Country Casual

This past weekend, my lovely friend Elissa got married to her longtime boyfriend Kevin. They had the most charming wedding in Elissa's brother's backyard in Chester, Pennsylvania. Everything was just perfect down to the local wildflowers lining the tables. And isn't Instagram perfect for weddings?

Newtown Creek Nature Walk

My Aunty Niff always gives the best advice on the coolest most interesting places to visit in New York. Twenty-plus years of living here has given her an edge up on the competition. Now that she lives in Urbana-Champaign I don't get to visit them with her as frequently, but enjoying and sharing her favorite places in the city still feels very special to me.

It was in that spirit that I took Mark to find the Newtown Creek Nature Walk. The path is sandwiched between Newtown Creek, perhaps the most polluted waterway in all of the US, and a treatment plant. It wraps around a section of the creek, with planted native plants and plaques explaining the history of the land from Indian origins. Late fall probably wasn't the best time to visit as the greenery wasn't exactly green, but it was completely serene, leading me to believe we had found our very own secret garden (with city views). I'll definitely be back with a picnic in spring.

If you're interested, the entrance is at the far eastern end of Paidge Avenue in Greenpoint. Look for the giant cement fence.

Pics by Mark Iantosca!

Apple Picking, Upstate NY

 

As full fall monsters (New Yorkers who become frantic with the turning of leaves and the prospect of freshly made apple cider), Mark and I made the exodus upstate. After a full day of exploring Storm King and not enough time to explore quaint antique stores as we had planned, we headed towards the best pick-your-own orchard we could find. The apples were a little past their peak, but it was still the perfect fall day, sunset included.

The apples have since become tasty afternoon snacks, apple turnovers, and an apple cake courtesy of Maddie (Headline Foods).

All photos taken by Mark, see more on Flickr.

New York Aquarium

Someone got a little artsy at the New York Aquarium at Coney Island...

Coney Island

Earlier this summer we took a little trip to Coney Island on one of the hottest days of the year. Up close, the beach has this gross sort of beauty that is super colorful because it is super crowded. The further away you get, down the beach to the left or down the pier, the quieter and more relaxing it becomes, but you loose the true sense of Coney Island. Truth be told, we didn't spend the day meditating on beauty. We spent it stuffing our face with Nathan's corn dogs and running across the sand fast enough not to burn our feet (to the mocking cheers of fellow beach-goers).

All pics by Marky Mark

Malibu Beach, Long Island

Because I will not be going on a beach vacation this 4th of July Weekend, here are a few pics from when we went to Malibu. This Malibu may be in Long Island, but it is just as pretty.

Happy birthday, America!

All pics by Mark

Belmont Stakes, Two on the 13

A couple of weekends ago I went to the Belmont Stakes with Mark's family. They're a horse racing family and I know nothing about the track, but I got some good tips on betting, the most important of which is to never listen to Uncle Jimmy, he's trying protect the odds on the horses he bet on. After a few bites of delicious fried chicken to cure my hangover and a Pimms Cup or two I definitely got into the action. Jimmy of course won the trifecta on the Belmont and I lost all $5 I had bet.

All photos by Mark Iantosca

The Met Museum, After Dark

Only three weeks late on my blogs, I finally have the images from our trip to the Met on a Monday. The fun part is that the Met is closed on Mondays, meaning a childhood dream museum tour took place. We got to browse the Costume Institute, Picasso exhibit, and permanent galleries, all while the museum was essentially empty. My favorite part was when we tried to find the New American Wing and accidentally wandered into an unlit portion of the Japanese Wing. It was a total childhood fantasy come to life and an amazing way to see the Met's collections.

Thanks to Kurt for setting up the tour and Mark for the pics.