A Trip to Coney Island

Coney Island is my summer staple, despite Thor Equities’ attempts to tear the place up.  Either way, some things (thankfully) never change and I was able to scream my lungs out on The Cyclone and enjoy the view from a swinging car on Deno’s Wonder Wheel .

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Thunderbird Powwow

So, this post is a little over a week overdue, but bear with me.

 

Considering that my boyfriend is Native American, it’s a bit pitiful that it’s taken me so long to get to a Powwow, but better late than never, right? (At least that’s what I tell myself every time I’m running late for something. It helps.) The Thunderbird American Indian Powwow is actually the oldest and largest powwow held in New York City. There were loads of vendors  selling jewelry and handmade crafts and various food vendors. (FYI: You must try an Indian taco – it’s this massive piece of frybread topped with beans, lettuce, tomato, and cheese. There’s no classy way to eat it, but it’s worth it.)

At the end, there was a huge bonfire. And yes, if you check the slideshow below, I did climb a tree to take better photos.

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Inline by the Highline

Okay, technically I did not use inline skates, but I couldn’t resist the play on words. Today, the Uniqlo-sponsored skating rink opened beneath Highline Park at 30th and 10th, with free admission and skate rentals to the first 500 people (this deal is available for the next two days as well, so make sure you get there early! After that, admission [including skates] is $10 for kids and $12 for adults])

I had so much fun and it seemed like a lot of other people were as well. Apparently, there will be theme nights and other fun activities, so make sure you get there before it closes in September. In addition, today CoolHaus was there to help combat the heat. The Uniqlo Cube features select tees and cashmere sweaters for purchase (though I couldn’t seriously consider buying a sweater in this weather, despite the wide array of colors available).

Afterwards, I headed out on a stroll on the Highline. There’s this great new(?) feature where you can enjoy a refreshing dip in a section of flowing water.

 

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Summer Snapshot

Here’s just a cool picture I took while I was at Randall’s Island last week for a kickball game.

 

Update

I know things have been fairly slow around here, BUT it’s because I’m currently interning at the NY Daily News. It’s very exciting and perfect, but it does take away some time from the blog, so I do apologize for that.

I currently am covering the New York Today section for Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as the Upcoming Film section on Sundays.  I’ll soon be working on other features, too, so keep an eye out for that.

Stay Cool, NYC

With temperatures flirting with 100 in the past couple of days, some New Yorkers seem to be losing their minds. Heat waves make everyone testy and cranky and we all just need to try our best to chill.

The recent shootings on the A train, at Brighton Beach , and in the Bronx (NOTE: the shooting did not take place in Castle Hill as reported. St. Lawrence Ave. is just slightly south of Castle Hill.)  are just examples of the summer mayhem and violence we need to put an end to.

I try not to get political on here, but these are just senseless acts and innocent people are getting hurt. So, hey, let’s try to play nice, okay?

 

 

Mother Nature & Me

As mentioned in previous posts, I’m an absolute city rat (hmmm, perhaps I should find a new way to describe my addiction to city life – note to self). I barely even go to Long Island. Either way, this past weekend was my birthday weekend and because it had been a really stressful school year, I really just wanted to take it easy and have fun. Saturday, I went to Rainey Park where I flew my first kite (with mixed success) and had my first italian ice (or coquito as it’s referred to in these parts of the Bronx) of the summer (cherry and mango thanks very much).

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Sunday, I finally made it over to Alley Pond Park  to do the zip line after pining away for over a year. I’m not afraid of heights, but ask me to step off of a platform x feet in the air and I will laugh in your face (literally. Sorry, Evan.) Eventually, seeing 8 year olds swing by in the air convinced me that I could do it, too (even if I did release a scream heard miles away).

Best of all, everything was free!

 

Spring in NYC!

After a (very) long awaited arrival, spring is finally here. It’s my favorite season, so I took a couple of pictures to celebrate. Enjoy!

WFC Offers Unexpected Treasures

For the record: I automatically write off anything that has to do with finance as boring, stuffy, and generally loathsome. However, when I read about the World Financial Center’s EAT: WORLD FINANCIAL CENTER RESTAURANT SHOWCASE event, I instantly contacted my ebullient foodie friend, Ashley (you can follow her on twitter, @lasha908. She’s a host of information on bakeries and restaurants in NYC and will be launching her own blog soon).

Essentially restaurants in the WFC got a chance to showcase some of their food for $5 or less, which worked great with my broke ass college student budget.

As it turns out, WFC is an architecturally stunning building with a lot to offer. There’s a green market, film screenings, and music. Everyone at the Eat event was friendly and helpful. Its location near the water looks like a great place to relax during the summer (or if spring ever gets here). So if you find yourself in lower Manhattan, be sure to stop by and see what events might be going on.

Please enjoy some pictures of the delicious food we sampled at Eat:

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Mango Blueberry Tart from Financiers

Live Music Saturday!

I rarely ever make it out to Brooklyn because from the Bronx, it’s essentially a day trip totaling up to 2 hours to some parts of the borough. Last Saturday, I set out to the Brooklyn Museum to partake in the Target Free First Saturday event. When I first walked in, hoards of people were crowding around a jazz ensemble, the Fat Afro Latin Jazz Cats. I stuck around for a few of their songs including, “Jumping Pumpkins” by Duke Ellington.  Considering that most of them are probably under the age of 17, it was a really impressive show. There were some horrible Bebe’s kids running around, but luckily the music was able to keep my attention.

I was thoroughly blown away by the museum as a whole.  I had no idea it was so big and had such an expansive collection of unique artifacts. My favorites were  Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera, the Native American collection, and The Dinner Party.

Giant Teepee

Psychadelic Photo Inside the Teepee

Afterward, I had a small, but delicious dinner at Abigail’s. Upon perusing their website a little while ago, it sounds like they have some really great stuff to offer, including poetry slams and salsa nights. While I was there, Gillian Harwin and her band  provided some soulful, jazzy background music.

This was a full day, but it didn’t stop after Abigail’s. Afterward, I headed to Terraza 7 Train Cafe in Queens. By far, this is the most unique venue I’ve ever been to. The live band performs atop a narrow platform on the second floor, which also has  sort of mini-amphitheater type seating. Despite my appearance and last name, I really don’t speak much Spanish at all, so I did feel a little lost among all the excitement, but I could tell there was a real positive vibe here.

Band at Terraza 7 Train Cafe

Believe it or not, aside from the museum, the rest of the day was completely spontaneous and I ended up hearing some really great music.

Be sure to check out my profile of PeaceLove Cafe, another great venue that features live music among other awesome things!