Friends Are Friends Forever
I spoke in my last post about the wonderful friends that I’ve made since moving to NY. So when I finally had a chance to upload my videos from a recent karaoke night, I had to share a few with you.
Patrice & Matt - Purple Rain:
Chemda & Lauren (& Everybody Else) - A Whole New World (You may also recognize Newsy this previous post.)
Kyle - Son Of A Preacher Man:
Jerlyn, My, and the awesome dance stylings of Emmy - Bad Romance:
Chemda & Lauren (again?!?) - Uninvited :
Happy Anniversary NY
I moved up here in August 2002, right after graduating from college. I had majored in graphic design at Samford University, but wanted to learn more web based applications. So, I moved to NY to attend Parsons School of Design - where I received my MFA in Design and Technology - and the rest is history.
Because my birthday is at the end of August (*ahem*...next week), I was only 21 years old when a moved up here. Just a wittle baby! My sister, Amy, flew up with me and helped me move into my temporary housing. All of my belongings consisted of what I could fit into 3.5 suitcases. But it was all I needed...because I was finally home.
The past 8 years have been well beyond what I ever imagined. This city...electric. My friends...unforgettable. And the food?!? Don't even get me started...
So, Happy 8th Anniversary, New York! I love you more and more every day.
Me, circa 2004. A classy broad, as always. (p.s. I went all the way back to Friendster to find this picture.)
Some South In Yo’ Mouth
My friend Kevin just sent me a message with a long list of BBQ joints in NY - most of which I had never heard of. How many have you tried?!?
Hey Angie...I was reading Gun and Garden magazine* and they had a listing of great southern food places in NYC...So I thought I would list a few:
Brooklyn:
• The Brooklyn Star - This place is currently closed because it was damaged in a fire. Now that’s BBQ dedication! Hopefully they’ll open again soon.
• Egg
• Pies and Thighs - I’ve heard great things about his place, which recently reopened, but haven’t have a chance to check it out. I’m gonna wait until the hype dies down. I’m a grown-up and not a fan of standing in lines.
• Smoke Joint
Manhattan:
• Charles Pan-Fried Chicken
• Georgia East Side BBQ
• Hill Country BBQ - I’ve eaten here before, and it was pretty good from what I remember. I’ve also had a few friends take part in their "All You Can Eat" Mondays.
• Rack and Soul
• The Redhead
• Tipsy Parson - I took a look at their menu...and just because you serve frickles, it doesn’t mean that you’re a Southern joint. They lie.
• Freemans Restaurant - Again, not what I’d call a “Southern” restaurant. But, I’ve heard good things about this place.
*Yes, I was thinking “Gun and Garden?!? What a redneck magazine!” until I actually checked out their website. Looks like some good reading! So sorry I judged, Kevin.
NY Loves [#1]: The High Line
“Ya know fellas, I think Spring is finally here.”
Even as the words came out of my mouth, I wanted to take them back. Not because they weren’t true, but because I was scared to jinx things. With a full week ahead of beautifully forecasted weather - and a work schedule that will allow me to actually enjoy outdoor lunches - it was almost too good to be true. But there we were. Sitting on the High Line, our bellies full of samiches, and delaying the inevitable walk back to the office.
Sunglasses were on. Cardigans were off. (Ok, MY cardigan was off. My two manly companions wear no such things.)
This little bit of heaven gave me the inspiration to start a blog segment that I’ve been meaning to do for months now. I live in the most amazing city in the world, and I want to share all my little “loves” with you. The things that make me appreciate what a wonderful place NYC is. (With the possibly of some “no loves” down the road.) The High Line, an elevated public park located in Manhattan’s Chelsea district, is one of those loves. It opened in June 2009 to eager patrons and rave reviews.
The High Line was originally built in the 1930’s and hosted an elevated rail system which kept trains separated from Manhattan’s largest industrial district. According to its site, during the years 1851–1929, so many accidents occurred between freight trains and street-level traffic that 10th Avenue had become known as Death Avenue.
No trains have run on the line since 1980, and many property owners in the area lobbied to have the entire structure torn down. There were, however, a select few who envisioned its potential. They fought for years to make it the wonderful park it is today - which has a beautiful mix of modern construction and vintage charm. Who doesn’t love a happy ending?!?
Blizzard Fail
It's 5 a.m. and there's a man outside my window, shoveling snow off the sidewalk. I can hear every...single...scrape, like it’s in surround sound. I appreciate you doing the job sir, but I’m none too happy about being awake. *sigh* Carry on...
NY: Blizzard 2010
So, this is “supposed” snow storm that we had today. Schools were closed and half of my office didn’t come in today. Really?!?! When did NYers become such wusses? I guess the overzealous news reports didn’t help. Below is an exert from the Daily News:
Predictions for today's storm were so dire that officials canceled school and grounded flights hours before the first flakes even fell, sending the city into emergency mode as the behemoth blizzard inched closer to Gotham.
"This will probably shut down East Coast cities for the next couple of days," meteorologist Jim Rouiller said Tuesday. "This is definitely going to be one for the record books."
For the record books? Don’t insult me, sir. I shot this video outside my office building - which I could do, since I bucked up and came to work.
UPDATE: Ok, ok...I may have spoken too soon. It’s starting to come down now! Luckily my office is niiiice and toasty!
UPDATE 2: This was my neighborhood when I got home from work. Lots of snow, but it wasn't that cold (by NY standards). In fact, I just strolled around and went to the grocery store. It was kind of a nice night - if you could keep the mini-hail out of your eyes.
FINAL UPDATE: The storm had passed by the time I went to bed. I woke up this morning with a decent amount of snow on the ground, but nothing crazy. The streets and sidewalks were clear, so there weren’t any problems. NY rocks in snowy conditions.
Santacon NYC 2009
First of all...what is Santacon? Well, good ol' Wiki sums it up as “a mass gathering of people dressed in Santa Claus costumes parading publicly on streets and in bars in cities around the world...while having a good time and spreading cheer and goodwill.” Many people try and differentiate themselves from the rest of the group by giving their Santa costume a theme. (For example: “Hockey Santa” or “Ninja Santa”) Me? I went as “Crimson Tide Santa”, dur.
I’ve had friends attend Santacon every year that I’ve lived in NY, yet I’ve never felt the desire to join in. That is...until this year. My friends Patrice and Tameeka joined me, and along with the other Santas, we made our way through the city stopping at different bars and checkpoints along the way.
Lots of puzzled looks from strangers? Check.
Scaring the buh-jesus out of tiny children? Double check. (Not our intention, obviously.)
However, my favorite moment was in Washington Square Park when somebody started blasting Prince’s “Baby I’m A Star” on their boombox. Well...that's all we needed. Dancing and good times ensued.