A Proposal Caught in Time Lapse

A time lapse video in Central Park captured this couple's special moment! (She said YES!) View more at Gizmodo. Wouldn't these make incredible framed photos in their hallway?

(This post mysteriously disapppeared! I have resposted...what's going on with blogger?)

Autumn in New York

I'm hungry for Autumn to fully set into New York...burying myself in big scarves and shivering into lattes. Isn't this photo of Central Park from Diane Lee stunning?

a dinner at Mandarin Oriental's Asiate

There's something to be said for Columbus Circle. The dining is top notch. The Central Park views are stellar. I settled into a corner table with my dining partner at Asiate Mandarin Oriental. As we considered the menu, a bottle of Fiji water and bread choices were settled on our table (we selected the olive baguettes). A brief discussion resulted in a bottle of light wine and apple spiced gastronomic orb amuse bouche placed before us.

For our appetizers, we each selected the Sashimi: mackerel, tuna, edamame, cucumber salad, avocado wasabi mousse and subtly savory basil seed ponzu sauce. The fish proved excellence in freshness and presentation. Thinly sliced apples and salmon roe offered a curious twist in the texture of the dish. While I felt the appetizer was a bit generous for it's order in the meal, it proved to be quite light and satisfying.



We followed suit with the Lobster. Served on a warm dark stone plate, the vibrant red crustacean popped with white polenta, salsify and kaffir reduction. Firm and fresh, the dish matched the gorgeous conversation.

We declined dessert, opting for an espresso for myself (an aggressive move for a midnight close dinner) and loose leaf peppermint tea for him.

Images via: Mandarin Oriental.

Central Park Folks, a photo series

lady speak.

boy.

groupings.

Afternoon Central Park, a photo series

perch.

love.

air.

flow.

sensory-1

sensory-2

boathouse.

nipples 1.

nipples 2.

the boathouse & walking tour, central park

The temperature reached ninety-three in New York City today. I had the pleasure of joining a group of roughly twenty-five folks for brunch at The Boathouse, followed by a walking tour of Central Park.

Situated on a large pond, The Boathouse is a breezy spot with country club charm. Large turtles floated in the water, others tanned on the rocks. Servers fell over tables, fine tuning the experience, portions were quite large. Among the choices made: fresh squeezed juices, frothy cappuccino, Cottage Cheese Pancakes, Eggs Benedict, Apple-Chicken Sausage with Cheesy Grits...I had the Maryland Crab Cake with Cucumber Salad. In a word: delightful. The entree comes with two 100% soft-shell crab cakes, a mild Dijon sauce and refreshing cucumber salad. I had the opportunity to try the sausage and grits too: hearty, savory meets sweet. All around, the brunch was an ideal way to prepare for our tour.

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If you hadn't had a chance to take a tour, it's certainly worth a fraction of your afternoon. The guides (and I'm assuming based on Greg's performance) are well-versed in their subject and move at a comfortable pace. The history of the landscaping, housing that began to be developed around the park is fascinating. Perhaps my favorite joke:

"This used to be all tenement housing," offered Greg

"And now they call it luxury housing!"- Lady in the crowd.

Upper East Side, In gold: a photo series.

behind you.

closure.

ingenue.

a complexity.

spot lights.

below.

The Met, a Sunday-

Alex and Marcel showed up at my place for scrambled eggs, toast and tea this morning. The itinerary marked The Metropolitan Museum of Art and a short sloshy attempt at Central Park. As we negotiated our way down a hill I remarked, "I should have worn a hat. I'm a bit rough in this dripping."

Marcel offered, "I have this bodega umbrella, if you'd like"

An older woman behind us snapped, "Why don't you offer her a bodega arm!"

I laughed, "Would you like us to help you walk down?"

She declined, Marcel stole a few looks to make sure she was doing fine on the ice.

We began in the Egyptian room. It seemed appropriate.

I could make a sort of home here.

Knights and armor...need I say more?

Something chilling and lovely here.


You simply cannot do The Met in one day. Our effort was noble, to be sure.