Magnolia Bakery

I'm trying to catch up documenting for my own sake the things I did this summer. It feels a bit like an elementary school essay. But I will not let that ridiculous feeling keep me down.

The thing is, I had a great touristy summer, because whenever friends and family visit, we get to sightsee in a way we usually forget to do. It's hard to remember to see the unique NYC sights when we have laundry, errands, groceries and jobs to do. I dont want to settle in to just living here, or get so caught up in errands that I forget to stop and smell the roses.

Like the time we went to Magnolia Bakery, famous because of its Sex and the City episode shout-out. I'm sure it's famous on its own right, but I know if from SATC. We squeezed it in the middle of an errand filled day, having to buy a shirt for Nate, do some shopping for the upcoming wedding.

We both ordered red velvet cupcakes, which are rapidly becoming my favorites.

Tavern on the Green

This place is a NYC institution, that I knew mostly due to it being referenced in SATC and other chick lit items featuring the city. I just never thought it accessible to the brethren that I belong to. Silly me, the garden has parties all the time, so long as you want to pay the very reasonable five dollar cover.

We went (we being Nate, Sabrina, Jenn and me, i.e. the gang) a couple of weeks ago to celebrate Peuvian Independence. Though I still struggle to figure out what made this party Peruvian themed beyond the pisco specials. No matter, the weather was beautiful, and we spent the evening watching the sky above us get progressively darker and the chinese lamps floating on the trees look progressively more magical.

Midsummer's Nigth Swing

It was raining, but still, Nate and I made it to at least a bit of the Lincoln Center's Midsummer's Night Salsa Dura night. The dance floor was closed, which was no issue for us, since you have to pay to go on it anyway.

So instead, we danced for free just beyond the roped off area.

Las Ramblas

My friend Laura visited from Austin, and it gave us a chance to take her to one of our favorite tapas places in the Village: Las Ramblas.

I'd always heard that as soon as you move to NY, you discover that you have many friends, because everyone wants to come visit and crash on your couch. I don't know what this implies about me, because I've been here for a year and a half, and Laura is one of the few friends that has stayed at our place. It's been all family up till now.

Laura is part of the Austin crew, and it's always nice to show those people who have known me for years what life is like in the city. I mean, Laura knew me when I was a broke a$$ undergrad drinking tecates and staying up way too late for my own good. Not much has changed, except that now we go to pretty tapas bars in the Village.

Las Ramblas, in addition to being a lovely intimate yet lively space, has very authentic tasting tapas. And I mean that as the biggest compliment. As Laura is vegetarian, we ended up ordering mostly meat free fare, such as croquetas de queso, asparagus, olives, and the delicious tortilla espanola.

And finally, because of the festive occasion of having guest, we ordered a Porron. I haven't seen porrones anywhere else, but i trust them that it's a drink at least fringe related to Spanish cuisine. Basically, it's more about the decanter you use to pour the drink into your mouth. Nate like to call it a hipster beer bong, and I think the name is quite appropriate.

At previous outings, we had Porron with muscatel wine, but since it was summer we tried the clara beer. In Spain, the claras I've had were beer mixed with lemonade, which sounds weird but is actually incredibly refreshing. Here they mixed beer with lemonade and I believe white wine. It was good but the carbonation made it hard to swallow properly (that's what she said). We ended the night with many a spill on our shirts.

REACH, An Urban Musical Instrument

This interactive musical chimes art installation has been on display since 1996, but apparently, even though for 8 months I used the Herald Square subway stop every day, I was too oblivious to notice it. And now, that I frequent the 6 and am getting better acquainted with the Union Square stop, now that I only come to Herald Square when I'm meeting up with Nate, now I notice this green installation. What is it about human brain that only observes closely the unfamiliar?

It's quite wonderful. To quote the NYC Subway website: "This piece consists of a rack hanging along each platform with sensors along the length. Waving your hand in front of a sensor creates a corresponding sound from the rack-- on the other side of the station. People on the opposite platforms can interact using the instrument."

4th of July Fireworks

This year the fireworks were on the NJ side, so instead of being able to see them from our rooftop (like last year), we were in this crowd.

I'll take the crowd. It's nice to feel a part of the mass, something bigger than yourself, the excitement of chaos. Plus the fireworks always look better up close, with the loud sounds and burning smell. The NY fireworks are supposed to be the largest in the country, and they certainly didn't disappoint. It's hard to capture the magic on camera, specially without tripods and space, but here is the best shot.

Gay Pride Parade 2009

These pictures are very late, but last week was Gay Pride Week in New York City (and I believe also in the rest of the country), which culminated on the Gay Pride Parade, one of the most vibrant, festive parades in the city.

It was my first time going, and we waited for a long time to see Rob and Leonel on the Brazilian float, but alas, the parade is gigantic, lasting several hours, and our feet tired of leaning on the Christopher Park fence. So we left after two hours, before the Brazilian float came by. Though we still managed to dance, enjoy some nostalgic Michael Jackson (RIP), join in chants for equal marriage rights, and have an exciting time outside.

