Prospect Park Snowicane Wander

There was another huge snow storm in New York again today, making this the snowiest February of all time with 36.9 inches (that's 93.7cm for those of you who abandoned the British empire and joined the 19th century) and the 4th snowiest winter of all time. 53cm fell in central park; that's a lot of snow for a city with no where to push it.
Again, work was cancelled, my YMCA closed earily, and the city generally ground to a halt. So I went on another Prospect Park Wander. I love Prospect Park, and there's something so fun about when a city the size of New York shuts down and all the kids between the ages of 1-27 go sledding in the park.

Click here for the wander map.

I didn't get out till the afternoon, after the snow had stopped and the sun had come out. I wandered across 8th street toward the park.

Central Park Obelisk Wander

I found out that there is 3500 year old Egyptian obelisk in Central Park. The obelisk was put up in Heliopolis around 1500 BC, and was given to the US in 1881 as a gift from the Egyptian government with the hopes of establishing economic ties. It's the oldest thing in the park, and it's tucked away just behind the MET. I'd walked right past it a couple of times and never noticed it, so the purpose of this wander was to have a look.


Click here for the wander map.


I Started the wander outside the MET at 82nd and 5th.

  

Central Park Foliage Wander

This wander is from early November, 2008 - my first fall in New York. Obviously I had to take a wander through Central Park once the leaves had changed.

Click here for wander map.

I entered the park on 79th street and headed south toward the Boat Basin.

 

Upper West Side Wander

Going North to South from the Upper East Side is easy. Going west is a bit more difficult. It involves taking a cab or one of New York's notoriously slow cross town buses. After being in the city for over a month, in November of 2008 I decided to take a wander to see what lies on the other side of Central Park; the Upper West Side.

Click here for wander map.

I started at the Lincoln Center. The central square has been under renovations since I arrived in New York. I think they're supposed to be done soon, so I'll have to make a trip back to get this shot without the giant blue plywood construction barriers.

 

Financial District Wander

After my Coney Island Wander, I hopped on the subway and headed to the Financial District to watch the sun set from Battery Park, and also since I'm an engineer, I had to check out Canstruction 2009 on display in the Winter Garden of the World Financial Center.


Click here for the wander map.

I started the wander by Broadway and Wall Streets. Trinity Church:

 

Coney Island Wander

I had always heard about Coney Island from the movies. When I first got to New York it was actually the only place I'd heard of in Brooklyn. So in November 2008, I decided to make my first trip to the borough and visit Coney Island.
I was expecting a big cheezy amusement park. But when I got off the subway I was struck by what a shithole the place was. Granted, it was November, but I was expecting some sort of life. Everything seemed shuttered and covered in graffiti - maybe I was too used to the Upper East Side. I didn't take many pictures because I was still in a phase of only taking pictures of the tourist attractions. I'm planning on heading out there again now that I've been here a while to see how my impressions have changed, and to get some pictures before the whole place gets redeveloped.

Click here for the wander map.

Atlantic Yards & Brooklyn Flea Wander

In case you haven't been following it, there is a huge 5-billionish dollar development called Atlantic Yards planned on Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn,where the neighbourhoods of Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Fort Greene and Boerum Hill intersect. The centerpiece is the new Barclays Center, where the New Jersey Nets are supposed to move in 2012 (is it just me or is this the least talked about, most uncontroversial professional sports team relocation ever?). Basically an uber-rich developer (Bruce Ratner) wants to tear down a bunch of old dilapidated buildings, 1 bar, 1 nice brownstone, and a homeless shelter, cover over a rail yard, and build the stadium along with a mixed use facility on top . As they always seem to do here, the locals have freaked out about the plan; gentrification of the railyard, box store squeezing out mom and pop, no parking during games, streets unsafe for park slope kids, etc. They sued Ratner about 478 times and tried to perform a citizens arrest. There is an insane amount written about this project, so take your pick if you want to get the details. Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn seems to be the biggest organized opponent.

UES, 42nd Street Wander, & Columbus Circle Wander

My second wander after arriving in New York was through the Upper East Side and into Midtown (Octoberish 2008).

Click here for the wander map.

I started up by 90th and 5th and headed south. The Cooper Hewitt:

Guggenheim:

Prospect Park Snowpocalypse Wander

If there's 1 thing I've noticed about New York since I moved here it's how SOFT New Yorkers are. 0 degrees (32 F for you imperialists) is not frigid, it's winter. 1 foot of snow is not a blizzard, its snow. This is the North East. If you can't handle 0 degrees & 1 foot of snow, then head to California.

So today was the hundred year blizzard - Snowpocaplypse. The city was shut down. Schools were closed long before the first flake fell, my YMCA closed shop, and my work locked the doors and told me to stay home. I'm not going to complain about that, so with a beautiful Snow Day, I wandered out to Prospect Park via Park Slope -- somehow I made it back alive.

Click here for the wander map.

Central Park Wander Part I

One of my first wanders when I arrived in New York was in Central Park (late September 2008). I had just moved into a studio apartment on the Upper East Side, just 4 blocks from the park.
In my hometown on Saint John there is a beautiful park called Rockwood Park, which was designed by the same Downing Vaux from the Central Park design team.

Click here for the wander map.

I started my wander at the 79th street entrance and headed south to the Boat Basin: