Green-Wood Cemetery

Last weekend Nate and I went to the Pre-Cana session in preparation for the catholic wedding. It's been interesting, doing this process in Brooklyn, finding a local church, and a local arch-diocese. The pre-cana session was great, probably because it was an interfetih workshop, because it was open minded, funny and full of get-to-know you activities.

On Saturday, we had an open lunch, where we could leave the building and explore the area. We ended up having lunch at the Green-Wood Cemetery, a national landmark and an item on our list of attractions to check out. Which gave us some nice photo opportunities.

Prospect Park

Summer is finally here, and one of the greatest parts of living in Park Slope, is the proximity to Prospect Park. I like it better than Central Park, in many ways, and not just because it's three blocks from my apartment as opposed to a 30+ min subway ride.

Both have the same style, having been designed by Frederick L. Olmsted, but Prospect Park was designed later, so it's supposed to be the park he was proudest of. The landscape architecture geek in me really digs this. Additionally, Prospect has a more intimate feel from Central, less tourists, more people just sunbathing and having picnics. It feels more like a park for the neighborhood, where people are there to truly use the open space for it's intended purpose.

I had some fun taking pictures, playing with the macros and light settings.

Jazz Band in Washington Square Park

The things that make me love living in New York. We stopped at Washington Square Park to sit for a bit, just take a break from walking and errands, and end up seeing a jazz band playing outside. Great combination: park, sun, jazz music, and rested feet.

Sheep's Meadow in Central Park

I've been working for a few weeks now on the Upper East Side, which is pretty long commute from Brooklyn, but is also a great opportunity to explore a side of the city I used to know little about. This week, to celebrate the fact that it's getting warmer, Nate and I decided to meet at Central Park after work. We chose the Sheep's Meadow, because it was the best midpoint between our respective offices. And, it's a great place to just lay out and people watch.

This Dude was sitting pretty close to us, wearing a teeny tiny speedo. It wasn't that warm, and most people were in fact fully clothed, but to each his own, I guess.

We stayed out laying on blanket doing crossword puzzles until dusk. And as much as I miss the ocean sunsets of my Peruvian childhood, I have to say that the sun setting on the Manhattan skyline is a very satisfactory alternative.

Remembering Michael Jackson - Union Square

There are times when I am in awe of New York City. Like the impromptu memorial/crazy dance-sing-along that formed in Union Square this evening on the wake of Michael Jackson's untimely and surprising death. I guess people were just yearning to have something to do, a way of remembering the King of Pop.

We caught it by accident, being there only because I'd had a volleyball game in the East Village. earlier in the evening. But it seemed right, all night we'd been aware that bars were playing MJ music and that people seemed to lack other conversation topics, so it's fitting that a crowd would gather to sing along to some of his hits. We sang with them to Billie Jean, as a very energetic dancer got in the middle of the circle and danced Michael style, crotch grabbing and all. We cheered, we laughed. Though I am sure this is among many similar street gatherings around the country tonight, I'm glad we got to at least witness this one.

Prospect Park Memorial Day Picnic

I remember one Saturday afternoon last summer, when Nate and I were being lazy in Prospect Park, I had this feeling of social isolation. We were still new in town, and our social life was still lacking. I was looking wistfully at crowds of people our age having big picnics, and wondering how long it would be until I knew enough people to have a picnic of our own.

What a difference a year makes. This Memorial Day, Beth invited us to join her at a picnic in Prospect Park. Of course, since she lives on the other end of the park, we took the subway to meet up with her. We could have walked, but the subway was much faster. The Park is huge, after all.

It was a good turnout, about twelve people total. I had met about half the people in previous social occasions, so we felt right at home.
I find it curious when you get a group of young professionals in their mid to late 20's having a picnic; we are all just practical these days. We had vegan pasta salad, hummus, italian sausage, homemade brownies, cucumber dip, cheese and crackers, wine and beer. Also, besides the food, everyone brought blankets, plates, napkins, trash bags, and games. If this had been 7 years ago, we would have ended up with a couple of cheap six packs, and maybe some chips and salsa, but we would have definitely been laying on the grass with no cups.

