Getting Outdoors over the Holidays

 

We have all spent so much time indoors over the last nearly two years and yes indeed, when it gets cold it is so tempting to stay huddled up inside.  But it’s important to venture out for many reasons and what better time to do it than over Christmas when we are usually over-indulging in festive foods.  So, herewith a few local and close-by events to get you moving through the holiday season.

First up, on Christmas Day itself, there is the Winter Wonderland Hike. From 1pm to 2 30 this is the perfect time to get moving!  Shake it up a bit this year with a light Christmas lunch, a hike in Manhattan’s Fort Tyron Park, and then back home to sit by the fire with family and friends.  On this tour the park’s natural beauty will be revealed to you as you hike with the Urban Park Rangers. You’ll get to see tracks animals have  made, nests created by birds and beautiful age-old trees that remain in the area. It’s really a case of getting back to basics and enjoying the outdoors as nature intended. And it makes Christmas day a whole lot healthier!

For something a bit closer to home, there is the Canarsie Park Holiday Hike which takes place right here.  Located on East 88^th Street and Seaview Avenue, the park spans 132 acres and is on the Jamaican Bay’s western shore, known for its migratory birds. Learn more about it on the hike which is also led by the Urban Park Rangers and also takes place on Christmas Day between 1 and 2.30pm.  another great choice for avoiding all that ham and mashed potatoes!

For those not interested in a  hike, there is the incredible December Lights Tour, featuring more than 20 Brooklyn Park homes that have incredible holiday light displays.

But whatever you end up doing this Christmas, make it light, make it festive and shine your aura bright!

 

 

 

Prospect Park Walking Tour

 

If you can’t get there in person, enjoy a virtual walking tour of the glorious Prospect Park.

Getting Engaged in Brooklyn: Mozes Victor Konig on the Perfect Spot

 

Having been involved in the photography world and then developed an interest in diamonds, Mozes Victor Konig is probably quite a good resource for someone familiar in engagement photoshoots.  Today, he gives tips from his personal experience on best places in and around Brooklyn to show off that sparkly rock.

“Given that New York is way too often regarded as a cold, concrete jungle, it’s quite shocking just how many amazing, beautiful, green and relaxing recreational areas there are,” begins Mozes Victor Konig.  “When I first got to New York I really thought I would have to just deal with the coldness of the place, but it’s a reputation that it has earned that I don’t believe it deserves,” he added.

Konig isn’t the only one who feels this way.  Prospect Park gets rave reviews on and – on entering the oasis – it’s not surprising to see why.  Imagine how wonderful it would be to tell your girlfriend that you want to go for a stroll in Prospect Park, ride a bike or enjoy a picnic and then you bring out a beautiful diamond engagement ring!

After that you can set up a selfie stick or hire a photographer to take pictures of the glow that you will hopefully both feel.  A diamond in a setting as perfect as that really cannot get any more idyllic!

Local Festivals

 

Given the last 18 months have been very lacking in any kind of celebratory events, it’s perhaps even more exciting to see that festivals are returning.  Here, we take a look at what is going on locally.

The Brooklyn BagelFest – perhaps the only one of its kind (I mean, who else has ever heard of a bagel festival?) – begins next Saturday at City Point, BKLYN Studios. Planned for the daylong event – that takes place from 9:30am-3:30pm – is bagel-themed games, a musical performance (bagel-themed of course!) as well as a Who’s Who? Of bagel stores, beer and coffee.

Then there is the  BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn Festival, a free event for New Yorkers to celebrate Brooklyn and New York. Every night the festival celebrates a different genre or culture.  The festival – which has been going on for over four decades – is a way for all New Yorkers to appreciate music icons from around the world, with a specific emphasis on jazz artists, indie bands, dance troupes, and more.  In addition, a virtual reality performance is staged. And, because of COVID concerns, a virtual multi-platform destination so that the spirit of the festival can be brought to people’s homes. The festival started in 1979 as a way of bringing Brooklyn together.  What better time to do this than now, after more than a year of people being stuck in and not celebrating much at all.  While indeed it is virtual, it is still a way to connect people. Around 25,000 people come from around the New York area.

Get out there.  Or stay home online.  But either way, meet people, connect, and try to have fun even in these crazy times!

Great Summer Reading

 

After your kids have splashed around in a pool, gone on hikes and finished with camps they may just want to chill at home with a great book.  Check out Kensington Library’s Grab & Go Kit program.  Every Monday throughout the summer the library has been distributing books to those who want.  All you need to do is come by on Tuesday and get one of the Grab & Go Projects.

The projects include STEM activities, craft activities for all ages and more.

For those who would rather not go into an actual library but like the idea of reading programs there is something else incredibly cool. It’s called an outside “whispering library.” Launched by the Brooklyn Public Library, this purely audio experience is being initiated at 10 branches throughout the borough.  Outside the library there will be hidden speakers which will play poetry, music, tell history stories, excerpts from podcasts, literature and more, up to five times a day.  Vice President of Arts and Culture, László Jakab Orsós explained the reasoning behind this:

"A library is more than just a building, it is the repository of our accumulated knowledge and memory. Imagine walking by one of our branches before the building opens for service and you hear a poem or a segment of a historical speech—we hope that a whispering library will make you smile and inspire you."

As Mason said last year, “Reading gives us somewhere to go when we have to stay where we are.”

Summer Fun in Brooklyn!

 

Summer is meant to be fun.  Last year we didn’t quite have that because of the coronavirus pandemic.  While the virus is definitely far from over, somehow we have found a way to deal with it and let people get back to leisure activities in a safe way.

Roosevelt Island has opened its outdoor pool.  Getting outdoors and cooling down is always a great idea in the summer.  But this ‘Pop-Up Pool Party’ in Manhattan Park offers so much more.  It is framed by the spectacular skyline, is in a 8.5 acre waterfront area. The project was created in conjunction with K&Co. and Pliskin Architecture designers and Corcoran New Development, alongside Melissa Dadourian a local artist who created the mural for this year, creating a geometric pattern, completely changing the feel of the pool deck, intensifying the color.

According to an announcement from the  Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy more than 500 events are planned this year, that started mid-April and will continue until September 25. 

For those who want to be a bit more active there is an 18-hole mini golf course in North Williamsburg riverfront.  But it comes with some education as well.  Players will get to learn about climate change, types of infrastructure, animal housing, energy and emissions.  This is because every hole has a different theme including: Down the drain, Whale Fall Feast, Big Oyster and more.

C’mon what are you waiting for?  Get out there and have fun!!! It’s summer and it won’t be here forever.

Take a Walk on the Wild Side

Well, not quite the wild side, but for sure the beautiful side.  How we’ve missed the fun and activities of a Brooklyn summer.  Take a virtual walk here at the Brooklyn Bridge Park, a virtual one through the video if you can’t get there in person.