Amazing.... MY first time at a Luminocity event. It was truly remarkable. Just a short drive to…read moreEisenhower Park from me and very easy to park. It was a beautiful evenng to walk through this very magical place. Amazing characters and animals. Did yu know that many of the characters come from local students who then send in their submissions and some of them are brought to life with animation and color. It's all about imagination and collaboration. I can't recommend this venue enough to bring your children and grandchildren. They will be mesmerized, by the characters, color and light around them. This is also a photo paradise for families. There are just so many opportunities here where to point your camer (or phone.) KUDOs to the team here at Eisenhouwer Park and Luminocity.

I was able to experience Lumino after Christmas and it was the perfect time. It wasn't too crowded…read morebut we also went on a very cold night(bundle up) They still bring the magic post Christmas and it was so fun. The slide was the best part and yes, it is also for adults. If you didn't get there this year catch it next year with your family, date night or friends.

The annual San Gennaro Feast opened last week. Jen and I strolled the blocks. Jan packed with…read moreItalian foods and lots of pastries and gelato. Naturally rices here tend to be rather steep and so we didn't buy anything. We feasted with our eyes. It started on September 17th and runs through September 27th on Mulberry Street.?Hours are from 11:30 am till 11:30 pm and till midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. With all the feasting one needs a portable toilet and these are lined up on the corner of Spring and Mulberry.

Did you know the story of San Gennaro originated in Naples, Italy?…read more Starting in the late 1880s many Neopolitan Italian immigrants settled in lower Manhattan, on Mulberry Street, the heart of Little Italy. By the year 1926, they decided to celebrate their heritage in honor of their favorite Saint. 2025 marks the 99th year of celebration of San Gennaro who famously protects Neopolitans from fire, earthquakes, droughts, plagues and the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. San Gennaro is a truly powerful champion for the people. However, this eleven day festival is all about the food and fun. So, Let's eat! Mangia! **Runs September 11th through 21st ** **It's Free! - But do bring plenty of CA$H money for food** * ** Some say it's claustrophobic and an overpriced tourist trap** ***Weekdays are bit less crowded *** You're welcome Grazie mille!! XO

For years, I've always seen pictures, video, and news coverage from the NYC Pride Parade. Love that…read morethis gets national recognition in the media, as the Phoenix Pride is a much smaller scale though I've attended numerous times. I've always wanted to be in the city for Pride month, but the few times I've visited NYC have not been in June. From the media I've seen, it looks like a great celebration and maybe a future year will be the year I finally attend. Though likely slightly distanced as I fear the crowds would become too much for me. Love is love. Be proud of who you are & unapologetically you!

Love is Love. I have…read moreboth attended in person to watch this iconic parade a bunch of times and also watched it on TV from the comfort of my couch today. After attending the Knicks parade recently I needed a break from standing in the hot sun all day, even as I had some FOMO watching on TV. More known as The Pride March it started as an annual event honoring the 1969 Stonewall Riots. It has evolved into a global beacon of LGBTQIA+ unity and activism. It's one of the most important, positive, colorful, fun and uplifting parades In NYC, and in the country. The floats, music, dancing, outfits are creative and full of energy. It has become one of the largest Pride marches in the US, and of the world with those marching and spectating. Its about human rights, equity, acceptance, and compassion. Live and let live. It takes a lot more energy to hate than to love.

First time able to attend the NY International Auto Show at the Jacob Javitz Center (April 3-12…read more2026)...or at least that I recall.. $22 per adult - can purchase tickets ahead of time or at the kiosk at the show. Came the last day of the show. Security line was quick which was a plus. You can bring your own bottle of water sealed and some snacks. Lots of cars to see from Cartainers as you walked in and Old Classics, McClarens. Electric Vehicles (EV) was this year's highlight and focus, high-end cars were up on the 3rd level. There is also merchandise as well for purchase. Toyota presentation was fun, energetic and lively. They gave out reusable bags to carry around and folks could win prizes for trivia during each presentation. Similar for a few other cars... Test ride- 2 outdoor and 1 indoor: Outdoor: 1) Jeep offroad 1 minute experience was fun but quite a wait.. 45 minutes on the line with 5 jeeps. White Rubicon, White Moab, Blue Rubicon, Blue Moab, Red Moab (which I rode in) 2) Toyota had 6 cars: Camry, Grand Highlander, 4Runner, RAV4 Hybrid, RAV4PHEV, and GR86. Lines and wait times were short except for the GR86 convertible...45 minute wait esp since it's 1 passenger...maybe 2 if small people. Indoor: EV Test Track - test ride the 8 EV cars brands. Had to sign up at the main booth and at each car booth (and get a wristband for each). Wait time for some lines were long.... Participants included: Cadillac, Chevrolet, Lucid, Toyota, Polestar, Kia, Ford. After 3 we stopped as it's the same ride but in different car and getting motion sickness from all the test rides esp the hard turns and breaks. A lot of time spent waiting for the test drives vs going around seeing the cars... which I found more interesting. 3 levels of cars - a lot to just look at and some to sit in. Got to sit inside a Chevy Corvette. Kia Sportage was probably the most comfortable to sit in as a drive. May cars didn't offer much leg room for the back seats which is a must. For those going car shopping, depends what you are looking for. Third Level: Kia, Lucid, Ford Mustang, Corvette, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Koenigegg, Zenvo, Nissan Didn't get a chance to see Wheel of Fortune which ran 11am-3pm Celebrity signing autograph with picture taking comes with a cost.. Food was expensive inside.. George's Sabrett Hotdog and pretzel was cheaper with the vendor by the test drive. $6 for hotdog and $6 for pretzel in comparison. Inside: $10 for a slice of pizza! The longest line and more rationale option was chicken tenders and fries or burger and fries- $17 Overall a good time at the show...plan wisely as one can spend an entire day here...we spent about 6 hours here.. but a lot of time waiting for the test drives. Til next year!

