Up On The Roof...

We started the day off yesterday with a cup of tea on the roof, and we ended the day enjoying an ice cold bottle of beer on the roof, looking at the incredible view as the sun made Manhattan into silhouettes...

I'm not really sure why we haven't used our roof more. There's plenty of space up there, there's a nice breeze when it's hot, and the view's fantastic. It doesn't seem to be used much by anyone, so we're thinking that it might be OK for us to start having some BBQ's up there.

We took a couple of fold down chairs up with us, but we're thinking of investing in come of those camping chairs to make it a bit more comfortable (and they've got cup holders!), all we need is a little disposable BBQ and small cooler box for some beers and we'll be set!

Pacifico...

Today was another beautifully sunny and hot day, it was so nice this morning (well, midday when we finally got up) that we went and had our morning cup of tea up on the roof! It was great.

We eventually made it outside, into the hot hot heat and went to explore an area in Brooklyn that we'd not really been to before, along Smith Street. It's really close to the Brooklyn Fare supermarket that we go to (which were going to today too), and it has lots of nice shops and places to eat and drink along the street.

I'd not realised until today that not long after I first arrived out here, I went along to the Bastille Day celebrations - there was a live swing band, some skate ramps and boulle pits out on the streets. Well, the Bastille Day celebrations happen on Smith Street! It's funny how I've only just realised where it all was, but it brought back memories of those first few months out here.

Whilst mooching around we found this interesting looking place...

It was a Mexican beach shack in the middle of Brooklyn!
We had a quick look at the menu, it all sounded delicious, so we went in for some brunch.

Inside was just as shack-like. With colourful decking and mis-matching doors, there was a little taco bar at the back, where you could go if you just wanted a quick taco, or there were lots of tables in the sun for a sitdown meal.

This isn't a great photo, but you get the idea of the beach-hutness. It felt like we were on holiday, it was great!

We had some DELICIOUS fried fish tacos and some mexican eggs benedict (with melon), and sat in the sun, enjoying some cold drinks and eves dropping on the fantastically awkward conversations around us.

It really did feel like we'd been teleported to another country, and we should have been stepping out of the door onto the beach, instead of onto the hot Brooklyn pavement.

It's a great little area around Smith Street and there are plenty more places to discover around there, so I think we might be heading back there soon.

Where's Wally?

Found him!

The Little Red Lighthouse...

Today we went on an adventure to find the Little Red Lighthouse...

A few weeks ago I'd read on the internet about this little lighthouse, I'd read that it was up in Harlem, on the Hudson river under a big bridge (which turns out to be the George Washington Bridge). So, we ventured out into the baking sun and got the subway all the way up 181st Street (the hightest either of have been before).

When we got out of the station at 181st Street I was expecting it to feel a little sketchy, a little rough around the edges, like parts of Bedstuy, but we were both shocked (in a very good way) to see that it was an absolutely lovely area.

It felt like we had stepped off the train in San Francisco or something, there were hills! There are hardly any hills in Manhattan, but here they were pretty steep. It felt quite fancy, there were some very nice apartments up there and it felt like there was quite a diverse mix of cultures, but prodominantly wealthy American families.

We wondered towards the Hudson, down a steep hill and over the freeway, onto a lovely cycle and running track that lead down towards the river. Along the way, there were little gaps in the trees where you could see the river and the impressive bridge...

The path kept winding down the hill, towards a flat area under the bridge, where there was a grassy area with picnic tables and rocks and people resting after cycling along the path, or just reading their books in the sun.

And there, round the corner, under the bridge, was the little red lighthouse, standing proud but completely dwarfed by the George Washington Bridge...

It's one of, if not the, only surviving Lighthouse in New York (City?) and was built in the 1920's only to be decommissioned 10 years later after the bridge was constructed.

Originally the lighthouse was there to warn boats off the rocky coast on a particularly tretourous part of the Hudson River called Jeffery's Hook - but once the bridge was built, the lights from the bridge lit the river too, so this poor little lighthouse didn't have a job to do. Luckily there was a protest against it's demolition in the 40's - and it's been there ever since.

From where I was standing to take this photo you could see the Manhattan skyline, you can see the Empire State Building poking above every other building. It's quite amazing how you can see that building from so far away...

