You can take the girl out of Japan, but you can’t take the Japan out of the girl. Specifically, the love of cherry blossoms ingrained in me in April 2002 in Himeji and then again during April 2006 in Hiroshima. This El Nino’ed winter meant an early and short peak for this year’s blossoms. I […]
More from: nyc
Welcome back, NYC’s High Bridge
A year to the day after I finished my “last major bridge crossing“, I got to walk across the one that has teased me for most of my #GreatManhattanLoop – ing. After 40-45 years (depending on who is counting) and some $61m, the High Bridge reopened this week. “The High Bridge is the city’s oldest […]
Confessions of a Designated Fat Taxi Driver?
aka a two-in-one review because I started and finished two books in the last three days Confessions of a New York Taxi Driver by Eugene Salomon and Jennifer Joyner’s Designated Fat Girl. Two very different subjects but the right level of reading depth I was in the mood for this weekend. I started with Joyner’s […]
#GoTheDist? Pfft Bridge The Dist
after a renewed interest in bridges of late, I have been on a mission. By borough I have crossed as follows: Bronx to Manhattan: Macombs Dam Bridge in May 2013 Manhattan to Brooklyn: Brooklyn Bridge: more times then I can count, also via bike Manhattan Bridge: June 2014 Williamsburg Bridge: Summer 2013 Manhattan to Bronx: […]
Then and now: Eldridge Street Synagogue
“I made a couple of calls and believe the sign will be safe,” she said. And so, for the moment, would be one other vestige of the Jewish Lower East Side. In reading In Chinatown, Remembering the Origins of a 126 -Year-Old Synagogue I did what I always do and go down a rabbit hole of research. […]
Henderson Place
I can’t even count the number of times I’ve walked past these buildings on E. 87th or East End and wondered what relic they were… and then I spotted the sign above. I finally had a name to research. And what better time to do so then on the brink of celebrating the 50th anniversary […]
neighborhoods: mini cities in their own right
as I was taking advantage of today’s brief flirtation with spring, and sitting, reading on one of the many Finley Walk benches, I plotted several errands I needed to run. One of them was on 96th St. and it felt so far away-even though it was only 10 blocks from where I sat. I wasn’t […]
Review: This Ain’t No Holiday Inn
Yesterday, I was in Chelsea for lunch and I found myself thinking of the Chelsea and decided to find it. When I did, and posted the photo (and the one above), I remembered this unfinished review and blog post from earlier this year. Time to remove the “un”. “In 2001, he died of […]
The difference being a fan makes
It’s no secret that I’m a Yankees fan. I also happen to be a quick hop from the stadium via the 4 train. Makes going to games easy peasy. Although I’m a Yankees fan, I don’t particularly dislike the Mets, but I find myself declining tickets more than I go. Why? Not because of their […]
openhousenewyork: Trinity Church
I adore openhousenewyork weekend. Last year, it was a Vertical Tour of St. John the Divine. This year I opted for a tour of the Trinity Church Bell Tower. For someone whose time at religious services is limited to weddings and funerals, I am fascinated by church architecture and could easily make a weekend of […]
Columbia University in the City of New York
Yep, that is apparently the school’s full name. Maybe that’s why it needs to expand so badly, it needs to be the same size as its name. Friday was another Manhattan bout of sightseeing inspired by a whim rather than a plan. The sky couldn’t make up its mind and I didn’t want to be […]
Jewish Harlem
Another Sunday, another day of exploration with the Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy (LESJC). Another day of not actually visiting the lower east side with the Conservancy, although I’m desperate to learn more about the neighborhood I’ve somewhat explored the last two Sundays. This time was Jewish Harlem, an area I haven’t explored in really […]
AIDS in New York
My hope is that the spirit and memory of these children with AIDS will live on and not be forgotten. During their brief lives, they suffered. Yet they were loved and cared for, and they became part of our lives. They will remain with us forever. ~ Claire YaffaGo to the New-York Historical Society. I […]
Jewish Upper West Side and Riverside Drive
so how, exactly, does a walking tour of the Jewish Upper West side turn into an 8.9 mile walk that includes a long overdue visit to Riverside Church and Grant’s Tomb? Pretty much the same way a “quick walk to Bennett Park” turned into a walk to Inwood Hill Park last Friday. The tourist side […]
But it didn’t feel like 5 miles
Since I got my iPhone in December, I’ve fallen back into shutterbug mode. I’ve discovered Instagram and generally enjoyed exploring Manhattan with my camera. Most of these had been on my way to or from somewhere, or walking home from work through the park on a gorgeous, early spring day. What I hadn’t done was […]