Autumn in New York (in the Neighborhood)

A moment in early autumn in Central Park

When I hear the words autumn in New York my mind goes to beautiful autumn views of Central Park. We get those views -- for about a week or two -- but mostly the signs of autumn aren't much different than autumn anywhere else. One day this week I was walking in my neighborhood, the Upper West Side, and started taking pictures of things that caught my eye. At first it was just a few random pictures, but I realized that in the five blocks I walked between the post office and my Pilates class I'd captured an autumn afternoon in the neighborhood.   

My favorite local pizza place was decorated for Halloween

 

This looks so yummy

After passing the pizza store I came to Magnolia Bakery, which you may remember, was featured in Sex and the City. Their specialty is banana pudding, but this autumn variation looks as just as good. I managed to walk past the store, but it was a temptation. There are two/three/four food stores on many blocks. There are new bakeries, ice cream stores and restaurants in just about every direction. There is literally temptation at every turn, but usually I can resist. At some time, though, I just  may succumb to this apple treat.   

 

The mums brightened up the landscape and definitely were worth a picture

One of my favorite stores, a local stationery store

I made sure to walk by the local stationery store on West 72nd Street. I love stationery stores -- fun pens, stickers and all kinds of treats -- and fortunately there are still two independent stores in the neighborhood. When I need a stationery item I (almost) always stop by one of them. The local stores are what make the neighborhood interesting and I try to patronize them when I can. I knew this store would be decorated for the fall/Halloween and I wasn't disappointed.  

What are your favorite parts of autumn where you live?

I've got an adventure tomorrow that I've been thinking about for a few months. It's an outdoor adventure and happily, the weather looks good. I'll leave the destination as surprise, but as a hint, it's not in Manhattan and it's one of the most iconic places in New York City. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and have a great Sunday.

C Is for Central Park

 

It's spring in Central Park

I had a totally different place in mind last night when I finished my post. We were going to virtually travel from Botswana to the Cotswolds in England. But I was looking at pictures I took yesterday in the Central Park and decided to share another of my favorite locations. My apartment is four blocks from the park and the gym, where I was coming from yesterday when I took this picture, is half a block from the park. Putting the focus on a local site reminds me that there's a lot of beauty and happiness right in my own backyard. 

Central Park in the Winter 

This is one of my favorite pictures of the park, taken four winters ago. I love the brightly colored jackets and seeing that kids will find a place to play, even in the biggest of cities. 

The park includes baseball fields, a theater, statues, fountains and beautiful walking paths. I don't think to walk in the park as often as I can and sorry to admit, I somewhat take this complete treasure for granted. I think 2025 is going to be the year to slow down and smell the flowers in Central Park. 

Biddeston, England

I've still got the Cotswolds on my mind and want to share a few photos of one of the prettiest places I've ever visited, and if it wasn't for my dear blog friend, Sybil, it's likely that I wouldn't have known about it and certainly wouldn't have visited it. After years of exchanging notes, Sybil very graciously hosted me in her home near Biddeston and I got the best tour of this lovely area imaginable. We visited Biddeston during my second visit and also got to the American Cemetery in Cambridge, which was so moving. 

 Main Street, Biddeston 

I felt as though I was in a Jane Austen novel

 Have you had the opportunity to meet blog friends? Besides my visits to England, I've met blog friends in Australia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Arizona. I've also enjoyed sharing New York City with blog buddies who were visiting here. My upcoming trip includes Capetown -- I'm getting in all the C's -- so if anyone is in Capetown, please let me know.    

Most years when I've done the A to Z Challenge I've made a list of posts ahead of time, but so far I've only chosen a dozen places to write about. Even those dozen could be changed at any moment. But I'm thinking of a very fun one for D. Tomorrow, though is a packed day, so D may not appear until Saturday. 

Again, many thanks for stopping by, especially friends visiting from the A to Z. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and enjoy the spring weather. 

Not Quite Sweater Weather

 

Yesterday in Central Park

In my head -- does anyone else draft posts in their thoughts? -- I was "working" on a post about the joys of autumn. And for a few days it was autumn in New York. My flip flops were put away. I had switched to heavier socks and I was sure it was goodbye to shorts and t-shirts. I hadn't quite gotten my gloves out, but we were only a few degrees away. 

Yesterday, however, I was in Central Park to participate in the annual walk for CaringKind, a wonderful local organization that supports caregivers for people with Alzheimer's. It was a little nippy when I left for the park, but by the time I'd done some walking, my jacket was in my tote bag. Today was definitely a no jacket day and the forecast for tomorrow is 80+ degrees. I may even get my shorts out for one last hurrah, before it really is sweater or even coat weather. 

