Sunset at the Boat Basin, the Upper West Side

Photo by myself at the 79th Street Boat Basin, in Riverside Park on the Upper West Side.

Here's a little palate cleanser.

The view from the Boat Basin in Riverside Park is serene in the summertime. Across the Hudson River lies New Jersey.

Related posts: Sunset, Along the West Side Highway, Gone Fishin' and Life on the Water, in Riverside Park.

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Cheers, from the Boat Basin Cafe, on the Upper West Side

Photo by myself in Riverside Park at 79th Street, on the Upper West Side.

The Boat Basin Cafe is one of my favorite places in New York.

Certainly not fancy, this outdoor bar is located at 79th Street in Riverside Park. It is named after the dock just outside, where dozens of houseboats are moored.

The Boat Basin is a neighborhood bar and is only open during the warmer months. They serve burgers, fries, beer and frozen drinks like maragaritas and pina coladas, which are mixed by machines.

Beyond the stone arch, you can see the Hudson River and New Jersey. The main walkway of Riverside Park is one level below. The park is narrow in this area. There is room for benches, a strip of grass and a jogging path.

With the breezes, it feels like you are in a boat. Well, if you have a couple potent margaritas and close your eyes, you can imagine being on a boat. Or being near a boat. Which you are, since there are boats parked within arms reach ;-)

For an earlier view of Riverside Park from the Boat Basin, click here.
For the Boat Basin website, click here.

Related posts: Looking Out Yonder, to the Far West Side, Sunset, Along the West Side Highway and On the West Side Highway.

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Trumped, on the Upper West Side

Photo by myself in Riverside Park, on the Upper West Side, around 68th Street.

Trump Place is not one building, but a series of 16 very similar-looking apartment buildings on the West Side.

The raised highway running in front of the buildings is the West Side Highway. The highway eventually touches ground and runs along the edge of Manhattan.

If you have the chance, take a cab ride up the West Side Highway. Zipping across these buildings is a dramatic view, as well as seeing the whole back side of Midtown.

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Happy Monday, everyone!

Related posts: Sunset Along the West Side Highway, The Towers Near Riverside Park and Life on the Water, in Riverside Park.

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Looking Out Yonder, to the Far West Side

Photo by myself in Riverside Park, on the Upper West Side.

Across the serene Hudson River on the west side, lies New Jersey. Many people live in the apartment towers and smaller waterfront condos, and commute to the city for work.

The area just across the river from the upper 70's of Manhattan is called West New York. That is, just west of New York, across the river. The low-rise waterfront condos are very desirable, often selling in the millions.

Buses depart from Port Authority Bus Terminal often at all hours to New Jersey. The Lincoln Tunnel runs below the Hudson River, and it's a quick trip when traffic is light.

Related posts: Life on the Water, in Riverside Park, Gone Fishin' and Different Vistas.

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On Soldiers, Sailors and Going Nuts

Photo by myself in Riverside Park, around 88th Street and Riverside Drive.

The Soldiers and Sailors Monument is located in Riverside Park, overlooking the Hudson River. Several cannons are stationed nearby, aimed toward New Jersey.

People were sledding down the snow-covered steps, just enjoying the outdoors. The sun was setting as usual, casing an orange glow on everything.

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Mark and I, like many New Yorkers, are suffering from apartment living.

Our upstairs neighbors look like normal people with a 2-year old. However, once they get inside they become Neanderthals, clomping around and dropping things because they lack opposable thumbs.

They slam things, clomp around, then slam more things. Then the little boy goes berserk and runs around for half an hour, wearing what must be combat boots. Yowza.

We've tried communicating about it but that didn't get far. Recently, we were woken up at 6 am by what sounded like Riverdance. Mark got the broom and started banging on the ceiling. Nice.

You can't choose your neighbors, especially here, where they are on top of you and below you and to every side. Of course, it could always be worse. The kid could join a rock band.

Related posts: Something Old, Something New, The Towers Near Riverside Park and Along the West Bank.

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On the West Side Highway

Photo by myself of Riverside Park, from the West Side Highway.

Riverside Park runs along the west edge of Manhattan and overlooks the Hudson River. The park spans more than 100 blocks, from around 120th Street to Battery Park City. It's perfect for runners and cyclists.

Across the Hudson lies New Jersey. The tall buildings are in Jersey City, a major hub. Jersey City is relatively convenient to Manhattan via bus or train.

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No, no, don't worry, this is not another post about exercise and geometry. Mark and I drove down the West Side Highway the other day at the right time. It was beautiful.

Whoever named the West Side Highway, meant it. The multi-laned high speed road on the west side whips around curves and exits every so often. You can get out at 42nd Street and 79th Street, but pay attention! The exits zip by.

On the east side, there's the FDR, or Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive. Both roads are not for the cowardly. You compete with aggressive taxis and veteran New Yorkers like Mark, who do not take kindly to newcomers. However, if you want to get up or down the island in a snap, it's a great way to go.

Related posts: Sunset Views, Subway Sunsets - On the Ride Home and City Portraits - Shelter Island.

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Gone Fishin'

Photo by myself on a pier at Riverside Park.

Several fishermen cast their lines into the Hudson River. I talked to one fellow, who said he's caught blue fish and eel, and that he eats his catch!

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New Yorkers used to joke that dead bodies and hypodermic needles would be found in the body of water between Manhattan and New Jersey. New York drinking water, on the other hand, use reservoirs and has always been excellent. Many people drink unfiltered tap water.

