I've been back Stateside for almost two months now and am already pining for my next adventure. What can I say? I like to see the world! My sights are set on Thailand for 2012, but the bank account doesn't quite agree with me. I think I need to employ "The Secret" method of positive thinking to bring the money my way...or I need to win a trip from The Travel Channel. Hey, you never know. Lightning could strike twice.
I also have been trying to remind myself that "staycations" are just as much fun. I mean, come on! I live in New York City. There is ALWAYS something to do. And plenty of things are uber-cheap or even free.
Case in point, a few weekends ago Miriam and I hopped on our bikes, rode to Central Park, and had a picnic with a group of friends. There's nothing like spending a beautiful day sitting beneath a tree, eating delicious goodies, while chatting with good friends. We then got back on our bikes, took in the sunset as we pedaled along the Hudson River, willed ourselves over the Manhattan bridge, and passed out from lovely exhaustion after our 20 mile bike ride day. We had a fantastic day in NYC for the cost of our groceries. Not bad.
The great thing about living in New York is that you have options for rainy days and sunny days. Rainy day? Take in a show, go to a museum, try one of the five bazillion restaurants. Sunny day? Take a bike ride, go on a picnic, find a free concert, check out free movie screenings in the various parks, try free kayaking, ride the Staten Island ferry to that long, lost other borough. Don't have a bike? Plenty of parks now rent them!
June 29th the NYC public pools opened, and, luckily for this little mermaid, I have the second largest public pool in NYC just blocks from my apartment. I can guarantee I'll be living there at every possible moment-- I've been dreaming of the pool since it closed for the season last fall. The best thing about the NYC public pools? They are FREE. And you all know I love me some free.
A hidden gem to most New Yorkers is Governors Island. During the summer, free ferries are available Friday-Sunday (and Monday holidays) from both Manhattan and Brooklyn to the island, and there are plenty of events to keep you entertained over there for the entire summer from concerts to art exhibits and, for the really brave at heart, trapeze school! Bring your bike and explore the island on your wheels-- or rent a bike from Bike & Roll once over there.
Here's our experience on Governors Island in 2010:
Last year, renting my bike from Bike & Roll
The beach bar area
Exploring the old government buildings
Miriam enjoying the views of NYC from the island
One of my favorite Governors Island events is the 1920s Jazz Era Dance Party that occurs over two weekends throughout the summer. They set up a dance floor and have a jazz band playing-- you guessed it-- 1920s jazz music. They have vintage cars on display, dance lessons, and people even dress up. It's a really fun event and makes you feel like you've truly escaped the city.
For those interested in checking out Governors Island, here's the link to the website with all the info!
http://govislandblog.com/
And here are some of my photos from last year's party:
Miriam and I decided to embrace my "staycation" idea and become tourists in our own town. A few weeks ago we started the weekend early by (finally!) winning much-coveted lottery rush tickets to BOOK OF MORMON on Thursday night. We have entered that lottery about 15 times. For those of you not in the lottery know, many Broadway shows offer greatly discounted last minute seats via a lottery system. Put your name in the bucket and cross your fingers. In the case of BOOK OF MORMON, where roughly 300 people show up every night vying for 22 $32 front row and box seat tickets, you have to cross all your fingers, your toes, your eyes, and link arms with the person you came with. But wholly awesomeness, Batman! That show is everything it is hyped up to be. Ridiculously crass and pee-your-pants funny. Miriam, who plays for the B.O.M. softball team in the Broadway Show League, was able to get us backstage to hang out with the cast and crew after the show, and then we grabbed drinks with them all at a nearby bar. It was a pretty fun night.
On Friday I took advantage of a Living Social deal (Living Social is just like Groupon) and went to the new Cirque du Soleil show, ZARKANA, at half the price. It wasn't my favorite Cirque show, but I still enjoyed myself. The music is usually what sells me on a Cirque show, but this was trying too hard at making a rock opera. It was what would happen if Bono tried to write a musical...wait a minute...
Our weekend was set up to be beautiful, so that Saturday we got on our bikes and decided to tackle the Brooklyn Bridge (Manhattan Bridge was the weekend before). Years ago I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge with my family, but Miriam had never done it and had always wanted to-- now was our chance!
A word about riding bikes over the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges: challenging. But challenging in different ways. The Manhattan Bridge has a separate biking area from the pedestrian walkways, which is great, but the challenge is the never-ending incline and the perfect view of the straight drop to the river below (you ride along the edge of the Manhattan bridge). What a workout! The Brooklyn Bridge has a small incline, but you share the space with pedestrians. There's a giant white line down the center that warns pedestrians to stay in their lane, but on a really nice summer day when all the tourists in the entire city of New York decide they want to cross the bridge for the fun of it, it means you spend a lot of time slamming on your breaks and yelling at tourists to watch out. It was an easier ride than the Manhattan Bridge, but it was extremely challenging maneuvering through the pedestrians.
We headed over to the Meat Packing District and got gelato in the Chelsea Market. Okay, you non-New Yorkers can quit your giggling. The Meat Packing District is a funny name, especially since it's in a prominent gay area, but it used to house packing plants and slaughterhouses in the early 1900's. Nowadays, it's got a more Soho feel to it with the famous Chelsea Market, tons of ritzy shops, restaurants, and cobble stoned streets (which are pretty to look at but not so easy to ride a bike on...).
We cooled off sauntering through Chelsea Market before tackling High Line Park. This time I was the tourist, as Miriam has been a few times to the High Line, and I was climbing up there for the first time.
High Line Park was created from an old railway line that went out of service in the 1980's. Rather than tearing the whole thing down, someone had the brilliant idea of turning the whole thing into a pedestrian walkway/park, complete with plants, benches, and the original railroad ties, a couple stories above the street level. No stop lights, crosswalks, or vehicles to maneuver around-- just tons of other people.
Apparently, a nice weekend is not the most ideal time to walk the High Line. We weren't able to walk too far because the crowds were very slow moving, so we opted to turn around, take in some of the views, and then head back to our bikes. I'll have to try the High Line on a week day evening, as Miriam says it's much calmer and nicer to walk down. Battling crowds of tourists is not my forte when I'm seeking a pleasant stroll.
View of the Meat Packing District from the High Line
Strolling on the High Line
From the High Line pedestrians can take in the natural wonders of New York...traffic...
On our way back to our bikes parked in the Meat Packing District, we were walking behind a woman dressed in a bright neon green dress and bright purple heels that were at least 3 feet tall-- okay, so I exaggerate, but you get the idea, right? They were really high heels...Anyways, as I'm remarking about how amazing those shoes are we come to find out it's Kim Kardashian shopping with her fiance. Huh. Who knew?
Now the summer is in full swing, and I've already got a couple trips planned. Can't wait to write about them. Until then, I'll be at the pool...
