Oh, the madness

Sorry for the lack of posts, but things around here have been absolutely crazy.

• Kyle started a new rotation, family medicine in the Bronx. This comes with a new schedule that consists of 3 very long days at the hospital, but is followed by a 4-day weekend. I could definitely get used to this!
• I've been working like a mad woman as a nanny for 2 different families. I'm sort of doing double duty when it comes to jobs right now, but you've got to make hay while the sun shines. Hopefully by next week I'll have something permanent. I'll keep you posted.
• My mom and grandma came to visit us for 5 days. We took them all over this wild city and showed them the top places for tourists along with the lesser-known hot spots. I sure hope they had a good time. I know we enjoyed their visit. (I'll be posting some pictures of their time here soon)

That's been it for now. We're hoping to get some well-deserved rest this weekend, enjoy the fabulous fall weather, and catch-up on our list of places to visit in the city. I feel like just as we cross one thing off, another pops up on the radar and we're right back where we started. I guess we do have 2 years to work our way through the must-see, must-do, and must-eat of NYC and I'll be sure to keep you up to date on our adventures.

Exploring Central Park

Did you that Central Park is 843 acres! 1.317 square miles!

Pretty big, huh? I don't think most people realize just how large it is.

 

In a city of high rises and concrete, Central Park is an oasis of green grass, trees, lakes, wildlife, and absolute serenity. We've been in and out of the park on many occasions, but we decided it was time to put on our athletic gear, throw on a backpack, and really explore the wonder that is Central Park.

 

But first, we needed to get our energy up for all that walking with a NY classic...bagels and coffee!

 

 

We then made our way over to the lake for a little row boating. It is a bit of a touristy thing to do,

but it was so beautiful. We'd definitely go again for a unique city experience. The whole

time Kyle was wishing he could throw a line in the water. Sorry bud, no fishing in this lake.

 

 

 

 Next up, Bethesda Terrace. With its hall of ornate tile and beautiful fountain, this is one of the major hubs of the park where people come to people watch, be with friends, and take in the views.

 

 

 

 

We continued our adventure in the park with a walk along the massive reservoir.

 

 

 

And we finished up the day with a quick visit to the Conservatory Gardens at the north end of the park. These gardens are 3 perfectly manicured areas with fountains, vines, flowers, and shrubs.

 

 

I'm so glad we took the time to really see Central Park and all its unique areas.



Fashion Week

It's currently Fashion Week here and NYC is a buzz with fashionistas of all kinds.

 

Kyle and I went over to Lincoln Center to gawk at some of the festivities.

(I guess our invites to the shows must have gotten lost in the mail)

 

 

 

Photographers were grabbing people left and right to snap a photo of their outfit, ask

them about their vision, and find out who they were wearing. In case you were wondering, no one asked us. I think we were just too normal. In fact, we felt like total schmucks.

 

Here's a glimpse at some of the "unique looks" people were sporting.

 

 

 

 

Don't get me wrong, there were definitely some beautiful people wearing some very beautiful clothes, but you gotta know where to draw the line between fashionable and just plain crazy.



The Met

We'd never been to The Met. Room after room of art wasn't really our thing. Until now.

Last week we went to The Metropolitan Museum of Art to see what all the fuss was about and to check out a special exhibit on the rooftop. Plus, we heard they have a bar up there.

 

 

 

First of all, that view!!! The Met is technically located in Central Park, on 5th Ave.,

and the sea of green, bordered with the high rises is breathtaking.

 

 

 

Apparently a lot of other people knew about this spectacular view

because, we weren't alone. The place was packed!

 

 

 

The exhibit, Cloud City, was pretty unique too. It provides reflections from all over the city.

 

 

We explored a few of the galleries, but felt like we needed a lot more time. We barely

scratched the surface. Luckily this place is in our neighborhood, so we'll be back.



Falling for Fall

I can tell by the cool air in the mornings and evenings, and occasionally during the day,
that fall is just around the corner and I simply can't wait.

I'm a little anxious for a few reasons...

 

1. We've lived in the land of perpetual summer for the last few years. Dominica was hot, all the time.

 
2. Being an Arizona native, I've never experienced the season of fall and the beautiful changing leaves. We just sort of skip over it and go straight to winter (when we get down to a chilly 65).

 3. We have several visitors coming to the city these next few months and guests are always fun!

 4. Football season and countless hours of watching big, burly men run around on the gridiron.

 
5. I just love the idea of fall. The look, the flavors, the start of the holiday season. It makes me smile.

 

Here are a few things I'm looking forward to this fall:

 

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes from Annies-Eats. They've been a weekend favorite for a few years now.

 

 

 

DIY Pumpkin Spice Lattes also from Annies-Eats. Why pay an arm and a leg at Starbucks when you can have them right at home for a fraction of the cost? I can't wait to try this.

