I had to make an update to this post. I received this email from Notify NYC, the City of NY's public notification service. Everyone should be signed up for this service by the way.
"Opening fire hydrants without spray caps is illegal, wasteful and dangerous. Illegally opened hydrants can lower water pressure and put lives at risk if there is a fire. Children can also be at risk, because the powerful force of an open hydrant without a spray cap can cause serious injury. New Yorkers should call 311 to report open hydrants. Hydrants can be opened legally with a City-approved spray cap which can be obtained by an adult 18 or over, free of charge, at local firehouses."
The moral of the story, folks are NOT supposed to be messing around with these fire hydrants!
I often joke that NYC is like a movie. The truth is I’m kind of not joking. Walking down the streets everyday the sights I see are like real movie scenes and the people are definitely characters. Not to say that there are not characters in NEO but there are some real characters in NYC at every turn. Since summer has arrived in full force with temps shooting past 100 degrees, I’ve observed a quintessential movie scene play day after day, people playing in fire hydrants.
Now, for a girl from Ohio, this is something straight out of a movie. There are so many questions that run through my head each time I see this phenomenon. Is it legal? How do they get the hydrant opened? What tool do they use? Is this a tool that is in most households? How do they know how to open it? Is the water cold? Does the water hurt? Who pays for the water usage? How do they stop the water? How do they get the cap back on if there is such a thing? Do people get mad when the drive through and get their cars wet? How do you determine who does and who doesn’t want to “play” in the water? For those playing, do they care whether you want to play or not or are you a victim regardless? I must admit, that when I see the hydrant open I cross the street to at least attempt to be behind the summer fun and not get soaked.
If anyone knows the laws on this in Ohio, and NYC, I’d love to hear. As a bit of background, one would NEVER see this in Ohio, and for anyone who has please send a picture for proof. I grew up on the corner house on my block so the hydrant was in our yard. I saw it functional one time my 18 years living there, when there was a fire! Very few movie scenes in Ohio I guess. Enjoy a couple pics of the NYC makeshift water park.
Cleveland or NYC; You Decide…
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
My Random Tattoo Experience
For 10 years I have wanted a tattoo. My first trip to the tattoo parlor was with a group of girls (not even my good friends) when I was 16 for guess what, a rose. Thank goodness I talked myself out of it. My second trip came when I was 18. More resolute to leave with a tattoo, I marched in of legal age, read and signed the waiver, paid my money and chickened out before I even got prepped. I don’t even remember what I was going to get that time. The third time, I had a purpose. My maternal grandmother and I were very close. There was a place in Y-town that all the coolest folks went to get their tattoos and this place had an awesome portrait artists. I wanted to get my grandmother’s portrait on my side. This time, I read the waiver, paid, got prepped and once I heard the noise, I chickened out for a third time.
Over the years I’ve still wanted a tattoo but I started to wane on the decision. I’d fulfilled one of my dreams, to get a motorcycle license, yeah I’m a rider baby (though I don’t really ride at all especially now that I’m in the City). I started thinking “What will I get that I can live with forever? Is this a thing that kids do? If I get one, no names, people that are important in my life know my name and I know theirs. Then, no words, I can’t get words, what word is important enough to be scratched into my body? I really got discouraged when my best pals and I all planned to get tattoos together. The original idea was something that represented the 4 of us perhaps our initials; thank God we didn’t do that. Then we were all just going to go together on vacation. That fell apart. Then one day Jill and Celia announced they got tattoos over the weekend, I was pissed. With these thoughts and unfortunate betrayals I gave up on my desire for a tattoo.
It takes NYC to do something completely crazy.
