#LocalNYC

[wormsinprocess]

Moving to New York Tips from Locals // Local Adventurer Ready to become a true New Yorker? Follow the advice of seasoned locals and dive into the mesmerizing world of NYC, one tip at a time.

[apexart-journal]

Tasha Dougé, Day 12

Today started bright and early with a Landmark Commission Public Hearing.  There were 10 locations on the agenda.  The first one was the Kimlau War Memorial.  The minute I heard the name, I was like I know that memorial.  It brought me right back to Day 4.  I got to hear more history about the memorial, but it was nice to hear people talk about the impact the memorial has on them.  I heard individual stories from people reflecting on how their families migrated to the States for the American Dream, while others shared how representation matters to them and how they show up in community.  If was clear that the  memorial’s presence impacts them and adds immense value to the community.  Now my memory of the that area is infused with their stories.  The Landmark Commission will convene again on June 15th to make a decision.  I hope it gets approved. 

Next, I was supposed to head over to the Park Slope Center for Successful Aging.  NYCares partners up with them to deliver meals to seniors.  I called to let them know I was running late, but I was informed that they already distributed all the food and didn’t need any more volunteers.  Dang that was quick.  I asked what was their schedule for delivering food.  I was told Tuesdays and Thursday.  I said thanks.  In my mind, I made a mental note to let Abbie know what happened and try to get this back on my schedule.  Sad I missed it, but the day still had much to offer me.  Next stop, Prospect Park.

I’ve been to Prospect Park a few times, but had no idea how nice the park was.  If I was going to an event, that was exactly what I did.  I would beeline my way to the event’s location, not paying any true attention to my surroundings.  Nor did I think to look up what was actually in the park.  So my trip today was a scavenger hunt to find the Camperdown Elm (tree) and the Quaker cemetery, all while staying open to whatever else I discovered.  Early on in my walk to these places, I walked under this gorgeous underpass.  I couldn’t help myself, I just had to take a pic.  I didn’t think it was possible, but I think walking through it was some sort of time travel because I look even younger.  Forty where? (Not in my face, but in my knees. lol)  The Camperdown Elm was located a few steps away from the underpass.  It looks like something out of a fairytale.  It gave me Chronicles of Narnia vibes.  Mr. Tumnus, are you there?  If you get the reference, know that I love you.  Anyhoo, the Camperdown Elm is special because its branches grow parallel to the ground.  Its branches are really do majestic.  I was definitely getting Ferngully vibes. (I love that movie! Avatar is like the people version to me.)  It was almost cut down, but through the efforts of an artist/poet, Marianne Moore, the elm was saved.  The poem she wrote about the tree is renowned.  Not to far from the elm is the boathouse. There was a bride getting professional pictures taken and I could see why.  Absolutely gorgeous!  I could have stayed by the water for much longer than I did.  I watched the momma swan and her babies, and the turtles sunbathing on a log further out.  The moment was serene and tranquil and much more.  Abbie called me back and we caught up.  We sorted everything out with my schedule for the remainder of my time.  Thursday, I would go deliver food to the seniors and Abbie said finally get to kayaking.  I mentioned since I had a gap in my schedule and the weather was clear, I would try today.  She said go for it.  I continued on my walk until I got to the Quaker cemetery.  It’s closed to the public and it made think that maybe they was silence in death as well.  Doesn’t look like there will be any music clubs happening here.  En route back to the train station, I passed by the boathouse again and you won’t believe what I saw.  A Black-crowned Night Heron!!!  You already know that I took a picture.  I immediately thought about Marlys and how she is going to love hearing about this.  For me to see this bird again (in a different park), what were the odds?  I just had to look up the symbolism of the heron.  Here are some clips of what I found:

  “Heron symbolism is important because the heron meaning refers to tranquility and stillness for us humans. We need to understand these two elements well if we wish to recognize the opportunities in life... Primarily, the bird is a symbol of beauty because it prospers and flourishes in the majestic realm where the land and shore dance in a symphony. The result is a wondrous spectacle. The marriage of the two elegant energies of water and land is included in the meaning of herons. The heron shows us the abundance of life in the sea, for when we see the peace, contentment, and tranquility that the heron finds at the edge of the waters, we are assured of the plethora of life present inside the waters.”

The link says so much more that resonates with this moment, where I am in my life and what the future holds for me.  God, Universe, Ancestors, Lwas and other deities, I hear you and I receive it.  Thank you Prospect Park.  Now I really want to go to the water.  Kayaking here I come.  Unfortunately, my excitement to be on the water was met with a closed gate.  How sway?  No rain and still no kayaking.  At least, I tried.  It was disappointing for sure.  I’ve kayaked on the Hudson before, but it was so long ago.  I was really looking forward to doing again.  The Sunset Mediation was exactly what I needed to settle this day.

