Some like it hot

Some Like It Hot, an old favorite, at Brooklyn Bridge Park last night.

It was 84 degrees at 9 p.m.--hot indeed!

Aron has been in Chicago all week and flies home today. I'm looking forward to a long weekend together. Any fun plans? Enjoy!

Big Bambú (part deux)

 

Ashley may have gotten to go with our friend Chris last week, but I'd been dying to go to Met's roofdeck and see Big Bambú ever since we saw it being installed in the spring. I got off of work surprisingly early on Friday, so Ashley and I headed uptown to catch the exhibit before the sun set.

The piece was visually stunning--I could feel my excitement building as soon as we climbed from the stairway out into the sun. The bamboo structure, lashed together with climbing rope, was glowing in the afternoon sun and the roof was packed as if a happy hour. We grabbed beers and took in the view. And I found myself fascinated not only by the sheer scale of the elements in the space, but also by the structural workings of the piece.

Big Bambú is continually being built by two brothers, the Starns. It has been described as a piece that bridges sculpture, architecture, and performance--literally: if you want, you can get a ticket to climb its paths (something for another visit). 







 

After the sun went down, we walked out through Central Park to Fifth Avenue and shared a light meal in the bar at David Chang's new-ish midtown spot, Má Pêche. Both were happenings which necessitate repeating.

Feathered hearts

I was so excited to find a special package waiting for us yesterday!
Nathan and Katie made these beautiful hand-colored cards--and I won them in a giveaway!
As Aron pointed out, they're wonderfully androgynous (as hearts go). I look forward to sharing them with friends. Thank you, guys!

Jazz Age Lawn Party

 

We first took the ferry to Governor's Island two years ago; we were drawn by the promise of a Gatsby-era picnic, the Jazz-Age Lawn Party. Visiting the small island, sitting amongst its officers' quarters, it already felt like we were a million miles away from Manhattan--but this was particularly the case when hot jazz tunes started playing and period-appropriate attendees started to fill the lawn. Ashley and I were blown away by the details of the clothes--and the dancing!

We went back again this year--and although we have yet to get our act together enough to submit a pie to the contest or to dress the part, there were some tempting accouterments for sale (and for trying on).

 

Besides the live music and the overall feel of the event, I actually really liked the dancing. Ashley and I had to leave early to make it back in time for a wedding that night, but we were there early enough to catch a lesson in the Charleston. I felt we were pretty good when the two of us could put together a three-piece combination without me missing a step. Pretty good, that is, until the real pros (which included pretty much anyone dressed up) took the stage. They were amazing to watch; it was definitely inspiring.

The good news is that although the summer's lawn parties are over for this year, the band--Michael Arenella and his Dreamland Orchestra--plays at various events around the city. Ashley and I may have some work to do before next year.

Then I'll have Candy all the time

Candy from floor to ceiling at Economy Candy, a New York-classic on the Lower East Side.

The store has been open since the thirties. Visiting, however, brought me back to the eighties: hostess cupcakes in my lunch-bag and Bow Wow Wow on the radio.

Have a great weekend!

Summer Streets

 Summer streets--where the city closes Park Avenue to cars, from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park, on select Saturdays--have really grown in popularity since we took advantage on the first happening, three years ago. This year brought with it free helmets and free bike rentals, picnic and exercise stations, all set-up along the route.

In the past, we walked the nearly 5-mile path, but this year we grabbed our bikes and headed toward the southernmost point. It quickly became clear that it would be unsafe for us to continue without some morning coffee.

My favorite part of the stretch is the area around Grand Central Station: the approach up the hill as Park Avenue prepares to split, and then seeing the wide open stretch of the avenue as you come down off the auto-ramp from inside the Helmsley Building is awesome.

But perhaps the most interesting addition to this year's route were the dumpster pools. The city has tried to assign new meaning to "dumpster diving." And while Bill Murray parodied the idea perfectly--the actual pool was built up to the point that its trashy origin was hardly detectable. 

Heloise Hilfiger and Wagoneers

I’m not sure what this says about me, but so far most of my favorite fall ad campaigns are in the men’s magazine, Esquire.

The new Tommy Hilfiger campaign jumped out at me, in particular. Something about fall and that first-day-of-school nostalgia makes his “twisted preppy,” collegiate-tailgate images particularly appealing: it's all camel and cable and corduroy...

And Royal Tennenbaums. You can go on the site to meet the Hilfigers, for quirky descriptions that recall the cast of a Wes Anderson film. There’s Sam, the table-tennis champion (until a jam in the door of the Wagoneer dashed his hopes); Chloe, the child-prodigy who loves purple and bites her nails; Gracie the Columbia-grad-school dropout and urban farmer; and two basset hounds, Morgan IV and Morgan V; among many others.

As I alluded to on my guest post over on Pretty Mommy today, my favorite bits of all might be the backdrops. I’d happily place myself in any one of those ‘70s or ‘80s-era cars. As Aron can attest, if airbags and up-to-date seatbelts weren’t a factor, I would choose the classic SL that my parents used to drive over just about anything on the road today. And remember when all your friends’ moms drove those wood-paneled Wagoneers? Those must be safe, right?

(Check out my guest post, here.)

(Photos by Craig McDean for Tommy Hilfiger)