dog day afternoon • 16 comments • New Yorkers really love their dogs. We were surprised to see so many dog walkers (and big muscle-y guys with Paris Hilton-type 'accessory' dogs). It reminded us of the dog parks in Mexico City. Despite the lack of square footage when it comes to real estate options, it seems that man's best friend still makes it into people's hearts and homes. Perhaps it's because there are so many great parks and (for the people who don't pay to have their dogs walked) it must be a nice excuse to go outside and get some fresh air. We didn't need a dog to enjoy the park, but definitely saw some interesting ones with even more interesting owners. We're also convinced that we saw the biggest dog in the world: Can you tell the scale of the dog from the photo? We were kinda afraid to get too close.
central park • 7 comments • The atmosphere in Central Park came as quite the surprise to us. Too many episodes of Law and Order had us thinking that it would be inevitable that we would stumble upon a dead body. At the 'Late Show' taping we went to, David Letterman joked about the amount of rats in the park. We didn't see one rat (or dead body)! It was actually quite beautiful. So much green space in the middle of the 'concrete jungle'. It's the perfect place to go for a stroll, or hang out and have lunch. Think: the antithesis of Times Square. We shared many an afternoon in the park and hope to someday revisit it to see the parts we missed.
happy birthday, john lennon. • 9 comments • As Google has already reminded you, today would have been John Lennon's 70th birthday had he not been killed 30 years ago. Although he died many years before I was born, like many, I am a fan of his music and his message.It may seem like a strange thing to do, but when we were in New York, I felt compelled to see The Dakota, where the former Beatle lived with Yoko Ono. It was in front of this same building where he was fatally shot. Located in the Upper West Side, on the northwest corner of 72nd Street, the enormous building is pretty hard to miss. It also happened to be the filming location of Rosemary's Baby, which is one of my favorite films. Out of curiosity, and to provide context to the dozens of Beatles biographies I've read, I wanted to see where Mark David Chapman got his Double Fantasy record signed and then later murdered Lennon.You can't help but feel a little sad when you walk near the entrance. In contrast, the Strawberry Fields Memorial is a celebration of John Lennon's life. It is located right across the street.We sat on a bench in Central Park and watched people, locals and tourists, come and leave flowers on the mosaic of tiles.We talked about how we hope to, one day, visit the real Strawberry Fields that inspired the song.There are a bunch of events to celebrate his birthday, this evening, if you'll be around these places:NEW YORK: LENNONYC, a new documentary, will be shown, for free, in Central Park at 7 p.m.ICELAND: Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon are in Iceland where The Imagine Peace tower will be illuminated.LIVERPOOL: Julian Lennon and Cynthia Lennon will be unveiling an 18ft John Lennon monument. (Speaking of Cynthia, have any of you read her book? It's heartbreaking.)LOS ANGELES: Apparently there is going to be some sort of party/mural decorating for fans at Lennon's star in Hollywood.Send us a note if you end up going to one, we'd love to hear about it or see your photos.
