August 4th Evening through August 5th:
Before heading all the way back into Midtown from Queens we still had one more attraction on our list to visit. Prospect Park in Brooklyn is a large, enormous really, mixed use recreational area in Brooklyn. Adjacent to the park and the Metro Station at which we arrived is the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. There was a fee to visit the Botanical Garden, and we mutually decided that we would rather spend our time looking at different neighborhoods. I must say the pictures and virtual tours on the web site make it appear to be a beautiful place worthy of a visit.
Returning focus to Prospect park, we entered through a beautiful granite archway and headed down a path into what seemed to be the heart of the park. We passed by Prospect Park Zoo which was in the process of closing for the night. Prospect Park was not at all what I expected. I had it in my mind that it was going to be something like Central Park but perhaps not as ornate. Instead, the area which Kate and I visited was mainly comprised with forests and felt more like a wild life sanctuary of sorts. Some of the occasional meadows and fields were a bit neglected, in desperate need of a mow. There was a significant amount of garbage around some places. Most of the recreational use appeared to be joggers and bikers as opposed to those taking leisurely strolls.
I personally felt there were a lot of unsavory characters wandering in this vicinity. I saw at least two late teen to early twenties men off in the woods, each by themselves away from the path. They appeared to be hiding under the cover of the evergreens waiting for someone, intermittently talking on their cell phones with purpose. I couldn’t help but wonder if they were either selling, or waiting for a delivery of drugs. Really there didn’t seem to be any other logical explanation why they would be in weird spots like that, by themselves, at dusk.
At another point about 4 local teenagers appeared out of the woods in front of us as we were walking. They seemed to be just cutting through, but I was a bit uneasy and on guard. I quickened my pace trying not to make it noticeable, and stared at my unseen destination trying not to make too much eye contact with them. At one point we came to an ornate granite tunnel underneath a road, we were headed through but at the entrance I heard voices echoing inside. It was very dark inside, and I could barely make out what seemed to be room sized recesses midway under the road off on either side of the path. I stopped and Kate asked what was wrong and I simply said “let’s take a different path”, later I explained myself when we were further away.
I was notably irritable, the bugs were starting to bite, and it was getting darker. Additionally there were way too few people out on the paths for my personal comfort. Kate, perhaps sensing my unease says “This isn’t what I expected,” I quickly responded saying we should just head back to Midtown.
If we had come to Prospect Park earlier in the day with a map of the park, and perhaps a plan of what attractions to see, maybe it would be worthwhile. I probably would appreciate a park like this a lot more had I not grown up near the countryside, and if I didn’t have the means of easily leaving the city. Personally I didn’t find Prospect Park (585 acres) to be all that different from Franklin Park (485 acres) here in Boston. They share many features in common. Both are a bit neglected, both have Zoos, both have golf courses, both have a more “sanctuary” sort of feel than a traditional city park. Interestingly, the parks even share a common designer Frederick Law Olmsted. The main difference with Prospect Park is probably the size (which actually isn’t too different). In fact, one of my complaints to Kate upon leaving was that Prospect Park was not a uniquely “NYC” experience and simply put, it wasn’t what I had come to New York City for. Kate agreed, and we hurried back to the Metro to head to Midtown. I was beginning to get hungry which was an added incentive.
We chose to go to V&T pizzeria which was on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. V&T’s had a very classic atmosphere, dark woodwork, an older Italian waiter, slow service, but great food. It had that sort of romantic feel one might expect from an establishment that has survived many years. I noticed what I surmised were a couple of “regulars” come in at one point who were seated without question. A small plasma screen TV was stashed behind the bar and a Yankees game was on. Kate and I had some Bruschetta for an appetizer and a pizza with peppers, meatballs, and pepperoni. A small pizza was plenty as I think it was 12 inches, and being hand stretched it probably came out more like 14.
After a relaxing dinner we headed to see the Lincoln Center. The water fountains were supposed to have a “light show” which we decided would best be appreciated when it was fully dark. We headed to Broadway and picked up the Metro to 66th St. We walked a block or two and found the plaza containing the lit up fountains. It was packed with people taking photographs. I took a few photos, however since I’m a novice they came out blurry for the most part. Kate and I did quite a bit more walking, eventually we ended up milling around in Times Square for a little while.
