I wore tights for the first time this week and switched to hot coffees. Autumn appears to be winning. This means I need to cram in as many outdoor new experiences, activities and visits as I can – sharpish. So tonight I took advantage of New York’s great outdoors – by visiting a city center waterfall. After work I …
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September 10, 2013
…square danced in Bryant Park
After work today, I was tired and just wanted to go home. But Ryan and I had made plans to go square dancing for my new thing, so I dragged myself to Bryant Park and screamed, ‘I hate todaysthedayi!‘ when I met him. Thankfully, it turns out that square dancing is the best remedy for …
Read MoreSeptember 5, 2013
…went inside the Chrysler Building
It took me about a year to tell the Chrysler and the Empire State buildings apart. No joke. Now I’ve realized that – apart from the fact they actually look totally different – the Empire State can be set aside from the Chrysler in one very central way: it opens its doors to the public. …
Read MoreSeptember 3, 2013
…chilled out at the Elevated Acre
I’ve always loved how New Yorkers appreciate their parks – but it does mean they’re crammed full. Tonight, I visited a park that’s a little more secret and a lot less crowded: The Elevated Acre. After work, I wandered downtown to 55 Water Street, an office block right at the tip of Manhattan in the Financial District. There, you …
Read MoreAugust 27, 2013
…made origami
For the past couple of months, the CourseHorse ‘Summer Sparks’ series has held free classes at Hudson River Park every Tuesday, but for some awful reason I’ve not known about them until now. Today I finally clocked on and headed to Pier 63 for their latest offering – an origami class. I had envisioned making …
Read MoreAugust 27, 2013
…played musical chairs in Bryant Park
I’ve played tag on Wall Street and taken part in a massive pillow fight at Washington Square Park, and today I headed to Bryant Park for another of New York’s bizarre free activities: Musical chairs on a very, very large scale. A team of meticulous organizers had placed 20 circles of chairs with around 25 …
Read MoreAugust 21, 2013
…explored a Masonic Lodge
I’ve had a pretty horrible sick day, so I wanted to do something close to home. Bizarrely, just a few blocks north of my apartment is the Grand Lodge of the Freemasons, which is open to the public for tours. It seemed like a perfect, quiet activity to try. The tour is ongoing throughout the …
Read MoreAugust 19, 2013
…found a Picasso in Greenwich Village
So far this year, I’ve managed to track down some impressive works of hidden art – art which thousands of people no doubt walk past every day without knowing they’re so close. Today I found another piece I’d never realised was there before – although this one was a little easier to spot. After work, …
Read MoreAugust 11, 2013
…held a butterfly
Ryan and I were on Long Island again today and, at the suggestion of his friend Brian, went to check out a nearby butterfly zoo for my new activity. We found the one-room ‘zoo’ nestled between shrubs and statues at the Main Street Nursery just outside Huntington. While it was much smaller than I’d imagined, …
Read MoreAugust 3, 2013
…danced in Prospect Park
Tonight I took advantage of one of New York’s brilliant free summer activities – a huge concert in Prospect Park. To start, Ryan and I joined some others for a picnic on the grass outside the main music area. It was close enough to snack, drink and chat while listening to the concert – at that point Dan Deacon – …
Read MoreJuly 17, 2013
…watched a free concert in Bryant Park
So far I think I’ve made the most of the city’s best-known parks, from Central to Prospect and Tompkins Square. But one I’ve entirely overlooked is Bryant Park. The reason for this could be because it’s in Midtown. I hate Midtown. The sidewalks are swarming and the heat right now means the whole place reeks of …
Read MoreJune 23, 2013
…kayaked on the Hudson
It’s summer! So today Ryan and I headed to the Hudson to kayak – and to get some pretty horrendous sunburn. The kayaking is held at various points along the Hudson – and although it’s free, there was not a queue in sight. Of course, don’t do what I do, which was dress for winter. …
Read MoreJune 21, 2013
