BREAKFAST ON THE HIGH LINE

Sunday Brunch was scheduled for 1pm, so Vicki and I had plenty of time to relax on a beautiful morning.   We cruised through the Chelsea Market and found just the right muffins to eat with our coffee and tea.  Then we walked the High Line, found a partly shaded bench, and relaxed while we people-watched.  Afterward, we completed the stroll to the end of the Line and worked our way back downtown.  Starting a day that way doesn't get any better!

Washington Square is a gathering place frequented by street performers and artists and everyone who enjoys their company.  There is also no shortage of students since the NYU campus sits nearby.  This arch was built around 1890 to replace a wooden one which commemorated the centennial of Washington's inauguration.   A fountain like the one in the beginning of the FRIENDS show, collects lots of barefoot waders.  A fun place for free spirits.


WASHINGTON SQUARE
Fifth Avenue
Manhattan, NY  10012
PH: 212-387-7676

Whenever I feel the need to leave the cement for some "green", I usually end up in Central Park.  This time Devin suggested we take Otto for a walk in Riverside Park.  It's a narrow public park along Manhattan's Upper West Side at the Hudson River. Operated and maintained by the NYC Dept of Parks and Recreation, there are lots of options for leisure.  (I'm pretty sure this is the park in the movie "You've Got Mail" where Tom Hanks met Meg Ryan at the end)   Pictured is a pier where you can take out a kayak on Sunday in exchange for leaving your ID until you return.  How great is that?  There are enclosed dog parks for small and larger dogs, there is a promenade for walking, skating, and biking,  there is a marina, there is a field for games, and there was a restaurant that I definitely want to visit in the future.  It's called the Boat Basin,  near W. 79th Street within the park.  I'm sure there were other things to see and do, but tomorrow's another day.  

RIVERSIDE PARK

Upper West Side

Manhattan, NY

UNION SQUARE, New York

I love going to Union Square, it's a hub of activity and entertainment. Sunday is the best time to visit and today we lucked out with an art fair. I couldn't stop reaching in my pockets to buy unique gifts from table to table; there were so many great items of interest! It's a park area where you can relax and stroll from vendor to vendor throughout the year. If you get tired, there are plenty of people watching opportunities. A fun place for a fun time!

Location:
14th Street Subway stop
Surrounding neighborhoods:
North - Flatiron District
East - Grammercy
South - Greenwich Village
West - Chelsea

CENTENNIAL PARK, Maryland

My cousin Lynn and I decided to take a stroll around Centennial Lake while my brother did some kayaking with his IPOD. It's a beautiful park in Howard County so we thought the trek would be a "walk in the park". Hah! Little did we know it was about two and a half miles around the lake back to our starting point. It was a warm afternoon and we're both out of shape - a bad combination. We kept asking people on the path how far away the boathouse was, getting various answers, none being the one we wanted (near). So, we kept walking knowing going back was already too far. When we finally got back to the boathouse, our faces were beet red and our clothes were wet from dousing ourselves with our water bottles. We were the poster children for "get in the gym". And, to get humbled even more, we couldn't get over how this really old guy had passed us on the path twice!

There are four entrances to the park, each leading to various facilities. You can hike, rent a boat, cast for fish, play a sport, have a picnic, and enjoy wildlife. There's plenty to see and do!

Centennial Park

Off Route 108

Ellicott City, Maryland 21042

p: 410-313-4700

THE HIGH LINE, New York

Walking the streets of New York City is one of my favorite things to do. There's so much to take in and it's so much more interesting than walking on a treadmill facing the wall in a gym (not that I would know). Recently I discovered the High Line, a former elevated freight railroad track that has been partially rejuvenated and newly opened in June, 2009. Located on the West Side of Manhattan, you can walk a little over a mile with the city landscape on all sides. It's a real treat to see Manhattan architectures, the Hudson River, and the Jersey coastline all in such a short span. In two places, the park travels under and through buildings. There are many benches for soaking up the ambiance as well as a stadium style bleacher area overlooking traffic. This wild flower filled attraction screams eclecticity!

The High Line

Manhattan's West Side

From West 20th St. in Chelsea to Gansevort St. in the Meatpacking District