I had a lovely Saturday, hanging out with Tesh and Celia. We did brunch at Kitchenette: www.kitchenetterestaurant.com, shopped on Madison and 57th, visted Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdales, Gucci, Chanel, Prada (window shopping that is) a late old time dinner at Ruby Tuesday’s (we’ve moved on up) and then a little after hour at Down the hatch. It was a wonderful. On the way to the train after Celia was done petting some random police horses, we passed a tattoo parlor. Celia says, “Ev you never got that tattoo you said you were going to get”. I said “I’ll get a tattoo now”. She said “no you won’t” I said “watch me”. Next thing I knew, the papers were signed, the sketch was done and the needle was barreling into my skin. I couldn’t believe what was happening. The outline hurt so bad I wasn’t going to get it colored in but my tattoo guy (I don’t even remember his name) and Celia talked my into getting it colored in which surprisingly didn’t hurt so bad. Don’t ask me the name of the parlor, I don’t remember, or where my receipt is, I don’t have one. Celia got a tattoo too for the record.
What did I get do you ask, I got Gye Nyame which means "except for God" an Adrinka symbol of the supremacy/ Omnipotence and immortality of God. During my month long stay in Ghana several years back, the symbol took on a very personal meaning to me and I’ve always admired the Ghanaian people and their practices. It was quite a life changing experience. Friends asked good questions, “why couldn’t you just think Gye Nyame?” Another asked, “aren’t you too old for a tattoo?” Still another asked, “what is that going to look like when you’re 80?” I don’t have an answer for any but I must admit I love my new tattoo. I’m sure when I get old it’ll look like a little blob on my arm but that’s ok, I’ll enjoy it while my skin is still tight. Check the tattoo party pics below.
Cleveland or NYC; You Decide…
Over the years I’ve still wanted a tattoo but I started to wane on the decision. I’d fulfilled one of my dreams, to get a motorcycle license, yeah I’m a rider baby (though I don’t really ride at all especially now that I’m in the City). I started thinking “What will I get that I can live with forever? Is this a thing that kids do? If I get one, no names, people that are important in my life know my name and I know theirs. Then, no words, I can’t get words, what word is important enough to be scratched into my body? I really got discouraged when my best pals and I all planned to get tattoos together. The original idea was something that represented the 4 of us perhaps our initials; thank God we didn’t do that. Then we were all just going to go together on vacation. That fell apart. Then one day Jill and Celia announced they got tattoos over the weekend, I was pissed. With these thoughts and unfortunate betrayals I gave up on my desire for a tattoo.
It takes NYC to do something completely crazy.
I had a lovely Saturday, hanging out with Tesh and Celia. We did brunch at Kitchenette: www.kitchenetterestaurant.com, shopped on Madison and 57th, visted Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdales, Gucci, Chanel, Prada (window shopping that is) a late old time dinner at Ruby Tuesday’s (we’ve moved on up) and then a little after hour at Down the hatch. It was a wonderful. On the way to the train after Celia was done petting some random police horses, we passed a tattoo parlor. Celia says, “Ev you never got that tattoo you said you were going to get”. I said “I’ll get a tattoo now”. She said “no you won’t” I said “watch me”. Next thing I knew, the papers were signed, the sketch was done and the needle was barreling into my skin. I couldn’t believe what was happening. The outline hurt so bad I wasn’t going to get it colored in but my tattoo guy (I don’t even remember his name) and Celia talked my into getting it colored in which surprisingly didn’t hurt so bad. Don’t ask me the name of the parlor, I don’t remember, or where my receipt is, I don’t have one. Celia got a tattoo too for the record.
What did I get do you ask, I got Gye Nyame which means "except for God" an Adrinka symbol of the supremacy/ Omnipotence and immortality of God. During my month long stay in Ghana several years back, the symbol took on a very personal meaning to me and I’ve always admired the Ghanaian people and their practices. It was quite a life changing experience. Friends asked good questions, “why couldn’t you just think Gye Nyame?” Another asked, “aren’t you too old for a tattoo?” Still another asked, “what is that going to look like when you’re 80?” I don’t have an answer for any but I must admit I love my new tattoo. I’m sure when I get old it’ll look like a little blob on my arm but that’s ok, I’ll enjoy it while my skin is still tight. Check the tattoo party pics below.
