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Posts Tagged ‘Life in NYC’

Spring Break: Day One

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , on April 18, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Well, Spring Break has officially started. We decided that rather than put the girls in camp during this week I would keep them home with me for the week. We did this for a few reasons. One, I thought that they could benefit from some un-scheduled down time. They have been working really hard in school, the winter has been really long and I thought that they just needed some good old fashioned relaxation. Two, it would be an un-neccessary expense since I am home. Camp in NYC is not cheap. And three, travelling at this time is also unbelievably pricey so I figured since we were still newbies to Manhattan we could once again, be tourists in our own city and explore all of the amazing things Manhattan has to offer.

By 8:30 this morning with both kids fighting and driving me crazy, I was seriously wondering if I had made a monumental mistake.

But, after a second cup of caffeine and a phone call to a friend who was in a similar kid crazed predicament I managed to turn the day around and start off on our adventure way uptown.

Gorgeous NYC morning

For those of you following you know that I recently fell in love with Fort Tryon Park. So, we decided to take the kids up to 190th and let them play at a new playground and explore a different neighborhood in the city. They climbed the jungle gym, swirled around on the tire swing, played a bit of soccer and the older girls even tried their hand at making a make shift bird’s nest. After about an hour the kids started getting hungry so we headed down a few blocks to find a place to eat.

Scooting down the street

I now know why Washington Heights is called “The Heights”, phew, there are a lot of hills. We definitely got a workout by going  up and down and up and down. And I may have gotten us lost so I we had to do a few more up and downs than was required.

W. 187th Street

Street View- W. 187th St.

Apartments built up from the stone ridge

We had a great lunch and then we decided to go for a scooter ride back in Fort Tryon Park. All was going well until the girls went bombing down a steep hill and two of the girls had a wipe out. Luckily no one was seriously injured, just a few scrapes and bruises. After the tears were wiped away we headed back to the subway and home. The girls are now currently hanging out of the couch- tired, hungry and not arguing. And I am one tired mommy. Mission accomplished. Only 7 more days left… Oh, and did I mention it is supposed to rain? Well, we will just have to see where our adventures take us next 😉

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Fabulous New Find: Fort Tryon Park and The Cloisters

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on April 15, 2011| 3 Comments »

It has been a bit of a crazy week for Ottawa reunions. Just back from a fabulous weekend in Montreal with three cherished girlfriends from Ottawa, I had another wonderful friend visit NYC for a couple of days from the Nation’s Capital. Alison and I had a great couple of days just catching up, reminiscing and exploring. She had fun checking out my new life as a Manhattan dweller and I loved hearing about her adventures back in Canada. Alison even had the chance to witness my New Yorker attitude as I yelled at a passing driver who nearly ran us (and numerous other pedestrians) over at a cross walk. The expression on her face was priceless. Oh ya, I’m badass!! 😉

Alison and I at Fort Tryon Park

The great thing about my friend Alison, is that she is a planner and came with a list of things that she would like to do for her limited stay in NYC. We ventured to St. John the Divine Church, Magnolia Cupcake, The Lego Store, FAO Schwarz, The Disney Store, Rockefeller Center, strolled through Riverside and Central Park and walked up and down the streets taking it all in. But, the coolest place she wanted to go to was Fort Tryon Park and The Cloisters. I had never heard of these two places and was eager to head out and see them.

We hopped on the A train and headed to 190th street. It was an absolutely beautiful day- sunny and high of 60’s. When we arrived at 190th, we (I) made the mistake of exiting through the tunnel and we ended up at the wrong entrance but we were able to see the beautiful rock wall ridge and a very unique subway entrance in the process.

Subway entrance built into the side of the rock wall

We headed back into the subway and took the elevator up and exited on to a beautiful and peaceful setting- the entrance to Fort Tryon Park. Fort Tryon Park is truly spectacular at this time of year and I am sure it is amazing at any time of year. Right now the trees and flowers are starting to bloom and it really is an incredible escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday city life. There are winding, wide open trails, beautiful gardens and pathways that have majestic views over looking the Hudson River. I fell in love instantly.

