Coast to Coast

F: What is your favorite thing about summer in New York City?

L:  Being outside!  All the time.  There are so many great things to do outdoors in NYC.  You can sit in a restaurant with its windows open, or on the street, picnic in the park, walk everywhere you want to go, see outdoor concerts and movies, get out on the water, ride bikes, lounge on hammocks, have rooftop and backyard bbqs.  All the good stuff.  There are also lots of really nice beaches fairly close, so it’s nice to get out of town too.

F: Have you made any new recipes lately that you would like to share with the group?

L:  Last week I improvised a bit (i.e. added lemon) on this Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken recipe.  It was quick and simple and turned out pretty well.  I’d like to try it again using homemade breadcrumbs because though I like the taste of store-bought bread crumbs enough, I think it could really raise the quality level to make your own.

F: What’s is your perfect day in New York City?

L:  My perfect day would have a leisurely start with some coffee and a yoga practice, if I was feeling motivated.  Then I would meet up with friends to hang out in the park, see some art, listen to music or eat delicious food.  The afternoon would creep into night and I’d head home satiated and ready to relax on the couch with enough time to still make it to be at a reasonable hour.

F: You are in Colombia this week! How does that make you feel? What are you most excited about?

L:  I’m so excited for this trip and am hopefully having a good time (I scheduled this post in advance of my departure).  I will be in Cartagena for five days with my boyfriend and am most excited about exploring the city with him without much of a plan.  We’re staying in the Getsemani neighborhood, as recommended here.  A friend of mine recently wrote an article for Food Republic on the food carts in Cartagena so we’ll definitely be following some of her suggestions.  I also like the idea of taking in an outdoor movie as suggested in this Things to Do in Cartagena: Cheap Thrills post I found.

F: What is your favorite park in the city?

L:  There are so many good ones: Central Park, Prospect Park, The Highline but I’m going to say Liz Christy Garden, which is actually a community garden on NYC Parks Department land so I think it counts.  The garden is a pretty narrow strip along Houston Street between Bowery and Chrystie Streets – a very busy area – that somehow manages to provide a magical little oasis. There are a few sweet benches and gazebos to sit down and relax, a fish pond, beautiful flowers, a vegetable garden and little pathways abound.  It is a great and unexpected use of city space that would be easy to miss if you didn’t know it was there.