Recent effort regarding pollution has helped the Hudson. Now people walk close to the river without a thought. There is also free kayaking (yes, can you imagine anything free in this city?) between May and October.

Three piers, at 72nd Street, 56th Street and Houston Street, have kayaking available to the public. The lines in front of the piers are sometimes long in the summertime.

Related posts: Here's to the Human Condition, The Sky is Falling and The Majestic Ansonia.

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Something Old, Something New

Photo by myself in Riverside Park, on the Upper West Side.

Here's another photo from my visit to Riverside Park this weekend. An abandoned structure just off shore looks very mysterious. It turns out that the area between 59th to 72nd Street was once a rail yard. The elevated structure is part of the West Side Highway, which runs the length of Manhattan.

Like most public spaces New York, Riverside Park was run down and dangerous in the 1980's. Since then, the city and volunteers have worked together to rehabilitate the park into a thriving destination.

There are ball fields, free tennis courts, basketball courts, community flower beds, and running tracks. Separate lanes keep cyclists and rollerbladers clear of pedestrians.

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A series of residential towers called 'Trump Place' line the edge of the water. The apartments and condominiums have great views of New Jersey and the Hudson River, but the buildings are rather monotonous.

For more about Riverside Park, click here.

Related posts: Along the West Bank, It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood and Living in Style on Riverside Drive.

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Life on the Water, in Riverside Park

Photo by myself of the Boat Basin in Riverside Park, on the Upper West Side, around 79th Street and West End Avenue.

Believe it or not, you can live in a houseboat year-round off Manhattan. The Boat Basin is one of a few places where you can moor your boat, on the Hudson River. On the opposite shore lies New Jersey.

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I've read a little about the houseboat culture that exists in places like Seattle. These are close knit communities where residents share a sense of place and belonging. This is a huge contrast with New York life, where you can live in the apartment next to someone for years and never speak.

Why would New Yorkers not know their neighbors, you ask?

It's a strange thing, but many prefer the safety of anonymity. We fear getting too close, and setting someone off. What if the neighbor is a freak show, just waiting to develop an unhealthy attachment to someone? Then our hard-earned privacy in the big city would be lost forever.

If only we all lived on houseboats!

Related posts: Docked Along the West Side, A New York Frame of Mind and The View from the Promenade.

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The Towers near Riverside Park

Photo by myself in Riverside Park, on the Upper West Side.

A series of towers called Trump Place are built along the west side of Manhattan. The development has extended the park, while giving the apartments have a clear view of the Hudson River and New Jersey.

Riverside Park starts around 158th Street and runs down to 72nd Street on the west side. From there you can take a bike path that runs along the water, all the way down to Battery Park City, at the southern tip of Manhattan.

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Sunday we had gorgeous weather, so Mark and I took Rupert out to Riverside Park. We had a small picnic along the water and walked around a bit.

I took tons of photos and could not decide what to show. I finally decided on a cheery color photo, to start off the week.

Have a good Monday, everyone!

For more about the development of Trump Place, click here.

Related posts: Along the West Bank, It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood and Different Vistas.

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Along the West Bank

Photo by myself, in Riverside Park, around 72nd and Riverside Drive.

This metal structure supports part of a street on the Upper West Side. Below, are basketball courts and a long, paved jogging path that continues virtually the length of Manhattan.

The path has some bumpy and iffy parts to it, cutting through parking lots and streetlights. You can theoretically run from the Upper West Side, past the piers, through Chelsea, all the way down to Battery Park City.

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There was a time, a few years ago, that I thought I could rollerblade for exercise. Only I never did it before.

Anyway, long story short, after many wobbly, frightening attempts, I made it down to Battery Park City from Riverside Park in the 70's.

It was fun, but after a rather embarrassing fall in front of a long line of tourists at the battleship Intrepid on Memorial Day weekend (flailing hands, falling forward and bruising a knee), I took a blading break.

Now everyone can walk on the streets a little safer. Hurrah!

Related posts: It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood, Sundays in the Park and The Hills Are Alive in Prospect Park.

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It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Photo by myself in Riverside Park on the Upper West Side, around 69th Street.

This structure, with its winches and chains, must have been used to load ships. Now it looks about to topple over. The Hudson River and New Jersey are in the background.

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We've had some beautiful days here in New York.

Yesterday for the move, it was gloriously sunny. Mark and I were walking to his apartment in Greenpoint when we encountered two of his neighborhood buddies. One is an artist who works as a creative director by day. The other escaped a tough life in LA and will soon be a Greenpoint restauranteur.

We all stood on the sidewalk, reminiscing about how empty the neighborhood had been just three years ago. Now it's hopping.

'It's become Williamsburg,' one of the fellas said, referring to the trendy neighborhood next door.

'You get out of the subway and there's a ton of people,' said the other, holding his hands out wide.

I said goodbye to the cat who lives in the corner bodega. He was asleep on a box of detergent but was good enough to crack open a yellowy eye. At the cashier, I ran into one of the women who had helped rescue the homeless cats with me last fall. The grey cat in her care has been adjusting well.

Small world. Saying goodbye to Greenpoint was bittersweet. We had our frustrations with finding consistent restaurants, and how sleepy it was at times. But the people were great. Despite what you might think about big cities, you can get to know your neighbors.

Finally, we said our farewells to Mark's downstairs neighbors, his landlord and another neighbor down the street. Then we packed up the fish and motored off.

'Well that's the last pizza we'll have in old Greenpoint,' Mark said.

I assured him he was wrong. No, we'd be back for pizza and a beer soon enough. I can't imagine never going back.

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