Takin' the High Line

There are so many interesting, quirky, and unexpected parts of the city. One of these special places is the High Line. What do you do with an old, above ground train track built in the 1930's that hasn't been used since the 1980's? You turn it into a beautiful park and walkway.

 

Running along 10th and 11th Avenues and between Gansevoort and 34th Street, the High Line is the perfect way to escape the usual combo of foot and car traffic, get a great view of the Hudson, and take in some pretty spectacular views of the city.

 

It's also a fun place to grab a bite. With several food vendors, almost like a gourmet street fair, you can get anything to satisfy your taste buds. The foodie geek that I am and the pathetic way I keep a list of interesting places to try I see about or read about, we had to go to Terroir and have a meatball sandwich. It was honestly the best one we've ever had. Ever!

 

 

There are several locations of this Italian eatery with an extensive wine and beer list, but with the weather like it is the best one has to be the one on the High Line. How could we pass up this view?

 

 

The High Line. Definitely a new favorite and a must see for any visitor.



Never Forget

With the 11th anniversary of the September 11th attacks shortly approaching (can you believe it's been that long?) we decided to take an afternoon to visit the 9-11 Memorial.

 

 

There is still so much construction going on and the sign of the vast amount of destruction is quite evident. The memorial itself is very serene and while the grounds are scattered with many visitors from all over the world, people were very respectful. You could feel the sorrow.

 

The water flowing deep into the ground is a peaceful hum as you take a moment to process every name carved on the ledge of the fountain. Each name a record of an innocent man, woman or child who lost their life that day in the attacks or in an attempt to rescue those in need.

 

 

 

There is still a lot of rebuilding to do to complete the plans for the area. There will be 4 large buildings (including the nearly completed Freedom Tower you see below) and a museum.

 

 

I'm so glad we went to the memorial and I'm pretty sure we'll be back a few more times during our time here in New York. It's always a good reminder of the feeling we had that early Tuesday morning in September and to never forget about those who lost their lives.

Just a Taste

This weekend was full of quick bites and sneak peaks. We got a taste of all sorts of things.

A taste of... the fall weather to come. Getting to wear a light cardigan or a jacket like this was heavenly, even if it only lasts a few hours in the mornings and again in the evenings.

A taste of...the freshest, most delicious doughnut ever from Dough at the Brooklyn Flea Market. I can't even say enough about the blood orange glaze. It was so fresh and perfectly tart.

A taste of...golfing in the city with his friend Jared. 18-holes of green grass and trees with the Verrazano Bridge in the background.

A taste of...some pretty unique pie at Four & Twenty Blackbirds in Brooklyn. One slice of Salted Caramel Apple and one slice of Strawberry-Nectarine please!

A taste of...a job. I got a job teaching kids, ages 5-7, for a 3 week summer program. It's a temporary job that will end soon, but I love it and it's given me even more drive to find something during the school year. I've been doing a lot of applying so please say a few prayers and send some "hiring vibes" my way!

Easy as Pie!

Yesterday, the love of my life turned 27!

I can't even believe it. On our first date, he was just 17 while I was much younger at 16 :)

I can't wait to see him at 97...wrinkly, toothless, and still cute as ever (and probably a little cantankerous).

As we've gotten older, we've learned that the world doesn't stop for our birthday as it did when we were little, darn, but we still planned a fun evening at a fabulous restaurant in Soho and I believe a round of golf is in the works for Kyle this weekend.

When asked what he wanted for his big day, he responded with "Pie".

"Pie?"

"Yes, pie. Lemon Meringue Pie."

"Oh boy!"

To understand the pressure of this pie you have to know that it's a challenging dessert to make to begin with. There's the lemon custard, which you don't want to turn into scrambled egg yokes and then there's the meringue which has to be whipped to the perfect consistency of "stiff peaks".

As if those factors didn't make it enough of a daunting task you have to know about Great-Grandma Hickman...Queen of the Lemon Meringue Pie! She would make this often for her family and I think at times Kyle would even get his very own pie due to his love of it's sweet and creamy tang. She even taught him to make it when he was little.

I was up to the challenge and created this pie. So I could focus on the top two components of the pie, I used a store. bought. crust. (Ahhh, I know, please don't cringe too much and forgive me)

Best of all, it was birthday boy approved!
(I was even told that Great-Grandma Hickman would have been proud)
Happy Birthday Kyle!

A Day at the Museum

One of the most visited museums in the city is the American Museum of Natural History.

This place is phenomenal!

(which is probably why it was the perfect setting for the Ben Stiller film Night at the Museum)

We were there, along with a million other people, for over 3 hours and I feel like we barely scratched the surface. We'll definitely be back, maybe on a weekday next time.

There are literally thousands of displays of animals from all over the world, artifacts from different ancient cultures, and every kind of mineral in almost every form. We were constantly in awe.

Serendipity

ser-en-dip-i-ty

noun

1. an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident

2. good fortune; luck

I love this word. I feel like it defines a good amount of our journey in life, especially when I look at Kyle and I moving to an island and then hopping around before finally settling here in NYC.

It's also the name a small New York City restaurant and dessert cafe. Serendipity 3, as it's known, has been around since 1954 and is located just 5 short blocks from our apartment. I pass it almost on a daily basis. It's frequently visited by celebrities and politicians and is seen in quite a few films. We finally made it there late one night after a quiet dinner at home, they're open until 2 AM, you know and I knew exactly what I wanted before I saw the menu.

Frrrozen Hot Chocolate!!! It is by far their most famous dessert.

(oh it is soooo heavenly and since I knew you'd ask...it's calorie free, isn't it?)

Kyle, on the other hand, had a butterscotch sundae. That was pretty darn good too! 

I had to try it first to make sure it was safe :)

So now you know where to go in the city to completely destroy any exercise or diet you had in mind, in case you were wondering.