Brighton Beach...

OK. Yeah, yeah. I know I already went to the beach this weekend. But it's Memorial Day weekend. And I'm practically on vacation for the summer. Soo....? Brooke and I decided to check out Brighton Beach in Brooklyn today. Don't worry. The SPF 50 came out to cover up the burn from Saturday. And I wore a shirt half of the time. So I'm just peachy... And if you didn't know, cultures tend to live together in certain parts of New York City. And out at Brighton Beach, everything is Russian. A majority of the people. Everything is written in English as well as Russian. And did I mention... Russians?

You can't see it very well, but above "Moscow" are the words "Russia on the beach"

It was a great spot! I think we'll be coming here in the future to chill on the weekends.

Bryant Park

As many of you have probably guessed by now, living in New York involved A LOT of walking. Today alone, Brook and I guess that we spent at least 5 hours of our day waiting for a train, on a train or walking. Crazy, huh? So you can only guess how happy my feet were to nestle down for an hour this evening in Bryant Park.

**Happy Feet**

Bryant Park is a very lovely spot in the city - there is no arguing that. So don't even try. The park is located between 5th and 6th avenue and again between 40th and 42nd street. In the summer there's a large lawn right in the middle of the park. On Monday nights June through August they show free classic movies around sunset. In the winter the area is converted into a large ice skating rink! Pretty nifty!

Also, just so you know, the summers here are HOT and HUMID! Like dripping.... So you can only imagine that people love spending time outside, especially in the parks. Shade. Green grass. Magnolias bakery banana pudding. Who could ask for a better evening?

Crumbs

Ta-Da!!! Another bakery. Maybe you've heard of this one... Crumbs? This bakery is more novelty and focuses on creativity rather than taste. But they're cute. And I went for the cute. I felt like a little kid wanting the cupcake because it had an umbrella on it, but what can I say?

If you like Pina Colada!

Rockaway

When people hear New York City, they think Empire State Building, Time Square and Central Park. RARELY do they think great beaches... But it's very true. There are a ton of beach spots in the area. Saturday Celestyn and I went to Rockaway beach for part of the day. The weather was GORGEOUS. The few hours we spent was just what I needed for a little R&R. Sorry there aren't more photos. But it's difficult to haul that big camera around all the time.

For Free in NYC...

Free concerts are ALL OVER THE PLACE in New York City during the summertime. This morning on my way to work walking up 48th and saw a stage. So I decided to stop and watch for a minute. My initial thought was, "Oh, this is nice. A local band!" Nope, I was sadly mistaken... Yep, it was Plain White T's.

New York Public Library

It was kind of a gloomy sunday, so Brooke and I decided to go check out the New York City Public Library. Currently they have an exhibit called "Celebrating 100 Years". We saw some pretty awesome pieces of history including an original Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, excerpts from Malcom X's journal, original black movement pins, Sumerian cuneiform tablets, original works by Charles Dickens and much more. After walking through the exhibit we took time to walk through the library and.... *drum roll* .... Got a library card!

Yes, I'm a nerd. Here are a few photos from today...

We rode the "Special" train

Yes, it's legos!

Madison Square Park

May 21 - I'm glad the world didn't end..

Well, I have to say that I'm glad the world didn't end! I was worried it was actually doomsday and I wouldn't get to have a last Saturday night of fun! (She says sarcastically...) So, just a quick overview of today's events...

My roommate Brooke and I woke up early this morning, threw on shorts and flip flops, and hurried downtown to get tickets for a Broadway show that evening. We tried five different shows before we finally found available tickets at "Baby it's You" for the 8 p.m. showing. On our way home we stopped and got bagels and cream cheese for lunch at Absolute Bagels which is just a couple blocks from our apartment. DELISH!

OK, I have to say, I've never had a better bagel. Check it out!

After going home and quickly getting ready, we headed over to the Brooklyn Flea Market for the afternoon. I was way impressed! Brooklyn is a cute place and the flea market was STOCKED with fun things to see.

These were old typewriter keys made into rings... and they were also lockets too!

Brooke and I obviously got caught up in an eyewear extravaganza...

Professor Trelawney?

On our way out of the market a couple hours later, we stopped at one of the food stands called "Dough" - a doughnut shop.

We made it home around 5 p.m., took a quick nap, got ready and headed downtown to meet our friend Nick and to see our show! "Baby it's You" was actually pretty good. I didn't like it quite as much as Memphis or Wicked, but the music was great.

Nick, Brooke and I

Brooke and I

After the show and much debate, we decided to go have a late dinner. We ended up eating at this AMAZING little Moroccan restaurant in the East Village called Cafe Mogador. Can I just say, I'm kind of in love with falafels and couscous.

Magnolia Bakery

Ok, yes. Another bakery. But who are you going to ask for a bakery recommendation when you visit New York City? Oh yeah, me! Magnolia Bakery is a small bakery with just a few locations around Manhattan. Celestyn and I stopped here after 'Wich Craft last night and got brownie bars! They offer a variety of treats. Stop here if you're ever in the city - it's a classic.

'Wich Craft

After a long day at work, Celestyn and I headed over to Rockefeller plaza to get some dinner!! We found this place, 'Wich Craft, on Yelp! and man was it DELICIOUS! I had the roasted pork sandwich with red cabbage, jalepenios and dijon mustard. Can you say, cleared the sinuses... Spicy, but so good. The prices were very reasonable too. If you have the chance, go.

We live for the weekend...

Living in New York has brought new appreciation for weekends. There's always something new to see and fun to do. Today Julia, Jessica and I headed out for an afternoon at Coney Island. That place is kinda crazy... But so fun! The train ride out was about an hour and a half. As soon as we got there we scoped the place out and picked our rides. Jessica and Julia rode the Soarin' Eagle - I skipped out... I'm kind of a wimp. I'll admit right now. Then Julia and I rode the Wonder Wheel! Kinda crazy! After that we headed over to the boardwalk. There we found dance parties, food and the Atlantic Ocean. Later on our way out, we stopped at the famous Nathan's hot dog stand. Can I tell you... YUMMY! All together a great day. Check out the photos...

The ride out!

Garbage cans all the way down the walk.

From ocean to ocean...

My legit candied apple....

Papaya King

When you come to New York, this is one place you must experience. Delicious, inexpensive hot dogs, fries and tropical drinks. Also, here's a fun fact... It's featured in You've Got Mail - they eat here!

Columbia University

This afternoon my roommate Jessica gave me a quick tour of Columbia University - such a gorgeous campus! The following are just a few photos that I took...

My future school...?