Socrates is my park homie.  My sister actually moved to Astoria about 4 years ago.  Once she got her dog, we frequented the park more often.  However, never have I ever participated in mediation in the park.  There was a decent size group in the park.  As per the name, the sun was setting and that meant the temperature was dropping.  The facilitator had a mic, but they were barely audible.  To be honest, it didn’t matter because we were there to be still and mediate.  The coolness of the grass sent electricity through my body and then, there was calm.  My calm did get interrupted with some of the city sounds.  Yet, after the city listening exercise, I was able to incorporate some, not all, of the sounds into my mediation.  The session ends at the same time as the park, so with about 20 mins remaining, the park attendant started to announce that the park was closing soon.  He did so again 10 minutes later.  With the remaining time, the facilitator asked that we turn to our neighbors and chat for a bit through intros and reflections on how we went.  The folks next to me paired off really quickly, but two women called me over to join them.  There names were Morgan and Jenna.  They were nice folks from the neighborhood.  We shared what brought us to meditation.  I told about the residency, but not my art.  lol.  It was a good mini convo.  We left each other saying that we may see each other again.  Calm and coldish, I headed on my way and that was the end of my day.  

[vedazzlingac]

Just a reminder 💞! **************************************** #shoplocal #localnyc #supportsmallbusinesseveryday #supportsmallbusines #vedazzlingaccessories https://www.instagram.com/p/CD__t6JpbO8/?igshid=1h6qpmc3ob5ei

[sebastiengrey]

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A post shared by Grey Custom Clothiers (@greyclothiers)

B-52 cherry bomber Come by and toast to all military personnel with our Veterans Day cocktail. The B-52 is the most powerful bomber plane the US has ever produced. The B-52 has been in service since 1955 and has been strategic in every major military event until present day. We airdrop black cherries into the glass and deglaze the cherry shrapnel with the acidity of the cola. To offset the sweetness of the cherries we use GUS soda which isn't as sweet as regular soda and then heavy hand four roses bourbon. We hope to see you today, but if not then KMAGYOYO! Happy Veterans Day 🇺🇸🎗 #sebastiengrey #veteransday #veteran #america #whiskey #usa #fourhorsemen #fourroses #fourrosesbourbon #bourbon #menswear #mensweardaily #menswearfashion #local #shoplocal #localnyc #nyclocal #bespoke #gq #gqstyle #esquire #esquiremagazine #relix #relixmag #cocktail #friday #suits #style #mensfashion @gq @gqinsiderdaily @gq_guys @gqstyle @esquire @esquiregrooming @newyorkerphoto @newyorkermag @newyorkpulse @humansofny @nymag (at Sebastien Grey Clothiers)

[venusinorbit]

🎧 #WildThoughts 🎧 #WeekendVibes courtesy of @badgalriri @sacsix at #30x40 #Streeart show curated by @sr.lasso at @thelocalhostels LIC, Queens. Have a great weekend everyone! 💖😘✌️🌟😍👊 #rihanna #sacsix #localnyc #srlasso #streetartnyc #lic #queens (at The Local NYC)

[lindablatt]

GET YOURS TODAY! #Repost @nafisoriginals with @repostapp ・・・ What's pretty cool is that the Ginger/lemongrass & Cumin sauces are %25 off online. Condiments are crucial to a good meal. Get yours now! #nafishotsauce #habaneros #spicy #Hot #scotchbonnet #allnatural #habanerossauce #flavors #vegan #nogluten  #africanhotsauce #Africanfood #hotsauce #Madeinnyc #bold #cheflife #Foodpics #localnyc #awesomesauce #buyonline #fastfood  _

[funwithbonus]

#Pinball at the hostel. 6 games. MUSTANG, MONOPOLY, CSI, XMEN,POTC,STPRO #GamersUnite #Arcade #itsnotaprison #LocalNYC #playlocationpinball #pinaholic

[elboqueronviajero]

Otro de los puentes preciosos de Brooklyn 😍 #brooklyn #nyc #autenticony #localnyc #newyorkcity #williamsburg #williamsburgbridge #nycbridge #igdaily (at Williamsburg Bridge)

[apexart-journal]

Tasha Dougé, Day 1

Where do I even begin?  Day 1 is off to a great start.  A sweet welcome note from Ann (previous fellow) and a warm greeting from Abbie in the space I will call home for the next two weeks. Here’s the run down:

- I learned about stone fruits.  Fruits that we eat that have seeds/pits aka stone in them.  I learned about peaches and plums, and how they got to this land. Two fun facts about peaches: 1) they are a member of the rose family and 2) they are a symbol of immortality and friendship. mentioned names of peaches and plums that I have never even heard of.  I also found out that there is a biodiversity library that speaks in even more depth.