As you have ascertained it had been a very long busy day for Kate and I, and it was probably 10:30 or 11:00 when we finally decided we had to head back to the Chelsea Lodge so we could relax, and get our beauty sleep.
Sunday morning we were of course saddened that our time together in NYC was near an end. We decided to eat a hearty breakfast at a nearby diner before heading to the Port Authority Bus Terminal. I had noticed a place called “The Malibu Diner” on one of our walks that was only a
few blocks from the Metro station. We eagerly headed off in pursuit of some greasy egg and batter laden delights with our suit cases in tow.
The Malibu Diner was on W23rd St. between 7th and 6th Avenue. Our food was cheap, quickly prepared, and very filling. The décor of the diner is probably exactly what you would expect. It didn’t appear to have been updated since at least the 70s, but was clean and well maintained. I had a short stack of pancakes with a side of bacon & sausage. This was accompanied by an orange juice and chocolate milk (which amusingly was regular milk with Nestle Quick). Kate had some tasty looking French toast. I think we both left the Malibu Diner very satisfied that we had experienced the quintessential NYC diner.
Kate and I were lucky and managed to get on an early bus back to Boston. I occasionally dozed off on the long ride back. The sun glimmered through the passing buildings and trees, through the tinted bus windows reminding me of the fleeting nature of summer, and for that matter, life itself. I was sad to see our time in NYC, our vacation, and our urban wandering come to an end when it seemed like it had only just begun. As I nodded off, shifting uncomfortably in the cramped bus seat, I smiled inwardly knowing that this would be a trip I’ll remember for years to come. When we neared Boston I admired the familiar green rolling hills that form the common landscape of New England. The sky was crystal blue contrasting upon the undulating leaves of the trees. To my right as we passed through Framingham I saw a railroad trestle over a lake. On the trestle teenagers were sun bathing, laughing, and jumping into the inviting glistening pool below. Despite my worn out state I just had an overwhelming sense of happiness. It was an emotional culmination of how wonderful summer is, how lucky I am to have Kate in my life, and how thrilled I am to be alive.
Before heading all the way back into Midtown from Queens we still had one more attraction on our list to visit. Prospect Park in Brooklyn is a large, enormous really, mixed use recreational area in Brooklyn. Adjacent to the park and the Metro Station at which we arrived is the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. There was a fee to visit the Botanical Garden, and we mutually decided that we would rather spend our time looking at different neighborhoods. I must say the pictures and virtual tours on the web site make it appear to be a beautiful place worthy of a visit.
Returning focus to Prospect park, we entered through a beautiful granite archway and headed down a path into what seemed to be the heart of the park. We passed by Prospect Park Zoo which was in the process of closing for the night. Prospect Park was not at all what I expected. I had it in my mind that it was going to be something like Central Park but perhaps not as ornate. Instead, the area which Kate and I visited was mainly comprised with forests and felt more like a wild life sanctuary of sorts. Some of the occasional meadows and fields were a bit neglected, in desperate need of a mow. There was a significant amount of garbage around some places. Most of the recreational use appeared to be joggers and bikers as opposed to those taking leisurely strolls.
I personally felt there were a lot of unsavory characters wandering in this vicinity. I saw at least two late teen to early twenties men off in the woods, each by themselves away from the path. They appeared to be hiding under the cover of the evergreens waiting for someone, intermittently talking on their cell phones with purpose. I couldn’t help but wonder if they were either selling, or waiting for a delivery of drugs. Really there didn’t seem to be any other logical explanation why they would be in weird spots like that, by themselves, at dusk.
At another point about 4 local teenagers appeared out of the woods in front of us as we were walking. They seemed to be just cutting through, but I was a bit uneasy and on guard. I quickened my pace trying not to make it noticeable, and stared at my unseen destination trying not to make too much eye contact with them. At one point we came to an ornate granite tunnel underneath a road, we were headed through but at the entrance I heard voices echoing inside. It was very dark inside, and I could barely make out what seemed to be room sized recesses midway under the road off on either side of the path. I stopped and Kate asked what was wrong and I simply said “let’s take a different path”, later I explained myself when we were further away.
I was notably irritable, the bugs were starting to bite, and it was getting darker. Additionally there were way too few people out on the paths for my personal comfort. Kate, perhaps sensing my unease says “This isn’t what I expected,” I quickly responded saying we should just head back to Midtown.
