I’d long seen pictures of this giant metal globe up in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens but when I finally visited, I could not believe how huge it is. It’s called the Unisphere and it’s an incredible remnant of the 1964-65 World’s Fair. The stainless steel structure was designed by top landscape architect Gilmore D. Clarke …
Read MoreTag / Queens
June 11, 2015
…met lots of cousins at the Global Family Reunion
Hello cousin! That’s right. You may not know it, but you’re my cousin… maybe my 19th cousin twice removed but still, my cousin. And while it means you owe me 29 birthday presents and 28 Christmas presents, I’ll overlook it because, well, we’re family. I actually only just realized that we’re cousins recently thanks to the Global Family …
Read MoreJanuary 29, 2015
…went to Queens for a Burns Supper
I lived in Scotland for four years for university, but the most Scottish experiences I’ve ever had have been right here in the U.S. First up, when I lived in Atlanta, I went to the city’s Highland Games, which looked like this: Then last year, I went to the Tartan Parade, complete with bagpipes and …
Read MoreJuly 13, 2014
Lydia’s List :: Tips for apartment hunting in New York
I love peeking inside other people’s homes, so I was kind of looking forward to apartment hunting this summer. But I soon realized that it can quickly become frustrating thanks to eye-watering broker fees, unanswered emails and learning the real meaning of words like ‘cosy’. It definitely was a few months of chaos trying to …
Read MoreJune 3, 2014
…became an animator at the Museum of the Moving Image
Thanks to the Museum of the Moving Image, I can now add ‘animator’ and ‘voice actor’ to my resumé. It all began when I finally trekked there this weekend after months of meaning to go. And I was chuffed to see it’s a great interactive museum that also gives plenty of ‘ooh, I haven’t thought about that in …
Read MoreDecember 1, 2013
…visited the world’s largest gingerbread village
Let’s get back to some Christmas events, shall we? How about a massive cityscape made of nothing but gingerbread, candy, icing and lashings of patience? Yes – I thought it sounded like a winner too. So today Ryan and I hopped in the car and went to the New York Hall of Science in Corona, …
Read MoreOctober 6, 2013
…visited Socrates Sculpture Park
I think I’ve found my favourite park in New York: Socrates Sculpture Park. As well as giving plenty of green space, the park in Astoria, Queens exhibits sculptures and multimedia installations. Nearly 30 years ago, a sculptor wanted to build the park on what was then a former landfill, and a group of artists and local youngsters helped him. It was …
Read MoreSeptember 2, 2013
…scavenged at Dead Horse Beach
Last month when I helped make sand dunes for storm protection in the Rockaways, Rhett told us about a beach that’s a scavenger’s haven and not too far from there. It’s also not too far from JFK, so after I landed today, Ryan and I decided to go there to see what we could find. The …
Read MoreAugust 10, 2013
…built sand dunes in the Rockaways
Right at the start of the year, I went to Red Hook to help with the clean-up in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Eight months on and some communities are still getting back on their feet. Today I headed back to another Sandy-ravaged area to help out again, but in a very different way. Ryan, Meghan …
Read MoreApril 19, 2013
…visited Roosevelt Island
Today I spent a couple of hours on Roosevelt Island – a two-mile-long strip of land in the East River between Manhattan and Queens – and I don’t get it. Embarrassingly, I didn’t even know it existed until about two months ago, when I met a guy at a party who worked as a teacher on …
Read MoreApril 1, 2013
…rode the M line
One thing I love about New York is how easy it is to get around – on foot or public transport. The subways are frequent, in straight lines and much, much more reliable than in London. Jaunting all over the city for various events means I’ve pretty much been on every subway line. But until …
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