my jaunts: new york city

gets me every time!

gets me every time!

a couple of weeks ago, i spent the weekend in new york – my very favorite of cities.  the weekend was spent catching up with old friends and celebrating life events, and therefore did not lend itself to site-seeing or checking out new restaurants or shops.  but just being in the city is enough, to see the loud nypd direct traffic, to hear the ridiculous cacophony (big word) of the horns and bike bells, to experience the energy that inspires millions.

tulips on park avenue

tulips on park avenue

also, it’s spring.  spring in new york, which never ceases to amaze me.  my very first visit to new york was in april of 1999.  it was over easter weekend, and we stayed downtown in the hotel between the world trade center towers.  we took photos of all the people rushing up the escalators in the morning.  instantly, i fell in love.  despite being cold (why must the new york weather be the last to hear of spring?), central park was in full bloom, and our carriage driver (yes, carriage driver) shouted “happy easter!” to each passing hasidic jew.

stumbled upon a mile-long sikh festival

stumbled upon a mile-long sikh festival, and couldn’t resist invading some personal space for a closer look at these earrings (let’s be honest, there was no personal space at that parade).

fifteen years later and i’m still in love.  maybe because i don’t live there and the magic isn’t replaced with tired feet and freezing winters and cramped apartments, but rather still exists in the tulips on park avenue, the random cultural events that pop up at a moment’s notice, the pure joy of quietly reading a book in bryant park while surrounded by the nation’s craziest intersection.

a bagel and a novel (thanks, bagel & schmear) during a quiet morning in bryant park

a bagel and a novel (thanks, bagel & schmear) during a quiet morning in bryant park

after many visits, new york still isn’t my home (and may never be), but it’s my happy place.  and with spring being my happy season, it doesn’t get much better than april in manhattan.

bright and cheery at madison square in new york

bright and cheery at madison square in new york

what’s your favorite place for spring?

my jaunts: for love of the game

a beautiful night for baseball at chavez ravine in los angeles

a beautiful night for baseball at chavez ravine in los angeles

all of this post-season baseball has me excited for, well, the best sport in america.  i haven’t always been a fan, though.  during a wildly fun trip to new york in the summer of 2004, my best friend dragged me to a new york yankees baseball game.  i was very skeptical of this outing (why do we need to go to the bronx again?) and frantically looked up safety issues for the surrounding burroughs.

my first ever major league game at yankee stadium with kim!

my first ever major league game at yankee stadium with kim!

once in the park, though, i fell in love.  the fans, the music, the hot dogs and beer, the players – i loved it all!  and it was so decidedly new york.  it was big and it was passionate and it was that crazy high of community you get at any great sporting event.  and it didn’t hurt that a-rod hit a walk-off home run to win the game (fact: i did not know who a-rod was at said game, but rather fell in love with hideki matsui).  riding back on the subway to manhattan (crammed full of fans, by the way – no safety issues there!), a long-time yankees fan struck up a conversation and, after hearing this was my first game, said, ‘after a game like that, you’re a fan for life.’  and so i am.

enjoying the game from the bleachers at the rangers ballpark in arlington

enjoying the game from the bleachers at the rangers ballpark in arlington

fast forward 9 years, and i’m now married to an avid baseball fan, which means we spend a fair amount of our summers watching baseball.  naturally, any trip to a major city involves catching a game or at least a stadium tour.  i’m looking for a map to track the stadiums visited (anyone have any ideas?  i’m all ears!), but in the meantime, please enjoy some photos and, of course, some lists.

the view of downtown pittsburgh from pnc park - stunning!

the view of downtown pittsburgh from pnc park – stunning!

  • favorite stadium overall: old yankees stadium (of course, it’s where the magic happened)
  • favorite view from the stands: tied between pnc park, where the pittsburgh pirates play, and petco park, where the san diego padres play.  one is on the water with the city in the background, and the other is in the middle of downtown san diego.  stunning.
  • favorite hot dog: the world famous dodger dog in dodger stadium in echo park, los angeles
  • favorite beer: the many microbrews offered at safeco field, where the seattle mariners play
  • favorite stands: the crammed and awkward stands at fenway park in boston (especially the green monster!)
  • favorite fans: the bleacher creatures :)
the view of downtown san diego from petco park

the view of downtown san diego from petco park

what are your favorite sports related sites to visit?

my favorite: parks

barndall art park in los feliz, los angeles

barndall art park in los feliz, los angeles; looking north toward griffith observatory

i grew up in tulsa, oklahoma, which is a city full of parks. you can’t stroll more than a few blocks before running into one, so much so that i took green spaces for granted until i moved away. parks remind me of friends and family, picnics (i’m a sucker for a good picnic – check out my picnic board on pinterest), late-night walks, shakespeare in the park and, more than anything, lots of green space. in my opinion, the best provide a place to hang out with friends, beautiful surroundings, and a little bit of the arts. here is a small sample of my favorite parks i have found throughout my travels.

1.stanley park, vancouver, canada – i visited stanley park on a beautiful day in august with my best friend. we rented bikes, and cycled around the perimeter of the grounds, looking across the vancouver harbor and the burrard inlet, passing lighthouses and totem poles, and lazy beaches on the west side. after turning in our bikes, we looped back to the theatre under the stars for a performance of singin in the rain with a glass of wine and some themed photos during intermission (see below).

central park, new york city

central park, new york city

2.central park, new york, new york – ok, this is a given. it’s expected because it’s the best. it’s classic. where else can you find an ice-skating rink in the middle of green space with sky scrapers framing the backdrop? stop by the castle or run around the reservoir, or simply enjoy the plentiful art throughout the park (my favorite is the alice in wonderland sculpture on the southeast side of the park). and when you’re finished with the outdoors, step into the metropolitan museum of art, located inside the park and worthy of its own day entirely.

3. barnsdall art park, los angeles, california – this is my local neighborhood park, and i couldn’t be luckier. set on a hill in the neighborhood of los feliz, the park has views of griffith park to the north and the city and ocean to the west. frank lloyd wright’s hollyhock house sits atop the hill, as well as gallery space, a theater, and classroom space with weekly art classes. wine tastings and open air movie nights are huge perks, but my favorite thing to do is arrive on a saturday, spread out a blanket with a good picnic (told you), and enjoy a great book.

do you have any good parks i should check out?

themed photos during intermission of singin' in the rain in stanley park

themed photos during intermission of singin’ in the rain in stanley park

cycling around stanley park in vancouver (always wear a helmet)

cycling around stanley park in vancouver (always wear a helmet)