These crazy kids / my sister and brother-in-law are coming to visit us for the long holiday weekend! Obviously, I’m excited, and you can count on a recap post with lots of photos and hopefully tales of yummy dinners (Minetta Tavern, black label burger, I am coming for you) and treats (Cones, Magnolia, Waffles & Dinges… where to begin).
Also, we’re going to see Sleeping Beauty and The Fantasticks. Talk about a weekend. Get ready, guys.
The Christmas windows in New York are an item to see on most people’s lists in December, but I thought the festive Valentine’s windows in our neighborhood deserved a little love, too.
This one is my favorite – I love the simplicity of the neon heart. (I also love their bags.)
So Happy Valentine’s Day, to you and yours from our little decorated part of the world.
Hewitt and I have had quite the newlywed year so far when it comes to extreme weather. I’m sure you’ll remember Sandy, that devastated much of our city and the surrounding communities. We’re still working as a community to come back from that, entirely, so it should be a no brainer that we all preferred our “blizzard” and keeping our power, to Sandy.
After walking home in a heavy and blustery snow storm – that I tried and failed to capture with my iPhone camera because my umbrella almost blew away – we woke up on Saturday to the most snow we have had in New York so far! Feeling quintessential, we bundled up and headed to Central Park – hoping to catch a glimpse of the city with areas of untouched snow.
Luckily, we were on foot – because if we had a car here, it would be a stuck as these.
Central Park was filled with kids and parents and older couples taking advantage of the hills and the fact that the park was “open for cross country skiing.” Growing up in the south, cross country skiing really isn’t something we get to do frequently, much less locally, so maybe someday, I’ll get to cross country ski through Central Park too – because that has to be cooler than cross country skiing anywhere else in the US. (Right?)
All of the kids and their families sledding reminded me of great snow storm memories I have from growing up – I felt compelled to make pancakes for friends or snow cream for anyone who hasn’t had it before. I wanted to find a stray Christmas tree and some open space, (finagle a permit) and have a neighborhood sledding party because there are some streets that slope in the City, and I’m sure our neighbors would love a good party. Instead, we made homemade pizza with friends and wore wool socks and cozy sweaters, but I couldn’t help be refreshed by the snow that blanketed our city and much of the Northeast. It’s impossible not to surrender to wonder when you wake up in the morning and everything that looked one way before has been completely transformed by the all encompassing, non-discriminating snow. It’s quite perfect, really.
We lucked out and the random passerby in Central Park who snapped our photo / saved us from a selfie got a great picture for us –
And I couldn’t resist this sign – even though Hewitt refused to make heart shapes or play Patty Cakes with our hands in the frame. (Just kidding – I didn’t want to do that either.)
Here’s The Boathouse whose windows promise an awesome view from the other side, too.
And some other shots of Central Park, where we keep most of our trees in the City.
Overall, I would say it was a most successful first New York snow for us. It even gave us a bit of an excuse to make a dent in Season One of Homeland… so as I said, it has been a success.
It seems like ages and many busy days ago at this point, but over MLK weekend, Hewitt and I ventured via subway/train/rental car to a B&B along the North Fork of Long Island.
The North Fork is known for its wineries, but also for having a lot more open space, than say, Manhattan. The North Fork is a peninsula with the Long Island Sound on the northern side, and the Great Peconic Bay, Little Peconic Bay and Gardiners Bay are all connected and form the southern side of the peninsula’s body of water.
We kicked off the weekend with a tour of four different wineries, starting at the oldest on on the North Fork, Borghese Vineyard.
We took in the expansive fields at Pelligrini…
Along with their stainless steels tanks (the shorter ones are for red and taller ones for white),
and the French oak barrels, obviously for red.
We had wonderful farm to fork food at The Frisky Oyster and Noah’s – both were delicious, but the oysters, at the Frisky Oyster were out of this world. And I don’t even normally order oysters? But I think I’m converted. At least when they’re that fresh and perfectly paired with horseradish.
We explored the beach near our B&B in Southhold, although it was freeeezing.
And quite windy, hence the huge and puffy coat!
We also discovered we could take a ferry to Shelter Island and go hiking in Mashomack Preserve there. It wasn’t anything too treacherous but it got us to closer to the water, which I loved.
(Thanks timer setting!)
All in all, it was a perfect getaway from the city. It was the first time either of us had stayed in a B&B, and it’s an interesting experience. I would say one of the pros is that it’s like staying in the comfort of someone’s home. But at the same time, it’s like staying in someone else’s home, so it’s not terribly well suited for long terms stays. As far as weekend jaunts to sleepy towns in the middle of winter though, it’s coziest option. And this apartment living girl is a total sucker for a true fireplace these days.
Hewitt and I are spending the long weekend on the North Fork of Long Island, and it has been wonderful. We have had great food, weather and wine, and I’m looking forward to sharing more photos with you when we return!