View looking out over the river with the George Washington Bridge in the distance

Tree lined pathways

Towards the end of the sprawling park is The Cloisters Museum. The Cloisters “is a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art devoted to the art and architecture of medieval Europe”. It is an extremely quiet and serene place where you can see works of art, sculptures, treasures, tapestries and architectures from the Middle Ages. I loved wandering through the cool, peaceful, castle-like setting. Alison described it as escaping to France for the morning. It really did feel like we had left Manhattan and were visiting a the European countryside. I didn’t hear a single siren or car horn 😉

The Cloisters Museum

Cuxa Cloister

Gothic Chapel

One of the incredible tapestries on display

Statue in the Late Gothic Hall

It was a fabulous new find. I love it when people come to visit in the city and they show me new places. I am adding Fort Tryon Park and The Cloisters to my “must do” list of things for people who come to NYC. Next week, the girls and I will definitely venture out to explore the park during spring break. They will love the wide open spaces to run around. It would also be a great spot for a picnic lunch and a good book. Right now, I am gearing up to see a couple of more visitors from Ottawa and family are heading our way too. I can’t wait to see everyone, but I have a feeling that in about a week or so after all the visitors leave and the girls are back at school I might be sneaking back to the park for a bit of peace and quiet =). Enjoy the weekend everyone!!

Not a sign you see very often in NYC!

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A Weekend Away With The Ladies

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on April 11, 2011| 4 Comments »

Sometimes you just need a weekend away to renew, restore, re-energize. And this past weekend I was lucky enough to do just that with three fabulous friends on a weekend adventure to Ottawa and Montreal. This was my first visit back to Canada in 9 months. It was a bit of a culture shock to say the least. My big joke about Ottawa is that what they lack in height they make up for in width. There are beautiful, sprawling wide open spaces everywhere!! After landing in the super quiet, empty Ottawa airport the lovely Kelly took me to Starbucks at the local Chapters and then we made a quick stop at Farm Boy, one of the local grocery stores. I enjoyed simply standing in the large aisles looking at the rows and rows of merchandise and then leisurely wandering around the store with no one yelling at me to move out of the way or running me over with their buggy. It was odd to be driving around in a car without dodging and weaving through traffic and pedestrians. Back in the old ‘hood of Findlay Creek it was wonderful to catch up with old friends and simply enjoy being back. A hot tub under the stars was a truly spectacular treat. Despite the pitch dark room and the lack of noise, I had a great sleep in the guest room in the basement. A basement that I observed was bigger than most Manhattan apartments 😉

A View of Butterfly Park in the Creek (Yes, that is STILL snow on the ground!)

Streetscape in Findlay Creek- look at all the space!!

View from the car-blue sky and trees

The whirlwind 24 hour trip included a quick visit with my parents and a reunion with some colleagues and students at the high school where I used to teach. It was a bit overwhelming but it made my heart happy to re-connect with some of the people that I have been missing since our big move. On Friday after lunch, our road trip began and four wild and crazy moms headed to Montreal for a wee bit of fun without kids or husbands. We arrived at the fabulous Le Crystal Hotel and promptly started exploring the city in search of a suitable patio to sit on and enjoy a beverage. Starting the weekend off right…

Nina, Denise and Kelly

The weekend was a perfect mixture of laughter, drinks, great food, relaxation, shopping, dancing and a bit of “What happens in Montreal, stays in Montreal!”.

Our new friends from Chicago- band-aids courtesy of some table dancing gone wrong.

A bachelor party dressing up to go out

The only thing missing was sleep, although we did have a chance to lounge by the beautiful rooftop hot tub and pool.

Heavenly

It was hard to say good-bye to my good friends at the end of the weekend and I had to admit that I was a little apprehensive about going back to the Big Apple. I had really enjoyed the open spaces and slower pace. Did I really miss NYC? Would it feel like coming home? Would I be happy to be back in Manhattan?

