Pieces of home: Patrick Watson in New York

Friday two weeks ago was a really bad day for me. I had to go the Department of motor vehicles to exchange my Quebec driver’s license for a New York one; a seemingly simple thing. I ended up waiting there for five long hours: a first line to get information and forms, a second, which I thought was the real one, but that was only to get a number, and finally the third – and official – one. What a waste of time… and those who know me well are aware that I am not the “car type”.

Anyway… at least, there was Patrick Watson to save my day. The 32 years old Canadian singer-songwriter from Montreal was giving a free intimate performance at the South Street Seaport during the evening, participating in the River to River Festival. 

Rainbow Sunday: New York Gay Pride March

After 7 months living in New York, last weekend I finally got to see famous people and paparazzi for the first time. Saturday, I came across the model Heidi Klum while she was preparing to shoot a hair spray commercial at the Flatiron building, then Cyndi Lauper opened the Gay Pride March on Sunday, followed by New York State’s Governor.

It was the first time I attended a Gay Pride parade; I wanted to share with you my experience as it was a festive, colorful and truly touching event. And you know how I love parades...

Welcoming hundreds of thousands of spectators crowded along Fifth Avenue, 8 th Street and Christopher Street in the West Village, this year’s March was celebrating the first anniversary of the state's same-sex marriage law. It was an important one.

Having for a theme “Share the Love” – which aims to encourage other states to pass similar legislation –, the parade began with motorcycles and a giant double arch of multicolored balloons floating above the streets of Manhattan.

Smoky Madison Square Park

These past weeks have been very important for me with respect to immerging myself in America’s summer food culture. First there was the Governor Island Five Boro PicNYC, then my vacation in St-Maarten, where I surprisingly got to eat more American than Caribbean dishes (!!!), and finally, this past weekend, the very smoky Madison Square Park Big Apple Barbecue Block Party.

It was a quiet weekend for us; back from a vacation, Martin and I were a little disconnected from Manhattan’s schedule of summer events and didn’t know what to do on Sunday. Partly intrigued and partly attracted by the strong smell of ribs, sausage and pulled pork that was haunting the city – nevermind that email we received promoting the Block Party –, we decided, with enthusiasm, to attend the urban barbecue.

Governors Island: New York’s silent oasis, only a 5 minutes ferry ride away

New York is boiling hot these days. I was told a few months ago that the temperature can reach terrible highs in the City but I wasn’t expecting it so early. Anyway, I am glad I recommended to my family not to visit us from May to August. Forget that this weather is unbearable when visiting a urban area; they would probably think Martin and I are crazy to have moved here. 

Enough complaining; at least the heat makes me want to escape the city and leads me to unexpected places like Governors Island. 

Beautiful abandoned houses
on the island

Governors Island is a public park situated only a five minutes ferry ride away from Downtown Manhattan. New Yorkers go there during the summer to enjoy a quiet countryside atmosphere; on the island they can appreciate great and green outdoor spaces as well as a car-free environment. They can picnic, bicycle (with their own vehicle or using the bike rental shop) or simply walk along the water to absorb splendid views of New York City.  They can also visit – for free – the Castle Williams, a circular fortification that was built in the early 19th century to protect New York City from naval attacks. 

For my friends from Quebec or for those of you who had the chance to visit this wonderful land where I come from, Governors Island feels like the Plains of Abraham in Quebec city. It is totally sensible as the Island was used as a military facility by British and American forces for more than 200 years. In fact, it served an important military function until the 1960s; it was used for recruitment and as a prison for captured Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War, and throughout World War I and II, it was an important supply base for Army ground and air forces.

My love letter to Coney Island

Coney Island's large and golden beach

When the weather begins to be nice and warm in May, New Yorkers desert the city and rush to the beaches on every weekend. They go to the well-known Hamptons, but likewise in Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn as well as Staten Island where there a number of options to relax, put your feet in the sand and gaze into the sea.