Jesse brought a watermelon, which looked hilarious when he was carrying it in his messenger bag. He hacked slices with a machete, in which looked like the best way to release pent up stress.
We played Cranium, the Express Edition. I'd only played the old Cranium before, and this version was as fun as the old one, with some added fun activities such as team spelling, marionette charades, and a faster pace. It's about time we met fellow dorks who carry board games with them.
Here is Beth, our fearless organizer, without whom the afternoon would have been impossible Everyone wants these fun events to happen, it just takes a strong willed person to be decisive and pick the time and place. It's a field of dreams situation - "if you plan it, they will come". I often wish I could plan more social activities, but I end up stressing too much over silly logistics. I'll overcome it someday, probably when I have to plan my kids' birthday parties, and they depend on me.We also took a walk for a bit to the nearby pond. Next time, we should rent paddle boats; it looked like a nice activity. And I chatted with a kid as he fed ducks, but just for a bit, he was very methodical in his bread throwing technique, and I didn't want to throw off his concentration.

St Augustine Roman Catholic

The wedding preparations continue (which makes it sound much more hardcore than it really is). Like proper family folk, Nate and I have decided to have two separate celebrations: one to address his Texas family and US traditions, and one in Peru for my side. And the Peruvian one, as custom suggests and dictates, will be a catholic ceremony.

Which sounds great and all, but I haven't attended church regularly since... uh, my first communion? I have a lot of catching up to do. I have to get confirmed (which includes classes, finding a sponsor and doing the ritual), and Nate and I have to attend the Pre-Cana workshop and do some premarital sessions with a priest. We are doing all the preparatory bureaucratic paperwork here in Brooklyn, which will then be sent over to the Archdiocese in Lima. It seems to be a pretty standard process. I hope.

Well, today was our first meeting with the Priest, and he was very nice and welcoming. I decided on St. Augustine Church mostly because they are located a block from my apartment, but based on how they've been so far I would have picked them even if they were THREE blocks away. Everyone has been nice and welcoming, and specially, so willing to work with us through this process.

Not confirmed? No problem, you are welcome to the classes. Had to miss the first two sessions because you were in Texas? No problem, you can make them up, no big deal. Nate is not Catholic? No problem, this is common, just need some proof that he is baptized. Don't have a certificate? No problem, we can work it out with you as needed. I really get the sense that they are on my side, and happy to be helpful.

If more churches had been like this when I first moved to Austin (St. Austin's, I am looking at you and your wretched school), I might not have had such a negative reaction to the Catholics in the US. It turns out, maybe it was just St. Austins that sucked, because so far St. Augustine seems to be very much like what I remember churches being like in Lima.

The building is old, and, well, it reminds me of a church. I sound like an untrained layman, because a deeply rooted part of me wants Church to look old and solid, like the stones have been around longer than my grandparents. This must be the same deeply ingrained part of me that remembers all the prayers in Spanish, and knows instinctively when to stand/sit and answer the priest while in mass. The architect in me considers this ludicrous and wants me to fight my baser instincts. But there you go, I like St. Augustine because it looks like what a proper Catholic church should look like.

It's curious for me to have a church a block away, and Park Slope is filled with churches, of all sorts of denominations. I know Texas is a god-fearing state, but I have never felt so surrounded by places of worship than when I moved to NYC. Must be the density, because every two blocks, there is another church popping up, happily reminding me that Sunday is coming up, and uh... god is watching? The cultural catholic guilt is a hard one to get rid of.

Nate and I went on a walk this morning after our meeting with the Priest, and I decided to embrace the day and take pictures of the churches we saw on the way. We must have walked about a half hour or so, went to get coffee and enjoyed the pretty weather.

The seemingly excessive amount of churches, which I had noticed before, must be part of what makes this neighborhood feel so authentic. I am not saying that a place of worship is necessary for the longevity of a community, but rather, a diversity of services is what makes a neighborhood sustainable. We, as residents, need to know that there is a church within a walking radius us, just like we need a library, cleaners, doctors, daycare, gyms, shoe repair, electronics, groceries, cafes, etc. And even though I don't patronize many of the aforementioned services , it matters to me that they exist. The day that I need one (like say now, when I am going through the wedding preparation process), I can walk five minutes and be there. I don't even have to leave the neighborhood. And that's part of what makes Park Slope such a sustainable piece of urban fabric.

