To Post or Not to Post...

When I first thought to blog about David and my New York experiences, I was skeptical to do so because I just knew I wouldn't keep it up. I would leave you guys hanging, thinking, this isn't worth checking back with because I am sure Kate hasn't posted anything new recently. Not that any of you are thinking that... well, maybe Sally and Amy.

But here I am, here we are, and it has been weeks since I last made a post, minus the one I threw together about the Statue of Liberty. It isn't as if I don't have a multitude of experiences to share, it isn't as if I haven't taken photos. The thing is, I am no good at just throwing "something" together, I don't feel it does our experiences justice, nor is it fair to you guys. I was unsatisfied with the Lady Liberty post. I had so much to say, but I didn't take the time to articulate, I was feeling the "pressure" to get a blog posted. The actual truth? Some of you will be surprised at what I am about to say, so brace yourself: 

I am a bit of a perfectionist.

Now, many of you who know me and have seen me in action; looking for my keys or wallet at the bottom of my purse, or in coat pockets, or on my kitchen counter, or in the car for that matter. And for those I worked with; looking for that invoice or catalog or (fill in the blank) on my desk or in the filing cabinet or on that pile next to the window. And for my girls; "give me just one second, I will be ready as soon as I find that sweater I wore 2 weeks ago, it has to be in this pile of clean/not so dirty clothes somewhere..." And for those who I have had the great pleasure of traveling with; "I know those socks are around here somewhere, oh wait! I left my pillow in the hotel." 

 Okay, so organization is not my best suit, you have all been witness to it. I am also not the best at grammar(I am working on it!) But when it comes to creating art I am a perfectionist.  I create works to the best of my ability which can be debilitating because it doesn't look right from this or that angle, it doesn't express exactly what I want it to.  I go back over and over to fix what I see as a problem, or an incorrect communication of ideas. As writing is an art, a communication of ideas, I find myself in the same predicament, even when composing the simplest communication via email or a blog entry. It takes time, and who am I kidding, sometimes I just don't have it in me to be creative, to take the time to express my ideas.

I am sorry I haven't posted as often as I would have liked, I will work on it.  I want to share our New York experience with you, so keep checking back and maybe there will be a new post to be read or maybe not!

Lady Liberty

David and I went to the Statue of Liberty a couple of weeks ago, It was a total tourist destination, but completely worth it.

We packed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, as we knew there wouldn't be a lot of inexpensive dining options.  Turns out there weren't many dining options at all, the execption was the ice cream and pretzel truck.  I suppose it would have done.

The line was extremely long, but this guy was offering his talents as intertainment, but he only knew one song... and it wasn't that great, I wish I could remember the song!

There were ferry boats as transport to the islands, but in order to get on the boat, you had to go through airport type security, metal detectors and all. David was asked what was in his pocket, it was the tickets for the ferry. The guy was really rude.  It was really diserning.  

The ferry was crowded and people were quite pushy, but look at those clouds! It was a beautiful day.

This guy was totally ruining everyones photo op of Lady Liberty...

But there she is, in all her glory

Really amazing

I was more excited to visit Ellis Island which housed the original building that the immigrants were processed in than liberty island which is where the statue of liberty is, but it was really amazing to see the statue up close. 

Everyone has cameras right?, well there was a group of guys trying to sell photos that they would take for you!  They were yelling "Photos, Photos everyone, get your photos..."  It was funny.

And don't forget the the souveniers!  These were really awesome! only 7$ for a snow globe!

I REALLY wanted these shades, but couldn't bring myself to spend 5$ on something I just wouldn't wear... I kind of regret that decision as I write this.

The best part of the day was our visit to Ellis Island.  The history here is just gravitating. Being inside this building where over 20 million people passed, with the hope of a new life, was seriously an out of body experience.  UNBELIEVABLE

Sunday at the Park

David and I have been taking bike rides on Sundays to see parts of Brooklyn not easily accessible by foot and obviously not visible from the subway.  On one such trip we rode to Prospect Park.  It is located in the center of Brooklyn.

  On the way to the park, we passed the Brooklyn Navy Yard.  Beautiful picture, yes? Thanks David! It seems these old cranes are no longer in use. According to our roommate, the ports in our area have become obsolete as newer, more accessible ports have opened in New Jersey.  Look at those old cranes! They seem like dinosaurs compared to some of the new ones you see in most port cities.

   

Here is the sign that states the Navy Yard's current state of affairs.

The main entrance to Prospect Park is located within Grand Army Plaza where the intersecting streets come together in what we call a round-a-bout in Nebraska, and what David calls a rotary. The space creates a type of plaza with many different architectural landmarks.

This photo is of The Soldiers' and Sailors' Arch or the Triumphal Arch which is a memorial to the Defenders of the Union, 1861-1865, located along the Plaza.

View looking up

Also located along the Plaza, across from the Triumphal Arch, is the main branch of the Brooklyn Library.  We didn't go in, but I did get a library card at the Greenpoint branch in our neighborhood where the majority of the titles are in Polish. I imagine the titles I will be reading will most likely come from this branch.

Throughout the park there are bridges which work within the overall aesthetic of the park.  When we entered, we came upon one such bridge.

The underside of this bridge has a wood finish which is in phenomenal shape. There are also two wooden benches which run the length of each side. The ground is dirt, not cement, stone or brick, but a dusty dirt path under a wood lined bridge. The vision and creation of the park came from the landscape designer Fredrick Law Olmsted in the mid nineteenth century. He designed both Prospect and Central Park as well as the neighborhood in which David grew up.