I always wondered why we don’t see many pools in the suburban landscapes around Mahnattan when looking down from the plane while leaving or landing in New York (pools are an important aspect of suburban life in Montreal); who needs a pool when you can access the ocean so easily?

You all know I love Brooklyn. Obviously, Coney Island was another place I was looking forward to visit. I remember watching a video entitled “Love letter to Coney Island” a few months ago on the Internet; this short film left me seduced by the very rich history of the place. Think about it: Coney Island has been welcoming New Yorkers since the 1830’s.

2012 Tribeca Film Festival

I have to admit that I was really lazy in my job search last week… I preferred going to the movies instead of passing my days on the computer looking for my next professional challenge. But all for good reason: It was my first Tribeca Film Festival. 

Getting ready for a film screening at
the School of Visual Arts Theatre

Founded in 2002, the Tribeca Film Festival is a relatively recent but already famous and major New York spring event dedicated to independent cinema. Created in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks and the consequent loss of vitality in the Lower Manhattan’s TriBeCa neighborhood, the festival was the initiative of the American film producer Jane Rosenthal, the renowned actor, director and producer Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff, a New York real estate investor and philanthropist. Its mission is to help filmmakers reach the broadest possible audience, enable the international film community and general public to experience the power of cinema and promote New York City as a major film making center.

Expat stories: Claire from Central Park Wedding

This week, I am happy to publish my first expat interview – I have wanted to do this since the beginning of this blog. Claire is a British expat who moved to NYC in January 2011, following her boyfriend who had a job offer.  She got married in Central Park and guess what… she now runs her own business specialized in weddings in this beautiful landmark of Manhattan. I really admire her entrepreneurship!
 
I always enjoy hearing about expats or NYC lovers experiences, so don’t hesitate to contact me for an interview or if you wish to submit a blog post; I would love to hear about your story!
 

Claire, you’ve been in the City for more than a year now… What do you think about New York?
Americans think New York is an unfriendly place. I suggest they take a trip to London, to put things in perspective. There, you might be lying in a gutter, clutching your chest and gasping for air and people might still give you a (polite) kick as they step over you. 
 
I made numerous friends more quickly in New York than anywhere else I have lived.  We found a flat on the Upper East Side and I furnished it with Craigslist, I went to a Brooklyn woman's apartment to try out her sofa, it was nice, but too expensive but she was pretty great, and has become one of my closest New York friends. 

A stop at Rudy's Music in SoHo

My brother, who’s a talented musician (here's the link to his band's Website), was in New York this weekend. We were walking in the lovely neighborhood of SoHo when our path randomly led us to a beautiful and unexpected music store: Rudy’s Music.

Rudy’s Music Soho opened in 2009 as an expansion of the famous Rudy’s Music in Midtown, whose clientele over the past 32 years has included Mick Jagger and John Mayer. The owner of the place, the guitar designer and collector Rudy Pensa, has in his new location what he calls a “guitar gallery” : the store contains over 100 vintage hand-built acoustic and electric models.

Photo credit: Jean-François Gagnon

Rudy Pensa came to America in the 70’s from his native Argentina with a suitcase and a dream to be a part of the music industry. He started his business with only a few guitars but has now established a world-wide reputation. Rudy also designed Pensa custom Guitars, his own brand name, which continues to be hand made in his shop.

Contradicted Williamsburg

I’ve wanted to visit Williamsburg since Forever; even before knowing that we would move to New York, I remember reading an article about the neighborhood and that was it, I was instantly fascinated by it.

Williamsburg is a neighborhood of Brooklyn known to be an influential hub for Indie rock music as well as for its local art community. The area, which has been gentrified these past years, is being redefined by a growing population and a rapid development of housing and retail space. Williamsburg is a young and busy neighborhood with numerous popular bars, shops and restaurants; it is equally one of the coolest places I’ve seen in New York. 

