When you have been friends with people for almost thirty years, they can still surprise you. My best friend, Maricel, and I have known each other since our first week at the Culinary Institute of America in February of 1996. Since that moment, we have seen each other through the ups and downs of relationships, jobs and the passing of our parents. We have gone through our stages of not talking to each other and yelling matches. The typical things best friends do with one another over years of friendship.
There are those times we surprise one another and right before 4th of July, she surprised both her nephew and I with Afternoon Tea at the Palm Court at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan.
The lobby of the Fairmont Plaza Hotel
I had not had Afternoon Tea at the Plaza since 1994. I remembered this because it was just after ‘Home Alone II’ was released and everyone was talking about the hotel and its iconic lobby. I remembered the elaborate cakes and sweets and the perfect service. I also remember it being around $85.00 back then. Since that time, The Central Park Tea is now $145.00 and The Plaza Imperial Tea is now $155.00. The times have changed.
The same chandeliers Macauley Cullen saw when walking the hallway in the scene at the Plaza
The iconic scene with President Trump in 1992
For years you used to be able to walk around the lobby at Christmas time but this was before the 2006 renovation and the conversion to apartments. Now they will barely let you through the side door. This wasn’t the case that day. I just walked right into the lobby to the Palm Court.
I met Maricel and her nephew, Miguel, in the lobby and I have to admit even though Maricel works there, we were all in awe of the place. The Palm Court has always been iconic to me even before the film. I have always loved the elegance of the restaurant.
I loved the soaring skylight and all the potted palms. I just remember more of them.
We were at the last seating was at 3:00pm
Trying to figure out what tea we wanted to choose from
We chose one of each which offered a slightly different selection of sandwiches and sweets. Having tea at a New York hotel is not for the faint hearted as the prices start at $145.00 for one person. The Plaza Signature Tea and the Central Park Tea offer their own selection of goodies. The Imperial Tea offered caviar service but thank God I do not like the stuff.
After we ordered, Maricel and I were able to catch up while her nephew played with his cell phone. I had just finished classes and final exams with my Summer I Business class and Maricel found herself getting busy at the Plaza Hotel’s kitchens. She was making the very sandwiches we were eating. We were both exhausted. Then the food came out.
Maricel’s cousin digging into the sandwiches
I loved the assortment of sandwiches and sweets on the tiered trays. It was a delight for both the eyes and the taste buds. There was an assortment of pastries, cakes, scones and sandwiches. I had to move quickly because Maricel’s nephew could really eat! I turned my head and half the sandwiches were gone. The food was as good as it looked.
The assortment of sandwiches, cakes, scones and sweets
The assortment of tea sandwiches
The assortment of pastries and sweets
Me starting to indulge in tea
The Short-rib sandwiches were delicious
The Egg Salad sandwiches with Caviar
It was a really nice and relaxing afternoon. It was one of those things you have to do once when you are in Manhattan. I am lucky to have such a great friend who thought about this wonderful treat. She has been working at the Plaza Hotel for several months and thought I would enjoy coming here again. I have to say I did hint about it a few times.
My host and best friend, Chef Maricel
We had a great time with my best friend and her nephew. It was one of those great New York experiences.
I can’t believe its been ten years since I started this project!
I read online all the time of how people say, “I walked every street in Manhattan in one Summer and I got so much out of it!” Sorry folks, I have been doing this for ten years and I have walked every street, park, road, bridge and byway including other parts of the City and outside the City when the City closed for COVID for a decade and I still have to revisit neighborhoods because they keep changing. The City just keeps changing faster since COVID.
Manhattan like the rest of New York City or any City for that matter is like an onion, you have to keep peeling back the layers and you find more than you thought. You always miss something. I had to revisit the entire Upper Upper and Upper West Side from West 125th Street to West 59th Street over the Fall and there was so much I had to revamp on over a dozen blogs. There is so much you miss the first time around that you have to go back again. Then you go “Wow, how did I miss that?”
The starting point of The Great Saunter at Fraunces Tavern in May 2025
Architecture I missed, restaurants have opened and closed and then opened again under new ownership. Museums that needed to be revisited and so much more that was discovered sometimes in just a one block area. How many residents just pass a building or a statue and give it not a second thought. There is so much to see, do and experience in this City and just on the Island of Manhattan. I think it is all fascinating the complexity of it all.
The only way to really get to know a place is by walking around it and experiencing it. I have done this over the last three years with visits abroad to Paris, Prague, Abu Dhabi and Dubai with NYU, especially when I finally had some time on my own to just walk those cities. What I missed on the tour I visited on my own, especially in Prague and Abu Dhabi, when I had the day to myself and I could relax and do. Just having a morning in Paris to myself and having breakfast near my dorm on my own was an eye-opener, especially to the French who could not believe an American could eat that much for breakfast.
Me doing the tourist thing in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris the Summer of 2023 with NYU. Talk about walking a City!
This experience I have also shared in the Tri State area with visits to Philadelphia and Washington DC, walking around Newark, NJ (yes it does have it attributes) and exploring the states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut in cities like New Haven, Narrowsburg, Cooperstown, Rhinebeck, Greenwich and exploring the shore towns of Cape May, Seaside Heights and Park, Point Pleasant and Point Pleasant Beach and a complete tour of Long Beach Island towns. There is so much to experience so close to you and each little town has attributes you only experience once you leave the Boardwalk.
I have completed the Broadway Walk from 242nd Street to the Bowling Green over a dozen times and just completed the Great Saunter, the 33 mile perimeter walk of Manhattan for my forth time officially and plan the fifth time unofficially as soon as it stops raining.
On the day of the Tenth Anniversary, it rained all day (it never stopped raining for a week) in the City making walking around the City impossible so I went to the Museum of Modern Art to see some movies that were part of the retrospect that was part of “Pride Week” entitled “Queer and Uncensored”, which was a retrospect of what passed for racy in the 1970’s and 80’s. It is interesting that the MoMA showed what was considered provocative films of that era. I watched some interesting perspectives of art in film.
Honoring a courageous history of liberation and transgression, this major survey of queer film and video includes more than 70 shorts and features by 65 filmmakers. This cinematic celebration of lesbian, gay, and transgender sexuality, love, and activism presents seven decades of pioneering, landmark films and lesser-known or marginalized works.
Guest curators MM Serra, longtime head of Film-Maker’s Cooperative, and Erica Schreiner—both filmmakers themselves—write, “Since the inception of queer cinema, artists have faced censorship and invisibility, a challenge that persists today. Queer and Uncensored showcases a powerful selection of rarely seen, suppressed films that are crucial milestones in the evolution of queer filmmaking. Each program focuses on a topic that is relevant to the development and expansion of queer identity and its diversity. These films explore gender, race, class, sexual orientation, and the emergence of the epidemic.”
After the movies were over, I treated myself to dinner. Then the rain subsided finally in the evening and I decided to revisit a restaurant I had eaten at in post-pandemic in Kips Bay, Anjappar Chettinad South Indian Cuisine at 116 Lexington Avenue. I had eaten here a few years ago right after the City opened after the Pandemic and had wanted to come back to try it again. With some of the restaurants that I have visited lately, it is all about ‘the picture’ (meaning going back to restaurants of the past blogs to take pictures of the meals I had before).
My ten year anniversary dinner at Anjappar Chettinad South Indian Cuisine
This was the exact meal I had in the restaurant five years prior when the City had opened up. Because of COVID, only a handful of us were allowed in the restaurant at one time. As I recall, there were only three of us in the restaurant that night. It was nice to return. The food and service are wonderful here (See my review on TripAdvisor).
The Chicken Marsala is very spicy and wonderful with the bread to soak up the sauce
The Parotta bread is a spiral bread perfect for this saucy meal
The Mango Lassi to cool me down
The dinner was fantastic
The dessert, the Gulobjamun, a sweet rice cake in syrup. Unusual and delicious!
