this particular Sunday three musical acts would grace the stage.

Before I divulge what took place the next few hours, let me just preface this with my love of culture. If you’ve read my blog before, or know me at all, you’ll know that I am a lover of all people, places and things with a foreign edge. Now I know what some of you are thinking…I love my country, don’t get me wrong, but there’s just something deep down in the depths of my soul that draws me to anything that doesn’t contain the English language. Call me a xenophile if you will… genuine lover of foreign people, languages, places and cultures. I have also recently discovered that as a little girl I chose to watch Sesame Street in Spanish (also known as Plaza Sesamo) and would cry whenever mom tried to put on the English version. I had Spanish Muzzy (who remembers that?) blasting from my VCR at all times. Unique? Different? Xenophile by age 3. Even to this day, I play the Brazilian Pandora Station in my classroom for my students to write with… clearly trying to impose my cultural love on them.

The musicians at the Central Park Summer Stage on this lovely Sunday were all non-English speaking acts. Now I can’t speak for my friends, but I knew I would be in heaven. The headliner of the afternoon was a man named Hector Acosta who with his merengue music emits a tropical beat with origins from the Dominican Republic. La Mega Spanish radio (97.9 FM) DJ Lobo spun top tracks from the Spanish reggae, hip-hop and house charts. Latin DJ Alex Sensation from Colombia also works at La Mega and has fans based in tropical and Caribbean music. There’s just something about Latin music that makes you wanna’ just shake and shimmy…and the concert goers were not bashful in any way. Everyone in attendance was moving some part of the body to the sultry tropical music. I felt like I was on vacation in some far off destination and all I needed was an umbrella in my drink…. Cheers to that! Whether you enjoy this genre of music or not, it's a fun, free event that should not be missed. You can visit this City Parks Foundation website to check out the calendar of upcoming shows for the remainder of Summer 2012. Enjoy!

*Checked #'s 3, 4 and 12 off the list :)