#21 Wave Hill (4/8/12)

"The original Wave Hill House was a gray fieldstone mansion built in 1843 by lawyer William Lewis Morris. It was owned from 1866 to 1903 by publisher William Henry Appleton, who enlarged the house in between 1866 and 1869 and again in 1890, and added greenhouses and gardens to the grounds. During these years, the house was visited by Thomas Henry Huxley, who helped Charles Darwin bring evolution to the public's attention. Theodore Roosevelt's family rented Wave Hill during the summers of 1870 and 1871, and Mark Twain leased it from 1901 to 1903. The house was purchased in 1903 by George Walbridge Perkins, a partner of J. P. Morgan... In 1960, at the suggestion of Robert Moses, the Perkins-Freeman family deeded Wave Hill to the City of New York. In 1983 the estate was added to the roster of the National Register of Historic Places" (Wikipedia).

And I LOVED it!! One of my favorite adventures in New York. One that totally didn't feel like New York... it was the perfect stay-cation get away and I hope to go back often.

Chinese redbuds- my favorite tree this time of year and I finally learned that they are called thanks to Wave Hill.

The Pergola Overlook, Hudson River and New Jersey Palisades.

Orchids inside the Marco Polo Stufano Conservatory

More inside the conservatory

Wave Hill House, which is currently under construction, so I'll just have to come back when it reopens :)

The top of the Ecology Building (yes that is a rooftop) with the Hudson River and the Palisades.

Tulips

A giant carpenter bee that apparently does not sting but ruins the wood from the terraces.

Stopping to smell the magnolias.

In the "Wild Garden"

Glyndor House

A perfect hill for rolling down! I didn't because I hope to return (and I was wearing a skirt, LOL)

Want to visit yourself? Wave Hill Target Free Days Saturdays Free 9am to noon year-round Tuesdays Free all day November–April, July, August Free 9am to noon May, June, September, October

#20 Michael in NYC (2/26/12-3/5/12)

SUNDAY, February 26th:

Mike took the train in from Stoney Brook after his audition and I picked up Mike at Penn Station. Then we went to the Houndstooth on 8th and 37th for the Savvy Actor Oscar Party where Mike got to meet my friend Jimmy and the owners of the Savvy Actor Kevin and Jodie. Mike was exhausted but after a hamburger and a beer and all the energy from being in a room full of actors watching the Academy Awards we made it through watching the whole show!

MONDAY, February 27th:

Mike has his first practice session in the tiny rehearsal studio with the "cute" piano at Shetler Studios. We chilled out the rest of the afternoon from Mike's already busy journey. In the evening we went to Manhattan School of Music for a a recital by one of the current Masters of Music in Piano Performance students. Before the concert we watched a group of people filming what seemed to be a music video with strings, a guy rapping and a girl with a stunning voice singing... I wonder what it will become???

I LOVE old New York City buildings! This is a stairwell inside Manhattan School of Music.

This is the concert hall where the recital took place. It kind of had a Mozart feel. Very beautiful!

TUESDAY, February 28th:

We both had our own things going on. Mike rehearsed in the morning then had a private lesson from one of the professors at Manhattan School of Music. I had my first commercial audition through my new agent for InStyle Magazine, I didn't get it but it was fun (especially fun figuring out what I was going to wear for an audition for a fashion magazine). Then I had a meeting for work at Murray's Cheese Shop. Mike and I were supposed to go to the 9/11 Memorial after my meeting but the meeting went long so we saved it for another day and I showed Mike around the neighborhood briefly and we bought macaroni and cheese from Murray's for dinner.

WEDNESDAY, February 29th:

LEAP FOR JOY! Mike and I got to see the Book of Mormon on Broadway!!! It was quite an ordeal getting the tickets. After work I headed up to the theatre to stand in line for standing room tickets. I was only the second person in line at 3pm (for a 7pm show) it was about 40 degrees and raining so I'm sure that kept people away. We tried for the lottery but we didn't get in so we rallied and stayed in line until 6pm when they released the standing room tickets. Then only had time for Chipotle, which is kind of against the rules for me to be entertaining a family member in town then eat at a chain, but we had to get back to the theatre for the 7pm show, and I was tired and cold from standing outside, I didn't really care... plus we got tickets to the most popular show in New York for $27 each!

Mike's first Broadway show!!! - good choice :)

Mike and me.

The show was great! And luckily there were two seats in the back row right in front of where we were standing that we snatched during intermission.

Mike wanted to see Times Square at night so we took a quick walk after the show.

THURSDAY, March 1st:

Mike met up with Becca's brother Andrew who is going to school at Rutgers.

