Fizzy and Milky Day

On one of the hotter, cloudy, and very humid days I decided to to see if anything new was happening at the High Line. Last time they were giving out free lemonade this week it was a new Coke product. First though it is picture time.

Big apple the same people did cows, horses, pigs, and Statues of Liberty.

Love that Spice Market sign. Not an actual spice market just a restaurant.

Nice hog. You couldn't pay me to ride one but still nice.

The famed Hogs & Heifers Saloon.

Above street level the toughness is washed away with a carpet of balcony flowers.

They put up the lights and opened a small food cart on the High Line.

Looking out to the triangle and a great NYC traffic scene.

I have no idea what they are but it's boxes made from leaves.
I'll call it the leaf-box plant.

Inside Chelsea Market.

I got two of these fizzy little Vio "vibrancy drinks". They are basically egg creams with a twist. The difference is instead of seltzer Vio uses sparkling water, and instead of whole milk Vio uses skim milk and cream. That added kick comes from fruity flavors. I did like these and when served cold they are very refreshing.

The bottle is aluminum which is cool. Plus the drink itself is fortified with vitamin C and calcium. Looking through the internets I'm amazed at all the negatives reactions. "Milk and Coke? Yuck!" is the usual comment but this is not the truth. Has everyone forgotten egg creams(no eggs or cream either) everyone who tastes them loves them.

Since there are few good bottled egg cream maker hopefully this product will last and Coke will expand the line to include traditional egg creams. .

Historic Richmond Town

Historic Richmond Town on Staten Island is on of those nice quiet places that is close enough to visit on a nice afternoon. The entire village and surrounding park is an official historic village and museum.

Crocheron house c. 1819 is a simple home with a nice olde fashioned fence.

A local making using a spring pole lathe to make buckets and churners.

Eltingville Store/Print Shop, nice a store where the local paper is fresher than the food.

Colon Store/Tinsmith Shop originally a store but for the tourist turned into a tinsmith shop,
not sure if they actually sold colons.

No surprise lots of olde timey tin stuff.

George Cromwell fountain for horses still the water was refreshing.

3rd County Courthouse, 1837 the other two were nearby but are long gone.

Non-native lion.

Horse post.

Back of the courthouse is a county clerk and surrogate office, 1848.

Edwards Barton house, 1869, ignoring the house that plant was spectacular almost floating.

Outhouse c.1860 for you know what.

Again that house is surrounded by the most gorgeous flowers.

Creek, stream, or raging river you decide.

Final leaving the great escape from big city living you're quickly reminded that it is still 2009.

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Giglio in Williamsburg

The Giglio is not only the five-story five-ton tower but Italian for lilies. This 100+ year old Brooklyn festival honors Saint Paulinus who, with the help of a Turkish sultan, once saved his family and the townspeople of Nolani from imprisonment. Overjoyed the townspeople greeted his return with towers of lilies and 1600 years later the tradition continues.

The Giglio in most of its glory.

Here is the top with Saint Paulinus.

On the Giglio itself is a 12 person band.

The back of the Giglio is just a frame underneath are 125 strong men.

The children's Giglio was next to the church. Same concept just with children underneath.

Games and fluffy prizes, that no one won for me.

A merry-go-round or is it a carousel.

Another boat that actually is a boat representing the journey back by Saint Paulinus and the sultan (not pictured).

More games and stuffed piggies.

The rides were almost empty despite the perfect weather.

I'm mean very empty.

Creepily empty.

The festival continues all week, until July 19, but I had to head home.

Walking around the neighborhood I got to see these new beautiful buildings.

Across the park what was just townhouses 10 years ago.

One of the old neighborhood theaters, I believe, is now a Rite-Aid.

The most opulent Rite-Aid I've ever been in.

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Belated Fourth of July

Looking for a decent place to watch the fireworks I traveled to some of the usual spots.

The park closest to the Hudson river was packed and they were even having a mini-concert.

So off to Governors Island and the temporary beach was up.

It was nice but lots of kids.

Then this weirdness, it looks like my Canon camera.

Except it was on top of one of the buildings which is odd since these things are not waterproof.

Dozens of these new red benches have taken over the island.

Cruise ship and a conveyor belt of clouds.

Liberty!!!

A hammock that was trying to kill me when I tried to sit on it.

Off to Staten Island I passed by the Richmond County Bank Ballpark at St. George where the Staten Island Yankees were playing.

The place to stand for foul balls.

Simply a beautiful day for baseball.

Bad fireworks pictures.

Still can't get the settings right for fireworks.

Oh yes I tried the fireworks settings and it was bad.

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The High Line

Went to the newly opened High Line which is a stretch of abandoned railroad track running from Gansevoort Street, in the Meatpacking District, to West 20th Street, in Chelsea, between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues, NY, NY.

Getting off the M11 I'm greeted by 3 little pigs, obviously locked out by the wolf.

There is the High Line cutting through a luxury building.

The entrance is under construction and the whole park is strictly monitored for overcrowding.

Beautiful day to stroll on deck, but the wind makes everything feel unstable.

Tracks and concrete with plants growing in between. The concept is to have the plants overtake and break the concrete over the next few years.

Across the park, only in New York City is four feet a park.

From the bench.

Rust colored plant.

Underneath the building the hangs over the park.

More tracks and plants.

Allegedly some of the original trees.

Merging old, new, organic, and manufactured.
Shhh, like Central Park the whole thing is artificial.

The amphitheater.

A people viewer, remember don't tap on the glass it makes them angry.

More merging of elements.

Nice park but too high and too windy. Oh yeah too small it took all of 5 minutes to slowly walk the entire park, twice. Hopefully the expansion will continue.

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