Friday, June 24, 2011
Painting with sand in WSP
A beautiful day in Washington Square Park, complete with Joe Mangrum "painting" with sand while Sesame Street filmed in time lapse.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Welcome to Carroll Gardens aka ... still getting lost on the subway after 13 years
Welcome to Carroll Gardens aka "exploring new york by getting lost on the subway." I usually check directions whenever I head out to a place I've never been before (in this case Woodhaven in Brooklyn) ... this time I didn't. Whoops! After realizing that we had completely missed the subway station where we were supposed to transfer, please note that the Essex stop on the J train is actually called Delancy if you're on the F train, Laura and I discovered Carroll Gardens and it's lovely park while waiting for a friend to come pick us up.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Sing us a song, you're Washington Square Park's piano man...
Parks are rather fascinating microcosms, particularly in NYC, where people from a wide variety of backgrounds, cultures, and social strata come together. They are also spaces just brimming with the unusual and the unlikely (remind me to tell you about the pigeon guy at some point).
In the heart of NYU territory, Washington Square Park is one of those great places to bring a book and some coffee, grab a bench, and engage in a bit of people watching. A couple of Sundays ago, I decided to take the scenic route through the park on the way to a friend's place. I saw the usual crowd -- bucket drummers, naked kids cooling off in the fountain, chess players at the corner tables, random pockets of guitarists jamming, the acapella singers, and, of course, the street dancers, who claim a patch of park and show off break dance and aerobatic moves to old school 80s music (any one in the mood for Beat It?).
However, this particular Sunday, I was surprised and delighted to find a new addition - the piano man!
Meet Colin Huggins, a.k.a. the "crazy piano guy", who wheels his (baby grand!) piano to Washington Square Park regularly to serenade passers-by with everything from Beethoven to The Beatles. (I am really not sure how I have gone a full year living a block away and not seen him before, I mean, I know I can be a little oblivious, but surely I would have noticed a full sized piano in the park...well, at least, I hope I would).
After some digging, I found out that back in 2007, Mr. Huggins was feeling a little bored with accompanying dance classes and decided to recapture his inner rock star by bringing a real piano into the park and playing whatever he felt like. Since then, he has played in public spaces all over the City - parks, street corners, even on the subway platform! The best part is that he is a fierce pianist - so if you are ever in the mood for a cheap concert, come to Washington Square Park some balmy weekend evening and look for the crazy piano guy.
Of course, I'm hoping that one of these days, I'll be in the right place at the right time to catch a subway performance or to see him transporting one of his pianos through the streets of New York.
ps - in case, you are curious, check out a video of him playing:
In the heart of NYU territory, Washington Square Park is one of those great places to bring a book and some coffee, grab a bench, and engage in a bit of people watching. A couple of Sundays ago, I decided to take the scenic route through the park on the way to a friend's place. I saw the usual crowd -- bucket drummers, naked kids cooling off in the fountain, chess players at the corner tables, random pockets of guitarists jamming, the acapella singers, and, of course, the street dancers, who claim a patch of park and show off break dance and aerobatic moves to old school 80s music (any one in the mood for Beat It?).
However, this particular Sunday, I was surprised and delighted to find a new addition - the piano man!
Meet Colin Huggins, a.k.a. the "crazy piano guy", who wheels his (baby grand!) piano to Washington Square Park regularly to serenade passers-by with everything from Beethoven to The Beatles. (I am really not sure how I have gone a full year living a block away and not seen him before, I mean, I know I can be a little oblivious, but surely I would have noticed a full sized piano in the park...well, at least, I hope I would).
After some digging, I found out that back in 2007, Mr. Huggins was feeling a little bored with accompanying dance classes and decided to recapture his inner rock star by bringing a real piano into the park and playing whatever he felt like. Since then, he has played in public spaces all over the City - parks, street corners, even on the subway platform! The best part is that he is a fierce pianist - so if you are ever in the mood for a cheap concert, come to Washington Square Park some balmy weekend evening and look for the crazy piano guy.
Of course, I'm hoping that one of these days, I'll be in the right place at the right time to catch a subway performance or to see him transporting one of his pianos through the streets of New York.
ps - in case, you are curious, check out a video of him playing:
Monday, July 12, 2010
12 years and counting...or An Unlikely Anniversary
I'll admit it, when I first came to NYC as an undergrad there were stars in my eyes. I was enchanted--thrilled by the hum and buzz, the electricity coursing through the Big Apple. It was great; it was exciting; it was perfect...for a few years.
Next month, I will hit my twelve year anniversary of city-dwelling and the honeymoon period is long over. The excitement replaced by the mundanities of sticky summers and carrying heavy groceries over multiple blocks while I secretly dream of country life and drool over the idea of vegetable patches and milking cows. Of course, the reality is that I just signed on for another five years of City life as I pursue graduate work ...so it is time for a little change.
After a bit of consideration, I decided to start a "bucket list" -- new places to see, things to do, and of course foods to eat! all in the name of rediscovering the excitement and wonder of this unique city. While I don't have a formalized list (at least, not yet), here are a few ideas that have made it to the initial version:
Next month, I will hit my twelve year anniversary of city-dwelling and the honeymoon period is long over. The excitement replaced by the mundanities of sticky summers and carrying heavy groceries over multiple blocks while I secretly dream of country life and drool over the idea of vegetable patches and milking cows. Of course, the reality is that I just signed on for another five years of City life as I pursue graduate work ...so it is time for a little change.
After a bit of consideration, I decided to start a "bucket list" -- new places to see, things to do, and of course foods to eat! all in the name of rediscovering the excitement and wonder of this unique city. While I don't have a formalized list (at least, not yet), here are a few ideas that have made it to the initial version:
- Touring the Atlantic Avenue Tunnel in Brooklyn, a forgotten section of the Long Island Railroad which supposedly holds the distinction of being one of the world's first subway systems, as well as a rather seedy history;
- Enjoying the cliche 'hot dog in Coney Island';
- Hunting for the best cheesecake in the City, starting with the magnificent seven; and,
- Finally finding the Cloisters, a branch of the Metropolitan Museum devoted to the art and architecture of medieval Europe. (On two separate occasions, I have set out to explore the Cloisters, but managed to take a lovely tour of Fort Tryon Park instead...so I might need a little help from my friends on this one!)
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