It is not often that you smell fresh cut grass in New York City, but on Monday morning that sweet smell was what was wafting through my nostrils as I took Dopey for a walk in Riverside Park South. It was a spectacular almost fall day and I took a few photos to share with you. Enjoy and have a great week!
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged life in Manhattan, living in NYC, Riverside Park South, Riverside Park South Pictures, Taking the dog for a walk in NYC, Wordless Wednesday | Leave a Comment »
The first full week back at school is always exhausting. The girls are getting used to the routine, new teachers, homework and being back in the classroom full days. And I also have to get my head back in the game. I feel like I spent the week going to meetings, arranging activities, putting out real (and imagined) crisis, re-connecting with friends and filling out the endless start of year forms. There seemed to be very little time for taking a breath, let alone reflection. So at after school pick up on Friday, when my youngest suggested that we go for a walk in Central Park it seemed like the perfect idea to shake off the stress of the week. It was also a nice opportunity for her and I to spend some time just the two of us without big sis.
Me and my little goofball!
It was a beautiful sunny, crisp, cool afternoon. The kind of day that just begs for you to escape into the outdoors. We entered the park at 81st street and joined the rest of the people enjoying the last few hours of daylight in the park. Children laughed in the playground, cyclists flew by at frightening speeds, runners kept pace, lovers walked hand in hand, street vendors offered refreshment, families picnicked, balls were thrown, teenagers lounged, tourists looked at maps, ducks were fed and R and I strolled and chatted, taking it all in.
Taking advantage of the wide open spaces...
Checking out the turtles at Turtle Pond.
I am always a little awestruck by the beauty that is Central Park. Right in the middle of the concrete jungle is an amazing natural oasis. Here in the park it is impossible to walk at a fast pace, the sounds of wildlife and the soothing rustle of the gently blowing trees force you to slow down a bit, look around, drink in the spectacular sights.
View from Turtle Pond
A Peaceful Moment
Reflection
View from Belvedere Castle
A balancing act =)
Sunset approaches...
We could have just as easily gone back to the apartment and vegged out on the couch but we would have missed out on the incredible NYC backyard that is Central Park. It was exactly what my end of the week needed. Taking a big ‘ole breath and letting out a much needed sigh of relaxation… Hope you are all enjoying your weekend =)
Finding a space just for her 😉
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Central Park, Escaping the concrete jungle into Central Park, Pics of Central Park, Relaxing in Central Park, Taking a breather in Central Park | 2 Comments »
Well, it is definitely September… We are up and running at full speed, back on schedule and enjoying the chaos. Here are some pics taken the past week or so as we jump right in to the crazy! Have a great day, hope your September is starting off spectacularly!!
Love this ad... Might have to take the advice!
Back To School Divas
Ready to conquer the world or at least 4th and 1st grade!
My city girls *tear*
A crowd of people watching the US Open in Madison Square Park (LOVE this city!)
Family Reunion and Brunch =)
A September morning run in the Reservoir (Central Park)
Fabulous running buddies!!
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Back to School Pics, life in Manhattan, living in NYC, Running in the Resevoir, September, Wordless Wednesday | Leave a Comment »
September 11, 2011. 10 years later. And I live in New York City. I love New York City, I honestly can’t imagine living anywhere else in the world right now. And yet, right now I am feeling a little unsettled, a bit on edge, anxious. I am not afraid, no I am not. I will NOT be afraid.
I just feel not quite right because the city feels not quite right. This is NYC and New Yorkers are resilient and strong. The security level is high, there are traffic check points everywhere and the news is on a non-stop loop of the horror that was September 11, 2001. But still, we carry on with our lives as usual. Although in reality not totally true, because there is that unspoken feeling, glances shared on the subway, stories told quietly among friends. We are carrying on as usual but the city is remembering and mourning, everyone in their own individual way.
We all remember where we were on that day, how could we not? It is a day that forever changed the world as we know it.
I can only imagine the pain and emotions that the people who lost loved ones and dear friends are feeling on this anniversary. My heart goes out to them as well as to all of the first responders, volunteers, recovery teams, flight crews, construction teams and so many more. They are all truly heroes.