It was such a lovely, relaxing place to be - it felt like we were in a whole nother state! It's amazing to think that we were just two trains away from our apartment, and we were still in Harlem!

It was so sunny, and surprisingly quiet considering how close to the bridge and the freeway we were, and there weren't many people around so it felt like a little secret spot in New York that not many people know about.

We sat on a rock under a tree and just enjoyed the view for a while...

After soaking up the view and the peace and quiet, we made our way back up that steep steep cycle path, across the freeway and back up the San Franciso street hill and got back on the train...

It was an absolutely perfect day. Another new discover in New York - I can't believe that I've been here for over 2 years and there's still SO MUCH still to see.

Black & White...

Miss Turner was colour co-ordinating with the graffitti in the Meat Packing last night!

Sunny Supper...

We went to find the Sea restaurant in the Meat Packing District last night, there are only two in New York and we've been financially supporting the one in Brooklyn for the past year or so, so we thought we'd find the one in the city and give them some of our money too...

The one in the city is a bit fancier than the Brooklyn one (they're both in keeping with the areas they're in), and we got to sit outside and enjoy the sun!

We thought, to make a fair comparison, we'd have to order our usual dishes... they were just as delicious (but came in fancier dishes), so we now know that if we get the craving for some seafood dumplings or some tum tim fritters, we can get to some if we're in Manhattan or Brooklyn... phew!

From our table we had a great view of part of the Highline, we could look up and see all the people silouetted by the sun, walking passed the plants and taking in the last of the evening sun before it went behind the skyscrapers in New Jersey.

It was such a lovely setting to start off our long weekend and I have a feeling this weather's here to stay now! Summer's here.

Airstream Dream...

Yesterday evening, after Abi had finished work we went for a mooch round the Meat Packing District to enjoy the AMAZING weather. It's been so so summery these past few days, it was 27 degrees again yesterday evening!

I don't think either of us had been to the Meat Packing District for a while, so it felt a bit like we were on holiday. It was buzzing with people queuing to get into the beer garden, hanging outside the bars, sitting outside the restaurants, people walking along the Highline...

I love the Meat Packing District, it's such a mix of things, there are some super fancy shops and restaurants, but then there are walls covered in grafitti and abandoned meat shops, there are dive bars and biker bars, all along the cobbled streets and little lanes - it's so fantastic around there.

Down one of these little cobbled lanes was this BEAUTIFUL Airstream trailer...

It was PERFECT!

It was in such amazing condition, and all polished - it was empty inside, so it must be used to carry stuff around in, rather than stay in...

If I ever win the lottery, this is what I'm buying!

Bye Bye, Ben...

Well, the time has come and Ben has flown back home to Old York.

He left yesterday afternoon with his friend who had been visiting for the last couple of weeks. I popped round to his flat to say cheerio and take some food of his hands (we now have a LOT of noodles in our cupboards), it was quite emotional really, I don't think any of us want him to leave... He'll be back though.

On Thursday night Tet, Ben, Rich (Ben's friend) and I went for a few drinks in Brooklyn to say farewell. As it was such a beautiful evening we went to Berry Park, the place I went to a couple of weeks ago with the rooftop beer garden - it went down a storm and we stayed for a few drinks and had burgers. Then we waled round the corner to Brooklyn Bowl.

There was a great band playing, they were called Rassle or somthing like that, and they sounded a bit like a poppier version of The Clash. I think they were the free act of the night, but we'd paid $5 to get in that night because a DJ called Questlove (or ?uestlove) was playing and a LOT of people had come to see him. Questlove's a drummer in a band called The Roots, who are very popular, especially in New York (they're from here). He was playing some fantastic funk and soul music, just like the stuff they play at Hi-Fi in Leeds... it was GREAT and seeing all the people dancing was great too.

Afer a couple of hours a lane FINALLY came free, at about midnight, by which time Tet had left and Rich was transfixed with the music, so Ben and I had a head to head battle on the lanes. We had 3 games in the end (they didn't last long when just two people are bowling). I won't brag about how I won each game, or how I got 119 points, that would just be boastful!

It's going to be odd not having Ben in the studio anymore, and the atmosphere's already changed, so we'll just have to wait and see how things turn out for now...

Little Red Truck...

I know I've posted photos of this truck before, but I love it...

Happy Birthday Beth...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BETH!