We were standing right across from the Stonewall Inn, which was celebrating the 40th anniversary of the riots. Great location.

A lot of the audience was also in costume.

Many floats had music and costumes. I didn't get god pictures of the Liza and Barbara impersonators, which is a shame.

This lovely pole dancer seemed out of place in the otherwise gay celebration, but she was just too random not to document.

The Belgian Beer Bar

Spent a nice afternoon moment at the Belgian Beer Bar in the Village. Good courtyard, nice Hoegaarden, and fries with flavored mayonnaise.

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.

Maelstrom at the MET Roof Garden

The sun has finally come out, which gave us the opportunity to go see the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the seasonal sculpture in the roof garden. This year the chosen piece is Maelstrom, by American artist Roxy Paine.

I liked last year's Balloon Dog by Jeff Koons better, mostly because the Balloon Dog transfixed me in a bizarre way where I could not tear my eyes away.
This piece, though more spatially ambitious, was not as successful for my taste. Maybe it was that we'd been walking for a couple of hours, or that to roof garden was crowded with too many people excited by the sudden burst of summer weather; whatever it was, the tree was not as photogenic or engaging as it would seem on paper. It did occupy the whole space though, and I have to appreciate it when artists allow visitors to touch and interact with their art. Too bad you couldn't climb the metal branches.

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.

Max Brenner's Chocolate Cake

I'm not even that much into chocolate, and I still can't resist this double chocolate molten cake. Moist. Filled with hot fudge. Milk chocolate. With Ice cream.

As Trey McDougal would say, "Isn't this a little piece of heaven?"

MOMA

It's been a busy last few days. I got a contract job position at a local architecture firm where I am actually architecting and doing project management. I hope the project expands longer, but we'll see. I am, as always, cautiously optimistic.

But the new job location (in the heart of the Upper East Side, shout out Gossip Girl) gave me the perfect excuse to stop by the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) on its free Friday nights. We usually don't make it because it's kinda out of the way and by the time it's Friday evening we are just in the mood to relax and go out... and yeah, I have no real excuse. Shame on me.

But we went last Friday, and though it was teeming with tourists, it was a good time. The picture above is the main lobby, where a couple of young artists were engaging in some type of performance art. It didn't seem museum sponsored; I think it was just an art student seizing the moment and interacting with people's sense of comfort and personal space. Lizy would be proud, this type of stuff is totally up her creative alley.

We spent most of our time in the 4th Floor, with exhibits of modern furniture and commercial industrial design. And we also caught a Landscape Architecture exhibition, which was vaguely disappointing, as it didn't include enough contemporary designers, like OMA, West 8 or Field Operations. But the highlight for me, was seeing the model of this park project in Barcelona.

I can't remember for the life of me who did it. I though it was Mirelles, but I seem to be unable to find the actual firm responsible. The awesome part is that Ignacio and I saw this park in Barcelona about three years ago, and I recognized the model.

I should also state that our finding the real park was no accident. Iggy and I went deliberately a new district concentrated with cutting edge new construction. It's not like I innocently stumble into architecture worthy of museums. I plan for serendipity.

Empire State

Last Saturday Nate and I went to Manhattan to look for specialty paper. We are working on the invitations, and have been delightfully geeking out on the design.

As we were walking on 6th Avenue, I saw this awesomely ironic patriotic moment.

Lately, I've become interested in how the Empire State Building fits into the city fabric, but from an experiential point of view. It has a strange visual relationship; it's such a lonely high rise. The greatest density of skyscrapers is downtown in the financial district, near the twin towers site. The Empire State is out of context surrounded by the mid rises of midtown, the height difference is jarring. This is partly why it's visible from so many parts of the city; it acts like a lighthouse providing an anchor to orient oneself when lost. I look at it, and I get a sense if I'm walking uptown, west/east. In contrast, it's almost invisible when one is standing near it. The surrounding buildings block the view, and even if you can see it, it's so tall that you don't even notice it after a while.

I have been taking photographs of the ESB for a few months now, trying to capture it from different angles, location, and light conditions. It's a fun ongoing project.

230 Fifth Rooftop Garden

After a long and brutal winter, it's finally warming up. Sure, the trees bloomed a few weeks ago, and I haven't had to whip out the winter coat for a while, but it was only relatively warmer, it wasn't quite nice enough yet. Now skirt and tank top weather is starting up, and personally, it's my favorite time of year.

Last Wednesday, Sabrina suggested we go to the Rooftop Garden Bar at 230 Fifth. Seems there was some type of happy hour with a NY Wine Group. I remember seeing this rooftop last year, when Nate and I were atop the Empire State. We were looking at the city below us, in awe of it's sheer size and structural beauty, and we spotted a roof top nearby full of teeny tiny people who looked like were having a great summer evening. At the time, I dismissed it as a private location, a hotel or health club, and put it out of my mind. I really shouldn't have, because it turns out it's just a bar, open to all so long as you are well dressed.