- I took my first maiden voyage on a Circle Line Tour.  I know, I know.  I have lived in NYC all my life and haven’t been until now.  This is not to say that I don’t partake in all endless activities that NYC has to offer.  (Let’s not go down that tangent because that will be a whole other blog.)  I had to take a pic of the boat because a little known fact about me is that I was actually born in Corona, Queens.  My parents moved to The Bronx when I was three.  So I rep my borough #BronxAllDayEveryday.  The pic of the Intrepid may seem a bit out of place, but it is not.  Things related to space intrigue me.  With Gemini/Bday season starting today, it was all too fitting to take a picture of the Gemini 3 spacecraft.  What can I say?  The stars were in alignment.

- I attended a ASL SLAM hosted by the Nuyorican Poets Cafe.  This was a virtual event, but I would love to go to this live.  I have to admit that when I first logged on, I asked myself “where is the sound?”  I quickly autocorrected myself with a hearty DUH (insert slap forehead emoji).  ASL as in American Sign Language.  The reality is that I defaulted to what my body knows.  However, it didn’t me that I was open to what I witnessed.  I had no clue what some folks were saying, but the gestures were oh so familiar.  I have seen ASL in the past and it was very methodical.  There was none of that tonight.  I was being drawn in and I was here for all of it.  I found my body moving in harmony to some of the performers, guided by their hands and flowing with their spirits.  This was truly a reminder that we don’t need words to communicate.  Additionally, I walked away learning how to say rainbow, change and thank you in ASL.  

Day 1 down and 13 more to go.  I am running on 3 hours of sleep and I have an early start tomorrow.  So that means...Nite Nite and off to bed I go!

[vedazzlingac]

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood 💫💛🏖 ° ° ° Pick up your @hbbk2013 tote using code: BEACH for 20% all beach accessories •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• #localbeach #localnyc #beachtotes #beachaccessories #funlooks #beachlife #lifeatthebeach #blackdesigner #blackdesigners #totes #happypeople #accessories #blackownedbusiness #nycboutique #luxurybeachtote #resortwear #resortaccessories #hbbk #vedazzlingaccessories (at Long Beach, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDtgM1Qp118/?igshid=tmtgdym69r05

[nicolerae0]

I had the pleasure of visiting @brooklyngrange and it was a splendid gem in the #BrooklynNavyYard. #GoodnightFromBrooklyn #NYC #newyorkcity #sunshine #sunset #navyyard #manhattan #view #watertower #garden #cityscape #city #skyline #sun #view #lensflare #localnyc #localbrooklyn #gardens (at Brooklyn Grange Navy Yard)

[bellanycmagazine]

It's 5pm on Cinco de Mayo, so we thought we'd share some Cocktail Recipes from some of the most 'caliente' #NYC‬ Bars and Restaurants that will have you saying "Ándale!" Check them out on BellaNYC.com #BellaNYCMag‬#AGirlsGottaEat‬#CincodeMayo‬#Cocktail#LocalNYC‬#NYCRestaurants‬#Recipes‬#ManicMonday‬

[elboqueronviajero]

Siempre es una buena idea comer un #pretzel en #nuevayork #nyc #washingtonsquare #localnyc #soloennyc #thisisnyc #lovenyc #nyu #icapture_nyc #nycfood (at Washington Square Park)

[apexart-journal]

Tasha Dougé, Pre-Day 1

I can’t believe I’m moving in today.  I am ready, but I am not at the same time. Suitcase is open with nothing in it but my speaker.  Oh this is my life.  Yesterday was a busy day. Trip to the city to pick up a new planter, then a quick ride to take a pic in front of the building, then a curatorial panel, another train ride to the city to see the besties, and quick dash back to my apt to show my homegirl how to water my plants. Again this is my life.  Packing always happens late in the game, but I get it done. My heart, mind and soul are so ready to go!!    

[chinhdoan]

Vanessa's Dumplings: wonton with hot & spicy sauce and shrimp, pork & watercress wonton soup. Four dumplings for $1.59. The most delicious and affordable Chinese food in NYC! #nyceats #localnyc #Nycrestaurants #nyc #ny #chinese #nycchinese #food (Taken with Instagram at Vanessa's Dumplings)