Sunday, April 26, 2009

out and about

Yesterday was beautiful -- 85 degrees and sunny with a light breeze. And like every other New Yorker, Ian and I could hardly wait to get outside. We started by walking through Riverside Park to a mystery destination on 89th Street. Ian found out that the West Side Community Garden was having its annual tulip show and wanted to surprise me by stopping there.


The story of the garden is pretty interesting. The space used to be an abandoned lot covered in rubble, but in the mid '70s, some folks in the neighborhood decided to clean it up. These days, a portion of the garden is an amphitheatre landscaped with bulbs and other perennials, but there's also a section of raised beds where people can cultivate gardens of their own. A number of cultural events are hosted there over the summer, including the Music in a Garden series. I'll certainly be there! Until I can have my own garden, this will be a wonderful substitute. Maybe I can even help out.


When we finished enjoying the garden, we stopped at one of our new favorite pubs, Soldier McGee's, for some Golden Tee and a cold drink. Like a lot of the other restaurants and bars in the city, Soldier McGee's can fold back its front windows making it completely open to the street -- perfect for a day like this.

To finish the day, we met our friends Candice and Bryan for dinner at The Spotted Pig in the West Village. What a cute place! Can't wait for more weekends like this one. Next weekend, though, is reserved for apartment hunting in Inwood and The Heights. Wish us luck!

2 comments:

Jenny CMD said...

What beautiful pictures! I'm so glad there is such beauty in the midst of the city. And so happy you had time to enjoy it. Our spring flowers are way behind yours, but they'll be here someday!!! Love, Mom

kzcliffe said...

I just love the pictures you post! We are finally enjoying loads of blooming tulips, daffodils, etc and so many of the flowering fruit trees - Apple blossoms are glorious. The streets of Waukesha are so lush and colorful. Deerfield is a bit ahead of us so I got to see some lilacs when we were there.
thinking of you often - Happy Spring!