If wasn’t the day I had planned with me wanting to do the Broadway walk but that would be for another day. For tonight I dealt with the rain storm as I did the first day of the walk in Marble Hill on June 15th, 2015 (Father’s Day). It has been a long time since that day and I celebrated walking 2/3rds of the Island of Manhattan.
I will keep walking until I have visited every street, park, and garden until I get to the tip of Battery Park and that includes Liberty and Ellis Islands as well. Along the way, I will be sharing with all of you interesting restaurants and stores while seeing how the City keeps changing. I don’t bemoan things of the past but look forward to things of the future. There is more to come so keep walking with me.
There are more adventures ahead and I want all of you to enjoy them with me.
I have to admit that I have had a love affair with Coney Island since my first trip there at four years old. My parents took us there with our cousins in 1974 and I still remember my first Nathan’s hot dog and crinkle cut fries (which still taste the same fifty years later). I still remember riding Deno’s Haunted Mansion ride (I rode it three years ago and it was still the same cheesy ride) and I always remember all the times I have dipped my feet into that polluted beach (I have only swum on it once). I even wrote my senior paper in both high school and Grad School at NYU on Luna Park with a group of apathetic classmates, some of whom made me do all the work. Yet I still come back for more.
I had not attended the Mermaid Parade since the late 1990’s and had wanted to come back but it was one thing after another just to get down here that weekend. I had to plan it like D-Day almost two months in advance. I started my day early I was finishing my walk of the Avenues of lower Chelsea (this is on a separate blog) and all my classwork, housework and bills were already finished, so my day was open.
The poster for the Mermaid Parade this year
I left early for the City and started my day with breakfast at 9th Avenue Deli at 769 Ninth Avenue, one of my favorite late-night places that also makes a wonderful breakfast. It’s been all about the pictures recently when dining out, so I needed a picture of their special French Toast platter. They make it so good.
The French Toast Platter at 9th Avenue Gourmet Deli is the best
Everything I have ever ordered here has been terrific and the prices are so fair. The platters can feed two people easily and their cooks do such a good job especially at breakfast.
They make enough food for two people to share
I figured a large breakfast would keep me going for the rest of the day. They give you four large slices of French Toast, two Scrambled eggs and four pieces of bacon. It was a great breakfast and enjoyed the meal. I was fine through dinner.
I took the Q express outside of Macy’s Herald Square and got down to Coney Island by noon. I had already checked out the parade route and settled by the Cyclone Roller Coaster and the entrance of Luna Park, far away from the subway entrance. The best part of being by Luna Park you got to see the parade as it turned to the Boardwalk. Plus, I wanted to visit the Aquarium later that afternoon.
Looking down Surf Avenue before the parade
Surf Avenue by the Coney Island Museum and other amusements
The entrance of Luna Park on Surf Avenue before
In some ways, the parade reminded me of the Halloween Parade with all its craziness. The energy level and the excitement just build as the parade starts. The initial part of the parade was the police and the fire departments making a big entrance with all the bells and whistles. They brought a lot of excitement to the start of the parade.
The video of the beginning of the parade with the NYPD and the FDNY opening the parade.
Then a group of skaters followed them and got the crowd all excited as they skated past us. The kids were going nuts over this.
The video of everyone was cheering the skaters when they performed down the street.
About twenty minutes later, the opening of the parade started with music, cheers and well wishes. Stupid me had the perfect view and I didn’t turn my camera on while I was filming the beginning of the parade. This video captures the excitement of the parade as it started.
The video of the start of the parade
I was able to catch my mistake and film the rest. Still the excitement built and it was a grand opening of the parade. The performers and drag queens brought so much creativity and excitement to the beginning of the parade.
The video of the opening of the parade
The costumes and make up were amazing.
The parade turning on Tenth Street right by the Cyclone, which was running every ten minutes with people screaming all the time.
The costumes and floats gave the parade a Carnival atmosphere.
The costumes were fantastic
Everyone really got into it.
Some revelers got really creative
All the floats were so full of energy and the music was great!
Revelers dancing on the floats
The parade goers dancing by the floats were having such a good time on this beautiful day
Mermaids dancing down Surf Avenue
The Jellyfish on display
The Jellyfish dance on Surf Avenue was so much fun.
All I could think about was Shirley Temple singing the “Codfish Ball” when she was a toddler. Funny enough, I think Shirley Temple would have loved this parade.
“At the Cod Fish Ball” with Shirley Temple
The parade continued on with all sorts of dance teams, drum bands and costumed people walking down Surf Avenue. The crowds really swelled as the parade went on and it was tough to maneuver for elbow room.
By the middle of the parade, the crowds kept growing.
The costumes got more and more elaborate. I did not remember the parade like this but then a lot has changed in thirty years. You could tell that people put a lot of thought into their outfits.
A purple octopus leading assorted sea creatures down Surf Avenue
A sea of mermaids
The NY Aquarium had an interesting float
Followed by an assortment of fish
The video of one of the drum lines. It looked like they were having so much fun.
More mermaids walking down the street
Greeting the parade goers
Performances with the Hula Hoop
Jugglers
More mermaids walking down the street
The mermaids greeting parade goers
More bands and costumes
The floats got very elaborate
A video of the puppets joining the parade and led by the L Train band. This reminded me so much of the Halloween Parade in the Village on Halloween Night. It was our version of Mardi Gras!
Some of the Mermaid costumes were so creative
Whole families really dressed up for this
Towards the end of the parade, the energy just got bigger as the party continued to the Boardwalk.
The last of the floats coming down Surf Avenue
This video of the drum line led us down the Surf Avenue and up to the Boardwalk for the ‘Unlocking of the Sea’ ceremony.
The floats had to turn off on Surf Avenue and 12th Street, but the marchers made their way to the Boardwalk and the partying and music continued to make its way down to the Parachute Drop where the ‘Unlocking of the Sea’ would take place. This would open the beaches for the Summer Season (the Summer Equinox was the day before)
I had enough time to grab a Pineapple-Lime ice, and it was the best $5.00 I spent my money on. It cooled me inside and out. These ices vendors have the best desserts!
The parade continued down the Boardwalk to the beach
A video of these festive Mermaids, ‘The Tail Shakers’, who led the way down the Boardwalk who energized the crowds. This is when you have to stop letting the ills of the world get you down and just have fun! With all the craziness going on in the world this was such a fun distraction. Our part of the world was having so much fun. ‘1999’ was such an ironic song for this moment!
The parade led to the Parachute Drop and the Steeplechase Pier where the rest of the service took place at 4:00pm. The ‘Unlocking of the Sea’ was an old tradition on Coney Island. It was to open the beaches at the beginning of the Summer and since the Solstice was the night before this was the first full day of summer. There are old pictures had King Neptune and Miss Coney Island opening the beaches in Coney Island’s past. All I know is that the lifeguard had to keep shooing the crowds away as the excitement built at the cermony.
The key to ‘Unlock the Beaches’
The key and the bands approaching the sea
The Key Ceremony led by the bands
The ‘Sea Unlocking’ at the beach with the beach bathing beauties.
The ceremony was a mob scene and as soon as the ‘unlocking’ was over the crowds started to disperse. This was much to the relief of the poor lifeguard, who must have been glad we were gone.
After the ceremony was over, I walked around Coney Island to get something to eat. Talk about crowded! There were lines everywhere and forget about Nathan’s. The lines were still thirty deep in every direction. Even the little pizzeria by the subway jacked all their prices up and a pizzeria on Neptune Avenue would not let you eat inside. I did not want to be ripped off that afternoon for a meal. I was going to stop in Chinatown on the way back into Manhattan, but I wanted to stay in Coney Island longer, so I explored beyond the area off the Boardwalk.