Love the autumn color and this statue of Beethoven in Central Park  

I'm off on my last scheduled travel adventure for 2024 on Thursday. I'm not saying that I won't be out of town again this year, but nothing's scheduled and there's lots I want to do in New York City. I've loved all of the travel of the last few months, but catching up with New York life -- the Metropolitan Museum of Art is calling -- including spending time with visitors,  blogging  and enjoying fall and holiday events is exciting, too. What are things you're looking forward to for the next few months?

As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care. 

  

Wedding Wednesday Goes to Central Park

 

Isn't this the cutest couple? I was their elopement photographer, which, 

of course, I loved doing. 

We haven't celebrated Wedding Wednesday in Buttercupland in quite awhile. But I'm always hoping that I will be able to photograph a wedding. My hope came true Sunday in Central Park. I was in the park to participate in the CaringKind annual walk, and while I was walking over to the registration area I saw a couple that looked dressed for a wedding. I didn't see a wedding party or a photographer and thought they might like a few pictures. It might have been a little presumptuous, but I asked if they'd like me to take pictures, and happily they agreed. This is one of the photos I took for them, and I'm grateful they agreed. 

I did a two-mile walk through the park and it never got sunny, but the rain was minimal and didn't dampen our spirits or take away from the enthusiasm my team had for the walk. CaringKind provides information and support for those who are caregivers for people with Alzheimer's Disease. This is the seventh year I've done this walk, though in 2020 it was a virtual walk. I'm so glad we're able to do this walk again with others.

I enjoyed seeing the changing colors in the park and have chosen a few of my favorites to share with you. I'm hopeful that this will be the beginning of a few more weeks of changing leaves in New York City. There hasn't been much color for the last few years, so this year has been a very welcome treat.

There were lots of dog walkers in the park on Sunday

The leaves were only beginning to change in this area, but loved the majesty of this tree. 

If I could  find this tree again, I'd make a return visit this

 weekend to see the progress of the leaves. 

I've got several more posts planned with photographs from my trip to North Carolina and Tennessee. I posted one photograph of the sunset view in Asheville and will be sharing some of my favorites from the Biltmore House and the fabulous scenery in the Smoky Mountains. I took far too many pictures, but the views were glorious and every way I turned there was something memorable.

I've been slow getting back to my regular routine, but I will be getting to the gym tomorrow, at least that's my plan. I've done the walk, gone to a literary reading and two medical appointments. I've caught up on the mail (mostly), grocery shopped, gone to the library and set up my new Fitbit. The latter took a lot more time than I expected, but it's great to be counting all my steps again. What's your week been like?

As ever, thanks for visiting and have a terrific Thursday.    

What a Difference a Day Makes

 Central Park in the snow yesterday

When I got dressed to go out this afternoon I put on my "light" winter coat, sneakers and put an umbrella in my tote bag. I can't remember the last time I used an umbrella, but I'm almost  positive it was sometime in 2020. Yesterday for my walk in Central Park I was dressed for a day in the tundra, wearing wool gloves, wool hat, heavy winter coat and boots. 

I thought I might have the park all to myself, but even on a snowy day, there are few corners of Manhattan where there aren't other people, and I enjoyed watching this group at play. The official playgrounds were closed, but the group definitely seemed to be making their own fun.

When I left the park around noon the snow wasn't sticking to the sidewalks and it was relatively balmy, warmly dressed as I was. About a half hour later when I emerged from the grocery the temperature had dropped and the snow was turning into a big slippery mess. I began to rethink my winter wonderland escapade. I only had a short distance to get to the bus home and then two blocks from the bus to my building, but icy sidewalks are my kryptonite, and I made sure to be very careful as I walked. 

The winter has definitely not ended and we could still have some days of big slippery messes ahead, but I am actually beginning to think of spring. I'm going to be on the lookout for tiny shoots of green and the first spring flowers in the next few weeks. 

As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care. 

Welcome to Central Park

Please join me in Central Park 

The very closest park to where I live is Riverside Park -- just a block away to the west -- and it's a frequent walking destination. But when I get a little more energy I walk up the hill -- four long blocks -- to Central Park. They are both beautiful urban oases, but Riverside is very much a park for the neighborhood and not a destination for all of New York City. We'll be visiting Riverside in the week ahead, and for today we're spending our day at Central  Park. 

You may have seen photographs of Central Park recently and the park probably looked much more crowded. I stayed on the very edge of the park near one of the entrances and it was blissfully empty, even in the midst of many people visiting the park for fresh air. 