My New York never included the Twin Towers and the World Trade Center. My first visit, where I lost my heart to NYC was in March 2002. But like the rest of the world, I will never forget them.
Tomorrow, I will take the time to remember, to grieve, to say a few prayers for peace, to hug my family a little tighter and to also embrace this incredible city and be fiercely proud to live here.
LOVE
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 9/11, Anniversary of Sept. 11, Emotions surrounding Sept 11, Life in NYC, Living in Manhattan, NYC, September 11 2001, September 11 2010 | 4 Comments »
Today, we met up with a few of R’s former classmates at the American Museum of Natural History to hang out on our last day before the start of school. We decided a great meeting place would be the “Whale Room”. You can imagine our surprise when we got to the large hall and found that the exhibit was closed due to whale vacuuming. Yep, you heard it right, the giant whale was getting an over due make over. Not something you see everyday!! Hope you have a good one =)
Now that is a large whale....but I guess all whales are large 😉
That is a lot of dust...
Way more interesting than vacuuming the apartment.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged American Museum of Natural History, Life in NYC, Living in Manhattan, Pics of dusting of the whale at AMNH, Wordless Wednesday | Leave a Comment »
Well, it is Labor Day and with it comes the unofficial end to summer. Soon the weather will be turning cooler, the sun filled days will shorten, school will start and schedules will need to be followed. And while I have to admit I am very much looking forward to the promise and excitement of new adventures to come in the fall, I am always get a wee bit sad at the end of the lazy, hazy days of summer. Luckily we managed to jam pack tons of NYC adventures in to this past weekend and I feel like we did our best to have a rockin’ good time saying bye to a fabulous summer =)
My brother was in town this weekend and it inspired us to do some exploring and galavanting around Manhattan. We started the day off on Friday morning by taking the Staten Island Ferry over to SI and back. We waved at the lovely Statue of Liberty and took in the breathtakingly beautiful sunny views of downtown Manhattan from the water.
Well, hello there Lady Liberty
Hopping off the boat we made our way to the World Trade Centre site, amazed at the awesomeness of the Freedom tower and taking a moment to reflect at the memorial for those who lost their lives on 9/11.
The Freedom Tower
We will not forget
We continued to South Street Seaport where we had lunch and took in the views of the Brooklyn Bridge and DUMBO. The kids even convinced us to let them stop and play at one of their favorite parks- The Imagination Playground.
Paul, Andrea and the girls with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background
Can't you just feel the sibling love?! 😉
View of downtown Manhattan from the pier
For a change of scenery all together, we jumped on the subway and headed right into the heart of Times Square. The girls wanted to show Uncle Paul some of their favorite places which included ToysRUs and of course, The Disney Store. By this time we had already but in a long day and we soon realized the crowds and chaos of late afternoon in Times Square on a Friday, was something we had very little patience for. Cool drinks back at the apartment were the perfect end to a jam packed touristy day.
Hanging out with a new friend at ToysRUs
Gotta appreciate the honesty... oh Times Square
On Saturday we spent the day doing a whole lot of walking. We ventured from one side of Central Park to the other and then we made our way to Chelsea where we had a deliciously late brunch at Dos Caminos, sampled some treats at Chelsea Market, got yelled at (me) for taking a picture at Hogs and Heifers (where I had to do penance shots and BARELY left with my bra), eye balled some crazy behaviour at the Standard Hotel (gotta love those windows) and strolled along the beautiful HighLine park.
Wall of bras from Hogs and Heifers- Meatpacking District
Street view from the Highline
Yesterday was truly one of my best days in NYC, it was my first NY Yankees game! What a thrill, it was an awesome time. It really is hard to describe the feeling you get when you enter the stadium among the sea of blue and white jerseys. The air is filled with excitement and the die hard fans are ready to cheer on their team. We had a blast! It was an exciting game and fittingly they were playing my old home town team the Toronto BlueJays. Don’t worry we were cheering for the Bronx Bombers as they easily defeated the Jays. There really is nothing better in the summer than sitting in a baseball stadium in the afternoon, sipping on a beer watching a great game.