I finally found a new Chinese restaurant that opened a block from the beach on the Coney Island shopping strip on Neptune Avenue called Famous Rotisserie & Grill at 1525 Mermaid Avenue.
Walking around the Midway trying to find something to eat but every place was packed with people or the prices had been inflated.
Famous Rotisserie & Grill at 1525 Mermaid Avenue was once a Spanish Chicken restaurant
I had a combination platter of their version of Lemon Chicken and Pork Fried rice. The food was good, and the portion size was large. It fit what I was looking for that afternoon (after I had finished, I wished I had gone to Chinatown).
The Lemon Chicken and Pork Fried Rice combination platter
The food was good and they give you a nice portion size for $10.00.
The inside of the restaurant
Their current menu and prices
The one thing that stood out about this late lunch/early dinner was the service. The woman who ran this restaurant was so friendly and accommodating to her customers I was really amazed by it. She catered more to the local resident than to tourist trade.
After lunch was over, I took one more walk around the amusement area before I left for the day. The crowds were still all over the place from the restaurants to the boardwalk. Between the parade, the beach and the weather, it was wall to wall people everywhere. By this point the Aquarium had closed.
While walking through Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park, I came across the small museum, the Coney Island History Project at 3059 West 12th Street, which is inside the park. This small gallery tells the history of the development of Coney Island as an amusement area. From its development to its decline to its current rebirth, the area has had so many ups and downs.
This interesting little gallery/museum tells the stories of various times of Coney Island’s history. The museum displays a variety of artifacts in different points of the island’s history (I have attached several videos that will best explain each section of the museum and of the island’s history).
The outside display of Coney Island in its heyday in the early 1940’s
The front gallery with amusement artifacts
These pieces of former rides show the creativity of Coney Island rides and attractions. This is the nostalgia that visitors remember.
The history of Steeplechase Park, the second major amusement park after Sea Lion Park
Steeplechase Park of the past, the Steeplechase ride for which the park was named after
The history of Steeplechase Park and Luna Park of the past
Coney Island of the 1970’s and decline of the island
This video from the 1970’s contains many of the artifacts that the museum now has on display
The video from the movie “The Warriors” which what many thought Coney Island had turned into in the 1970’s.
Many thought the island of the movie ‘The Warriors’ in the 1970’s and that was not far off but like the rest of New York City, it keeps morphing and changing. It keeps surprising you. Trust me, it is not a Disney theme park.
The history of Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park
The Miss Coney Island robot that dances.
Outside of the museum, there were murals on the history of Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park.
The history of the park
The map of the park
As I left the island around 6:30pm, it was time to go. The Freak Bar at Coney Island USA was in full force with revelers after the parade. It looked like everyone was having a good time.
I took one last walk down the Boardwalk at twilight. Coney Island is a pretty amazing place. It still has complexities and wonders. It can be seen from many different aspects. I see the wonder that generations have seen here. Coney Island is not just a place, it’s an idea of the mid and an imagine. While it might never reach the heights it did before the Dreamland Fire of 1911, each generation has their Coney Island memories. I know I do.
Coney Island Boardwalk at the end of the day
CBS This Morning: ‘The People’s Playground’
The day was a lot of fun, and you have to experience Coney Island once in your life if you are from out of town.
When the festival began and before the Strawberry Shortcakes came out that afternoon, there were all sorts of activities and docent led tours. The first one that I went to was the 1820 Schoolhouse.
The historic sign for the 1820 One Room Schoolhouse of Upper Hopewell
The entrance to the schoolhouse
Even though the schoolhouse is from the early part of the 1800’s, it is amazing how it still relates to classrooms of today. I am still convinced it is the connection that students have with their teachers establishes the fundamentals of a good education and learning.
The schoolhouse from the back of the building
The inside of the classroom has not changed in two hundred years
The schoolhouse classroom is similar to today
I will be quite honest in saying that outside the potbelly stove, the classroom here is pretty much the same as the lecture halls that I see at our college campus.
Games and books of the past are similar to those of today
The items of the classroom of the 1800’s. I am not too sure the use of the Apple press but the children may have had chores to do outside the classroom.
A discipline system that should be brought back
After the tour and talk at the schoolhouse and a talk with other educators on the status of the modern classroom (we all had a lot to say on this), I went over to tour the barn.
The Van Wyck Barn
The historic sign of the mid-1800’s barn
The historic marker of the 1845 barn
The actor who was working at the barn told us about wood making and about saws and how to maintain them for work on the farm.
Next to the barn, there was a small blacksmith building where the volunteer was demonstrating items that would have to been made or maintained to keep work on the farm going. Never a dull moment on the farm.
Keeping the fires going and a certain amount of heat is needed to fix these items and create the objects needed on the farm.
The objects and items made at the blacksmith
I know that these tours may seem hokey to some but the volunteers who were at both the barn and the blacksmith were really interesting in their demonstrations. There was a lot of time, talent and creativity needed to keep these aspects of the farm in working conditions.
The rains had really made the grounds lush and all the flowers and trees were in full bloom. The gardens were really well maintained and it was really pretty to walk arounds the grounds of the house.
The gardens by the schoolhouse
In the little pen by the Ice House, they set up a small petting zoo with little goats who looked terrified of us. If we had something to feed them, trust me they would have been less shy.
These little lambs were so cute
I was trying to wave them down but they huddled together
Walking around the grounds
The Icehouse was closed that day
The crowds were starting to get bigger around 1:30pm because that was when the Strawberry Shortcakes were being served.
Since they were a little behind as the high school students were inside preparing the Strawberry Shortcakes, I decided to tour the Brinckerhoff House again. They had a Butter Making class going on in the old kitchen section of the home and there were early American displays in all the cases. All the first floor rooms were open and I got a chance to see some of the new artifact donations.
There were all sorts of displays of clothing, furnishings and assorted dish ware on display in the Living Room and Dining Room.
Early American display of women’s clothing
Early American display of Men’s clothing
The Dining Room on the first floor was all set for tea
The Dining Room led to the bedrooms and the old kitchen
The old Main Bedroom on the first floor
Some the artifacts in the second floor bedroom
Some of the paperwork and artifacts in the main foyer
As I exited the house, I passed the door to the roof cellar. I did not think they would put this on the tour. Only the first floor of the house is open to the public.
The door to the root cellar
I took a tour around the grounds and passed the old outhouse
As soon as I finished the tour of the house and grounds the first trays of Strawberry Shortcakes started to come out and I never saw such a mad dash to get something.
The tent set up to sit and relax and eat
As I went to reach for a Strawberry Shortcakes on one of trays. I swear this woman grabbed two off the tray and practically barreled into me. I know they looked good but I could not believe the way some people behave. These were plenty of trays coming outside.
After I avoided the collusion, I was able to get one of the shortcakes off the tray and sit down. The Historical Society had plenty of seating under the tent and what was nice was they had ice cold lemonade as well. It made the perfect afternoon snack and the reason why everyone was here. When I had taken the initial tour of the property three years earlier, the tour guide told me that they went through 600 of these. I could believe it.
The Strawberry Shortcake with homemade whipped cream
I hate to say this but I waited almost four years to finally try this shortcake and admittingly it was well worth the wait.
The strawberries were so juicy and fresh. I was not sure if they were from a local farm but by the sweetness and juiciness these were not imported.
Yum!
While we were eating the entertainment began. They had a wonderful guitarist playing on the patio and we could hear him down at the tent further away on the lawn.
The guitarist was wonderful. He played all sorts of songs from the 1960’s and 70’s.
Here is a short clip of the concert on the lawn
After relaxing and enjoying the shortcake, I saw that they were starting up the hayrides around the property and the first riders were leaving. I thought it looked like fun.
The first group of riders leaving
I got on the second ride and there was plenty of room on the flatbed. Even though it was a short ride, it was a lot of fun. The sun peeked out for a bit and it made the ride pleasurable.