Cleveland or NYC; You Decide…
Red Pop
Some of simplest things in life often make us the happiest. Growing up in the hood I had my picks. Now Laters (actually Now and Later), Sugar Babies, Troyer Farms potato chips, Hot Cheetos, Funyuns, Red Hots, Lemonhead, Kings Candy Cigarettes and the list goes on. However my weakness has always been soda. My favorite soda aside from Vanilla Coke, is Cherikee Red (note the spelling) Soda otherwise known as red pop. There is a brand of soda in Youngstown called Top Pop soda, 20 ounces for a mere 99 cents. I think it’s comparable to Faygo or Fanta. According to several sites, Cherikee Red is a brand of cherry flavored soda pop. Its name is a play on the name of the Cherokee Indian Tribe.
The Cherikee Red brand debuted in 1969 as a product of Cotton Club Bottling and Canning Company in Cleveland, Ohio. The product was initially bottled by Cotton Club, the A.J. Canfield Company in Chicago and Will G Keck Corporation's Laurel Springs Beverage division in Kecksburg, Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the brand is owned by the American Bottling Company of Plano, Texas, a subsidiary of Dr Pepper Snapple Group. (Boy do I love Snapple too!)
Most commonly found in Ohio and Pennsylvania, the soda is rarely found outside of these two states. Despite not being as commercially successful as other popular cherry sodas, it has a popular nostalgic value within the distribution region of Cotton Club Bottling.
While I was in Rite Aid today I stumbled upon a new red soda, check the pic below. I had to buy it for a taste test. No comparison, nothing beats my Cherikee Red. Of course these items are more commonly found in the hood, interesting, like Popeye’s, none of those outside the hood. If anyone knows where to locate some Cherikee Red outside of Ohio or Pennsylvanian, let me know.
Cleveland or NYC; You Decide…
The Cherikee Red brand debuted in 1969 as a product of Cotton Club Bottling and Canning Company in Cleveland, Ohio. The product was initially bottled by Cotton Club, the A.J. Canfield Company in Chicago and Will G Keck Corporation's Laurel Springs Beverage division in Kecksburg, Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the brand is owned by the American Bottling Company of Plano, Texas, a subsidiary of Dr Pepper Snapple Group. (Boy do I love Snapple too!)
Most commonly found in Ohio and Pennsylvania, the soda is rarely found outside of these two states. Despite not being as commercially successful as other popular cherry sodas, it has a popular nostalgic value within the distribution region of Cotton Club Bottling.
While I was in Rite Aid today I stumbled upon a new red soda, check the pic below. I had to buy it for a taste test. No comparison, nothing beats my Cherikee Red. Of course these items are more commonly found in the hood, interesting, like Popeye’s, none of those outside the hood. If anyone knows where to locate some Cherikee Red outside of Ohio or Pennsylvanian, let me know.
Cleveland or NYC; You Decide…
Sunday, August 8, 2010
The Friendly Skies
So one of the things that has not changed since moving to the city is flying. I absolutely hate flying, regardless of the city. It stresses me out every single time I have to do it which is fairly often. I’m a true Ohioan I guess, I’d rather drive, but I guess it’s not so time efficient to drive. I really hate flying from LaGuardia. It’s crowded, most of the staff are pushy and unfriendly and the flights are constantly delayed, especially when I’m flying from Ohio. It’s not like my wonderful Ohio, airports; fewer passengers, friendly staff, smooth security process, you know, more of what you would expect when you’re spending hundreds of dollars on flights. However, this week I was introduced to a new flying experience, the Delta Shuttle http://www.delta.com/planning_reservations/plan_flight/flight_partners/delta_shuttle/index.jsp. According to Wiki, Delta Shuttle is the brand name for Delta Air Lines' air shuttle service between LaGuardia Airport, Logan International Airport in Boston, and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport serving Washington, D.C.. It is a direct competitor with the US Airways Shuttle (but so much better).
