Not exactly sure how long this has been here but noticed it in Google maps the other day and made a…read morepoint to check it out. Interesting and sad history. Having had family from behind the wall hits a little harder.

Lenox Avenue's restaurant businesses unite to share their small bites and beverages with the people…read moreof Harlem. 2014 marks the second annual Summer Sizzles on Lenox, but this was actually my first year in attendance. I love this idea of bringing the community together to celebrate new businesses in the neighborhood. Gentrification is in full effect, but at least this annual event helps the newest Lenox restaurants establish a relationship with Harlem natives. A select number of restaurants on Lenox (Red Rooster, Chez Lucienne, Harlem Shake, Sylvia's Restaurant being some of the few) offered guests drinks and small bites for $5 each. To separate regular customers from us event go-ers, we had to purchase tickets (2 tickets $10 online, one ticket $10 in person), to then reedem them for orange wristbands prior to attending the restaurants. We started our evening with drinks at Sylvia's (I had a very tasty Mango Margarita), then headed down to Chez Lucienne for a crispy calamari plate. We wanted to check out Cove Lounge and Harlem Shake, but both places were way too packed. We ended our evening with an oh so delish mac and cheese plate, an extra spicy curry chicken bowl and a cup of Hendrix punch at La Bodega 47. Six hours later, and I'm still pretty stuffed. Why three stars? This could have been more organized than it was. La Bodega 47 served completely different food than what was printed on the main event program. There was no note on the program stating Chez Lucienne required cash only. The location marked on the program for one of the restaurants was inncorrect.

"It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood, A beautiful day…read morefor a neighbor. Would you be mine? Could you be mine?" I have taken to dubbing Windsor Terrace, bordered by Prospect Park and Greenwood Cemetery and split in two by the Prospect Expressway, "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" for two reasons: 1. I've repeatedly been involved in conversations that go something like this: Q: Where do you live? A: Brooklyn Q: Which neighborhood? A: Windsor Terrace Q: No, which neighborhood? A: (with frustration) Windsor Terrace These dialogues tend to remind me of "Who's on First?," and it doesn't surprise me in the least that Windsor Terrace was not (until now) on the Yelp map. 2. Park Slope should not be taking all the flak for containing the most Maclarens / Baby Bjorns per square foot of sidewalk. After all, it was the Double Windsor on Prospect Park West that lead the pack in instituting a stroller ban after 5 p.m. (http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/babies_bounced_after_at_windsor_NV2B1Yw7GlvFXy1wdY6rVO). The incidents leading to the stroller ban illustrate that, for the most part, the childless and those with child (or broods) who call this neighborhood home "blend but do not mix." Perhaps the most famous resident of Windsor Terrace was Isaac Asimov, who is believed to have written "Nightfall" in his family home here in 1941. In addition to its human denizens, Windsor Terrace boasts a large population of canine counterparts and perhaps the largest feral cat population in the borough. In addition to dozens of schools and rowhouses, Windsor Terrace also contains a strip of restaurants and local businesses on Prospect Park West that resembles a collegetown, the best of which are Terrace Bagels, Windsor Wines, DUB Pies, Krupa Grocery, and Le P'tit Paris. "It's a neighborly day in this beauty wood, A neighborly day for a beauty. Would you be mine? Could you be mine?..."

Every year we come to Brooklyn for the Park Slope historic brownstone tour. I'm in awe of these…read morebeautiful homes and short of owning one, touring these multi-million dollar homes is the next best thing. We prefer to stay in Brooklyn (my favorite city in the world) and live like a local for a few days, choosing a rental apartment over staying in a hotel. I like to explore different neighborhoods and the culture each one offers, as every one is distinct in their own right. This year we choose Windsor Terrace, a more residential and somewhat suburban neighborhood compared to ones in the past. We drove to Brooklyn instead of taking the train so the ample street parking was a key factor in our decision. Like mentioned before this neighborhood felt a little more suburban and featured a variety of home styles. While I didn't see any genuine brownstowns there were some with the same styling. Many of the homes had driveways and/or garages. The neighborhood was flanked by a highway on one side and the historic Greenwood cemetery on the other. The subway accessibility was not as saturated as in other neighborhoods so we opted to walk and drive. There were several small parks within walking distance that featured nice playgrounds for smaller children but limited green space. Overall it was much quieter and you almost forgot the hustle and bustle of Brooklyn was only a few blocks away. For me personally as much as I appreciated the safety and ease of parking I prefer someplace more upbeat and lively. We had to drive or walk a good 20-30 minutes to get to an area that had multiple retail and dining choices. In our immediate 5 block radius there was only a café, a pizza joint, and an ice cream place. The residents were all very nice and Sat and Sunday had "stoop sales" where everything was free. It was relaxing to walk around and check out everyone's items that were up for grabs. We enjoyed ice cream from Kathy's and sat in the park. Overall a nice visit, one that I would consider again if I was driving.