 

 

 

This Butternut Squash Soup recipe (minus the cinnamon and half the brown sugar). It's so creamy, comforting, and it warms the soul. Definitely a fall staple.

 

 

The anticipation of seeing Central Park like this gets me giddy. Isn't it beautiful?

 

And don't even get me started about the clothing. Boots...tights...scarves, oh my!!! 

 

Ahhh, the coziness of fall. It's just around the corner!

 

Wack-a-doo!

When you live in a city with over 8 million people, you're bound to run into a few CRAZIES!

 

Almost on a daily basis I walk past someone (or something) and think, HUH?

 

Unfortunately, most the time I don't have my camera on me or I just can't get to it fast enough. There's also that little thing of just not wanting to be obviously rude and snap a shot. It's one thing if you're trying to get noticed, but I have a feeling most these people think they're totally normal.

 

Like this guy we found parading around Washington Square Park (a hub for weirdness!)

 

 

Wack-a-doo, right?!?! If I recall, he was "Praising the power of the chicken". Um, ya.

 

Just thought you might enjoy this image to get your weekend started.



Governor's Island

South of the small island of Manhattan is another island, even smaller, that just opened up to the public a few years ago. It's called Governor's Island and it was formerly used as a military facility. It's not well advertised and I'm not even quite sure how I heard about it, but I'm sure glad I did!

 

It's only open on the weekends during the summer when you can take a

free ferry there that takes about, oh, 5 minutes.

 

There are no cars allowed, but bikes are all the rage. Whether you bring your own on the

ferry or rent one once you get there, riding a bike around the island is what all the cool

kids are doing and we certainly weren't going to be "not cool".

A ride around this island is filled with breathtaking views at every turn.
The Manhattan skyline, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Brooklyn Bridge, and more!

 

There are even a few gourmet snack bars and beer gardens. Adirondack chairs, picnic tables, and hammocks...all available for a picture perfect afternoon and great views.

 

 

 

Another adventure that I just can't stop raving about. It was such a memorable day

that I hope to squeeze in one more visit to Governor's Island before it closes for the winter.

Football, It's Here!

The NFL regular season starts today and while this house bleeds red and gold,
Go 49ers!, that doesn't mean we can't support one of our local teams, the New York Giants. It's always fun to be at the stadium, enjoying the cheer of a crowd, and a $9 beer :)

 

 



 

Thanks for the tickets Gail and Tony!

Grimaldi's

Grimaldi's Pizzeria is a Brooklyn, and New York, icon. Known as "the pizza that made the Brooklyn Bridge famous" it's located literally under the bridge. It has since branched out to other parts of New York and a few other states, like Arizona. We actually had our rehearsal dinner at the one in Old Town Scottsdale. This place has some great memories for us. To visit the original was a must!

 

 

Another must for this pizzeria, as we learned, is waiting!

 



 

and waiting! 

 



Even after we finally got a table, we still had to wait. Definitely an "F" for service, but

an "A" for the pizza. We decided it was pretty much the same as their other

locations, but the crust was better here. It must be that New York City water!

 

 

After all that waiting, we were quite hungry and spent no time digging in. Delish!

 



Walk the Bridge

We've been told by friends, seen it in books and magazines, and read about it on blogs.

 

Walk...the...Brooklyn...Bridge!

 

If everyone says it's a must-do, well then we'll do it.

We also decided to follow a few suggestions and do the walk at sunset.

 

Words can't even describe how cool this was. Just over a mile long, the walk across the bridge during sunset gives some of the most beautiful, glittering views of the city. Truly spectacular!

 

 

The pedestrian walkway is above all the cars, in the center of the bridge, so as taxis quickly whiz by below your feet, you can happily take in the views in peace, along with a few hundred other people.

 

 

 

Absolutely beautiful and another city favorite.

 

Brooklyn Brew

Brooklyn has a vibe all of its own and we love going there for a more "laid back" version of

the city. The Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn is the place to go for anything hipster.

Plaid shirts, bearded men, coffee shops, and microbrews. It's all here.

 

The Brooklyn Brewery is located in the Williamsburg neighborhood and has been on our list of places to visit since we've been here. A free tour and cheap(er) beer...sign us up!

 

 

We really enjoyed the atmosphere here and I think we'll be back to taste more seasonal brews.

Labor Day

Labor Day Weekend...

 

3 days of no work (even for Kyle)

the unofficial end to summer

great events throughout the city

 

What's not to love?

 

We had a wonderful holiday weekend and while we did take time to
relax we were busy bees exploring the city and checking things off our list and
discovering things we didn't even know were on it.

I kicked off the weekend with a fabulous, amazing, spectacular dinner with a girlfriend from the island. I met up with Chelsea, check her out here, at the Waverly Inn in the West Village where we gabbed and caught up on each others lives as med school wives. It was a wonderful evening.

 

 

I have lots of photos and stories to share about our adventures this weekend
so keep an eye out for those posts to appear throughout the week!