Roof with a view, part 2

When I finally get home in time to enjoy the lingering daylight (if only from my roof), it sure is nice to have views like these:

With the sun setting to our west you might almost call the view of Jersey in the distance idyllic...almost

Looking south down Broadway we have an unobstructed view of this famed street as it makes its way to the end of the city. If you look close enough you can see where the water (i.e. hudson meets east river) ends and Brooklyn begins.

Perhaps my favorite underdog, the Con Ed building stands proud amidst her shorter neighbors. Our own little empire state, this buildings colors change much like our friends below but with more variety! Often we are blessed with a 5 color night...

The undisputed landmark of the city. Looking north we are graced with the former Met Life building basking in the glory of her hero, the Empire State Building.

And just a little friendly reminder to all that while I may not have an hour to sit and mess around in the kitchen I can still take 10 minutes to put together a healthy, home made lunch. (sliced yellow peppers, kerby cukes, grape tomatoes, and a half sandwich of turkey on whole wheat.)

Happy Friday!

Sweet days are made of these:

This is a day in the life of us.

Wandering through the city streets you might think natures' gone,
But if you look closely you just might see that really it's all 'round.


The city delights even the cynics with authentic treats abound,
Making even the most civil animals nothing if not spellbound.


Slowly soaking up the sights you just might find a treat,
Even though we're city folks we still enjoy fresh eats.

We might not have your typical parks with trees and grass a plenty,
But our pups enjoy a dip in the pool and it doesn't cost us a penny!

Nature is truly alive and kicking in our metropolis,
You just have to keep your eyes alert and surely you'll see our bliss!

Welcome home!

If anyone out there has been reading my ramblings and would like to see what I mean when I talk about our 'little' farmers market here in the center of the universe, I urge you to take a look at this clip of Alice Waters as she greets many of our favorite producers and takes you on a beautiful journey of the Union Square Greenmarket.

You can find the permalink here.

Enjoy!

color me lucky.

Just realizing that although I haven't posted in a few days and although the posts from our recent Europe adventure fall towards the bottom of the page I have started carrying my camera with me around the city.

Truth is, while this culinary twist has certainly proven to be a super hobby, we are still planning on leaving this beautiful metropolis affectionately called the big apple and frankly, I want as many memories as possible. If I can't have my 'dream-come-true-raise-my-kids-in-a-brownstone-on-west-11th-street' life I sure has heck wanna have some great stories, photos, and thoughts to share with our kidlets one day about our wacky life in downtown Manhattan.

In honor of our beautiful city, which in my humble opinion gives Paris a run for it's money, I will share with you not only our kitchen creations but also shots from around and about the place we currently call home.

This will be my living memoir to the city I love, and it will keep me honest by guaranteeing that I post regularly about all things beautiful about NYC.

I hope you enjoy the ride.

*this shot was taken last Sunday walking north on Lafayette @ Bleecker. we were coming home from the Apple store where I bought my new macbook. hooray for apple :)

On Living

Please forgive me while I wax poetic.

Every morning, when the first rays of sun find their way into my window, I am grateful to greet the day. The haphazardly thrown on clothes join the quickly tossed up hair before I reach for a leash, a bag, and a dog, and head into the outside world.

Our town has a homey feel. Waiting in the lobby is the doorman whose daughter is expecting her second child. Our friend from three floors above is walking her young daughter and small dog and we stop to discuss the weekend weather.

Outside the maintenance guys smile and say good morning as they turn off their hose momentarily and postpone the morning ritual of cleaning up our little street. These charmingly familiar sounds of life surround me and I smile in thanks.

We will soon get to the mud truck where I will order my coffee. Yes, I spoke correctly, it is a truck. And we will make our way to the dog park where we will meet our friends and neighbors to discuss the new construction going on in the square and transportation prices while we watch our dogs enjoy the few hours before the sun makes it difficult for anyone to move!

After the park we stroll through the market, greeting the vendors and taking our breakfast in samples. Someone just brought their first heirloom tomatoes, while another farmer is proudly showcasing the first mutsu apples of the season. We chat, we sample, we stroll, we buy. Not in any particular order.

What I want to know is why are we, the people sitting in the midst of one of the largest metropolises in America, living the life of our grandparents, while the majority run off to the burbs to rely on gas guzzlers and produce that is more well traveled than many of its very consumers?

When G & I talk about moving I think about these things. Our quaint town of nearly 9 million people seems to be doing something right. We get plenty of exercise just doing daily routines, we have access to low cost quality produce, and we use public transportation (okay so sometimes we take cabs).

What do I think of the suburbs? Don't ask. If it ain't country, I'm not interested.

Just some early morning thoughts.