FRIDAY, March 2nd:

I had to work and it was not an ordinary day in Greenwich Village... I noticed these old cars parked along Jones Street, which being the history dork I am I couldn't help take a photo.

Mike met me towards the end of my shift and I showed him around Greenwich Village, Soho, Nolita, and Noho and we did a mini food tour of my favorite things from each tour. Along the way the mystery of the old cars was revealed. I had already known about this from research for work, but the Coen Brothers are filming a movie about Dave Van Ronk a folk singer from the 60's who was friends with Bob Dylan. That was what was causing all of the commotion. They were filming a scene inside Cafe Reggio (the cafe where the Cappuccino first came to America) and extras were walking back and forth on the street.

Mike and I ended our journey at McSorley's Ale House which is said to be the oldest bar in the city. Abraham Lincoln once went there and the walls are covered with photos and memorabilia from the years.

SATURDAY, March 3rd:

Mike met me after my short day at work and I showed him more of the food tour neighborhoods, specifically our Original Greenwich Village tour (the tour I give) and Chelsea Market and the Meatpacking District.

Mike's favorite "tasting" from both days of touring was the cannoli from Rocco's.

Then we finally made it to the 9/11 Memorial.

This is the South Pool with the new Freedom Tower in the background (with the light reflecting off of it).

Mine and Mike's reflection in one of the buildings that is still under construction.

It was windy so the water sprayed up around the North Pool.

This is the "Survivor Tree" it was on the site and survived after the 9/11 attacks, they brought it to a nursery and brought it back to health then replanted it here.

SUNDAY, March 4th:

Mike's successfully completed his auditions with his final audition at Manhattan School of Music. Then took out the friends he made at the audition for a celebratory lunch at Palma, one of the restaurants on my tour. I was working, so Mike met up with me in the afternoon and we had dinner at Monte's, one of the restaurants on our Central Village/ Soho tour and we completed the night at Cafe Wha? a famous music venue in Greenwich Village where Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Bob Dylan once performed.

War Horse Montage

Lincoln Center Theater : Media Player

#19 Mom in NYC (11/21/11-11/26/11)

MONDAY, November 21st:

I picked mom up at the airport and we had dinner in my apartment.

TUESDAY, November 22nd:

The weather on Tuesday wasn't very nice, but we made the most of it. We got our nails done and headed down 5th Avenue to window shop.

The 5th Avenue snowflake

Once again, the Bergdorf Goodman Christmas windows are my favorite this year. This year's theme "Carnival of the Animals."

I love how glamorous their mannequins are! They look like they are from the 1920's.

Lady Liberty from the Rockette theme windows and Henri Bendel. The gown is made of jelly beans!

We made our way to Grand Central Station to the holiday gift fair. This is mom in the whispering gallery outside the Oyster Bar at Grand Central.

Tuesday evening, we took a wine and cheese class at the City Winery with Murray's Cheese Shop.

WEDNESDAY, November 23rd:

The weather was maybe slightly better on Wednesday. I gave mom a private abbreviated version of our Central Village/ Soho and our Chelsea Market/ Meatpacking District tour of a few of my "food tasting" favorites from each. Then we visited the Union Square farmer's market and holiday gift fair. Then mom got to sit in on my voice lesson, we had dinner at Eataly. After dinner, we headed up to the Museum of Natural History to see the Macy's Parade Balloon inflation!

Do you see Snoopy!?!?

Spiderman

The Energizer Bunny

Mom and me!

The Hayden Planetarium

THURSDAY, November 24th (Thanksgiving):

We had breakfast and mimosas in my apartment and watched the Macy's parade on Earthcam (I don't have a TV) while listening to Christmas music. In the afternoon we made a pilgrimage to Brooklyn to have dinner at my co-worker Sephrah's house.

The view of Brooklyn and New York Harbor from the roof at Sephrah's.

The Statue of Liberty is in the distance!

The view of Brooklyn and Manhattan.

FRIDAY, November 25th (Black Friday):

We went into Macy's Harold Square on Black Friday!!!

The "Make A Wish" ornament windows at Macy's.

Me and mom outside Macy's.

Lord and Taylor's windows were next.

This drawing is entitled "What is Christmas Made of" drawn by Carl S. Wilson in 1941.

The theme for Lord and Taylor's windows was children's holiday drawings.

Mom and me and the Christmas tree inside the main New York Public Library.

After the library we went to the holiday gift fair at Bryant Park.

The big star ornaments at the Time Warner Center during their light and music show.

We had dinner at Rosa Mexicana before going to see War Horse on Broadway (if you can't see the show in New York, watch for the movie by Stephen Speilberg out on Christmas Day, and if you can see it live, GO!!! I have never seen anything like it on stage!) This is the waterfall wall inside the restaurant.