At LaGuardia, the Shuttle operates out of the Marine Air Terminal, separate from other Delta Air Lines operations and the rest of the airport, even accessed from the Grand Central Parkway from a different exit than the other terminals. Delta markets the Shuttle as being the closest terminal to Manhattan. The service is amazing. First, you go to a totally different part of chaotic LGA. There are fewer flyers, mostly business, it’s one small security line which is really quick because there are so many flights per hour so it’s not big back ups. The atmosphere is laid back and quiet. There are free papers (NYT, Boston Globe, Washington Post, magazines, it’s lovely. And best of all there’s free coffee, tea, and bagels! We truly live in a world of the haves and haves not(s). I mean this service is totally different from regular Delta service. When you leave cabs are waiting like limos outside just begging to service you unlike other terminals where you can expect at least a 15 minute wait for a cab any time you land.
The site claims: The shuttle offers a unique level of service designed primarily for business travelers between the northeast's business centers in Washington, DC, New York, and Boston. Services and amenities found on Delta Shuttle flights not usually found on Delta "mainline" flights include:
• Open-seating policy (to decrease delays associated with standard boarding procedures)
• Enhanced snack service on all weekday flights (on "mainline" flights, Delta's enhanced snack service is reserved for flights longer than 3.5 hours)
• Complimentary wine and premium beer
• In addition, in gate waiting areas at Shuttle airports, passengers are offered complimentary newspapers and magazines, coffee, and juice.
Unbelievable! Why aren’t all flights like this? It’s not like we don’t pay enough to fly. The service isn’t much more expensive than regular service and if you are flying to one of these locations it’s totally worth it. So I want to spread the word, fly Delta shuttle if you can. If anyone knows about a service like this is Ohio, PLEASE let me know. In addition to the great flight experience I’d like to share some beautiful pics I capture in the friendly skies. Enjoy.
Cleveland or NYC; You Decide…
At LaGuardia, the Shuttle operates out of the Marine Air Terminal, separate from other Delta Air Lines operations and the rest of the airport, even accessed from the Grand Central Parkway from a different exit than the other terminals. Delta markets the Shuttle as being the closest terminal to Manhattan. The service is amazing. First, you go to a totally different part of chaotic LGA. There are fewer flyers, mostly business, it’s one small security line which is really quick because there are so many flights per hour so it’s not big back ups. The atmosphere is laid back and quiet. There are free papers (NYT, Boston Globe, Washington Post, magazines, it’s lovely. And best of all there’s free coffee, tea, and bagels! We truly live in a world of the haves and haves not(s). I mean this service is totally different from regular Delta service. When you leave cabs are waiting like limos outside just begging to service you unlike other terminals where you can expect at least a 15 minute wait for a cab any time you land.
The site claims: The shuttle offers a unique level of service designed primarily for business travelers between the northeast's business centers in Washington, DC, New York, and Boston. Services and amenities found on Delta Shuttle flights not usually found on Delta "mainline" flights include:
• Open-seating policy (to decrease delays associated with standard boarding procedures)
• Enhanced snack service on all weekday flights (on "mainline" flights, Delta's enhanced snack service is reserved for flights longer than 3.5 hours)
• Complimentary wine and premium beer
• In addition, in gate waiting areas at Shuttle airports, passengers are offered complimentary newspapers and magazines, coffee, and juice.
Unbelievable! Why aren’t all flights like this? It’s not like we don’t pay enough to fly. The service isn’t much more expensive than regular service and if you are flying to one of these locations it’s totally worth it. So I want to spread the word, fly Delta shuttle if you can. If anyone knows about a service like this is Ohio, PLEASE let me know. In addition to the great flight experience I’d like to share some beautiful pics I capture in the friendly skies. Enjoy.