Us passing the woods at the start of the trip
The start of our journey around the grounds of the Brinckerhoff house.
The start of the journey
The end of the journey
As I exited the flatbed, there was a pretty long line to get on the ride. As simple as this ride was it was so relaxing to just drive around the neighborhood and see the beauty of the house grounds. The volunteers do such a wonderful job of maintaining the house and gardens.
By 3:00pm the crowds had gotten larger and more trays of shortcakes were being devoured under the tent and people were having such a wonderful time. It was almost like a 1970’s event with families spending time together and I did not see one person playing with a cell phone in sight.
Since there was only an hour left of the event, I decided to beat the crowds out of there and explore historic Fishkill. There are a lot of great things to see in town.
The Reformed Dutch Church and its historic cemetery
After walking Downtown Fishkill and noting some of the restaurants I would like to visit in the future, I headed to a pizzeria that I enjoyed on my last trip up and stopped at Antonella’s Pizzeria at 738 US 9 for dinner. I ordered one of their Stromboli’s with a red sauce and it was the perfect dinner.
My dinner, a Stromboli with Italian meats and a Coke
The Stromboli here are excellent and are filled with three different types of meat and two cheeses
Yum!
It really was a wonderful and relaxing afternoon. It was like I was put back into a Time Machine pre-cellphones and families just talked and enjoyed each other’s company. I think that the Historical Society did an excellent job on the event and I look forward to it again next year.
The Strawberry Festival is the first weekend in June as the strawberries start coming in. It’s an enjoyable afternoon.
One of the nicest things about being a member of museums in New York City is when they have the ‘Private Members Nights’, where the museums are open after hours for the membership only. The funny thing about these nights are that the museums seem busier on these nights than they would when the museums are open during the day to the general public.
What also is difficult is when two major museums have their Members Night on the same night. I had to do a lot of coordinating to go to both museums. What made it work is that both museums closed at different times with The Met closing at 10:00pm. I timed it perfectly.
Members Night at the MoMA ‘Behind the Flowers’ for the Hilma af Klint exhibition
The theme that evening was based on the Hilma af Klint exhibition
Going this evening took a lot of planning as I had to teach in the morning and cut the lawn on the afternoon. I was already exhausted by the time I left for the City at 4:00pm. Even on this gloomy afternoon, the weather held and it was a nice evening.
The area around the museum was in full bloom that early evening
The event opened early at the MoMA with their event from 6:00pm-9:00pm and the Met went from 7:00pm-10:00pm so I was able to enjoy both with a lot of walking in between. It was worth it as I was able to see several exhibitions on my bucket list before they closed. With work and finals, it had been tough to visit both of them.
People were enjoying conversation and cocktails when I arrived at the MoMA that evening.
I decided to start my evening at the Sculpture Garden on the first floor. The weather was cloudy but still it was a warm evening. People were conversing near the fountains and listening to music. The lines for the cash bar never let up and they were about thirty deep the whole time.
The Sculpture Garden at the MoMA
While I walked around the gardens and fountains I noticed a lot of the art that they were featuring was really unique, some of which I had not seen before.
The gardens with the poppies in bloom
This beautiful mosaic of a octopus did not have a name
This metal artwork was towards the back of the sculpture garden
The artwork makes quite a statement in the sculpture garden
I watched this interactive art that I had seen at the last Members Night
I love this interactive art in this video
I love watching this video sculpture moving around. I had seen it on my last visit and thought it was very interesting. I then moved upstairs to see the Hilma af Klint exhibition that would be closing that weekend. The galleries were jammed with members who wanted to see the artist’s work. She had some interesting pieces that looked more like a naturalist works.
You could barely move in the galleries it was so crowded. I was not able to get as close to the works as I wanted but I wanted to share from the exhibition the pieces I liked most.
Flowers and an Apple
These interesting drawings on mushrooms
I thought this set of drawings on dandelion’s and strawberries was interesting
As I finished the exhibition, I watched from above other members milling around the second floor
I then moved to the next exhibition ‘Pirouette: Turning Points in Design’, the use of design and concept in everyday life. I thought this exhibition was interesting because it described how we look at functionality and the reasons why things are designed for a specific purpose and then can take on new meaning.
Of the many fascinating and famous items in the exhibition that I saw two well known works stood out to me. The first was the “I ❤️ New York” logo and its development in the 1970’s to be one of the most famous tourism campaigns in history
The Milton Glazer campaign for the “I ❤️ New York” campaign which saved New York tourism and is still used today. What was sad was the creator died during COVID in 2020.
The sign on the development of the design
The other stood out for its simplicity and fame was the development of M & M’s. This simple candy was a result of Forrest Mars seeing the rations of candy abroad of chocolate coated in a shell so it would not melt on the battlefield. With some experimentation, he created the modern M& M.
M & M display by Forrest Mars
I thought the whole museum would be open that night but it was just the two floors plus the gift shop and gardens. Since I saw everything at the MoMA already and it was around 7:45pm, off I ran out the back door to the Metropolitan Museum of Art Private Members Night.
Walking up Fifth Avenue at dusk
Walking up Fifth Avenue at dusk
The walk up Fifth Avenue to The Metropolitan Museum
The Met at night is quite dazzling
The entrance to The Met in the evening
Looking down Fifth Avenue at night
The entrance in the Rotunda was filled with fresh flowers and members chatting away. I even saw some of the members I had seen at the MoMA earlier.
The floral arrangements were spectacular
The beauty of the Rotunda in the evening
Maybe because these Members Nights were on a Tuesday evening, they both did not seem as crowded as they had been in the past. The museum was crowded but not as crowded as the past two Member’s Nights. I think that I arrived at 8:00pm most people were starting to leave. What was nice was that the MoMA night went until 9:00pm and The Met Night went until 10:00pm so it gave me the time to run through both museums.
I started my tour of The Met in the Greek Galleries looking at the Cycladic Art. I always loved the looks of these works.
I love the Egyptian Galleries. I have been coming here since 1973 and have loved them ever since.
I love the ancient hieroglyphics
For the last two Members Nights, the Members Bar was in the Temple of Dendur. It is always so well lit and the music was wonderful. It is a nice way to end the evening.
The Temple of Dendur lit for the evening
The Temple of Dendur was the perfect place to relax and have a cocktail
The crowds were rather large at the bar that evening
The Passion fruit cocktail was the specialty drink of the evening
The Passion fruit cocktail was well worth the money
It was nice to just sit back with the other members and relax and listen to the music. After a long week at work, the sounds of jazz with a nice drink and good conversation is a way to enjoy the evening.
I had a renewed energy after being in the Egyptian Galleries for an hour and I headed into the American Wing to tour some of the exhibits around the main court.
Only the outside of the American Wing was open
I decided to see the new Costume exhibition “Superfine”, an exhibition of Black Men’s clothing through the ages from pre-slavery to current times. The exhibition was a discussion on attitudes, tastes, tailoring and how the Black style influences fashion.
Clothing and accessories I admired in the exhibition
Clothing styles I thought were interesting in the exhibition
The evening drew to a close and I was exhausted running from work to come into the City to walk from one museum to another and then walk back to the bus station. Still I got to see a lot in both museums.
The Rotunda at the end of the evening
The fountain dancing as I left
It was such a beautiful that I decided to take the long walk back to Port Authority via Second Avenue. I wanted to see if my favorite Chinese restaurant was still open. I was getting hungry but at almost 10:00pm not much was open. The Chinese restaurant had just closed for the evening. Since COVID, the ‘City that never sleeps’ is going to bed early.
As I was walking down Second Avenue, I came across a very reasonable pizzeria named Centro Pizzeria & Restaurant at 1469 Second Avenue. All I had to do is look at the pizza cases and I could not decide on what I wanted to order.
