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!

new york resurrection

I love it when Easter seems to be timed with the arrival of spring. This year, we in New York have enjoyed just that. The plants are coming out of dormancy and there's vibrant color everywhere. And a lot of this seems to be happening overnight. Sound familiar?

We've had a really nice day so far. We woke up early to make a German apple pancake (highly recommended...and not very difficult!) so we could eat it while we watched Sunday Morning. Then we headed off to church. Here's what greeted us when we stepped outside:


Our church is actually going through a bit of a resurrection itself. At some point in the last century, someone thought it would be a good idea to paint over all the gorgeous murals and mosaics in the chancel. They're finally being restored, and the team is making tremendous progress. It's fun to note the changes each time we go.


Following worship, we walked home because the weather is so gorgeous (albeit a little chilly when the wind whips up). I snapped a few more shots for you. Don't worry...if you haven't seen evidence of it yet, spring really is coming!


(Thank you, Ian, for giving up 68 seconds of your life for this. xo)

Now I'm off to make Easter dinner: spicy roast pork loin with apricot chutney, garlicky haricots verts, and golden onion strata with gruyère and prosciutto. Will report in a comment. In the meantime, happy Easter, Passover, or just plain spring!

pipes and drums

Last weekend, Ian's parents came to spend a few days with us, and we had great fun catching up, eating great food, sightseeing, and play-going -- but I think my favorite part was the Tartan Days parade (the "Hey, we're Celtic too" answer to St. Patrick's Day). It was chilly, gray, and windy, but that didn't stop hundreds of people from lining 6th Avenue to watch the festivities. It was fun to see a whole lot of people who are so enthusiastic about our heritage.

Now, imagine the lilting, haunting music of a pipe and drum corps playing...


As we were making our way back to the subway after the parade, we happened upon two corps who had started to play together: one of the youngest groups (who was actually from Scotland) and one of the oldest.

It was nothing less than heartwarming.

outen the lights

We just enjoyed Earth Hour with the help of 21 candles and a backgammon board. The hour between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. must be one of the most "electric" times the day. It felt incredibly unnatural to have to finish what we were doing and settle down. Ironic, considering that people did this for millennia -- and while they were around, global warming wasn't.

If you're not sure what I'm talking about, check out EarthHour.org. And if you happen to be in a part of the world where it's not yet 8:30 p.m. on March 28, do the earth a favor and turn off your lights. It's just an hour. And it's only the lights. The guidelines don't ban playing Barry White.

inwood

Last Saturday afternoon, we left our cozy apartment in Morningside Heights to explore Inwood, an up-and-coming neighborhood at the very top of Manhattan, because we're considering moving there. We even looked at a couple of apartments, including one with six closets (a treasure trove in New York City).

It's a very pleasant area, with several parks and schools, plus a Revolutionary War fort and The Cloisters (the Met's medieval art collection which is housed in a lovely monastery replica), and has a wonderfully diverse population. I was so excited to see this garden -- and these chinodoxia, or Glories of the Snow, poking out of the ivy. My first flower-sighting of the year. Maybe it was a sign!


When you've moved, how have you decided where to look?

not in a million years

After eight years, I was reunited with my longtime friend, AJ (Dr. AJ!), today -- long ago I'd resigned myself to the fact that I'd probably never see her again. The way it came about is so bizarre. Do you remember that networking website I wrote about a while back? Well, I found AJ's sister, Becca, and subsequently learned that she's living in the city, and that AJ was coming to visit this week. Well, the three of us arranged to have lunch today!

It was wonderful to have my own little slice of Plymouth right there on Spring Street...best lunch in a long time. And I knew we are still kindred spirits when they told me about typos they'd found at The Met -- which included a lovely bust of King Lois XIV. I really hope we're able to stay in touch this time.

pub and culture

On Saturday we decided to defy Daylight Savings time and head down to the Lower East Side for an evening out. One of our favorite bands, The Tossers, were playing, and we hadn't seen them in a while. Since the weather is warming up, we've felt more like going out too, so this was the perfect opportunity.

We got to Mercury Lounge just as the opening band (The Mighty Stef -- good stuff) were finishing up, and who did I end up standing beside in a back corner but Bono himself (The Mighty Stef are from Dublin, which might have something to do with it). Anyway, after I'd gotten over the shock that I'd just brushed elbows with one of the most famous people on Earth, Ian and I made our way up to the front so we could stand at the foot of the stage. It was a great show, and we did get to dance in the pit for a little while (long enough for us to get a good workout and then for me to get punched in the jaw -- don't worry, not even a bruise).

I couldn't get to a spot where I could get the whole band at once, but I put the pictures together and voila!

T, the lead singer-slash-mandolin player, stores his cigarette between the strings during songs. I could do without the smoke wafting right in my face, but I think it's ingenious anyway.

When the show ended, we walked over to get a late dinner at Katz's Delicatessen, the famous deli that's been in several movies, like When Harry Met Sally and, more recently, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. The place was packed with people ordering heaps and heaps of food. I hear the pastrami is fantastic. We tried the corned beef, though, and it was chewy and fatty -- not the juicy, tender meat we're used to. It's one of those places every New Yorker should go to at least once. But I'm pretty sure once is enough.

We've walked by this place dozens of times on various excursions, but I never realized this was the Katz's.

You can either sit down and get waited on, or line up like this crazy group here. There are lots of things to look at while you wait, like big tubs of pickles, hanging sausages, and hundreds of celebrity photos.

I thought Ian might like the pickles here...I think I should just give up on him being a pickle guy.

I tried valiantly to bite through this corned beef sandwich, but ended up having to use a knife and fork. Not the way corned beef should be!

When you come in, be sure to grab a ticket. At the end of the meal, you have to turn it in to the cashier marked with what you ordered.

So when we'd had our fill of corned beef sandwiches, pickles, French fries, coleslaw, knishes, and chocolate egg cremes, we turned in our tickets and made our way home. And slept til nearly noon...Eastern Daylight Time.

PS Watch The Tossers play with Andrew's band, The Scrubbers, in Milwaukee on St. Patrick's Day!