Cleveland or NYC; You Decide…
NYC Beauty Parlor Update
Below is an old post about my NYC Beauty "Parlor" Experience. I thought it deserved an update since my last post. I've given the Dominican hair experience another chance and it's great. I went to a new place (just up the street from the last one) and it was wonderful. For a mere $15 you can get a wash/condition and blow out or curls. What a deal? I've realized that the blow out wasn't for me, too much heat and a little too much "curler bump" on the ends. However, once they take the rollers out they can put pins in it like pin curls. It's just wonderful. So when you need a quick cute "do" consider your local Dominican beauty parlor. P.S. I’m not so comfortable with additional services so if anyone knows a great beautician in the city, let me know!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
My NYC Beauty "Parlor" Experience
Most women struggle with their hair as has been highlighted by the recent Chris Rock phenomenon Good Hair. In Ohio, my typical trip the salon as we call it in Ohio ran me about $60 or $70 for a wash, condition, blow dry and press (not to simplify the process at all). If I wanted color , cut, trim, or any sort of hot oil or vitamin treatment the price easily starts creeping into the low hundreds.
Since in moved to the city I’ve been hearing about the $10 Dominican blow up. I’ve been hearing different takes on this process so finally decided to check it out for myself.
My first question was “How do I know that someone is Dominican?” Certainly it’s not appropriate to ask. Second, “do only Dominicans offer this service and if so why?” The most important question perhaps is “Is a wash and blow out for $10 possible?” And maybe one additional question is what is a “blow out”. When I blow dry my hair it’s like a limp afro and no disrespect to the afro or those you are still rocking it but I don’t want an afro, I have a lot of hair on my head. I wondered is it possible to blow dry ones hair to straight, silky perfection (this is what I’m looking for).
So after work this week I decided to go to the first “Dominican” beauty salon that I found. If decided that there are two within 2 blocks of me. How do I know they are Dominican do you ask? Well on has Dominican in the name and the other looks like the first so there you go there’s my logic.
I decided to the one that’s on the way to my house from work. I went in and of course experience a severe language barrier. Note to self: I REALLY need to learn Spanish especially in my neighborhood. Once we were able to communicate what I wanted I learned that a wash and “blow out” was $18 and a wash, condition and blow out was $23. Not bad at all and much cheaper than home. We got started and boy did this wonderful woman give me a wash. They put in a leave in condition and put me under the dryer. They took me from under the dryer, rinsed out the condition and then to my surprise put huge rollers in my hair. I can’t remember the last time I had rollers. After the rollers I went under the dryer again for about nearly an hour. I have to admit I was feeling a little nervous at this point. After the dryer another woman started taking out the rollers and I was actually pretty impressed and satisfied with what my hair looked like and actually could have paid my $25 and been out. However, I knew because of the language barrier it’d be a lost cause to deviate from the process. Next they take crazy hot blow dryer and blow out each section and your hair gets unbelievably straight. Once again I was satisfied with what I saw and could have paid but apparently there as another step. She reached for the hot curlers and started to hard core bump my ends. For those of you sistahs reading, you remember back in the day before you were introduced to the flat iron and your hair dresser used to give you the page boy with the hard bump at your ends LMAO. Well what really blew my mind was this grandma like sweet woman then swept one side of my hair behind my ear, wow!
Overall the experience was wonderful and the women in the shop were very friendly. The price was right and I had to do minimal fixing when I got home. Is this is a possible option when one is sick like I was but needs their wig split? Definitely. Will this become my new hair care option? Probably not. Either way, I think I can say that I experienced the Dominican blow out though it wasn’t $10 and I’m not sure these wonderful ladies were Dominican.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
My NYC Beauty "Parlor" Experience
Most women struggle with their hair as has been highlighted by the recent Chris Rock phenomenon Good Hair. In Ohio, my typical trip the salon as we call it in Ohio ran me about $60 or $70 for a wash, condition, blow dry and press (not to simplify the process at all). If I wanted color , cut, trim, or any sort of hot oil or vitamin treatment the price easily starts creeping into the low hundreds.
Since in moved to the city I’ve been hearing about the $10 Dominican blow up. I’ve been hearing different takes on this process so finally decided to check it out for myself.
My first question was “How do I know that someone is Dominican?” Certainly it’s not appropriate to ask. Second, “do only Dominicans offer this service and if so why?” The most important question perhaps is “Is a wash and blow out for $10 possible?” And maybe one additional question is what is a “blow out”. When I blow dry my hair it’s like a limp afro and no disrespect to the afro or those you are still rocking it but I don’t want an afro, I have a lot of hair on my head. I wondered is it possible to blow dry ones hair to straight, silky perfection (this is what I’m looking for).