On the subway on the way to the game...
Yankee Stadium
The view from our seats
My little Yankee family
And today, well today we decided to hang out at the park and go for a walk with Dopey. (Bogie wanted to stay home in the air-conditioning). It is supposed to rain tonight and the weather is going to cool off. I am already getting organized for the first day of school for the girls on Thursday. Shopping needs to get done, activities are scheduled. Yep. It is that time of year again. But right now, I think I am going to cherish these last few hours of summer and the weekend by chilling out on the couch with a good book and a cold drink. I am sure I can convince someone to join me 😉 I am raising a glass in your general direction- “To Summer!!”
Saying goodbye to the lazy, hazy days of summer
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Central Park, Freedom Tower, Hogs and Heifer, labor day weekend, last days of summer vacation, Life in NYC, Living in Manhattan, Standard Hotel, The Highline, World Trade Centre Site, Yankees, Yankees Game Pics | Leave a Comment »
The most wonderful time of the year is almost here. I can say that now because I am currently not teaching and am not going back to school 😉 This week we (I) have been spending time getting us organized for the new year. Today was the day that the girls and I went out to do some clothes shopping, something they are actually excited to participate in. In NYC there are a lot of shopping options and I fear that they are already getting a love of discovering the perfect dress or pair of shoes *sigh*. And so it begins… Here is a cute pic of the tired shoppers taking a refreshment break.
Happy shopping and back to schooling 🙂
The shopping divas and their juice boxes
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Back to school clothes shopping picture, Back to school shopping, Life in NYC, Living in Manhattan, taking a break from shopping pic, Wordless Wednesday | 1 Comment »
Well, hurricane Irene has come and gone. Good riddance I say. After a weekend fraught with the anxiety of will she or won’t she land a direct hit on Manhattan and how bad would the devastation be, we were very fortunate to be in an area that had very little damage from the hurricane. In our neighborhood there are some trees down in the park and the river swelled, some areas are water logged but that really is the extent of the damage. I know that many are not so lucky, dealing with extensive flooding, blackouts and water and wind damage. There are areas that are still in the dark and power will not be restored for days.
Today in Manhattan, we woke up to a beautiful sunny, crisp morning. The subways and buses were up and running, almost to full capacity, the streets were once again filled with citizens and in true New York style it was business as usual. You would never even have known that only a mere 24 hrs earlier the city was in full lockdown waiting with bated breath to see what Irene would bring. The city that never sleeps was forced to hunker down and wait out the storm.
An empty Grand Central Station (photo: NYC MTA)
During the day we calmed nerves by playing board games and watching movies but as the day progressed the waiting and fear of the unknown was a bit un-nerving.
A rousing game of Sorry!
Dance party in our living room
The bedroom fort 🙂
I have to admit that I was quite freaked out. On Saturday night as daylight faded and the streets were eerily deserted and the weather deteriorated I began to feel anxious. We tucked the girls in to bed and of course they slept soundly all night while Ron and I tossed and turned listening to the rain fall outside. The next morning we took the dogs out bright and early fearing that it was only going to get worse so we should get them out for a quick pee break while we could. The wind was picking up and the rain seemed to be coming down sideways. It was a pretty bad storm.
Stormy, deserted streets
Luckily for us, it never really seemed to get any worse. In Manhattan especially in our elevated area we experienced a pretty nasty storm but the brunt of the hurricane did not reach us. My heart goes out to those who were not as fortunate. And to those people who are complaining that Mayor Bloomberg and the city over prepared for a hurricane that never showed its’ full force, shame on you! If we had not been prepared and the worst had happened the end result would have been tragic.