The mysterious origin of steam

Have you ever ask yourself what exactly is all this steam that we see here and there in Manhattan, coming out of orange and white chimneys? 

A chimney somewhere in Midtown

With all the crazy pressure on people's shoulders here – perhaps you've read that New York has recently won the title of the world’s most competitive city –, I was starting to believe that the steam may come from New Yorker’s heads while they are in the subway network, trying – and failing – to arrive on time to their "rendez-vous".

Although this hypothesis was sensible, I still wanted to do some research about it; in order to being able explaining this very special phenomenon to my visitors when they come to New York and ask me the question – which typically happens after one or two days.

New York, in fact, has the world's biggest steam generation system. Everyday, this system pumps steam into not less than some 100,000 commercial and residential establishments.

Studying English in New York: my language learning tips

This week is my last studying English at International House New York; though it is necessary to move on to something else – job searching maybe? – , I am very sad about it.

During my full time English learning journey – which will continue part time forever – I found so many useful resources to help me improve that I thought it would be appropriate to dedicate a post to this topic.

Some people might say that a complete immersion in an English environment should be enough to learn the language but I don’t agree. Of course, getting to talk and hear it on a daily basis is the key of success; but here are other tips that I think can make an immersion a lot more effective.

South Street Seaport: the hidden history treasure of Lower Manhattan

Almost feel like San Francisco...

Walking in New York is sometimes – not to say often – marveling as you can turn one single street corner and suddenly see the landscape changing. 

This happened to me a few weeks ago when I was willingly getting lost in the streets of the Financial District; as I was walking on narrow streets among hundreds of businessmen and other busy New Yorkers, I wound up in this tiny, quiet and quite open old area: the South Street Seaport. With its West Coast inspired pier, charming cobblestone roads and red brick buildings, the place unexpectedly appeared to me like a breath of fresh sea air among the claustrophobic walls of downtown.

Paul Richard: Taking street art to another level

Walking in New York is usually more about looking up than looking down but in certain areas of the city, there may be good reasons to look at what is happening at your feet. 

I recently discovered a New York street artist named Paul Richard and the more I learn about his work, the more I am crazy about it. This man – like many other street artists I agree – has been working for years at turning New York into a giant art gallery that all citizens and visitors can enjoy constantly and for free. And with him, street art is taken to another level…

Vintage shopping at Skylight One Hanson, Brooklyn

The market -
or a very small part of it

During winter, the traditional Brooklyn outdoor market moves to Skylight One Hanson, the former and famous building of Williamsburg Savings Bank situated in Fort Greene. Vintage itself, the three floor Art Deco edifice offers a perfect setting to welcome thousands of visitors eager for discoveries and more than a hundred vendors selling second hand goods and old items that have been reinvented.

From antiques to handmade articles, clothing, jewels and other accessories, beauty products, furniture, vintage records and photography items, Skylight One Hanson has it all; the market is a great place to find a unique gift, a gorgeous new deco objet or the perfect fashion accessory.

Three shows (among hundreds) to see in Chelsea’s art galleries

These past 15 years, Chelsea has become the world’s most important center for contemporary art by being home to hundreds of art galleries mostly situated in the West part of the neighborhood. The Municipal Art society of New York recently organized a walking tour around the various galleries, allowing us to visit seven very different places with a variety of exhibitions, the aim being to explore what is new and most exciting on the current art scene.
 
Here are my three favorite exhibitions of the tour; this represents a very small fraction of what is available and all choices are totally personal, but hopefully it will encourage you to discover or rediscover Chelsea and its vibrant art community. As many galleries are located within just a few city blocks, it is really easy to visit numerous places in one single afternoon – but this will certainly make you want to come back for more the day after! 