Centro Pizzeria and Restaurant at 1469 Second Avenue
My review on Diningona ShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.con:
The selection of pizzas in the pizza case
The Cheese and Pepperoni pizzas had just come out of the oven and were the freshest of the pies. I noticed the Pepperoni pizza was loaded with pepperoni and I decided I had to try it. The pizza here is excellent.
My dinner that night
The Pepperoni slice was loaded with slices of pepperoni and cheese
The red sauce which is the base of the pizza gave the Cheese slice lots of flavor
Yum!
It really was a nice walk through Midtown with all the lights on and a nice crowd of people walking their dogs in the various neighborhoods. Walking down the streets of the Upper East Side is really a nice walk and the classic New York experience. These Members Nights are a wonderful way to spend the evening.
Admission: Adults $30.00/Seniors & Disabled People $22.00/Students $17.00/Members and Caregivers with disabled person Free/NYC residents and NY, NJ and CT students: Pay as you Wish
Admission: Admission: Adults $30.00/Seniors & Disabled People $22.00/Students $17.00/Members and Caregivers with disabled person Free/Children Under 16 are free/Members Free/Guests of Members are $5.00.
While I was writing my blogs on the beach towns of Point Pleasant and Point Pleasant Beach and Seaside Heights and Seaside Park, I drove through the town of Bay Head enough times as I criss-crossed the popular and heavily visited beach towns. When I stopped and actually walked around their historic downtown, I discovered a town not just rich in history but beauty as well.
Bay Head is a small town of less than a thousand people and the town is surrounded by Point Pleasant on most sides of the town. The town is also surrounded by water with the ocean and the bay and inlets.
What started as a resort town for people from the City to travel to by train for the summer months has morphed into an upscale community of clapboard beach homes, a picturesque shoreline and a wonderful little downtown. During the warmer months just walking around you can see the sheer beauty of the town.
The view of the Inlet from the dock
It is not difficult to walk the town and its quirky downtown area filled with interesting stores and restaurants. One of my favorite places to go is Mueller’s Bakery at 80 Bridge Avenue. Everything I have ever ordered here was excellent.
Some of the creative products in the cases. I loved this hamburger cake
It was hard for me to make a decision when I come to Mueller’s but on the recommendation of the young girl behind the counter I ordered the Apricot Pocket and the Apple Turnover when I could not decide between the two. So I just had them both and they were both excellent!
I settled on a Apricot Pocket
It was outstanding!
I also got one of their Apple Turnovers
The Apple Turnovers here are fantastic! Filled with fresh fruit and surrounded by sugary flaky pastry
I ate all of this while looking at the beautiful views of the inlets and canals that make up the waterways of Bay Head.
The bay at Bay Head on a sunny Spring day
After my snack one of the places I wanted to visit was the Bay Head Historical Society at 1643 Bay Avenue, which is actually in Point Pleasant just on the border.
The Bay Head Historical Society at 1643 Bay Avenue
The historical plaque of the original Loveland Homestead
The museum is small but has a unique collection of objects from toys to historical furnishings to Native American objects. It tells the story of the areas progression from Native American fishing grounds and summer month community to the farming communities these areas became to the modern resort towns they developed into today.
The Native American artifacts in the museum
A handmade dollhouse from a local resident
The collection of vintage furniture
The museum was having an exhibition “Maps” and it was interesting to see how the country created its borders.
The Lord’s signage on the agreement of East and West Jersey
During the summer months, the Slade Dale Cottage building is open for touring. This was donated to the museum and contains a very extensive nautical collection.
The Slade Dale Cottage on the grounds of the Historical Society
The historic plaque for the Slade Dale Cottage
The nautical exhibits at the museum
The Boating exhibit
The Boating display
After the tour of the Slade Dale Cottage, I walked around the Society’s gardens and grounds. The property is beautifully maintained and the gardens were in full bloom.
The grounds in the Spring of 2024
The gardens at the Historical Society in bloom
After enjoying my snack by the bay and my tour of the Historical Society, I decided to walk through the other side of downtown and walk to the beach. I went to the top of the stairs and admired the breathtaking views of the ocean. The waters matched the beautiful blue of the skies.
The beauty of the beach in Bay Head
It was a nice relaxing afternoon just walking around the downtown and window shopping in the stores. There is also a nice selection of restaurants to visit in the future.
While I walked around town before I left for the day and passed the beautiful and historic Grenville Hotel, which was bustling on a warm day. It was after lunch so people were lingering around and enjoying the view. I thought that lunch on the patio might be nice in the future.
It was an enjoyable afternoon and I would have to come back later in the summer.
Bay Head at Christmas time:
After a very long semester both in Graduate School and at the College, I finally traveled back to the Jersey shore on a very gloomy afternoon. I was exploring Point Pleasant and then traveled back to Bay Head. The town was so nicely decorated for the holidays. It was a quiet afternoon and it got very misty outside so I decided to stop at Mueller’s Bakery again for a snack and visit the Historical Society again.
Downtown Bay Head on a gloomy day at Christmas time
The bridge on the Inlet decorated for the holidays
Santa greets everyone outside the firehouse at the holidays. This is such a nice way to celebrate the holidays.
I walked around the downtown to admire the Christmas decorations. The town keeps it simple and elegant and the homeowners did a nice job decorating their homes. Then I went to the historical Society that was open that afternoon.
The Bay Head Historical Society museum decorated at Christmas time
The Bay Head Historical Society Museum explored a “Victorian Christmas” in 2024 and the museum was decorated with period holiday decorations, antique ornaments on their Christmas tree and vintage toys and games to admire as well as the museum was decorated for the holidays.
The display of vintage artifacts
Garland and decorations on the piano
The museum’s Christmas Tree with antique ornaments
I even stopped back at Mueller’s Bakery and an a Glazed Cruller. You should have seen the selection of holiday treats in the cases.
I ate this delicious treat inside the bakery at one of the tables and got to enjoy the holiday atmosphere.
I find Bay Head to be a relaxing alternative to Point Pleasant and Seaside Heights. There you ride the rides and eat fun foods on the Boardwalks. Here you just relax with the sounds of the waves, admire the beautiful homes with their colorful floral landscaping and just be in the moment.
I have never taught Personal Finance and the way it has been taught in the past by previous Professors I had no interest in following. I could not see a course that was to prepare you for your financial future that could be that dry. A course with online quizzes and tests could not possibly be the best way to learn about retirement. Having experienced investing with the stock market, CD’s and Mutual Funds, I know personally the pitfalls of investing in this current very shaky market and that’s what I wanted to teach the students. Not to be afraid to start NOW!
The logo for “Lertaw Investment Inc. -Growth comes from Within”
In the past, I have created these projects under the Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. banner, the main consulting company, the Orion Malls banner, a Mall design company and the Buscomonzefi.com banner, my Tech Division. Each business does its best to be creative, forward thinking and have a thought producing presentations. I also challenge the students to top on another in their presentations and build on what they have seen others do in the past.
Professor Justin Watrel, CEO Lertaw Investment Inc.
So for my personal finance class, I got away from the traditional Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. banner that I use for my Marketing, Management and Communications classes and created Lertaw Investment Inc. Lertaw is my last name spelled backwards (okay, I thought it was clever).
So I created the scenario of the Team Project was I was the CEO of a family Investment company with headquarters in Newark, NJ, where it was founded back in the early 1800’s. This company was an offshoot of another family company that was founded after the Revolutionary War. All the students were new hires who were on probation with the company and had to prove themselves.
The Original Project and Teams with the First Task:
With so many students in this class, (I originally started with 35 students that went to 31 by the time the class was over), I broke each Team up into a Team of five lead by a Divisional Vice-Presidential and an Investment Advisor who would be their second in command. They were assigned with giving everyone a part of each week’s tasks.
