Category Archives: nyc

an afternoon in central park

Posted on by
4

This post is way overdue (like, over two weeks)…but better late than never. Before I started working (when I still had time to do things), Sarah and I spent an afternoon (morning?) in Central Park. We started at the north end (the non-touristy part) and then headed south.

Central Park is an amazing place. It’s interesting that when movies shoot in it, it seems to always be in the same three or four locations; Bethesda Fountain, Poet’s Walk, The Boathouse (all pictured below), and a few other places. But that is just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. There is so much more to see. I could not believe how truly isolate I could feel in such a huge city.
Sarah and I started at the northeast end of the park and wandered across heading toward the Conservatory Garden. Along the way, I realized that all those episodes of Law & Order I saw where bodies were discovered in random places in Central Park could actually be feasible. I mean, there is all kinds of wilderness going on.






We walked past The Pool (yes, that’s the name of this particular body of water). I just loved the Weeping Willows around it. 
When we finally got to the Conservatory Garden, a bridal party was heading in. Thanks to my amazing new lens, I was able to capture this “paparazzi-esque” photo. 
The Garden was amazing…although I can’t wait to head back when the flowers are in full-bloom. The lovely overcast day made for good shooting, too. (I meant to edit the pics now that I am the happy owner of Photo Shop, but I realized that if I waited to do that…this post wouldn’t be happening for about a year, since I have no idea how to use Photo Shop yet).





There were some roses already in bloom…absolutely stunning!

Poet’s Walk.

Bethesda Fountain.

The Boathouse.

View of buildings from inside the park.

why you should always live your life like you’re a summer intern?

Posted on by
3

It’s 2:00 am and I should really be getting to bed. The problem is that my life is just busy. I work all day…and then I play in the evenings. There’s just so much I want to do while I’m here and I only have three months (at least in my mind) to do it all. I have lists and lists of things I want to do, which brings me to why a) I haven’t posted much this week and b) I think everyone should live like an intern.

I spent 17+ years of my life just east of San Francisco and I’ve never been to Alcatraz. How many of us do that? Spend years in a place and never experience it through the eyes of a tourist (ie for all of the great things it has to offer). Now I realize I’m in New York right now, but there are great things to appreciate everywhere. Maybe not as many as there are here, but there are…and the “summer internship” mindset really helps you see those things.

I started taking this approach when I moved back to P-town and it has made the experience much more enjoyable. If you can do that in P-town, you can do it anywhere.

new york vs. p-town

Posted on by
2

I know that title may seem like a no-brainer, but there are some things that I miss, I swear.

Things I am loving about New York:
  • Public transportation – until you have lived somewhere where public transit is good–and NY is one of the best (although of all the places I’ve been, Paris may actually win)–you seriously can’t understand how great it is.

  • Good food. Everywhere. But my neighborhood happens to be full of cute little restaurants. (Kelly and I went to this great little restaurant around the corner from my apartment.)

  • People watching
  • Broadway shows – Sarah and I went and saw In the Heights last night (joined by two of my fellow b-schoolers, Allison and Mike). Amazing!!!
  • Central Park – I know you can tell it’s big from a map, but wandering through it, and not just the tourist/famous/movie featured parts, you get a whole new perspective. It’s like a forest in the middle of a city.
  • My besties – I have so missed Sarah, Kelly, and Candice. It’s so fun to be back with them.
  • Photo ops – I don’t ever leave my camera at home. 
  • Walking to my gym – it’s right around the corner from my house.
  • Reading on the subway – because you lose cell phone reception completely underground, I can’t call people. And because I’m not driving, I have plenty of time to read. It’s awesome.
  • The diversity – living here is just incredible. On Wednesday I overheard two men talking about a women (a client – I was at the gym) and one was describing her to the other. He said, “You know, the caucasian woman with the big eyes.” Never in a million years would you ever hear anyone in P-town describe someone as “the caucasian woman” because it wouldn’t mean anything.
Things I miss about P-town:
  • Getting just about anywhere fast – while public transportation is nice, it takes a little more thought and planning.
  • Running all of my errands at once – or another way of putting it, having a car with a trunk. I have to be much more strategic about errand running here because I can only carry so much.
  • Time to talk on the phone – that might sound weird but the combination of traveling underground and being 2 – 3 hours later than all of my family and most of my friends makes for not a lot of communication.
  • Prices – seriously, everything here is more expensive. Everything. 
  • Central A/C – I do have a window unit, but it’s just not the same. 
  • Dryness – it hasn’t even been that humid here, but I do love that I am in control of my own moisture level in Utah. If I want to not be dry, I put on lotion. NYC – no such luck. I’m sticky all the time. 
  • Stealing toilet paper from my dad’s house – and various other goods that I haven’t had to pay for over the past few years. 
  • A washer and dryer that I can use any time, and in which I can leave my clothes while I go do other things.
  • The mountains – nothing quite compares.
  • Target – I have one here, but it’s in the Bronx…which is about 220 blocks north of me. It’s quite the trip.
  • My b-school besties – the consolation there is that they are spread out all over the country right now, so being in P-town wouldn’t really help that.