Manhattan, NY - this is my first time at the NY Auto Show, the oldest and largest consumer &…read moreindustry auto event dating back to 1900, held annually at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. We came on Easter Sunday and spent all afternoon exploring two massive levels and a couple of concourses of displays and activities. Electric vehicles were aggressively dominant, and from what I hear, the recent few years were all EV-heavy, with every manufacturer pushing their EV lineup. These were especially well-represented by the Korean & Japanese manufacturers (Kia, Hyundai/Genesis, Suburu had some of the most elaborate and impressive exhibits). Ford and Chevy really showed up too. Besides trucks, trucks, more trucks, and SUVs, there was a notable emphasis on off-road EVs (Subaru, Jeep). And honestly, with the current state of world affairs and rising gas prices, I'm strongly considering an electric or hybrid outback vehicle to take me to my homestead outpost and apocalypse bunker! The exotic and super/hypercars are always an exciting attraction, as who doesn't love ogling a Koenigsegg or Lotus or two! Although the selection is small, I'm totally here for all the billionaire boys club cars. The European corner had significantly less pizzazz than the rest of the floor. The German automakers brought mostly dealership-supplied cars. Audi looked like it had somewhere better to be and only gets a participation trophy. Deutschland was decidedly not über alles this time. Although I drive American muscle, I stan small & sleek Japanese sports cars and JDMs, and you get to see a good range of them and other souped up customs at the R2XPO Rides & Rigs exhibit on level 1, my favorite part of the show. It brought rally energy and was a refreshing departure from the corporate polish of the main floor. Actor Sung Kang from the Fast & Furious movies was there to promote his new film Drifter that weekend, and the line to meet him literally wrapped around the entire perimeter of the floor. The movie looks cool but the line looked miserable, so we passed on the meet & greet. The other highlight for me was the debut of the 2027 Nissan Z Nismo. Rad car, short line, they let you fiddle around inside, AND gave out posters. Right on! I must've been giving off mum energy (even though my child was nowhere near) as the Z rep cheerfully advised me that it even has a latch in the back for a car seat. I didn't ask, and I'm still laughing! (I mean, I do have the coolest ride at daycare drop-off though, no cap.) The Corvette area was also fun. Personally, I'm of the mind that such a classic should never be made electric until we are all roving around in hovercrafts - cos your midlife crisis vehicle ought to loudly flaunt the desperate reclamation of one's youth & masculinity with what only real petrol can conjure - but I'll admit their concept models look hella cool and futuristic. (I overheard a bro sneer, "you lost me at electric." Same!) River Pavilion houses a few marketplace vendors and the kids zone, where I stood in line for over 30 minutes so my child could have a 3-minute drive in a toy Jeep identical to the one he has at home and barely uses, while his dad takes him on a shopping spree of overpriced Hot Wheels ("but you can't find these models in stores!"). Come here if you hate yourself but love your kids. In keeping with the electric theme, there are plenty of charging ports around, even on some benches where you can take a break from staring at cars to stare at your phone instead, so that was a nice and thoughtful convenience. Here's the floor guide to help plan your time wisely: * LEVEL 3 is the entrance and main exhibit hall, showcasing the major brands and exotics. Plus Hyundai Ioniq ride-along track. * LEVEL 2 is mostly an open seating area with tables, and leads you to the North Concourse where the Camp Jeep and Toyota driving (ride-along) experiences are. The Jeep climb looks thrilling, but the tallest track was off-limits due to weather when we went. There's also a Starbucks on this level. * LEVEL 1 is more hip: R2X custom rides & rigs, EV test tracks, as well as vendors and NYS state agency recruitment booths. Want to try on some riot gear? This is your moment. * RIVER PAVILION: marketplace vendors and kids zone. We had a blast and the kiddo loved being able to get inside and "test drive" so many cars. 5 stars for the grand scale, organization, variety, and fun for car people and tag-along people alike. I'll be adding that Zenvo Aurora to my vision board!