Central Park was the first landscaped public park in the United States. There were already landscaped parks in Paris and London and New York City had advocates for establishing a similar setting in Manhattan. The location was debated and ultimately  700 acres were taken by eminent domain. The area is filled with rocky outcroppings which create a great landscape, but were unsuitable for commercial development. These were not empty acres, but rather the home of 1,600 people. These residents included Seneca Village, a settlement of African-American landowners that dated from 1825. The photograph above is literally the site of Seneca Village, which went from what is now West 82nd St. to West 89th St. 

In 1857 Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmstead were selected to design what would become Central Park. It was a massive public works project with over 20,000 workers, including stone cutters, engineers and laborers reshaping the area's topography to create the pastoral landscape. More gunpowder was blasted in the building of Central Park than at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. This was followed by workers bringing in three million cubic yards of soil and planting over 270,000 trees and shrubs. In 1859 this urban masterpiece was opened and by 1865 the park received over seven million visitors a year. What a legacy to New York City and to the world! 

What a legacy to New York City and to the world! I've always appreciated the beauty and proximity of Central Park, but these most recent days have made me even more appreciative. 

It's been cool here, but we've had beautiful sunny days. Flowers are in bloom and we're having a glorious spring. 

As ever, thanks for  visiting and take good care. Much love and wash your hands!

K Is for the K Line

Central Park in the Spring

 

If you looked at a present day map of the subway system you wouldn't find the K Line. But for three years there was a K Line and it was the gateway to Central Park on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Throughout the history of the subway system lines have been renamed, usually as service is reorganized. The K started out as the AA line in 1932. It was the Eighth Avenue local -- with stops approximately every ten blocks -- and it ran from 168th Street in Upper Manhattan to Chambers Street/Hudson Terminal in Lower Manhattan. In 1985 the AA became the K line and in 1988 the K's brief time was over and it became the C line.   



I chose to feature the subway stop at West 72nd Street for its access to Central Park and because this station is on the same corner as The Dakota. The Dakota is a classic New York apartment building, completed in 1884. Legend says it was named for Dakota, because the area around it was sparsely inhabited. It's a beautiful building with a center courtyard and views of Central Park. It has had many famous residents including Lauren Bacall, Joe Namath and Lillian Gish.

It has become a tourist destination, though, for perhaps its most famous resident, John Lennon. Often groups of tourists are outside the building taking pictures.

The building's façade was completely renovated in 2015.

 I've walked by many times -- it's less than a mile from where I live -- but I've never noticed the iron work before. It surrounds the building on Central Park West.   

The entrance to the Dakota -- and the tragic site where John Lennon was killed.

 

If anyone is keeping track of the A to Z Challenge, I know I am falling behind. I should have completed M yesterday and alas, I am just finishing K. I may be a little out of synch with the rest of my A to Z bloggers, but I'm optimistic about completing all 26 posts in April. Our next post will feature a world famous arts center and one of my favorite stations.

 

I'm joining this post with my Pink Saturday friends. I'm so glad you stopped by for a visit to the K line and I hope you have the opportunity to share the fun at Pink Saturday.

 

As ever, thanks for visiting and have a great week! 

F Is for Fifth Avenue

 

Once upon a time there was an enchanted lake...

You think you've entered an enchanted kingdom and if you turn your head you'll see a handsome prince on a white horse arriving to rescue the princess in the far tower. But his beautiful and bucolic scene is thirty yards from an entrance to the Fifth Avenue subway station. We owe this scene and the other photographs of Central Park to Frederick Law Olmstead, one of America's pioneer landscape architects. Olmstead began work with the English architect, Calvert Vaux, in 1857 and the first area of the park was opened to the public in 1858.

Spring and forsythias come to Central Park

Olmstead and Vaux created a jewel of 843 acres in the center of Manhattan. One hundred and fifty acres are in seven bodies of water, 250 acres of lawns and 136 acres of woodland. The benches in the photograph are a few of the 9,000 in the park. They would stretch seven miles if placed end to end.

Few places are more idyllic than Central Park on a sunny spring day.

 

 



A detail of the wall surrounding the park and the sign for the 5th Avenue Subway Station.

I've enjoyed our visit to beautiful Central Park and the A to Z Blogging Challenge and I hope you have, too. I fell behind in the alphabet -- my dear friend L was visiting -- but I've got all of my photographs for G ready to go. My hint for G is that it was almost lost to the wrecking ball, but very fortunately was saved. You'll see the beauty that was preserved tonight. Please stop by!