If we had come to Prospect Park earlier in the day with a map of the park, and perhaps a plan of what attractions to see, maybe it would be worthwhile. I probably would appreciate a park like this a lot more had I not grown up near the countryside, and if I didn’t have the means of easily leaving the city. Personally I didn’t find Prospect Park (585 acres) to be all that different from Franklin Park (485 acres) here in Boston. They share many features in common. Both are a bit neglected, both have Zoos, both have golf courses, both have a more “sanctuary” sort of feel than a traditional city park. Interestingly, the parks even share a common designer Frederick Law Olmsted. The main difference with Prospect Park is probably the size (which actually isn’t too different). In fact, one of my complaints to Kate upon leaving was that Prospect Park was not a uniquely “NYC” experience and simply put, it wasn’t what I had come to New York City for. Kate agreed, and we hurried back to the Metro to head to Midtown. I was beginning to get hungry which was an added incentive.
We chose to go to V&T pizzeria which was on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. V&T’s had a very classic atmosphere, dark woodwork, an older Italian waiter, slow service, but great food. It had that sort of romantic feel one might expect from an establishment that has survived many years. I noticed what I surmised were a couple of “regulars” come in at one point who were seated without question. A small plasma screen TV was stashed behind the bar and a Yankees game was on. Kate and I had some Bruschetta for an appetizer and a pizza with peppers, meatballs, and pepperoni. A small pizza was plenty as I think it was 12 inches, and being hand stretched it probably came out more like 14.
After a relaxing dinner we headed to see the Lincoln Center. The water fountains were supposed to have a “light show” which we decided would best be appreciated when it was fully dark. We headed to Broadway and picked up the Metro to 66th St. We walked a block or two and found the plaza containing the lit up fountains. It was packed with people taking photographs. I took a few photos, however since I’m a novice they came out blurry for the most part. Kate and I did quite a bit more walking, eventually we ended up milling around in Times Square for a little while.
As you have ascertained it had been a very long busy day for Kate and I, and it was probably 10:30 or 11:00 when we finally decided we had to head back to the Chelsea Lodge so we could relax, and get our beauty sleep.
Sunday morning we were of course saddened that our time together in NYC was near an end. We decided to eat a hearty breakfast at a nearby diner before heading to the Port Authority Bus Terminal. I had noticed a place called “The Malibu Diner” on one of our walks that was only a
few blocks from the Metro station. We eagerly headed off in pursuit of some greasy egg and batter laden delights with our suit cases in tow.The Malibu Diner was on W23rd St. between 7th and 6th Avenue. Our food was cheap, quickly prepared, and very filling. The décor of the diner is probably exactly what you would expect. It didn’t appear to have been updated since at least the 70s, but was clean and well maintained. I had a short stack of pancakes with a side of bacon & sausage. This was accompanied by an orange juice and chocolate milk (which amusingly was regular milk with Nestle Quick). Kate had some tasty looking French toast. I think we both left the Malibu Diner very satisfied that we had experienced the quintessential NYC diner.
Kate and I were lucky and managed to get on an early bus back to Boston. I occasionally dozed off on the long ride back. The sun glimmered through the passing buildings and trees, through the tinted bus windows reminding me of the fleeting nature of summer, and for that matter, life itself. I was sad to see our time in NYC, our vacation, and our urban wandering come to an end when it seemed like it had only just begun. As I nodded off, shifting uncomfortably in the cramped bus seat, I smiled inwardly knowing that this would be a trip I’ll remember for years to come. When we neared Boston I admired the familiar green rolling hills that form the common landscape of New England. The sky was crystal blue contrasting upon the undulating leaves of the trees. To my right as we passed through Framingham I saw a railroad trestle over a lake. On the trestle teenagers were sun bathing, laughing, and jumping into the inviting glistening pool below. Despite my worn out state I just had an overwhelming sense of happiness. It was an emotional culmination of how wonderful summer is, how lucky I am to have Kate in my life, and how thrilled I am to be alive.
2 comments:
George Parks is indeed a lucky man!
- Hayes
So damned romantic...awww...
What happened to the guy I knew who made the ceremonial fourth trip and came home to eat a 12 inch Subway sub and a massive bag of popcorn?? :)
--Scottie
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