I guess the positive of Irene for us and many people I have talked to is that it forced us all to slow down our lives a bit. We hung out with family and friends, reached out to check in with others and maybe even reflected a bit on what is truly important. As wonderful as it was to see all of the people out and about on the streets again, I have to admit I wouldn’t have minded another day of snuggling on the couch 😉
Not that I would have had any room:
Do and Bo
P.S. Thank you to all of our friends and family that sent well wishes our way and contacted us to make sure we were “weathering” the storm. Your love and support were/are greatly appreciated xo
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Hurricane Irene in NYC, life in Manhattan, living in NYC, my first hurricane, passing the time waiting for hurricane Irene | 3 Comments »
So… it’s coming… the big hurricane that is Irene. And well, we are ready. I guess we are ready, as ready as a family who has never experienced a hurricane and lives in an apartment on the island of Manhattan can ever be. We have extra food, water, flashlights, candles, batteries. We are charging cellphones, iPads, Nooks, DS’ and all other electronic devices. I mean God forbid the power goes out and we would actually have to TALK to each other for two days straight 😉
I am trying to make light of the situation because I have to admit I am a little bit freaked out. It is all over the news and I recommend that you DO NOT watch CNN as all it will do is reduce you to panic and hysteria- “there is a hurricane the size of Europe about to make a direct hit on NYC!!!!” “Here is the worst case scenario that could happen in Manhattan…blah, blah, blah”. Yikes, thanks guys, that is really reassuring to all of us who are trying to chill and ride out the storm. We get that it is a dangerous situation but inducing us to all panic is not helping anyone.
The one thing that I did find disturbing is that they have closed all the public libraries in NYC. C’mom, we have all seen “The Day After Tomorrow”, that was my escape plan, I was just going to hop in a cab and head on over to the library and start burning books until I was rescued. I guess we will have to resort to Plan B. We have stocked the kitchen with junk food, downloaded some great family movies, made sure that we have lots of wine and of course we are hoping the children will learn to appreciate the value of a good mid-day nap 😉
To all our friends and family we will keep you posted and don’t worry, we are safe and sound. The only time we will be in jeopardy will be when Ron and I are duelling it out deciding who will have to take the dogs out for a quick pee out front of the building- the rock, paper, scissors battle could get ugly.
Here are some pics that I took about an hour ago when we went on a family walk to burn off some energy and get outside before being apartment bound for the next couple of days.
Have a great weekend, lots of love- The Guirgi xox
Quick run to the park to burn off the pre-hurricane energy!
Chirping Chicken all taped up
Signs like these on most businesses around the city
Nice!
Dude, I think we will need a bigger umbrella 😉
Does NOT look good!
Notice at the 72nd Street Subway Station
A bit of humour from the Trader Joe's gang (No laughing matter to those panicking because stores are closed)
The line at the Duane Reade was about 100+ people long
Only one bagel left but don't worry...
They still had beer 🙂
Fairway- Closed (An eerie sight)
Starbucks closed, this shit is getting serious!
Here comes the rain!
Good choice to leave the bike parked
Dopey is clearly stressed out
The stash!!
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged first time experiencing a hurricane, Hurricane Irene, Life in NYC, Living in Manhattan, pics of NYC before hurricane Irene, We | 1 Comment »
Wow, it has been a whole week since I posted anything on the blog. There is no big excuse except that we have been out enjoying some awesome summer adventures. The days are getting shorter, the air is getting cooler, the back to school ads are looming at every corner and the pressure is on to make every last day of summer be a great one. Here are some pics from our latest outings. Have a wonderful Wednesday =)
A lovely walk along the Highline with Sandy
Another great Ad from Manhattan-Mini Storage
Madison Square Park
Amazing food and beer at Birreria (rooftop beer garden at Eataly)
Mmmmm... Gelato 😉
Flatiron Building
View of the East from the Empire State Building
View north from the ESB
View west from the ESB
View south from the ESB
The tippety-top of the Empire State Building
Hanging out with some formidable friends at the MET
The beauty that is the MET
LOVE this building (MET)
A beautiful piece of art outside of the MET
The whole gang at Victoria Gardens in Central Park
My girls in their city 😉
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Birreria, Eataly, Enjoying summer in NYC, Enjoying summer vacation, Flatiron Building, life in Manhattan, living in NYC, Madison Square Park, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Pics of NYC, staycations in NYC, summer adventures in NYC, The Empire State Building, The High Line, Victoria Gardens | 8 Comments »
It's Always An Adventure 