While we have a few parks within walking distance, Fort Tryon Park is my favorite. Not only do the massive hills of its grounds pleasantly remind me of happy hikes in Scotland and Colorado, but Fort Tyron is also harbors two hidden NYC gems.
Nestled in its pretty grounds, hides a warm, glowing, little establishment called New Leaf Cafe. While the menu is pricey, the atmosphere is so relaxed, welcoming, and casually sophisticated that I’m looking forward to devoting to it a sliver of my first paycheck. The dinner courses may break the rules of my budget, but I can certainly put aside a bit for a glass or two of mellow wine and a shared plate of luscious calamari.
Just around the bend from New Leaf is a beautiful branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cloisters. During a walk this weekend, partner and I uncovered this gorgeous museum a half hour before its 6 pm closing. With such little time to explore, we were not charged the $20 admission fee. But the brief sample made me want to go back for more time, regardless of the steep admission. The medieval art was creepy in that deliciously good way; the ancient calm of the place washed over me like a warm bath.
New York, beneath the concrete, skyscrapers, and neon, seems to be a beautiful natural wonder. I’ve not spent any time on the east coast, aside from a few short trips to NYC prior to moving here. I’m looking forward to taking some long weekends to explore this charming coast of my country. If I love the glimpses of the natural world I see in the NYC parks, I can only imagine what the landscape looks like in the state’s rural places – in land unspoiled by concrete, noise, and the careless human activity of the city.
This is a photo of our general neighborhood, taken from atop a hill in the park.
That’s the George Washington Bridge in the distance.
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The Hudson River.
This is the George Washington Bridge at dusk. At night, the bridge is so bright and twinkling (every bit of it is lit up) that it startled me the first time I rounded a city block and saw it up close.
November 28, 2007 at 8:56 pm
So different from Scotland yet you find that beauty still. I love that stone archway.
The sun looks just like your words read. And it is nice to see those faces!
November 28, 2007 at 11:23 pm
Lovely photos – and a couple of them are outstanding.
I live in the Adirondack foothills, on the western side. If you ever travel up this way, let me know – I can steer you towards some natural beauty, and things of purely human interest.