Lincoln Center - Alice Tully Hall

I have no idea how I ended up on the New York Opera mailing list. Yet somehow I am, and they sent me information about the newly renovated Alice Tully Hall, and how the New York City Opera had a special discounted performance called Looking Forward, a "concert of vocal and orchestral music by great composers of the 20th century."

Great. It was one of those moments where I had to decide whether my long term cultural aspirations were more important than my giggly fits at operatic singing styles. I've never been one for the "classical" side of things, preferring an unbridled rock concert to the refined sophistication of the symphony. But I made a promise to myself when I moving to NYC that I would earnestly try to embrace the cultural opportunities the city had to offer - and this included ballet, opera and the symphony.

So, I bought the tickets, and managed to get box seats for the same base general admission discount price. I am fairly confident I will not be able to afford box seats again in a very long time, so this was pretty exciting.

Specially because, seriously, the building? It's awesome. I'd heard about it, and passed by the construction scaffolding before. But in all honesty, I wasn't familiar with the project and design details. Sometimes (often), I feel like I fail in keeping up with the architecture world. I don't know what that means about my career aspirations, and frankly, I don't care to find out. I still managed to get crazy with the pictures, so I guess I am in the right field.

For the sake of this blog I've dug up some online information on the building. Curbed - Diller Scofidio + Renfro Architectural Record The very confusing flash hyperactivity of the Diller Scofidio + Renfro official website


What I can say, the massing is exciting, and the glass facade feels modern and airy. It reminded me of a Jean Nouvelle building, and I mean that as the biggest compliment. The design includes some pretty amazing overhangs, details of warped wood panels, and a lobby cafe that was open to the public. I don't know why more theaters don't have a cafe in the lobby, it gives people a place to be before the performance, and also guarantees that the space will always have people, even if the show is not full.

The historic preservation controversies are interesting, as with many cultural institutions. I am still a child of my times, and believe that sustainable historic preservation practices need to allow for bold contemporary design, specially when given a landmark building opportunity. So it follows that I am delighted with the Alice Tully building, and I can't wait to see how the rest of Lincoln Center will shape up. Keeping my nerdy fingers crossed that I will still be in the city when they finish working on the main plaza.

The actual performance hall was incredibly underwhelming though. They didn't allow me to take my camera past the ticket check point, I had to drop off my baby at the coat check. I understand why they do that, but there was no way to convince them that I had no interest in taping the NY Opera perform, I wanted pictures of the wall panels. (They probably thought I was mental, going around taking pictures of spider brackets and silicon mullions. Heck, I think I'm mental for even writing that last sentence.) The problem is that in comparison to lobby's modern grandeur, the performance hall felt oddly small and unfinished. I'm sure it's got amaaaaazing acoustics, but I couldn't shake the feeling that we were aboard a minimalist wooden Swedish space ship.

Here are some pictures.

Brooklyn Public Library

We are living in the northern end of Park Slope, and the Brooklyn Central Library is only a few blocks from us. I feel like I always dreamed of being able to walk to the library, without a car. We are lucky that the location closest to us is also the largest, so it has a pretty large selection.

Today was such a beautiful day, and I really enjoyed my walk there along Prospect Park and Grand Army Plaza. It was one of those days where it's great to be in Park Slope.

If I had to pick a gripe of the library is that building doesn't engage the street. Nevermind that Grand Army Plaza is a total urban aberration (more on that on a later post), the building has a very severe blank facade. I appreciate that it's architecture of another time, and that in fact they've done a lot putting tables and chairs on the front plaza (I hear it even has free wi-fi), but it's still not an active front. Maybe that's okay. Maybe the fact that the surrounding neighborhoods are vibrant mixed-use areas with commercial diversity means that this civic space doesn't have the responsibility of engaging the area. Maybe the plaza being tree-less gives the space the appropriate grandeur of a building of a different era. I would need to hang out there in the summer. So far, I've only discovered the Library in the winter.

I am currently reading The God Delusion by Richard Dawkings, and could not be happier with the library giving me an opportunity to read for free.