Tourist in NY

i am thankful...

for monday morning tea parties. 




for witty friends. funny friends. imaginative friends. beautiful friends. grounding friends. friends with roots. new friends



for laughter, laughter, and always more laughter. 



for a morning out and about exploring the city we've loved for so long. 



oh yeah and...

  • for the nesting itch which results in such things as fresh dresser knobs and a beautiful vase from housing works
  • for any and all musicals pertaining to history (ragtime, assassins). i told you, history turns me on...i'm not sure why, it just does. 
  • for beautiful undergarments that can make a girl feel lovely.
  • for the twenty-five minutes i was able to jog on the treadmill last night (especially, especially for this. the pool is closed for the month of september {getting a really good clean following summer season} and so i've been forced back to the gym. i never ever thought i'd jog for a continuous fifteen minutes (i hate running). but i did. last night, i did. and then i jogged for ten more. and so i just might not. hate it, that is).
  • for the feeling that something really good is happening right now. that my life is moving forward. i don't know how or what or where or why. i just know that i am right where i need to be.
  • that i am happy. 

things to do in nyc: check craigslist for missed connections


so, okay, actually...you can do this from anywhere. but log onto craigslist and under the personal section click on missed connections. 

i'm sure this exists in other cities as well, but it feels like such a part of new york lore. missed connections is a place where people post chance encounters hoping for a second chance--in some ways it's like a postsecret regarding like/infatuation/love with the hope of a response.

And inspired by the fleeting connections between total strangers artist Sophie Blackall is creating beautiful works of art...







what do you think? would you ever post a love note to a complete stranger?



what to do in nyc: guide books






thanks to your prodding (asking about things to do here in the city) i'm newly exploring and adventuring and (dare i say it)... falling in love with new york city. 


these are the books i'm using in my travels. 1. because they suggest inexpensive things 2. they're easy to read (not too overwhelming)

what to do in nyc: jones beach

again, yes, technically jones beach is just out of the city. but for new yorkers who need a quick-day-escape this is a fantastic (and very inexpensive option).


to get there: from Penn Station take the Long Island Rail Road from Babylon to Freeport (a round trip ticket is 15 dollars). from Freeport get on the MTA bus headed to Jones Beach. the bus is the cost of a subway ride and if you have your unlimited metro-card (which i'm sure you've figured out by now that you should) then it's no added cost. all together it takes about 1. 5 hours to get there from when you leave Penn Station (shorter if you don't have wait to long for the bus).

to do there: soak up the rays, bob in the waves, and get a big ol' scoop of some Friendly's ice cream (mint chocolate chip for me, please). 

the beach is really quite beautiful and while (like Coney Island) it feels a bit past it's prime and makes you long for the simplicity of years gone by, it is nonetheless a welcome-adventure. 

an easy day trip, i might not suggest this for visitors to the city, but rather for the hardened resident looking for an escape. 





plus, it's a perfect excuse to pull out that wide-brimmed hat you've had tucked in the back of your closet for two years. 

and don't forget your spf (70 for me please). uva/uvb. i may not be the tannest of them all. but i'll laugh when at 40 i have barely a wrinkle on my face. and more importantly, skin cancer can be prevented...so, why wouldn't you arm yourself against it?