Journey Home Number 1

I have decided to see a little more of this fine city and get some exercise at the same time. So what I've decided to do is walk/run home after work. Yesterday was my first time and I will continue to do so while the weather is fair, each time alternating my route. Above is an image of my first go. I ran down Broadway passing through Madison and Union Square and over the Williamsburg bridge. In the coming days/weeks I'll go over the Queensborough - 59th street bridge, Manhattan, and Brooklyn bridge. My goal is to see places on the (or slightly out of the) way I would not normally see. This is a great site for mapping/planning your journeys, which uses google maps. And here is my first run/walk home.

And speaking of mapping your travels, I came across this today which I found interesting. This guy claims he will walk every street in New York City. It's great that he includes photos of each of his journeys.

Ghost in Brooklyn

Watching Ghost last night, we were surprised to see a few scenes were filmed in our neighborhood here in Brooklyn. No surprise, however, that it was where the villain lived. Below is a still of Patrick Swayze at the Myrtle Ave JMZ stop, following the man who murdered him, Willy Lopez.

They then cross Broadway and head to Mr. Kiwi's for some fresh juice and/or Little Skips for a bagel with salmon and cream cheese (not really - but in that direction).

Patrick Swayze heads to Bushwick. Note Mr. Kiwi's there in the corner.

It was also interesting to see what SoHo looked like in 1990. Molly and Sam (Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze) lived in an amazing 4000+SF loft across from where the Apple store now is on Prince street. I have no blogging skillz, so I'll have to figure out how to put images side by side later.

Whoopi Goldberg crosses the street between where Prada and JCrew now stand.

Do you remember those creepy, scary, devilish shadows that would grunt and scream as they dragged away evil souls? In this scene they emerged from beneath the tracks on Myrtle Avenue and took a dead Willy Lopez. Apparently, his soul rests right under the steps I go up to catch the train every morning.

Hey! Check out the cobblestone street - better for stuffing souls in.

Week 3 in New York

A lot has changed since I last made an entry. I got married to the wonderful Miss Chiara Marin and we moved to Brooklyn, NY. This Tuesday coming will make three weeks since our move. We have done a great job, I believe, at exploring Brooklyn thus far. We have checked out Leffert Gardens (next to where we live), Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Park Slope and walked around Prospect Park. Today we had a late breakfast at Academy Diner, followed by a stroll through Fort Green park. We then walked to Brooklyn Heights and watched the sunset at Brooklyn Bridge park. The weather was exceptional for sight-seeing and outdoor activities.

We ventured into the city to grab dinner at Westville on West 10th street. The burger was phenomenal. Thanks, Karlita, for the tip. As soon as I get a camera, I will post pictures to enhance my entries. We are truly enjoying this city and are fascinated each day with the things we see and hear. Just as we were getting home, we heard a wonderful young man screaming at a bouncer, presumably because he had just been kicked out, "You don't know me, son! I'm going to stab you in the neck!". It was quite heated for a minute, so we crossed the street to avoid any trouble, as the bouncer yelled back "I'm going to make you dead!".

I love New York.

Coral Gables Firm Hired to Defecate on Downtown Miami

I learned today that the firm, Terra Architecture, based in Coral Gables, Miami were commissioned to design an iconic eyesore.
You may read about the project here. On the up side, it will have one of the highest observation decks in the country. Let's hope it's free and open to the public, or at least affordable, and not merely an amenity for the 1.3 million sq ft of signature Class A offices.

Personally, I'm not a fan of this project/building and feel it could've been far more interesting if executed by the right people. aka, better architects. Miami has been rather unfortunate in that department, but hopefully in the coming years that will change.

First Blog Entry. Ever!

One year ago, this month, I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, School of Design attaining a Master of Architecture degree. I guess it's a reason to celebrate, especially because it has also been a year since I've been unemployed. Terribly Unfortunate? Perhaps quite the opposite as I've managed to travel through South and Central America, back to Philly, moved to Miami, traveled to Nicaragua, and managed to live comfortably. Some are impressed and envious and curious to know how I've been able to do it. Perhaps in some future blog entries I'll reveal my secret(s). I thought I'd keep this first one short, so I'll be on my way.

P.S. Happy cinco de Mayo