The Wine Group turned out to be a bit of a letdown, as they had no specials or freebies. They had just reserved a gigantic area of the bar, and we were free to sit where we pleased. The thing is, no one checked our ID or confirmed that we were affiliated with the group, so I'm not sure if it made any difference that we went on that specific Wednesday as opposed to any other day.

Nate and I were the first from our friends to arrive, and since we were relatively early, we were able to get a table with reclining chairs. It was still daylight out, the sun was shining, we had white wine, and we just relaxed for a while. Good times. Also, because our friends hadn't arrived yet, we were free to geek out and look at the buildings.It's interesting, one gets used to the constant presence of tall structures in Manhattan - they are everywhere except Central Park. But here we were, on top of a 20-story building, and when we looked up, we could see the sky uninterrupted by buildings. I don't think I had realized just how used I've become to the sight of skyscrapers. The only buildings that were still visible were the true high rises. Like the ones in the picture above, which Nate and I have helpfully nicknamed "The Aldo Rossi Building", because it looks like it was designed by Aldo Rossi, and the "scary super skinny building" because it looks like a structural impossibility. I'm sure they have real names, but we like our nicknames better.

Eventually, Sabrina, Jen and Jae showed up, and we stayed on the roof garden until dark. Service was terrible at 230 Fifth, but I get the sense that with that view, they are not at risk of loosing customers anytime soon. The crowd wasn't my scene; too many Wall Street types in expensive suits, but we had a good time. It was pretty windy though, my hair was at serious risk of becoming a fro.

The most amazing sight from the rooftop: The Empire State Building. This is the best view I've had of it yet. Usually we see it from the ground, where you can't even see the spire. Or, to have a complete view, you have to get so far away that you lose all sense of detail. Here we could see it, all evening, up close, and watch the light change on its facade.

9th Avenue International Food Festival

I've been to a few street festivals in the city by now, and sometimes I don't really get them. I mean, they have great food stands, curious things for shopping, and restaurants set up tables on the street to sell beer, but after a while, there isn't anything to do. It seems that all of them have the same vendors, repeated every weekend of the summer somewhere throughout the city. Then again, after typing the description of a festival, I think I've talked myself into liking them again, no sense in thinking so much about it, just enjoy a nice Saturday afternoon with food, trinkets and drinks.

Maybe I just need to embrace the fact that almost every weekend of the summer, a large street becomes pedestrian-only with a European-style open-air market. And as such, they aren't meant to be mind bogginl exiting, just a good healthy way to do some shopping, get food and spend time outdoors. Come to think of it, I had a lot more fun at this Festival since we were with friends, rather than just me and Nate.

It was also a good way to see the restaurant selection at Hell's Kitchen, an area that I don't frequent too much but seems to have an active lifestyle.

Another great element is the homemade and artisan products on sale. These soaps smelled good, and we almost bought some oatmeal soap (it's supposed to be very moisturizing), but ultimately I opted to wait and see if we could find a local brand at the Food Coop.

We bought crepes filled with nutella, strawberries and bananas. I introduced Nate to crepes with nutella at a similar festival in our neighborhood last year. Needless to say, he really liked them. I was glad, crepes rock, though I really should start looking for a Dutch panekoeken place in the city, I haven't had Dutch style crepes in a while.

Temi and Brian ate crepes as well.

For myself, I was excited to find a Peruvian food stand that had pork tamales. I was a bit disappointed with them; they just weren't spicy enough. No, that's not it, it's that the seasoning wasn't quite right. They were still savory though, and it's always good to have a tamal Peruvian style. In Texas, all I could find was Mexican tamales, and though many were quite tasty, they weren't the "right" type.

Duck Tours

Last Saturday my friend Temi came to visit, and she decided that she wanted to play tourist for a day and go the Duck Tour, also known as the Splash Tour. It's curious, Temi's family is from the Philly area, and as such, she comes to NYC with them rather frequently, to catch shows and the theater. But this time she was coming with the beau, and we were also meeting up with some friends of theirs who live on the Upper West Side, and we felt like having a fun activity to anchor the day.

The Duck Tours leave from Times Square, in the middle of all the action. The tour guide informed us that soon their departure location will change, as they are closing off Broadway to buses. I've been reading about the pedestrian reclaiming of Broadway and was very intrigued by this. I guess I have to read up on it more.

The bus took us through the main parts of Midtown. It was curious, we saw many of the great tourist sites, but we didn't see Central Park, the Museum Mile, or any of the Village/Downtown areas. I'm okay with this, this tour was about getting a brief Manhattan overview, and getting into the water, and as such, it was successful and fun.

Chrysler Building, the most majestic skyscraper in NYC

That's the Empire State Building. The fog covered up the spire, which makes it seem like it's truly disappearing into the sky. Breathtaking.

Gorgeous view of the city from the East River, at approximately the same place where US Airways 1549 landed some weeks ago.

Temi and Brian in the Boat

Ilana and Etan (sorry about the total phonetic butchering of your names)

Me and Nate enjoying the afternoon in the water