Open House at the Apollo Theater

What better way to celebrate Black History Month than a sweet escapade to Harlem, this major African-American neighborhood of Manhattan. The Apollo Theater, a notorious music hall that is also one of the oldest in the United States, recently held an open house weekend. For the occasion, residents and visitors were offered a glimpse into the Apollo’s rich history, having the chance to explore the neo-classical theater and step onto the legendary stage where many of our favorite African-American performers, among them James Brown, The Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, and Lauryn Hill, have launched their successful careers.

Brunch with Bluegrass

Brunch is big In New York. This iconic mash-up of breakfast and lunch is, as New Yorkers claim, a NYC invention.

Did you ever ask yourself why people drink alcohol – mostly in the form of Mimosa and Bloody Mary – at brunch? I have always believed that this behavior was reserved for special occasions, just like it is in Quebec. But I recently learned that for New Yorkers it is traditionally a hangover cure!

As you may know, I am determined to become a real New Yorker; I therefore intend to make this very pleasant practice that is brunch part of my new life in the City. I gave it a first try last weekend.

Punchdrunk’s Sleep no more: I want more

Last week, Martin and I went to see Sleep no more, an immersive theatrical production created by the British site-specific theater company Punchdrunk. The show has been playing for almost a year now in the McKittrick Hotel – a nod to Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” –, a deserted luxury 1930’s hotel situated on West 27th Street, in Chelsea’s gallery district.

A complicated story; an even more complicated experience
Sleep No More tells the very dark and shocking story of Shakespeare’s Macbeth in a creative and unique way: welcomed in a beautifully decorated 1930’s bar, the masked audience – all “guests” are required to wear and keep on a Venetian carnival-style mask to stay anonymous – has for two hours an almost unlimited access to the amazing decor of the six stories pleasure palace, having the great freedom to explore any of the one hundred rooms and chase up the silent characters, choosing where to go and what to see.

Your options are quite simple but might be disconcerting: you can follow one character all evening as they run and dance around the different bedrooms, bathrooms and ballrooms – there is even a hospital room and an outdoor forest – or you can stay in one area, waiting for something meaningful to happen. You can read letters left on desks, take a look in bookcases and get as close as you want to Macbeth and his lady, Macduff and his wife, King Duncan and various witches and hotel employees - as long as you don’t touch them. Half actors half dancers, Sleep no more’s protagonists have certainly the power to make you feel sometimes in an intense and disturbing horror movie, sometimes in a wordless murder mystery evening.

A glimpse into New York’s Chinese New Year festivities

Chinatown becomes a very crazy area during Chinese lunar New Year; there is no better place to make a quiet and peaceful girl like me feel like I’m on another continent, not to say in a completely different world. 

On January 23rd, I participated with excitement in the Firecracker Ceremony, risking my life walking through the frenzied crowds. People go to this famous celebration to welcome local politicians and other community leaders but above all to watch the renowned cultural performances and animals - mostly dragons this year – dancing in the neighborhood’s main streets and parks. Even if it was raining that day, thousands of people were celebrating, bursting firecrackers everywhere to ward off evil spirits – believe me some people are dangerous with these firecracker - , and squabbling for a place to contemplate the numerous beautiful dragons coming out of houses in almost every corner of Chinatown.

A night out in “Curry Hill”

Winter is officially arrived in New York and cold weather, among other things, means comfort food. Martin and I are huge fans of Indian cuisine: this amazing mix of rich flavors and fire that goes perfectly with the month of January. As cooking Indian meals requires numerous “exotic” ingredients, and as temporary housing doesn’t usually go with a well stocked pantry, we haven’t had the chance to cook with cumin, coriander and fenugreek these past months. This has given us a major curry craving!

When one of my English teachers told me about “Curry Hill” – what a creative name– the little India of Murray Hill in Manhattan, I was kind of relieved to confirm that there is a place in New York where we can access great Indian restaurants and grocery stores for reasonable prices - because you can get almost anything you want in the City but you can easily shell out. 

A few weeks ago, we decided to give ourselves a treat: We tried Dhaba, a restaurant situated on Lexington Avenue that seemed well rated.