As ever, thanks for visiting and have a wonderful Sunday.    

Pink Saturday Goes to a Winter Wonderland

 

Central Park via Snapseed

After a complete day spent in my apartment building on Thursday because of the snowstorm, it was a mental and physical health necessity that I get some air and exercise on Friday. There was less than a foot of snow, but I'm not a model of balance and I dread slippery sidewalks, piles of snow where there should be crosswalks and mini-mountains at bus stops. Nonetheless I planned my route via subway to the Time Warner Center where I could walk indoors and then easily cross the street -- there's a lot of foot traffic in this area -- and visit Central Park. 

The temperature had warmed up to an almost balmy sixteen degrees by the time I got to Central Park. I had on enough layers for almost any (brief) outdoor activity, including a hat and my coat hood and hand warmers and really enjoyed being out of doors.

The view of Columbus Circle, looking east, taken in the Time Warner Building  

I also enjoyed my visit to the Time Warner Building, which is a very nice shopping center. Being inside and passing just about every store -- many sales -- was a great temptation during No Spending January. I was especially tempted at Sephora, but was I content sampling several very upscale hand lotions. It would have been nice to get a makeover, but I didn't think I had the fortitude to resist more makeup that I don't need. Hand lotion sampling for the win.     

This is the same view as the photograph above from a different angle.

Central Park is directly across the street.

 

Today was still cold, but the sidewalks were clearer and getting across streets was easier. I ventured beyond my immediate few blocks and saw "The Post," which I enjoyed a lot. I may even take the bus across Central Park in the next few days and visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and of course there will be pictures.

Once again, I'm delighted to join my friends at Pink Saturday for weekend fun. I hope you had fun this weekend, too, whether it was keeping cozy from the cold or enjoying being outdoors.

Thanks for visiting and take good care!
 

A Walk in the (Central) Park: the Legacy of Olmstead and Vaux



Autumn in New York

I think one of the archetypal scenes of New York is Central Park in the autumn. Immortalized in movies, it's earned a place high on the list of places to visit during a trip to New York. Its 843 acres are set in the middle of Manhattan and form a serene center to the activity around it. Central Park was the first landscaped public park in the United States, authorized in 1853. It was designed by landscape designer, Frederick Law Olmstead and architect, Calvert Vaux.

There are summer Philharmonic concerts, Shakespeare performances and miles of jogging paths to enjoy. On a sunny afternoon -- these pictures were taken in November -- it is a beautiful place to enjoy what endless expanses of grass and trees, even in the biggest city in America.
 

Central Park is bordered on the east by Fifth Avenue and on the west by Central Park West, where I took these pictures. A fascinating added stop while you're visiting Central Park is the New York Historical Society, at Seventy-Seventh Street and Central Park West. It's one of my favorite museums, with a great restaurant and fun gift shop. I've enjoyed watching a featured movie on the history of New York, seeing the permanent collection, as well as the varied exhibitions. This poster advertises last fall's exhibition on the Battle of Brooklyn.  

If anyone notices I'm combining "O" for Olmstead and "P" for Park into one post for today's  A to Z Blogging Challenge. It's not quite the letter of the Challenge, but it is the spirit. I had trouble downloading some of the photographs I intended to use for "O," but I hope to do my original O post at a later time.

As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care!
 

Once Again, Autumn in New York

The view from Central Park, looking east

 

Facebook graciously reminded me that I have posted pictures titled "Autumn in New York," both last year and in 2013 on November 15. I tend to think the peak of autumn is in October, but clearly recently the peak of autumn here is mid-November. Today is chilly and rainy and I am so grateful to have a relatively unplanned day. But yesterday was the most glorious autumn in New York day. After morning yoga I walked up Central Park West -- the western edge of Central Park -- and was treated to glorious foliage.

Another view of the park, this time at West 81st Street. 

 

My walk included the American Museum of Natural History, one of my favorite places in New York City. Two topiary dinosaurs grace the front of the museum for the holiday season and I got to see them being decorated. Each wears a wreath and they will be adorned -- probably completed  after I left -- with lights. I think I need a return visit later in the season. The flag in the background is the flag of New York City.

The museum faces Central Park and I happily spent time sitting in this area gazing at the park in all of its autumn beauty. Generally the steps entering the museum are packed with people, but I practically had the area all to myself. I just had to share the afternoon with my dinosaur friends and that was a complete pleasure. Can't think of better company!  

I'm about to embark on a very local -- up the block and across the street -- adventure. You know there will be pictures!

As ever, thanks for visiting. Wishes for a cozy Tuesday.