For the next four weeks what I would do is give each group a series of tasks and activities that the student financial consultants had to work on as a Team. Each Team was given a budget of $25,000 and had to use this investing account to pay for client purchases and for Team expenses.
While I was doing that, each individual student had to write their own investment paper. The scenario I gave each student was that their great aunt died and left them $5,000 with the stipulation that they could not spend the money but invest it for their future. I gave a series of scenarios here as well. I figured this paper would force them to think more about the overall project. It really got them thinking.
Paper Three: Creating a Personal Financial Plan from a $5,000 inheritance from your Great Aunt:
The first Task: Opening a CD at your local bank for $1,500.
Over the next three weeks while I had the students working on their Team Project, I gave each of the students tasks to invest in for their money from their Great Aunt. The first task was they had to go to the bank and get information for opening a CD for $1,500. This way I forced all these students to talk to their banks to get a perspective on HOW to invest their money in the future.
Paper Three Task Two:
The next task was to spend $1,200 on a series of stocks that include one Tech Company, two Food Companies and one Banking Company
The last task was to open a Bond for $300 (I made a math mistake and it would have been $3,000). Oh well, this way they had money left over to keep for emergencies.
While the students were writing Paper Three for the class and doing their research for the their personal papers, which was a big part of their grades, they were using some of their personal research for their Team assignment. This way each Student Investor brought their own research and perspective to the project. This way the project got five different opinions.
Task One for the Team Project included:
(This is part of the initial package that I gave the students)
Invest $4000 in two high interest CDs for a client. This is where the individual research came in handy and each student could contribute their research on this part of the project.
Buy $6,000 of stocks in Two Tech Companies. Two Energy Companies, Two Foodservice and Two Travel Stocks. The Student Investors got to pick the companies and the amount at each company that they wanted to spend.
Plan a Cocktail party with creating a menu, invitation and budget between $1000 and $1200 in our Newark Headquarters. The Cocktail Party was going for be for both perspective clients and established customers plus Corporate members wanting to meet everyone.
The Vice-President and the Financial Advisor had to take a Business Trip to Boston, MA to meet with clients. The rest of the Team will stay behind in the office. You have to set up a travel budget for your trip for Lertaw Investments for the trip. This money will be deducted from your $25,000 so you need budget. The company will let you travel First Class if you want but it will lower your investment amount.
The top executives had to book either a Railway Ticket Round Trip or an Airline Ticket from Newark to Boston and back, a hotel room for two nights (Breakfast is included in the hotel stay), meals for lunch and dinner and extra money to see the sites in Boston if you want. Please set up the travel budget for two people and how much the Business Trip will cost.
They had to buy $5,000 worth of Mutual Funds (Vanguard, American Century Investments, T. Rowe Price etc.) for the client. You need to tell me what funds you want to buy and how much. The client is leaving this at your discretion.
Their Client wanted them to buy $2,500 worth of McDonalds stock. They want to buy as much as possible with the $2,500 so you need to watch the stock price of McDonalds and what day you will buy it. Your Team needs to tell me when you bought it, how much you bought and at what price did you buy it at.
Lertaw Investments is looking for a new Healthcare plan. The company wants proposals for new Dental, Visual and Medical plans for each of your Teams
Please sell $1,500 shares of McDonalds stock and note on your account whether you had a profit or loss on the sale. Please by $1,500 worth of Chipotle and Krispie Kreme stock. You can buy whatever shares you want of the stock but the client wants the most for their money. The remainder of the $1,000 worth of McDonald’s stock will stay in the account and please monitor the profit/loss on this investment.
Corporate liked your proposal for the cocktail party and your budget for the business trip up to Boston. They have reimbursed you for the expenses so put the money back into your account. You know must buy $1,500 worth of Automotive and Airline stocks. Please pick two automotive and one airline stock. The client is leaving the discretion of the number of shares of stock up to the Team.
The Team needed to arrange a Team Dinner for the members of your Team. Please pick a restaurant in Newark, anyone you like, and tell me the name, provide menu and pictures and what your Team will order. Remember you are considered over 21 and can drink so please think of the wine and cocktail menus as well. Your budget for dinner must be $1,000 and below. Remember that tax and tip need to be included. Some restaurants have fees for parties over five so this needs to be included.
With the remaining money in their budget, they could buy stocks of their choice. The Client now trusts you and your Team can use its discretion.
To end this project, the Team should have a remaining budget of $1,000.00 left or as close to it as possible. There are always emergencies that need to be covered and there should be this amount left in your account. The rest of the money should be spent.
The final part of the project, the Team should finish their last report with a complete breakdown of how your Team spent their $25,000.00 budget as the final page of the report and I wanted to see everything footnoted.
Each class I would do my lecture on the chapters in the book which covered the topics in the scenarios and then leave them the last half hour to meet with their Teams in class. Each Team then had to submit their findings in a full report, which they had three attempts to get correct. Only one Team of the five did it correctly and even they made mistakes.
I also set up a prize for this two step process. The Team with the best report would get ten (10) points added to their Midterm (and trust me, the class Midterm results were not that good) and then that Team would get promoted to the President and SVP of Operation’s and create the Corporate website and PowerPoint presentation for the project. I swear, I have the eye for Corporate talent and the Team that won did an excellent job with both.
The pitfall with this project like any Team project, both in school and in the workforce, there are those who do not want to do their work or milk their share of the project so they do not have to do anything else. I had to ‘fire’ (i.e. fail) one student, who did not seem to care anyway (he spent the entire time in class on his cellphone texting his friends). I also had Student Investors who spent three weeks working on a simple Cocktail Party or Team Dinner (which had nothing to do with Personal Finance), so I had to grade them on this and deal with items like this.
I had to be a very proactive CEO with over thirty Student Investors doing all different types of investing and projects for their teams. The Vice-Presidents and Team Advisors had to hand in a report to me three times before their Final Team Report was due the week before the final exam and do their breakdown of how they spent their money. You see what people are made of when they had to do basic math. I had to check each report thoroughly, add up all their business expenses and make sense of everything. Only two groups got close to a professional type of report but I could see where the frustrations came in. Again some of the Team Members did not do their job properly and I had to deal with this. I now know why so many CEOs are so frustrated today and this is just a simulated project. Still I was very proud of these students who accomplished so much and learned the book’s subject matter on their own in a pace that made sense to them.
This is what learning is about especially about Personal Finance. You have to spend the time figuring it out for yourself and that is the hardest part of life.
During the Presentation, each Team had fifteen minutes to explain how they spent and invested their money, how they planned their dinners and cocktail parties and how they researched their business trip to Boston.
I was floored by each Team’s creativity and the selection of stocks, bonds, and CDs they chose as no two Teams were the same. With the exception of the winning Team, all the other Teams got an ‘A-‘ on their projects. I found this is a better way to teach rather than trying to get them to learn it from the book.
I am constantly amazed at what happens when you challenge students to learn. We are in a new era where just reading the book and exams will not be the norm. I just love the challenge of seeing students learn and having fun doing it.
I am ready to go back to the Staten Island Zoo and have a little conversation with Staten Island Chuck. Since he said he did not see his shadow and Spring is coming, we have had six weeks of freezing and cloudy days. I have had to bundle up just to get my yard work done and my lawn needs a good cutting but it has been too cold to do much.
Today was the first day that it finally reached 60 degrees and like everyone else, I wanted to spend it outside. I finished classes at 11:00am and let my students out early to enjoy their Easter/Passover weekend.
I wanted to decompress myself so I headed to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. I wanted to see the Cherry Blossoms and then see Daffodil Hill, one of the most impressive flower displays in New York City. I was not disappointed.
The entrance on Ocean Parkway to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens
Tulips lining the pathway in the front of the gardens
The tulips lined the walls and paths along side the entrance
When I got to the Rose Gardens, the plants finally looked they were coming alive after a long slumber. None of the roses were remotely blooming but the tulips as and other flowers were.