I hope you have a lovely day. I can't wait to meet Harry & Maisie in person very soon!

S'abit Blummin 'ot!

... and it's not even summer yet!

Keen's Steakhouse...

Friday was Ben's last day in the office (well, full day anyway), so the celebrate we all went for a steak for lunch. We had originally booked a table at Peter Luger's Steakhouse for last Monday, but Ben was ill with kidney stones so we couldn't go. So Keen's was Plan B.

I'd never heard of Keen's, but it happens to be on of the oldest Steakhouses in New York. It's up on 36th Street, near Macy's and is a bit tucked away but once you're inside it feels very grand.

I think we all felt a little under dressed, turning up in our jeans and tshirts, when everyone else was suited and booted, but our table was upstairs, which felt a little more relaxed.

Back in the day Keen's must have been the place to go to have a steak and smoke a pipe because the ceiling was absolutely covered in old pipes...

Luckily they'd all been cleaned out a long time ago...

Unfortunately, going out with a big group at work usually means ordering a little of everything and having to share... which is OK in some places, but if it's a steak, I'd rather have my own steak on my own plate. However, we ended up ordering some mutton, some sirloin and some fillet and sharing between us all. Needless to stay, it didn't last long...

You can see from the bones that the joints were HUGE - and cooked to perfection, especially the mutton, it was absolutely delicious. It also turned out to be the perfect amount... well, I was certainly full by the end of it, and I was being polite with how much I took.

One of the tastiest bits was the starter, which was pieces of thick cut bacon, I'm not sure how they'd been cooked, grilled probably - but they were just delicious! It reminded me a bit of the bacon we had in Swaziland, that was super thick and cooked on the BBQ... Mmmmmmm mmm!

Keen's was a funny little place, it was really nice though and the waiters were really friendly (despite how rude some of the people at our table were... bloody Americans!), and the steak, although not the best I've tasted in New York, was mighty fine.

Staying motivated for the rest of the afternoon was a bit hard though, with everyone full of meat and beer, all we wanted to do was sleep.

Washington Square Park...

I think this sums up Washington Square Park really - the oddest collection of people doing odd things... a man on a scooter, by a drum, watching a lady play the banjo sitting next to a man selling shoes?!

It's never boring walking through Washington Square Park - they were doing some filming for an advert while I was walking through too... It's great there.

Wet, Wet, Wet...

It has been a very wet week (and a very busy week, so I'm sorry for the lack of interesting things to talk about), and last night is was absolutely pouring with rain. Luckily, by the time we left it had stop - well, mostly.

As we walked down the road to get a cab back to Brooklyn, there were very dramatic effects happening. There was a veeeeeery steamy manhole (they were doing some work on it) that was being back lit by the headlights of cars and the street lights, and as people walked behind the steam it created great silhouettes and as they walked in front of the steam it created big wobbly shadows... it was quite amazing.

Unfortunately, I was only armed with my iPhone and I wasn't quick enough to get all the different shadows and silhouettes, but it still looks quite dramatic...

(I've fiddled with the a bit photo on my Instagram app)

Clay Face...

There are a LOT of people in New York who want to draw your portrait, or make you into a caricature, or create paper silhouette of your profile, but this is the first time I've ever seen someone making a clay portrait!

It was quite amazing, he started with a lump of clay and very quickly started creating the profile of this Dapper Dan Gentleman.

I wish I had a moustache like that!

Big Rock...

It's almost as big as the car!

Grrrrrrrowler...

I'd never heard of a growler until a few weeks ago - but they seem to be pretty popular in America. Buying a big glass jug and filling it up with beer and reusing the jug next time you want to buy something different.

I'd read on the internet that a new Duane Reade (a chain a bit like Boots) had opened in Williamsburg, on Bedford Avenue and that all the locals were very annoyed. All the Hipsters were trying to boycot it apparently, they wanted independant shops in their neighbourhood. So in an attemped to win the locals over, Duane Reade not only built a big walk-in-fridge section full of quirky beers (that all the Hipsters love, all brewed locally or within America, all with funny names), but they also build a growler filling station in the shop.

I saw some pictures on the internet and thought that the filling station and the branding on the growlers looked absolutely fantastic - it was called 'Brew York City' and was done really nicely, just white handwritten type on a dark brown/black jug.

