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. 

Jazz on the Hudson River

The Hudson River Park is home to several summer events from June to August. Among them, Stars of tomorrow features students from both the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music and from Mannes College The New School for Music performing on the lawn of Pier 45 on Tuesday nights. 

The last show we attended was a jazz performance. It is nice to finish a weekday with a picnic along the river, with a cool breeze and a pink sunset light reflecting on the buildings of the City. Moreover, these events are surprisingly not crowded.

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.