The tulips and daffodils in the Cranford Rose Garden
The Cranford Rose Gardens is truly magnificent in June when all the roses are in bloom but for now, the beds that lined the sides of these gardens had tulips and daffodils in full bloom.
The Cherry Blossoms on the main lawn had not bloomed yet so they had about another week. It had been so cold out the trees probably did not want to spout. Different species bloom at different times and some trees had blossomed and the petals had come down with the rain while others especially in the Japanese Gardens were in full bloom.
The Cherry Blossom lawn just before the blooming
The first wave of blossoms
The Japanese Gardens were packed with people trying to film and photograph the gardens. It started to get a little obnoxious but I guess all of us were doing it. It was just so beautiful to look at that afternoon.
Entering the Japanese Gardens
The blooming of the Japanese Gardens
The gardens were really crowded with the warm weather
The Japanese Pond
The full Japanese Gardens
Walking along the paths of the Japanese Gardens
As I left the Japanese Gardens, I entered the Magnolia Trees Gardens and Daffodil Hill. Because of all the rain and the cold weather (it had been in the 30’s and 40’s up until today), they both reached their peak early and all that rain did not help.
Walking the pathways between the gardens
The gardens though were still in bloom. Just past their peak but still picturesque and the smells of the flowers were wonderful.
The Magnolia and Dogwood trees just past their peak
The Magnolia Gardens are breathtaking this time of year
The gardens in full bloom
Walking along the paths
The pathways in bloom
The array of colors along the paths
Some of the trees along the paths were at peak blooming
All the visitors were filming and taking pictures
The gardens got more crowded as time went on
Some of the trees had such vibrant colors
The Magnolias and Dogwoods all in bloom
The pathway was filled with visitors taking pictures
The Magnolia Garden sits just across the pathway from Daffodil Hill, one of the most spectacular displays of Mother Nature
The over thousand daffodils on Daffodil Hill
Daffodil Hill is one of the main reasons why I join the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. It is one of the most beautiful displays of Mother Nature in the garden. Hundreds of different species of Daffodils grow along this hill and for two weeks out of the year this display of flowers surpasses my expectations.
The beautiful display of yellows, whites and oranges come to life each Spring
The mix of pine and flowers
The old oak tree sits as a catalyst for this display
Follow its gracious branches along the hill
The beauty of the hill
I just love looking at all angles of this garden and from every point. I never get tired of its beauty and like to sit on the bench opposite the hill and just the flowers away in the wind. I always look forward to seeing these bloom every Spring. I got to see this just after the peak.
The Lotus Pools
I then walked down the stairs to the Lotus Pools. It will be several weeks until these flower but the paths along side the pools were line with tulips in an array of colors.
The tulips were in full bloom when I was there. Mine are just waking up
The various colors of the tulips
In the middle of these colorful displays and between the pools of the historic Fish Fountain with its amusing spouts.
The historic Fish Fountain between the pools
The graceful sounds of the fountain flowing
After walking through my favorite sections of the gardens, I decided to explore the back paths of the gardens which were just starting to come into bloom. As I passed the various gardens up and down the paths, patrons started to relax on the lawns and just soak up the blue skies, sunshine and the 68 degree weather. It just got nicer as the day wore on.
The Children’s Garden was in the process of being planted and coming into bloom
The entrance to the Children’s Garden
The Watershed
The watershed
The Christmas ferns along the paths
The Christmas fern sign
The Bluebells by the Children’s Garden were coming into bloom
The first species of roses started to appear and I was lucky to get this picture in
The Rock Garden’s flowers were just starting to bloom here
People just relaxed by the watershed lawns and soaked up the sunshine while they talked
The path back to the Cherry Blossoms
The full array of Cherry Blossoms should be appearing in the next week or two and will be in bloom for about a week. For now because of the cold weather, the first of the blooms are appearing.
There are different species of Cherry trees that bloom at different stages of the season
Everyone was elbowing everyone for the pictures
The plants were all out in bloom on the warm day
It seems even the flowers were awoke with this nice day and came out of their slumber as well. It was such a nice afternoon around the gardens and people seemed in a better mood. People appeared relaxed and refreshed by Mother Nature’s display of beauty. This will continue for the next couple of months as all the flowers around the gardens start to bloom.
I returned to the Gardens on Mother’s Day to crowds I have not seen since Member’s Nights to see the Bluebell flowers at the peak of bloom. I can tell that in about three days they will be gone.
The amazing Bluebells
The flower display has grown over the years
The sign for the flowers
After my tour of the gardens, I skipped the over-priced lunches at the cafe in the gardens and headed down Washington Avenue to Bahn Mi Place at 824b Washington Avenue for a sandwich. The food here is wonderful and very reasonable.
The flowers in bloom
Just as impressive as the Daffodil Hill
The gardens were breathtaking this afternoon but this will not last.
I ordered on of their Pork Chop Bahn Mai sandwiches and I forgot how good they are here. The pork was marinated in soy and Hoisin sauces and then cooked to perfection.
The Pork Chop Bahn Mai with fresh vegetables
The sandwiches here are excellent
Yum!
The sandwiches here are high quality between the fresh chewy buns and the crisp vegetables. It was a wonderful lunch and the perfect way to end my visit to the gardens.
What’s nice about Bahn Mi Place is that you can eat in on the small tables inside or on a warm day, take it to the seating outside the Brooklyn Museum and just people watch. It is the perfect afternoon in Brooklyn on a warm day. I relaxed and enjoyed this afternoon after a rough week at work.
Even the fountains were amazing that day!
On the evening of the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, the Gardens had a special event to celebrate the occasion.
The special Members Summer Solstice event
The event included late night walks through the Gardens and then a special musical presentation entitled ‘Afropneuma’, an African jazz sounding concert.
The concert took place on the Cherry Blossom lawn
At sunset, they started the concert with a large audience. The musical performance was enjoyable but lawn and like most people, my 9:30pm, I started the long trip home. It had been a long evening.
They set up a bar for drinks and snacks
The bar menu
We watched the concert from the Cherry Blossom Lawn
It was a very pleasant evening and a nice place to relax and enjoy the sunset.
The Garden started a series of special ‘Jazz Nights’ for members to come after the Gardens had closed for the dining. The first one on July 3rd got rained out with an impending storm approaching. So as soon as the rained stopped about a half an hour later, many of us who stayed enjoyed the cooler evening and walked around the gardens and enjoyed ourselves.
Walking around the Lilly Pond pools
The Water Lillys are ready to bloom
The Water Lillys ready to bloom
I decided to walk around the enclosed gardens starting with the Bonsai Garden display.
The Bonsai Garden display is enclosed
I really admire the care that goes into these trees. The Gardens do a wonderful job maintains and displaying these beautiful trees.
The Bonsai
The beautifully maintained trees take years to get this way
The trees on display
The trees on display
Enjoying the Bonsai Gardens
I next toured the enclosed Rainforest and Desert displays. These enclosed gardens are most impressive in the winter months when they offer relief from the cold. In the summer when it rains, it offers refuge from the elements.
Walking through the enclosed rain forest
The enclosed Rain Forest
Walking through all the shrubs and flowers
The Desert Display with cactus
Admiring all the flowers in the tropical room of plants
After the rain stopped (it only rained for twenty minutes), we were able to tour the grounds and enjoy all the flower beds. I ended the evening admiring a rainbow.
Admiring the Rose Garden fountain just south of the Cherry Blossom lawn.
A beautiful rainbow in the gardens ended the evening.
On the way back to Port Authority, I stopped into Upside Pizza at 812 Eighth Avenue in Manhattan. The pizza there is a bit pricy but you do get a very big slice.