Marathon Pink Saturday

Running on Central Park West, almost at the finish.

For almost every year I've been blogging I've been out of town for Marathon Sunday. But this year not only was I home, but I had made a commitment to do an errand in the neighborhood near the finish line. I probably would have stayed closer to home, but without really planning it I was in the center of the Marathon activities. I'm sharing these Marathon photographs as my Pink Saturday post for this week.
 

It was a beautiful day for the thousands of runners from around the world that participated. The streets are blocked off -- the set up and security are monumental and were so well done -- and the runners are coming around the corner. They are about to turn into Central Park, having begun in Staten Island and run through Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx before finishing in Manhattan. 

This is a slightly different perspective on the same area, Columbus Circle. It's not quite two miles from where I live, just a few blocks from my gym and directly across the street from the site of one of my favorite work places. The building I worked in has long been demolished and replaced by a very fancy shopping mall/hotel/office tower, but to me it's still 10 Columbus Circle and my office.  

At the end of the race the runners are given capes to hold in heat and throughout the area there are finishers in blue capes. The bikes in the background are part of a city-wide bike rental program.
 

I was back in the neighborhood later in the week and in homage to Veterans Day, I took this picture of the monument built to honor those killed in the explosion of the USS Maine in Havana harbor in February, 1898.

I'll never be a runner -- too many surgeries and injuries -- but seeing the runners made me think about doing a timed 5K walk. I initially thought of a half-marathon, but decided to focus first on a more attainable goal. I may decide it's a little too ambitious, but it's a great goal to strive for.

As ever, thanks for visiting. Take good care and wishes for a peaceful week. 

What I Did on Labor Day Weekend

I'm in a back to school mood, although I'm far away from going back to school, or even back to work after a long weekend. But old habits don't fade away and it seems that I, too, should be starting school. In lieu of the essay about my summer vacation, I present what I did over the Labor Day weekend in a brief photographic essay. 

My very long walk yesterday included walking several miles past Central Park. It wasn't hot, the park was lushly green and I got to walk with what seemed like, everyone else who was in Manhattan over the weekend. I walked miles and though my hip is not appreciative today, it was a wonderful way to get exercise and enjoy New York.

My favorite activity today was an outdoor theater performance in the urban garden two blocks from home, the West Side Community Garden. The play was fun and I'm appreciative of the efforts the staff and volunteers at the Garden make to schedule activities for the neighborhood. Though New York is a city of over eight million people, it's also a vast network of hundreds of neighborhoods.  
 

I also made my monthly -- the pace will pick up as the holiday calendar fills in -- visit to Michael's. I really need nothing -- and refrained from any extraneous purchases -- but I took a lot of pictures. They had an extensive selection of pet Halloween costumes (this is one small section) and I'm enjoying the thought of my favorite poodle, Elvis, dressed as a lobster. I know he would keep it on for about three minutes before tearing it off, but it would be a great picture. 

My other major activity of the weekend was blogging. I kept my commitment to blog five times and have just about responded to the comments that you all were kind of enough to leave for me. I'm glad to be back in Blog mode for the autumn. I also chose the winner for the Buttercupland giveaway for The Things We Knew.  It's Terra from Terra Garden. If you're not familiar with this blog, please stop by. It's always a very enjoyable visit.

I hope everyone else had an equally good weekend. Of course the biggest blessing was being spared the worst of Hurricane Hermine. We were lucky ducks!

As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care. Happy to see you in September!

Central Park Pink Saturday

I had some grandiose thoughts for this post. I was set to write about the grandeur of spring in New York City. Alas, Friday's practically summer weather -- when I wore a sweater and just about skipped down the street -- rapidly returned to winter. I wore my winter coat this morning, but forgot gloves and my hands were as cold as any January day. I think I need these spring pictures more than I anticipated, just to remind me that spring really is just around the corner. 

My Friday walk -- after my coffee at a.cafe -- took me past Central Park, which was festive with the first of spring flowers.



This little girl -- adorable in pink -- did skip down the sidewalk.  

Another symbol of Pink Saturday in the spring is this bright pink ice cream truck. I've been very disciplined resisting pastry, but I gave in to my urge for soft ice cream and had my first of the season. I am a soft ice cream fan and it was as good as I remember from years past.

 



I spent this morning doing what else -- drinking coffee! I had a great visit with my college roommate and enjoyed either "M" or "P." Good coffee, lots of catching up and laughing. Coffee and friends -- a perfect morning!

As ever, thanks for visiting. Please stop by tomorrow for "C" is for...