This year's Harlem Week was the BOMB! The celebration of Jamaican Independance and Gil Noble…read morememorial was great. The Bob Marley Musical tribute was fantastic and followed the next day by The Don Cornilus Soul Train tribute with the longest Soul train line......... enough said with the plus of vendors and Food.....love that Jerk and Halal food..Mon "O" Mon!

Even though I live on the East Side I occasionally wander over to the Upper West Side to hang with…read morefriends at a bar or restaurant. Love the main stretch of Broadway where you'll find all types of shopping, stores, bars, movie theaters, and places to eat. There are famous museums in the neighborhood such as the Museum of Natural History, also Lincoln Center for Arts, and Riverside Park where I've done some races at. Plus, at many of the cross streets on Broadway they have seating areas with benches which I think is pretty cool. We've sat and chatted on these as traffic drives by in each direction. I do like that this part of town has kept much of it's old school architecture especially with its brownstones which are such an iconic NYC thing. As such, apartment rentals usually average on the higher side here as compared to the East Side/Yorkville area. The main MTA subway 1,2,3 Red lines serve this neighborhood, along with the A, B, C, D Blue/Orange lines.

Upper West Side is still one of my favorites places to spend the day. I can spend many days in many…read moreUpper West Side neighborhoods. It's historic in my opinion. I don't see as many old buildings being torn down to make way for high rise buildings. I think the West Side residents are into historic preservation more than my modern community on the Upper East Side. I find I love being here UWS for the day but I have to admit I like shiny new buildings with lots of amenities!! Come visit Upper Manhattan!

If you work, live or just happen to be in the area this plaza makes for a nice local place to eat…read moreor sit back and enjoy leisure time. It is secure in that it has huge boulders to block off cars. It changes scenery. August 27th, 2018 was a very nice day. It began a notice for a heat wave but it didn't hit yet. The sun was out and the weather was nice in the plaza. There was a sign up sheet for the two tables of table tennis and there were two couples occupying and playing. They had throw a sack in a hole games. There was a huge set of chess. Now, when I was younger, smarter and enthusiastic I would have enjoyed a game of huge chess piece gaming with you. A little bit further down from Lenwich was a stage of musicians playing music. I think these festivities were on for the day or other days only. Some days they may not be based on the weather. The plaza is on 7th Avenue on 33rd Street. It is a small plaza but a side of leisure from the main of Madison Square Gardens hustle and bustle.

Newly opened Plaza as of last week for the summer with live music! Definitely has more seating then…read moreOne Penn Plaza next door during lunch time. I usually stopped by in the morning and definitely during my lunch break to catch some vitamin d. I noticed that its quite windy especially on the 33rd St block for some odd reason. Construction men are still working on different wooden projects. The Pennsy has a coffee cart right between Kmart and Lenwich.

Since this attraction books up, I bought advance tickets -- a portion was refunded upon entry since…read moreone attraction conked out that day. Still $50/pp. Excellent crowd control, required to wear shoe covers to protect floors and sun glasses provided for glare. Herded into the elevator to 91 floor, amazing views and photo ops with friendly guards offering to help.

Summit of Manhattan Public Art…read more I'm always out in search of Public Art. This piece was relaxing. I guess it's the curves and flow of the design. The stones in the water fascinated me. I had the desire to put my hands in and grab a stone. I'm not knowledgeable about art and what makes something art. I do know what I like. I'm glad I searched out this beautiful design on my way to Grand Central today.

Federico García Lorca was a Spanish Poet, playwright and theater director. He has been memorialized…read morein a huge mural just off Canal Street and Lafayette in Manhattan. This is a perfect example of how Public Art is not only beautiful but educational. After taking the photos on September 17, 2021 I began to research his life and death. His legacy is very very extensive. His death was tragic and controversial. I'm recommending you visit this huge mural. I felt moved enough by admiring the mural details that I got an education in the process. My review and photos are part of my tribute to Hispanic Heritage Month.