With the Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association, once a year we honor our own and we honor those who do good in the Hasbrouck Heights community. That’s how we award members and residents who go above and beyond for our community. Every year we chose a member for “Member of the Year”, who helps build our organization and whose contributions go above and beyond and best represent the organization.
Our second award of Community “Man of the Year”’” is given a resident whose contributions benefit the Borough of Hasbrouck Heights. It is our organization’s way of saying ‘Thank you’ to these active members of the community.
For the last three years, we have enjoyed our dinner at Segovia’s Steakhouse in Little Ferry, NJ. Our evening started with a cocktail hour and members and their spouses catching up with one another. It is always a nice way to relax and start the evening.
Enjoying the start of the evening with members and their spouses
It is such a great evening for members and spouses to catch up
The food and the service at Segovia’s is excellent and the meals are top notch. We always enjoy the assortment of dishes at dinner. The restaurant celebrates classic Spanish/Mediterranean food.
The Banquet menu at Segovia’s is extensive and the dinner that night was fantastic. While many members enjoyed a drink, then we started with Tapas to start our meal. It was a combination of salads, seafoods and sausages.
Garlic Shrimp, Calamari and Chorizo sausage
Mussels in Red Sauce
Potato Croquettes with cheese
The salad
The freshly baked rolls to sop up all the juices and sauces
As soon as we finished the appetizers, the pasta course came out and we continued our meal with wonderful conversation.
The Appetizer hour is always wonderful
Then we moved on to the Pasta dish that followed the Tapas.
The Penne a la Vodka
The entrees are a classic combination of influences from Spain and Italy representing the owners background from this area of Europe.
The seafood Paella was full of all sorts of meat and seafood
The Chicken Francais
The Poached Salmon
The Grilled Beef Steak
After the main part of the dinner was over, it was time for our honorees. Before that happened, the incoming board recognized me for the twelve years I had spent on the board. My feeling was it was time to step down and let the next group of guys take over from us and keep the building of the organization.
After that it was time to present the awards to our honorees of this evening. Our ‘Member of the Year’ was long time member Ed Hauptman, who was surprised and touched by the award when his name was called.
Congratulating Ed
‘Member of the Year’ Ed Hauptman
“Member of the Year” Ed Hampton with the Executive Board of the Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association 2025
Our organization also picks a member of the community for “Man of the Year”, who has given back to our organization and to the community at large. This year we picked Jason Catalano.
Our ‘Man of the Year’ was Hasbrouck Heights resident, Jason Catalano with his son
“Man of the Year” Jason Catalano and son with the Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association Board
We were very proud of our winners and the contributions they make to our community. Our awards recognize these contributions the Hasbrouck Heights community. To the end the evening, it was time for our traditional group photo and dessert.
The Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association Membership for 2025
Our traditional toast at the end of the dinner at the bar at Segovia’s
Our dessert, a traditional Cannoli Cream Cake with our town colors
What a wonderful way to end the evening.
It really was a wonderful evening for our organization, our family’s and the winners of our awards. Thank you to the Hasbrouck Heights community for supporting us and making us the success that we are as an organization.
We are looking forward to another successful year in 2025!
Right after the Metropolitan Museum of Art had their private members night, ‘Met After Hours’, the Museum of Modern Art countered with their event. Neither museum has the whole museum open but at least at The Met there is more than one bar open and they keep two of the restaurants open for patrons so you can have dinner at the museum.
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) kept only two floors open and had one very crowded bar open that evening. Still it was nice to visit the museum after hours and walk through the halls.
The front of the Museum of Modern Art at 11 West 53rd Street
Looking down on the bar crowd as I walked to the second floor
Listening to the music play with the artwork
The first piece of art I saw was ‘Cadence’ by artist Otobong Nkanga. This colorful and impressive piece took up the entire second floor atrium and the interesting part of the work was that it was interactive and you could walk through the display. It looked like a volcano had exploded and the rocks that spewed out you could walk around.
The work ‘Cadence’ by artist Otobong Nkanga
The write up on the this interesting work
The work took up the second floor atrium
The rest of the second floor of the museum was closed that evening so I made my way to the fourth and fifth floor to visit the galleries.
There was no special exhibition on the fourth floor so I stopped room by room to admire the art. Sprinkled amongst the paintings and sculptures, the museum had placed clips of movies, a few of them silent films. One of my favorites was showing, George Meles’s ‘Trip to the Moon’.
George Meles’s silent film ‘Trip to the Moon
The write up of the piece
The YouTube video on the movie “A Trip to the Moon”
I had first seen this film in high school and had fallen in love with the elaborate sets and the campy storyline. I never got how they thought they were going to get home. Still the movie is fun to watch and you think to seventy years later to movies like ‘2001 Space Odyssey’ and ‘Apollo 13’ and even the footage of really landing on the moon and think how far we have come.
Roaming around the Picasso gallery
Then I walked around the Contemporary Galleries and admired all the works by Picasso and Brancusi. Everyone else was still down at the bar on the first floor so I had these galleries to myself for the first forty-five minutes. I quietly walked and admired all the works.
The contemporary gallery
The works ‘Fish’ and ‘Bird in Space’
Brancusi’s works especially ‘Bird in Space’ I had studied in my Art History class at Michigan State University and zI had admired them for a long time. I had forgotten that versions of them were at the MoMA.
‘Broadway Boogie Woogie’ by Piet Mondrian
The signage
Then I passed ‘Broadway Boogie Woogie’, another work I had studied in college. It is amazing how many great works were at this museum. I just liked the colors and whimsy of this painting. Then I walked through the Claude Monet gallery where the famous ‘Water Lillie’s’ paintings were located.
The gallery dedicated to Claude Monet’s ‘Water Lilies’
The signage
Claude Monet’s ‘Water Lillies’
I love these immense murals either their beautiful colors and calmness to the painting.
I then turned the corner and came across Picasso’s ‘Girl before the Mirror’
I had forgotten that this painting was here and I stopped for a while and just admired it. I loved the simplicity of the idea but enjoyed its bold colors and crazy cubism to it. I have been attracted to this painting since I was a kid when my mother took me to the Picasso Retrospect here when I was a freshman in high school.
The signage for the painting
As the night wore on I visited the floors that were open and it was only two floors, four and five and the second atrium that were open so I visited the bar area when I finished with the other floors.
The prices here were just as expensive as the earlier Member’s Night at The Met and the selection was not as nice, so I bypassed it. I just watched everyone from a distance.
I just enjoy watching everyone having a good
time. I makes the evening even more special.
Watching the crowd while admiring the beautiful interactive art. This work kept moving around to the music in the background
The painting would move in different directions to the music
It had been a short but relaxing evening and got my mind off everything between work and home and I guess I needed a change of pace to shake me out of it.
After a short visit to the gift shop, I left the museum and headed home. As I turned the corner past the museum, I stopped to admire the lights of Seventh Avenue. I sometimes forget how breathtaking Manhattan can be at night.
Seventh Avenue at night around the corner from the MoMA
I took a short walk around the neighborhood, thinking about where I could stop for a snack. None of the restaurants at the museum were open the evening and they had nothing at the bar.
I remembered a wonderful hamburger/ hot dog place near Eighth Avenue, Lucky’s Famous Burgers at 370 West 52nd Street.
I settled on the ‘Double Dog’ special meal with two dressed hot dogs and a large size of French Fries with a large Coke. It was enough food for two people. The hot dogs here are fantastic and the French Fries are cooked to order. The meal just hit the spot and really cheered me up as had the visit to the MoMA. It was the perfect meal to cap off the evening.
The Doubledogs with French Fries meal
The delicious twin hot dogs
They were nicely decorated
What a way to end the evening
It was quick and relaxing evening and shook away the blues of the past days of gloomy weather and some of the long nights of grading papers at work. A pleasant night at the MoMA can really cheer you up!
mywalkinmanhattan 