Love!

As the plane touched down at LaGuardia, immediately the energy changed. People were up and moving. The buzz of excitement began. Tourists pulled out maps, native New Yorkers walked at an impossible pace. It was crowded and noisy. I got in the taxi line. The taxi zipped and weaved through heavy traffic. We crossed the bridge over into Manhattan just as the sun was setting behind the buildings. And that is when it really hit me. I was coming home, I live here on this crowded, crazy Island. It was better than good to be back, it was right. I WAS home. This was my new reality and I had missed it. Last night I crawled into my bed and snuggled under the covers letting the sounds of the garbage trucks, sirens and car horns lull me to sleep.

In the end the weekend was exactly what I needed. A perfect escape with cherished friends. A bit of me time. Also, a bit of time for reflection about the past, present and future. It really is always an adventure… except when it is not, because sometimes your only job is to “change the paper”- right, Kel, Nina and D??!! 😉

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Wordless Wednesday: I Am Speechless…

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on March 23, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Today is a truly miserable day in the city. There is a mixture of rain and snow. The temperatures are cold and the skies are gloomy. In an attempt to escape the urge to hibernate in the apartment all day I headed over to Barnes & Noble. It was there that I found the following display. Enjoy the pic. I remain speechless on the subject. Have a wonderful day, S 😉

Help us...

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Delicious!! A Trip to Carlos (The Cake Boss) Bake Shop

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on March 21, 2011| 5 Comments »

I am not a big fan of reality t.v. I have never watched a full season of American Idol and shows like The Bachelor/Bachelorette make me run and open a good book. Don’t even get me started on my thoughts about Jersey Shore… So, it is a bit strange that the latest program that I am hooked on is The Cake Boss on TLC. I seem to have developed a bit of a crush on Buddy and his whole passionate Italian family and co-workers. Unlike other reality t.v., there is something incredibly genuine about this show and the people in it. I love the real relationships, emotions and I have to admit, I am fascinated by the amazing artistic masterpieces (cakes) that they create each week.

So, I decided that my latest adventure would be to Hoboken, New Jersey to visit the very bakery itself. Why? Well, why not is the better question. I figured that we lived so close that it would be a perfect opportunity to make a little day trip out of it and go and see what all of those incredible pastries, cookies and cakes would look like in real life 😉 I persuaded two of my friends Meilan and Cass to go with me and so this past Friday we embarked on our little journey to Carlos City Hall Bake Shop.

After a little bit of confusion in the Madison Square Garden/Penn Station area we eventually found the PATH train to New Jersey and hopped on for the quick 15 minute commute to Hoboken, NJ.

The PATH train to New Jersey leaving 33rd St.

Once we arrived in Hoboken, we made our way to the main street in town, Washington Street. It was pretty easy to figure out where Carlo’s Bake Shop was as there was already a nice little line forming in front of the bakery. It was a glorious morning and the afternoon temps promised to be in the 70’s!! A perfect day to stand on line and people watch. There seemed to be people from all over the US and various parts of the world (even Canada!) waiting to get in. The locals were used to the crowds and largely ignored the ever increasing line. Although, one cute young gentlemen did offer to help us jump the queue by going in with him. Apparently if you have a driver’s license that shows you are local you get to go to the head of the line. Nice perk! We politely declined as we wanted to get the “full” experience.

Cass, Me and Meilan waiting patiently =)

Carlos City Hall Bake Shop

Window Display

Wow, every little girl's fantasy cake!

We are almost in!!!

After waiting on line for about 50 minutes, we entered the bakery where you are immediately overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle as well as all of the delicious smells and sights to behold. We were a little worried that we would not have time to figure out what we wanted but soon realized that it would be a bit of a wait before our number was actually called. It was quite the experience just watching the women and men behind the counter package pastries, cakes and cookies. To say that they are efficient is a huge understatement. The only down side is that it is still very crowded in the shop making it difficult to see all of the amazing displays. We quickly assessed the situation, figured out our order and then like true New Yorker’s (!) found a spot to wait for our number to be called and watched the organized chaos and insanity unfold. Living in Manhattan and dealing with deli lines at Zabar’s and Fairway helps to prepare you for situations like these. We were a lot calmer than most!