…trekked to graffiti Mecca
Tonight after work, I jumped on the E train and, to my surprise, was in Long Island City only 25 minutes later. It was my first trip out there and worth it to see one of New York’s hidden gems: 5 Pointz. 5 Pointz – a nod to the five boroughs – is known as ‘graffiti Mecca’ …
Read MoreJune 15, 2013
…made fire
While I’ve done more than 160 new things since the start of the year, there are only a few that have given me some genuinely useful skills. Today trumped all of those. Rachel and I headed to the wilds of Prospect Park for a fire-building class held by organic clothes company, Loomstate. It was led by …
Read MoreJune 10, 2013
…was impressed by a student art show
It’s another drizzly Monday, which means all outdoor activities ever planned have been cancelled. But thankfully there’s no shortage of new art shows in NYC to keep me busy and out of the rain. Tonight I popped up to the School of Visual Arts to check out a show featuring work by recent graduates and …
Read MoreJune 7, 2013
…visited New York’s tiniest library
Tropical Storm Andrea is visiting and she’s a pretty bad guest. So as I scuttled home tonight, narked by the downpour, I spotted one of the city’s small pop up libraries on Prince Street and nipped inside for some shelter. Now, when I say small, we’re talking mini. Inside this library – which is one …
Read MoreMay 15, 2013
…watched the sun set over the Jackie O Reservoir
Tonight after work, Meghan, Snejana and I popped across the road to Papatzul to fill up on frozen Margaritas and sopes. When we stumbled out an hour or so later, my belly was full – and I desperately needed to walk it off. I decided to head to Jackie Kennedy Onassis Reservoir – an 106-acre, decommissioned …
Read MoreMay 2, 2013
…went to a Tracey Emin art opening
Before Helen and I headed to the Tracey Emin art opening at the Lehmann Maupin gallery on the Lower East Side, I worried we’d not be able to get in. I envisioned swarms of black-clad waifs with peroxide pixie cuts and piercings lining the streets. And me sticking out like a sore thumb in my summer dress. …
Read MoreApril 30, 2013
…jogged around Central Park
While I might not have the Rocky Mountains in my backyard, I do have Central Park. Each time I visit, I’m always in awe of – and a little bit jealous of – the runners bouncing along the paths. So tonight I decided to be one – and to appreciate the (sometimes minimal) nature we have …
Read MoreApril 13, 2013
…saw the cherry blossoms in Washington D.C.
Today I headed to Washington D.C. to stay with Kate, my best gal pal from my time in Atlanta. She only recently moved here, so was keen to be a tourist with me. We headed straight for the Mall, which is bookended by the Capitol and the Washington Monument. At this time of year, the …
Read MoreApril 10, 2013
…saw buildings roll down Park Avenue (kind of)
Everyone knows the Manhattan skyline – even if, like me, they sometimes muddle the Chrysler and Empire State Building (true story). As a landscape that’s so recognizable, it’s ample ground for artists to meddle with. And tonight I went to Park Avenue between 48th and 68th to see Alexandre Arrechea’s take. Arrechea melds the buildings – such as the …
Read MoreApril 4, 2013
…visited a gallery on my lunchbreak
Usually lunchtime is a quick nip to a nearby deli, perhaps a walk around the block and then back to my desk. All within 15 minutes. But I’d seen there was a new exhibit at the Swiss Institute just a block away and I feared I wouldn’t make the 6pm closing time, so I decided to go there …
Read MoreMarch 30, 2013
…petted a horse in Grand Central Station
Today I headed to Grand Central Station to pet a horse. There’s an explanation: Performance artist Nick Cave is holding a seven-day exhibit showcasing his 30 straw-like horses at the station, and twice daily they put on a performance. Grand Central is great for random things like this – if you remember, I went to a …
Read MoreMarch 29, 2013
…skipped over the Manhattan Bridge
Spring has finally shown its face and tonight I wanted to make the most of it. I’ve already been to the Brooklyn Bridge, so I decided to shake it up by heading over the Manhattan Bridge instead. And whereas I ran the previous time, tonight I opted for a different mode – a skipping rope. …
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