December 4, 2018
What did you think? That I could be a mile and a half away from a rural cemetery all day and not head directly through its gates when finally free from my school visit in East New York? Established in the 1849, Evergreens Cemetery is a rural cemetery on the border Read more…
December 2, 2018
I’m now totally convinced there is no bad weather for cemetery photography. Today’s grey and mist was perfect to explore Moravian Cemetery, Staten Island’s oldest “active” cemetery. Dating back to 1740, some of the weathered headstones are well-worn, broken, and strewn about. But there are plenty of winged ladies. Ladies Read more…
November 26, 2018
Besides really enjoying the opportunity to step into a learner’s role during off-site teacher professional development, I also enjoy getting to see the New York City views atop various high rises about Brooklyn and/or Manhattan. It has become a bit of a past time of mine. This time, the top Read more…
November 18, 2018
There are always new vegan options to try in Philly. I’ve been peeping The Kettle Black‘s vegan croissant for a good while, so that was our pre-breakfast… in the car. The real deal Even better than the vegan croissant I had in Paris. Flaky and sublime pastry But breakfast would Read more…
November 10, 2018
This is the numerical expression I use to decide on how many dim sum plates to order when x represents the quantity of diners. This is how I know that the dim sum dishes at Dim Sum Bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn are smaller than traditional dim sum plates, like in Read more…
November 5, 2018
Before I go on about how this fried “chicken” sandwich tasted, here are some hues from a Sunday in which the Autumn sun blazed glorious beams. Let’s follow them out and about. First, they crept into my basement apartment as I prepared my lunch for the week, making this radish Read more…
November 3, 2018
Walking in Manhattan’s SoHo on a bright and delicious Saturday afternoon is a hellish experience. If I am there to run an errand (Did you know that Swatch gives your swatch free batteries for life?), you’ll find me walking in the bike lane or along side the parked cars as Read more…
October 22, 2018
Sunday means I’m making lunch. And my lunch game has been strong lately. I am also finding better light in the kitchen by standing on the counter. Here are recent some of the eats during the week, the ones that are worth the picture. Kale sautéed with coconut oil and Read more…
When a holiday falls on a Sunday, you get the Monday off. Them’s the rules. So on my holiday, I ran some errands in New Jersey, mostly because I wanted to try this place: Seed to Sprout in Avon by the Sea, New Jersey. This sandwich. It’s like the best Read more…
October 21, 2018
I got my favorite kind of sky on my birthday. Bright blue with bright white clouds. And a very cold wind. A fancy dinner with friends at Sans in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. This “worship the vegetable” eatery is only going to be around for a year as a test of Read more…
October 20, 2018
Pollepel Island is a small island in the Hudson River most known for Bannerman Castle. A man named Francis Bannerman purchased the island in 1900, building the castle to store surplus military equipment–which was his livelihood. And those stockpiles of shells and gunpowder are to blame for substantial damage to Read more…
October 19, 2018
As a kid, I loved that my birthday was near Halloween. It was my favorite holiday.. and still is. So with birthday/Halloween season upon me, I forced my teacher friends to join me for opening night of the new Halloween at Alamo Drafthouse. Because I will be calling the shots Read more…
October 13, 2018
My partner in special ed combat and ultra-rare fellow INFJ is a Staten Islander. So today she was my expert guide, uncovering the best of all the things on the island I like–abandoned stuff, scenic beauty, and vegan options. First, we split a quick lunch at Dosa Garden in Tompkinsville. I was Read more…
October 6, 2018
Autumn is my favorite time of the year! Though we are not very far in, today was a celebration of all the best parts of its edible goodness. Starting at Stone Bridge Farms in Acushnet, Massachusetts. Visiting a cranberry bog is a kind of new addition to my bucket list, but with autumn here Read more…
September 30, 2018
To continue exploring the eats of my neighborhood, I have started a Take-out Thursday ritual. On this particular Thursday, with a bit of a dizzy buzz from after work drinks, I made the mistake of ordering Shangri-La. It always makes my belly grumble on with strange commentary throughout the evening. Read more…
September 22, 2018
Williamsburg, Brooklyn now has its own Avant Garden, Ravi Derossi’s spectacular high end eatery that worships the almighty vegetable. And luckily we had a special occasion to celebrate that merited the fanciness. To get in the fancy zone, a cocktail. We shared a bunch of plates, but only after some Read more…
September 11, 2018
Heading to Materials For the Arts is a part teacher ritual, part surreal fantasy. For me–a salvager, thrifter, and lifter-upper of rocks to see the squirming bug-life beneath (a past time of my non-girly leisure time as a little girl)–my skills as a “shopper” are well-honed and aligned to several Read more…
September 8, 2018
All the way up the isle of Manhattan at Fort Tryon Park in “Fort George,” adjacent to the The Met Cloisters which was way too crowded for us to partake in, is 8 miles of gorgeous, lush trails surrounded by extensive plant diversity–layers of green textures and wisps. Overlooking Hudson Read more…
September 2, 2018
There are so many cuisines to sample in Bay Ridge! I’ll have to chip away at my list bit by bit. Tonight it was Tanoreen, a Middle Eastern hot spot with marked vegan options on its flavor-packed menu. To start, some pickled things and some flat breads. We split two entrees, Read more…
August 27, 2018
While the all day’s are still all mine, some biking and eating ’round my neighborhood. Above: the 69th street pier with my chariot. Below: Silly bike selfies with MP The only all-vegan spot in Bay Ridge, Shangri-La. Shangri-La is has plenty of mock meats that new vegetarians are all about. Read more…
August 25, 2018
The final installment of 5 Boroughs in 5 Days might very well be the best. The Bronx. Let me show you why, starting with some sustenance to energize the hours to follow. Vegan options are sprouting up all over the place. Manhattan and Brooklyn get widespread vegan exposure, Queens and Read more…
August 23, 2018
The V.V. Manhattan tag count is pretty darn high on this here blog. And though I have been escaping into Manhattan since I was just a girl, there is always more to see. And though we’ve grown apart, I would spend a day with her, tucking our past away and welcoming Read more…
August 22, 2018
Queens has plenty of beautiful things to see, though I don’t spend much time there. More often it’s the chunk of traffic between me and my family or some errand on Long Island. But today, a deep dive in. My first stop would require binoculars, my camera, and a hefty dose Read more…
August 17, 2018
I can count the number of times I’ve been to Staten Island on one hand–exactly! But hey, how often would you want to visit what was once the world’s largest garbage dump? The tremendous Fresh Kills landfill was only closed in 2001, not that long ago. Now add to that Read more…
August 16, 2018
I was so happy to learn that the Brooklyn Botanical Garden is *free* before noon on Fridays. With my free Fridays dwindling, I set out to beat the rain. The grounds are gorgeous, lush and teeming with color, texture, activity–and it’s totally possible to see everything in several hours, unlike Read more…
August 11, 2018
When I visit a place, I look into its history, find its hidden goodies, look at with curiosity and hunger. Doesn’t your home deserve this level of attention to detail, if not more? Determined to not take home for granted and to claim it as all my own, I explored Read more…