So after work this week I decided to go to the first “Dominican” beauty salon that I found. If decided that there are two within 2 blocks of me. How do I know they are Dominican do you ask? Well on has Dominican in the name and the other looks like the first so there you go there’s my logic.
I decided to the one that’s on the way to my house from work. I went in and of course experience a severe language barrier. Note to self: I REALLY need to learn Spanish especially in my neighborhood. Once we were able to communicate what I wanted I learned that a wash and “blow out” was $18 and a wash, condition and blow out was $23. Not bad at all and much cheaper than home. We got started and boy did this wonderful woman give me a wash. They put in a leave in condition and put me under the dryer. They took me from under the dryer, rinsed out the condition and then to my surprise put huge rollers in my hair. I can’t remember the last time I had rollers. After the rollers I went under the dryer again for about nearly an hour. I have to admit I was feeling a little nervous at this point. After the dryer another woman started taking out the rollers and I was actually pretty impressed and satisfied with what my hair looked like and actually could have paid my $25 and been out. However, I knew because of the language barrier it’d be a lost cause to deviate from the process. Next they take crazy hot blow dryer and blow out each section and your hair gets unbelievably straight. Once again I was satisfied with what I saw and could have paid but apparently there as another step. She reached for the hot curlers and started to hard core bump my ends. For those of you sistahs reading, you remember back in the day before you were introduced to the flat iron and your hair dresser used to give you the page boy with the hard bump at your ends LMAO. Well what really blew my mind was this grandma like sweet woman then swept one side of my hair behind my ear, wow!
Overall the experience was wonderful and the women in the shop were very friendly. The price was right and I had to do minimal fixing when I got home. Is this is a possible option when one is sick like I was but needs their wig split? Definitely. Will this become my new hair care option? Probably not. Either way, I think I can say that I experienced the Dominican blow out though it wasn’t $10 and I’m not sure these wonderful ladies were Dominican.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Parks: A Great Cheap Date
At first glance, NYC seems like a really expensive place to explore. I’m not saying that it isn’t. However, I’m learning that there are some really inexpensive ways of seeing an enjoying the city, the parks. I finally made it to Central Park, yes nearly a year after being here, it’s really an incredible place. I’ll always have an affinity for my beloved Mill Creek Park in Youngstown (http://www.millcreekmetroparks.com/) that is also an incredible oasis in the middle of a very urban city. Mill Creek will always be my favorite park in the world, but Central Park is some unbelievable place. I went to the park to see a FREE Alvin Ailey show, a part of Summerstage, a fantastic free concert series around the city: (http://www.summerstage.org/mainstage.html). Obviously something like this is high demand so when I got there about 30 minutes before the show was scheduled to begin; it was well over capacity with a couple hundred people outside the gate trying to get in. The great thing is that park is so big you could spend days just exploring the park itself and it’s huge of course. Since we couldn’t get in, we just hung around, enjoyed the cool breeze, listened to the music, watched the scenes and strolled the park. The thing that constantly overwhelms me about NYC, is the number of people here. Everywhere you go, people. That night in the park there were literally thousands of people and we were there well past dark. There were folks playing the drums, dancing, lovebirds strolling, kids playing and all in the middle of one of the biggest cities in the world. It was amazing to walk through the park and look through the trees and see the lights of CNN building.
Monday I visited another park that one of my pal tells me is actually a school field. The Martin Luther King Jr. Free Concert Series — Wingate Field, Brooklyn (http://www.brooklyn.com/modules.php?name=Wingate_Field) also holds free concerts. This Monday was Chrisette Michele and Musiq Soulchild, FREE. The concert was packed and the performances were great. They’ve scheduled acts for all ages, Toni Braxton, Salt-N-Pepa, Naughty By Nature, Aretha Franklin and Sean Paul to name a few. Get there early though and pack a snack because there’s no food in the park. I definitely won’t be missing Salt-N-Pepa this Monday for a little Ooh baby baby!
