saturday neighborhood walk

greg and i were walking east on 17th street when we ran into the start of the dance parade at sixth avenue.

everyone was having a grand time . . 

we had to walk up to 18th street to cross the avenue . . 

some of the costumes were incredibly elaborate.

we stopped at lysee cafe on 21st street (marisa and i had stopped by a few weeks ago, but they were closed).

greg hesitated walking in at first . . it seemed a little too fancy!

perhaps it was . . 

such amazing cakes!

i was stopping by for the buckwheat cookie . . and i was not disappointed.

we continued on our way to the whole foods at 29th street and madison avenue . . and ran into another parade!

this was the 40th turkish american festival parade.

so many food tables! unfortunately, we had already eaten enchiladas at rosa mexicana so we didn't stop. but it was an exciting walk with very intense dancing and very loud music . . (and we made it to whole foods where i was looking for some vitamins that my local health food store didn't have, and which whole foods didn't have either. i think they have been discontinued).

a walk about town

i had a lesson about nyc transit buses today. there are several m15 buses that run along first avenue that only make limited stops, and in order to board them you pay at a machine on the sidewalk rather than on the bus. everyone is allowed to board at all doors (there are three . . it's a long bus), but i don't see how one proves that one paid. how unlike new york to trust a person to pay for his or her fare. i suppose it's quicker than making everyone slip their card into the machine at the head of the bus  (the bus stops, the doors open and everyone boards--easy peasy) . . in san francisco they have machines that read a bar code at all doors. ah well . . it was certainly interesting.

 my sister and brother-in-law came with me to visit korrina at our vegetable box pick-up site at bellevue hospital.

we had lunch with her at little river cafe, and then when she went into work, we peeked into the restaurant and took in the view of the east river and long island across the way.

 looking north with the united nations building in the center . . 

and south with waterside plaza to the left (a residential and business complex that was once a mitchell-lama affordable housing program, and was constructed on platforms supported by concrete piles sunk into the east river--you can read about it here).

 on the left can be seen the queensborough, 59th street bridge, with the buildings of long island city.

to our right is williamsburg, with long island city on the left.

here's a different angle of the united nations and the bridge.]

 sitting on the artsy benches inside the river park building. 

 i've passed these benches many times but never sat down. they were surprisingly comfortable.

 the ceiling makes me think of being inside the whale with jonah, and also of pinocchio and monstro in the disney film.

 we then walked out to first avenue, down to 23rd street, and west to madison square park . .

 where all the fountain planters have been filled with daffodils and hyacinths.

we stopped in the eataly market, as my brother-in-law had never been before. he found lots of good chocolate to try, including this piece! (caffarel ripieno al cacao, i love fondente - extra dark chocolate with cocoa filling!) i got distracted from viewing all the food and housewares when we left, so i headed us west to sixth avenue and trader joe's, rather than south to fishs eddy, our second important destination of the day. it was just a little extra walking . . 

fishs eddy . . 

 the trees in union square are getting their leaves. the little ones are magnolias, but i'm not sure what the larger ones are. they're different from the london planes in madison square park which are still looking very bare.

in front of the little house on charles street in which margaret wise brown once wrote good night moon.

----

 meanwhile, chanda and greg in florida were visiting with grandma . . 

i just read this book by elizabeth gilbert, and thought it would be good for chanda to read.

 

 

 i think they went to a nice seafood restaurant for dinner.