In a New York minute (Central Park and Greenwich Village)

A glorious autumn/fall day (23 degrees!) was the perfect day for a wander. I spent most of my day wandering around the 843, tree filled, acres of Central Park. I had the preconception that it would be a lovely park from the many movies I’ve seen that were filmed there but I had no idea just how wonderful it would be.

Strolling around the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir was a movie moment as I recalled many scenes with the same still glistening water and the stunning city background.

The Great Lawn (which used to be a reservoir) and Sheep Meadow (which, surprisingly, is where sheep used to be grazed) were two wide open spaces to soak up the sun and enjoy some people watching.

The leafy Ramble was my favourite part (in no way influenced by the Strawberry Shortcake ice cream that accompanied me) as it is a bird haven that twisted its way around a lake filled with rowers.

I think this is the kind of park that you could walk through every day and find a different twist of the path each time that you haven’t yet explored.

I tested my luck on the buses and they were surprising easy to use and not as crowded as you might think in such a large city. I stopped off at Washington Square Park to listen to the talented buskers before heading into the heart of Greenwich.

Exploring Greenwich Village was a wonderful way to spend a sunny afternoon. There are so many wonderful little cafes here it is hard to pick just one to have a coffee in.  I was drawn into one café after watching the talented decorators showing off their skills on some delicious looking cupcakes. What a great idea to have a glass window in their kitchen to draw passersby in.

My New York moment – stopping to join a bus queue I asked a local if he was at the front or the back of the queue “We don’t do queues here in New York” was his smiling reply.

I headed back to Central Park the next day to check out the East side.

Harlem Meer is a beautiful lake at the north eastern tip of the Park. If you continue strolling further down the eastern border you come to the Conservatory Garden where a statue of 3 ladies playing is the centre piece of this small, beautifully planted spot.

My day ended back at Harlem Meer surrounded by dinosaurs, cats, witches or, at least, kids dressed up as them. The kids had a costume parade then we were all treated to a Halloween tradition; a pumpkin sail. There was much discussion about whether hollowed out pumpkins would float! Its turns out that the lit pumpkins were strung together on top of pieces of wood, pulled along by a kayaking witch; of course.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stepping outside my hotel later that evening I was confronted by the living dead. On the corner was Count Dracula and crossing the road was a princess and her tiny dog. Nearly everyone I saw that day was having fun with the Halloween theme in one way or another.

I went to the main Halloween parade that runs along Sixth Ave (Ave of the Americas) in the evening. The experience wasn’t great as it started to pour with rain as the parade was passing my viewing spot. Also, it was a very large crowd and from what I have seen of New York crowds all politeness and consideration for others goes out the window so I didn’t stay very long. The night was redeemed as I walked back to the subway because I got to see all the spectators in their costumes which were fantastic. So many people had gone to great efforts with their costumes.

In case you are wondering if I was in costume, I was. I was playing a very realistic “Harassed Tourist” that evening. Picture if you will the off white and comfortable running shoes, socks that needed a wash, well worn jeans and a merino wool top that doesn’t need to be washed for weeks on end. To top it off, the look of someone who arrived at their hotel to check in only to be told that the hotel was overbooked and I would instead need to stay in a hotel miles away. I thought it was a pretty convincing costume!

Tips:

1. The Subway is old and sometimes smelly, but it’s the best way to get around town. Grab a Metro card as you can use it on both the subway and buses.
2. The buses are also a great way to get around and to see more of the city, just don’t use them in peak hour.