I can’t wait to visit another park called the High Line (http://www.thehighline.org/). The High Line is on Manhattan's West Side in the Meatpacking. “The High Line was originally constructed in the 1930s, to lift dangerous freight trains off Manhattan's streets. Section 1 of the High Line is open as a public park, owned by the City of New York and operated under the jurisdiction of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. When all sections are complete, the High Line will be a mile-and-a-half-long elevated park, running through the West Side neighborhoods of the Meatpacking District, West Chelsea and Clinton/Hell's Kitchen. It features an integrated landscape, designed by landscape architects James Corner Field Operations, with architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, combining meandering concrete pathways with naturalistic plantings. Fixed and movable seating, lighting, and special features are also included in the park.
Access points from street level will be located every two to three blocks. Many of these access points will include elevators, and all will include stairs.” I’m especially excited to visit this park because The City of Cleveland is looking at similar models to repurpose abandoned spaces around the city particularly in my old neighborhood the Warehouse District. Also, the designers of the High Line may be doing some work in Cleveland’s Public Square.
We often forget what a great cheap date a park is, regardless of the city. So remember, while the weather is still nice, get out and enjoy your local park’s beauty, grandeur and freeness! Enjoy some pics from the park
Cleveland or NYC; You Decide…
Monday I visited another park that one of my pal tells me is actually a school field. The Martin Luther King Jr. Free Concert Series — Wingate Field, Brooklyn (http://www.brooklyn.com/modules.php?name=Wingate_Field) also holds free concerts. This Monday was Chrisette Michele and Musiq Soulchild, FREE. The concert was packed and the performances were great. They’ve scheduled acts for all ages, Toni Braxton, Salt-N-Pepa, Naughty By Nature, Aretha Franklin and Sean Paul to name a few. Get there early though and pack a snack because there’s no food in the park. I definitely won’t be missing Salt-N-Pepa this Monday for a little Ooh baby baby!
I can’t wait to visit another park called the High Line (http://www.thehighline.org/). The High Line is on Manhattan's West Side in the Meatpacking. “The High Line was originally constructed in the 1930s, to lift dangerous freight trains off Manhattan's streets. Section 1 of the High Line is open as a public park, owned by the City of New York and operated under the jurisdiction of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. When all sections are complete, the High Line will be a mile-and-a-half-long elevated park, running through the West Side neighborhoods of the Meatpacking District, West Chelsea and Clinton/Hell's Kitchen. It features an integrated landscape, designed by landscape architects James Corner Field Operations, with architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, combining meandering concrete pathways with naturalistic plantings. Fixed and movable seating, lighting, and special features are also included in the park.
Access points from street level will be located every two to three blocks. Many of these access points will include elevators, and all will include stairs.” I’m especially excited to visit this park because The City of Cleveland is looking at similar models to repurpose abandoned spaces around the city particularly in my old neighborhood the Warehouse District. Also, the designers of the High Line may be doing some work in Cleveland’s Public Square.
We often forget what a great cheap date a park is, regardless of the city. So remember, while the weather is still nice, get out and enjoy your local park’s beauty, grandeur and freeness! Enjoy some pics from the park
Cleveland or NYC; You Decide…
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The View
I'm not sure if I've shared the view from my office before but in case I haven't I'd like to now. My office is located on 125th street between 5th and Lenox avenues in the heart of Harlem. It is amazing growing up and hearing about a place then being there. One of the things you often don't get a lot of in NEO is a great view. A great view in NEO, especially Youngstown is being on the 5th floor of a building. In Cleveland I lived on the 9th floor and that was really something. Many folks in NYC have views from the 50th, 60th floor, amazing. Though my Harlem view is only from the 11th floor, it's pretty spectacular and I'd like to share. Enjoy
Cleveland or NYC; You Decide…
Cleveland or NYC; You Decide…
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