my fabulous apartment

Posted on by
4


When I decided that I would be headed to NY for the summer, I started to stress about finding somewhere to live. Having lived alone for the past 4-ish years, and knowing plenty of people in NYC to have a fabulous social life sans roommates, I wanted to find a place to live on my own. So, I got on the Google group for the singles in my church in NYC and posted a “sublet wanted” ad. I got a few pretty quick responses. Thanks to the oh so fabulous Sarah, I found a great place! (It’s nice to have a person “on the ground” to help out in these situations.)

Said fabulous apartment is a studio located in Greenwich Village. It is teeny-tiny, but perfect sized for me for the summer. It’s a fourth floor walk up in an older building that has lots of character (and characters…I can currently hear neighbors fighting in the courtyard–it sounds like a breakup). I am seriously in love with it!!! Even if it is just the slightest bit slanted…ha ha ha.
And here are some pictures (straight out of the camera…no time to edit these, so I apologize for how dark they are) to show you what it looks like:

Yes, this is the view from my front door…with the door open. I told you it’s small. But notice the AC unit in the window…that’s the only thing that would have been a real deal breaker.

My cute fireplace (excuse the pile of clothes…I still need some hangers).

From the corner looking toward the door. Notice that I have no microwave, no disposal (you can’t see that, but I’m telling you), and a mini-fridge. It’s a good thing I’ve lived without these things before, or this would be really difficult. 🙂
View from the bedroom/living room/kitchen window.
My hallway…which leads to my closet and bathroom (the doors of which don’t close on their own). 

My bathroom is actually quite large. I love it! plenty of room to be organized and move around.
Another bathroom view.
And the view from the bathroom. 
My apartment is seriously awesome (even if it does slant). I love my neighborhood. I love the fact that it’s at the back of the building (through a courtyard). I love that it backs up to more apartments, instead of a street. It’s in the heart of Greenwich Village, but totally secluded at the same time. Pretty much amazing!!!

new york!

Posted on by
4

I’m here! I have lots to share, but for now, I need to get some sleep. After two long days including flying across the country, unpacking, shopping, and sight-seeing, I’m pretty dang tired. However, a couple of posts are in the works…and one will have pictures of my FABULOUS apartment.

However, before I go, I want to give you a brief log of my activities so far:
Arrived in NY to be met at the airport by Candice, Mark, and kiddies…and then Sarah at my apartment. Had a lovely dinner. Unpacked. Slept. Checked out my new gym. Signed up for a personal trainer. Worked out. Purchased Metro card. Lunch in Union Square with Sare. Shopping for organizational type items. Coney Island with Sare, Candice, et al,including a Nathan’s Hot Dog. First celebrity sighting in NY (other than at a show I was paying to see): Tracy Morgan (of 30 Rock) in line in front of me at the concession stand at the movies. Movie.

Not bad for a little over 24-hours in a new place.

It’s too bad I have to start working eventually, although given the bills that I’m racking up, it’s probably a good thing.