Always a good time to see our servicemen and servicewomen walk around the city and have a fun time…read more Sometimes it still amazes me at how young most of them are. Watching their reactions to experiencing the big city and its tall buildings is always amusing. There are usually all types of events happening during this week - International Naval Review and parade of ships, ship tours which offer the public opportunities to tour military vessels at designated piers around New York harbor. and a variety of performances and concerts. The first official Fleet Week began in New York City in 1982 and is normally timed to coincide with the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

Fleet Week or any week they are welcome! Any time the…read moremilitary visit NYC Manhattan in particular I love it! They appear so happy to be here. We are happy to have their government salaries back into our economy. After all we are paying them! So let the Fleets come in!

I try to come every year to celebrate my heritage but in the past years its not the same as it use…read moreto be. In the early 2000s to 2019 it would be fun and very entertaining. It would have lots of music artists and many Puerto Rican celebrates like Jlo, Rosie Perez, Tito Bambino, Ricky Martin, etc. They would actually perform as they are cruising through the streets. There should be more cooling stations as it gets very hot. There are vendors or people who walk in the parade that hoard merch...instead of giving the merch to the people watching the parade at times they are seen to hold on to the merch to give to their friends instead of the crowd. I hope they improve it.

First time attending, as we happened to be in town during this year's parade. Our hotel was half a…read moreblock from the parade route. Amazing energy and very organized with great music, colorful displays, and lots of dignitaries and celebrities. Family friendly and very safe experience...lots of police in and around the parade. Daddy Yankee was this year's Grand Marshall. Fun for all ages. I highly recommend checking it out next year.

Mets sick this year. But you can never go wrong with city field food choices…read more From fried stuff to Lobster rolls to Steak sandwich. Something neat for you. $5 Tuesday if a hit.

Citi Field is my favorite stadium to watch baseball. Considering the METS just fired their manager…read moremaybe they will have a better season next year. For me I'll go see them no matter what. I love the food and the way I'm treated by the employees. It's a longer trip for me to Flushing than Yankee Stadium. The atmosphere and the way I'm treated is more important to me! Read my Yankee Stadium review. You may get a laugh.

Oh swine, how I love thee…read more What a great event! First of all, so many people came by through out the day starting at noon and ending at 8 PM. This was a ommunity event at its finest. The music was on point and there were a variety of local vendors including MAE, Dinosaur BBQ, Jimmy's BBQ, Hamilton Inn serving up NJ Beer Co, Sophie Sophia, Fizzy Lizzy and a few others. The bbq was amazing. I had lamb ribs from MAE, some pulled pork (I think) from Dinosaur BBQ, and of course an amazing bite of cupcake from SS. Hot damn. Everything was fresh and delicious. The food was great, the proceeds was going to a great cause (Hamilton Park Conservancy), and the weather was perfect albeit a bit windy. There is nothing like eating bbq with the community filled with babies, dogs, hipsters, non hipsters, beer, laughs and live music. Win. I look forward to next year! Oh and for families: petting zoo in the house! Along with vendors selling crafts organized by Not Yo Momma's Craft Fair. Amaze.

Hamilton Park BBQ Festival was a wonderful community event which was a fund raiser for The Hamilton…read morePark Conservancy. The conservancy is dedicated to assisting the city in the maintenance and improvement of the park. What a great way to enjoy a beautiful sunny afternoon and raise some money for a good cause. Outstanding. The event featured: BBQ at Legal Beans, Dinosaur Bar-b-que, Jimmy's BBQ and Modern American Eatery. Beverages by New Jersey Beer Company, Lizzmonade and Fizzy Lizzy. They also had a petting zoo for the kids and assorted tables selling bake goods, treats and goodies. Yelp had a table and was represented by Stephanie Y who was full of enthusiasm. It was my first time meeting her and was wow by her energy and friendliness. Yay! I only had the opportunity to taste Dinosaur Bar-b-que and the ribs were delicious. The half rack I ordered was very good. It had all the characteristics of excellent barbecue ribs: ring around the rib, moist, tender, great flavor and meaty. The 2 pieces of 3 ribs each had good texture and just fell off the bone. It just had the right amount of pull and awesome flavor. The ribs had a good rub with a balance of traditional spices. Overall high B+, very high. The pull pork sandwich just did not cut it. It was a beautiful cut of pork shoulder with all the good characteristics of good tasting pull pork BBQ, but It failed. It was just cold and the flavors did not come out. While I did received a good amount of pull pork it was just not steaming with flavor. Overall, this was a wonderful event with lots of food and drink. To bad I had to leave after an hour. I was on a journey to visit my in-laws with Wifey. This was certainly a local event and supported by the local community. There was good food and drink. There was fun. There was community spirit. I can't wait to come back to this part of New Jersey and experience some great hospitality.