Beautiful Cakes

On display in the bakery

Lots to look at while you are waiting

My favorite!

Working their magic

Decisions, decisions...

20 minutes later it was time to place our order. Together we purchased 6 cupcakes, 5 brownies, 24 cookies, 1 lobster tail, a cannoli and a mug. Truly, a successful visit. The lobster tail (thanks for the tip, Whit!) made all of the standing in line worth it, it was OMG good! Overall, it was a great experience, we even had a couple of brushes with fame or reality t.v. as they came in to shoot a small segment while we were waiting and I was able to get a photo op with Buddy’s gracious sisters.

TLC filming Mauro in the bake shop

Me, Maddalena and Grace

After our bake shop experience we continued down Washington Street to find a place for lunch. We enjoyed a lovely Italian meal and excellent conversation. As we headed back to the train in the early afternoon sunlight we passed the bake shop again. The line had tripled in size! By my estimation people would be waiting for approximately three hours, just to get in!! I am not sure if I would be that dedicated. Although, that lobster tail was pretty delicious…

The day was a wonderful mini escape from the city with some fabulous friends, I am already planning our next adventure 😉 Also, we were definitely the most popular moms on the playground with our batch of cookies to share. Will I be going back soon? Well, the thing is, my oldest daughter has started to watch “The Cake Boss” with me and has decided that she would like a Carlos Bake Shop cake for her next birthday. Uh oh. I can only imagine the cake that she is dreaming up. I think we had better go back to watching “Phineaus and Ferb”!!

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That Crazy Little Thing Called Love…

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on February 14, 2011| 1 Comment »

Today is Valentine’s Day and while walking through the streets this morning, I have observed many men (and a few women) walking around with bouquets of flowers. The card stores are packed and the pastry and chocolate shop windows are deliciously decorated. And I have mixed feelings about the whole darn day.

Back in University, living in an all girl residence, Valentine’s Day was insane. There were two reactions to the day- 1) if the girl had someone in her life she went all out- planning for the big night and obsessing over what the guy in her life would be getting her OR 2) if you were single it seemed like the only thing to do was to act like you were going to die alone. I think this is where I began to start being a bit anti- V-Day. This attitude of mine, has not been helped by the fact that I also taught high school for thirteen years and Valentine’s day with all of the out of control teenage hormones and insanity brings its own special kind of crazy. It just seems like on this day of love there can be a whole lot of tears. I feel for the guys (and gals) out there stressing about getting the perfect gift that expresses exactly how they feel about his/her loved one. I think the whole day has totally gone over the top.

That being said, I have decided to put my own ambivalence aside and embrace the day. Why? Because I have children. Two little girls who are romantics in their own right. They believe in fairies and happy endings and heroes. I am certainly not going to crush that sense of wonder and happiness. Both girls painstakingly took the time to write out Valentine’s for each person in their class. Carefully picking the right card for each of their friends. At this age, they wouldn’t even think of excluding a single person. A, even added some extra hearts for her “special” Valentine. She told me that today is the day that you can express your feelings to someone without any consequences. I guess she is right. There will be plenty of time for the lessons of “growing up” and heartache. I would like to delay that as long as possible. I couldn’t help but smile as they greeted people they knew on the street with a hearty “Happy Valentine’s Day”. It reminded me that today does not have to be all about getting caught up in the commercialism and stress it can quite simply be about sharing a smile and spreading some good feelings… warmth and love.

As for me, I am going to use today as an excuse to indulge in a beautifully iced cupcake 😉 Oh, and I might even find a moment to remind myself of how lucky I am to be surrounded and loved by such amazing family and friends. My wish for you is that you take some time to remember that you are loved too. Happy Day!! xoxo

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