The park was bustling with people playing softball, picnicking, jogging, walking, visiting or just relaxing in the Long Meadow.

A couple reading the paper

One thing about Prospect park we really enjoyed was the wandering, meandering trails.  Olmsted wanted visitors to experience a sense of perpetual discovery. At every turn you find a fork in the road which presents a decision, which way to go? 

There were some gentleman smoking a "cigarette" under this easement, just hanging out man, enjoying their Sunday

We aren't sure what is going on here, but they have blue faces and interesting clothing...

This bridge is to soon be under renovation. David and I overheard a woman telling her friend that this area of the park was closed down for a time due to a rat infestation in this bridge. But isn't it just astonishing?

We came upon this area of the park late in the day, on our next visit, I intend to bring a book and a blanket and enjoy this quiet area. Again with the meandering paths Mr. Olmsted. I tip my hat to you, dear sir.

The Long Meadow

 As we walked the brick and dirt paths, wandering in and out of shadows, looking at trees and waterfalls, sitting on the benches that were created over 150 years ago, I think of the people who came before me. Those people who set eyes on these same views, what was their life like? What brought them to this city? The park is loaded with history, with other peoples memories. I wish I could know just a few of those stories, but really, I am happy just to be writing my own.  

A day out and about

David and I decided to get a year pass to to the MOMA: Museum Of Modern Art for 75$. It will save us quite a bit of money as general admission for adults is 25$ a day. It has its perks as well, as a member, you are aloud up to 5 guests for only 5$ extra, per guest. Also, it allows you to view new exhibits before they are open to the public.  Very cosmopolitan, yes?


Last week we went to see the Wilhelm DeKooning retrospective.  It was such an unearthing experience for me.  I thought I knew DeKooning's works.  But to see his works as a whole was very emotional.  We are very fortunate to be able to experience such great art with such convenience.

DeKooning in his studio.

You are not allowed to take photos inside the show, two were on display just outside the galleries.

After leaving the MOMA, we decided to walk around midtown Manhattan.  We were looking for an inexpensive place to eat and came across a little gem of a restaurant "The Primeburger". 

Of course, neither of us took a photo, I tried to post one from online and it wouldn't let me.  google "Primeburger New York" to see photos, really great!

It has been open since 1938 and has not been remodeled since the 1960's.  We had the BEST cheeseburger I have had in a very long time, and that is saying something coming from Nebraska.This diner had the best service, the best looking homemade pie (we didn't have a slice, but will next time we go) and a very inexpensive tab as well.

After lunch, we walked to the Rockefeller center to see the sights.

After a terribly (dramatization) tiring day (whoa is me) out and about we decided to head home when we came across the open doors to the St. Patrick's Cathedral. I come from a Catholic background, and I love the history of old churches. Again, a very emotional experience.  It was so serene inside.  We did a quick tour of the church and took a few photos. 

Every day offers a new experience rooting within me feelings for this city. I am finding a small piece in my heart for New York that has only come about by experiencing the day to day. 

The good, the bad, the big apple

I imagine most of my posts on this blog will be about the beauty of a city we are so lucky to have the opportunity to spend time in. And as we all know, beauty can be found in strangeness too.   I plan to share our experiences in all their glory and that includes showing all facets of the city, ones that may not be portrayed as often as others. Its not good or bad, It just is, it's New York City.

We are living in one of five boroughs of one of the largest cities in the world. Brooklyn's population alone is the same as the entire state of Nebraska. New York City could be seen as an eco system within itself.  There are people everywhere, which in turn means, there are just as many creatures living with or around roughly, 20 million people. As we are getting to know the city, we are really getting to know the city!  Yin Yang, everything is interconnected.

I actually saw a rat scamper into a trash area one of the first nights we were here, I felt a surge of excitement thinking, ahh, we have arrived! I did not call 311 to receive a ticket number.  Maybe next time.

David and I have named this guy the "green street pigeon".  He has unique markings and we see him everyday when we are out and about.  He sleeps on the grate outside of the laundry mat on the corner of our block. It is fenced in so he is safe and the dryer exhaust comes up from through the grate. He curls up and tucks his beak under one wing.

This guy was hanging out in the subway, he was not ashamed or afraid.  He did not try and run away or hide.  He stood his ground and was roughly guessing, 4 to 5 inches in length. With that size, why would he need to run? I  diverted my path a bit and gave him room. His antennae were as long as a cats whiskers, seriously. David said it was the largest roach he had ever seen.  Even after spending part of my childhood in Louisiana were roaches are huge and oh yes, they fly, I must agree with David on this one.

You can see advertisements for any and all imaginable bed bug products plastered all over the city.  This one is especially eye catching due to the lovely grafiti in a matching yellow.

There are lots of dogs in the city but not many grassy knolls for them go potty.  It is quite comical to see dogs poo'ing on the sidewalk or lifting a leg to pee on a scooter parked on the side of the street.  And yes, I photographed dog poo.

David read on a fishing website that people catch large fish from the east river quite often.  I guess you just shouldn't eat them if you are pregnant, want to have children, are a child yourself. But seriously, no one should eat fish caught in the east river.

This was just too funny not to photograph, or sad.  We weren't sure which. Okay, its kind of funny, I mean, no one would really dump a baby in a dumpster, thats unheard of right? Okay, maybe it is sad.

I was really looking forward to creating this post, I've always found the peculiar of great interest.  I am intrigued  by the oddities of life and I find beauty in things that others may not.