So I set myself my own little mission whilst on my Walkabout, to find the particular Duane Reade that has the growlers and get one...

They had a great selection of local beers on tap - they had Blue Point (which is lovely) and some Six Point (which is brewed down near Ikea in Brooklyn) and a some Brooklyn Lager. I decided to go for the Brooklyn Summer Ale for mine.

The whole thing was really nicely done, all the shelves look great and the branding was great on the bottles. There was no sign of the Duane Reade branding on the bottles either, which was quite brave, but I'm sure very deliberate too. I'm not entirely sure how popular it's been, most people seemed to be going straight to the walk-in-fridge, but I was certainly very impressed.

I later went back to the apartment and enjoyed a jam jar or two...

Cheers!

Ice Cream...

Another lovely old ice cream van in Brooklyn.

Walkabout...

I had the day off work yesterday, I was taking back one of the days owed from working the weekend a couple of weeks ago.

I wasn't really sure what to do with my day off, the weather wasn't great and I'd not really planned anything. Abi had set me the challenge of finding, eating and enjoying a Croque Madame, so I knew I had one thing to do. I did a little research on the internet and found that there was a French restaurant near Bedford Avenue that served them for lunch, so I decided I'd walk there from our apartment rather than jump on the train.

It was about a 40 minute walk away, it probably wouldn't normally take that long, but I kept stopping to take photos along the way...

The area between our place and Bedford Avenue isn't all that much to look at, there are lots of garages and bodyshops, lots of high-rise flats with lots of Jewish people living there, but there were some nice little places along the way.

It was long before I started to recognise where I was, after about 20 minutes I'd reach Barcarde and the Kelloggs Diner, so it's good to know that they're within walking distance(ish).

It's not really until you stop using the subway, that you realise how close everything is really. I've been finding that quite a lot recently, just by walking around a bit more I'm finding where places lead to and what links with what a bit better.

These are probably pretty boring photos to look at, but on my walk I was noticing some interesting walls...

(There wasn't all that much to take photos of really!)

I finally reached my Croque Madame destination - a little french restaurant called Fada - which Abi and I had actually been to for a drink last year, but we've never eaten there. It was lovely, there weren't many people in there, but there were some French accents and some British accents and the staff were French, so it was the real deal.

I ordered my Croque Madame...

and it was absolutely amazingly delicious!
I could have eaten it 3 times over, it was so tasty. I'm making myself hungry just writing about it, now I think I'm going to have to go back for lunch today too.

After completing my mission, I kept on strolling around for a bit more, just enjoying being in Williamsburg with nothing to do but take in what was going on around me.

There's always so much to look at, so much going on and always the best people watching to be done in Brooklyn... I love it.

It was a nice little walkabout - not quite as big as my last 13 miler, which I'd love to do again - I've still got one more day to take, so maybe I'll do that then?

Barcade...

On Wednesday evening Jim and I went to find a bar that his brother had told him about called Barcade. As the name sort of suggests, it's a bar and an arcade...

Barcade's just by the Lorimer G Train stop, so it's easy to get to from work and from our apartment, Abi and I had actually been passed it before but hadn't realised what it was. Had we known, I'm sure we would have gone in.

The entrance is a little set back off the pavement, there's a small porchy/courtyardy bit first, which has a big wall with a mosaic on it. But instead of little tiles, the mosaic's made up out lots and lots of really old beer bottle tops...

They had some great old Brooklyn Brewery ones.

Inside there were loads of classic arcade machines, things like Frogger, Joust, Paperboy, Tetris and Ms PacMan...

They even had a High-Scores board hanging up, so people could see who the champions are - maybe my name'll be up there one day, but after playing Frogger, I know for sure I'll never get the high score on that - it was really hard!

Before we played we had a few drinks at the bar, which also looked pretty cool with all the money stuck up on the wall and with stickers stuck everywhere...

... and the loos were covered top to bottom with graffitti...

It felt like a bit of 'deliberate dive' bar - but the people in there weren't rought bikers or ne'er-do-wells, it was full of arty types and arcade game fans.

It was a great little place, and really easy to get to, it's also veeeery conveniently located near the Kelloggs Diner, which Jim and I went to after a bit of gaming for a burger... Mmmmmm Mmmmm!