Winter Storm Toby

Last Wednesday we got our fourth nor'easter—in March alone. Winter Storm Toby (I don't know how I feel about naming every single storm) was predicted to bring up to 18 inches of snow to parts of the Northeast, but in Central Park the official total ended up at 8.2 inches. This was the first time since 1992 that at least 6 inches fell in late March or April, although January's "bomb cyclone" snow total was higher at 9.8 inches and I didn't hear any thundersnow like we had during the last nor'easter.

I'm definitely ready for spring, but I still love snow and will take it whenever I can get it. I stayed inside for the actual storm, but I was looking forward to a snowy commute through the park on Thursday morning. I decided to take a different, less direct route to hit some of my favorite spots, so I took the train to 72nd Street and started my walk from there.

I walked to the Literary Walk and Bethesda Terrace first—two of my very favorite places in not just the park, but the world—and then walked northeast through the Ramble. The North Woods is one of the best places to be after a snowfall, but the Ramble turned out to be just as magical. Sometimes Central Park can feel frustratingly crowded, but in the mornings it's peaceful—mostly just people walking their dogs or watching birds.

I was grumpy when my alarm went off an hour and a half earlier than normal, but it was impossible to hold on to that rage as I was walking through snowy paths that had me wondering if I had actually entered the park from the inside of a wardrobe. By the time I went outside again at lunchtime, the snow had mostly all melted and despite the chilly temps, spring is defiantly starting to make an appearance.

Bomb Cyclone

I didn't leave my apartment at all on Thursday during Winter Storm Grayson, aka the "bomb cyclone," a massive winter storm that hit nearly the entire east coast. Central Park reported 9.8 inches of snow, and as much as I love to frolic in the city during snowstorms, this one was accompanied by gale-force winds and negative temperatures.

Of course I enjoy snow days and time off work, but I've been staying inside so much over the past few weeks that I began to go a little stir crazy. Despite the frigid temps, I decided to walk to work on Friday morning through Central Park, hoping to counteract my winter blues with sunshine and beautiful, snowy views.

It's been a while since I walked to/from work since it's been cold and getting dark so early, but it's really something I should do more often. It takes me about 45 minutes (longer if I'm wandering) to walk 2.2 miles door to door, which is also just about how long it takes if I ride the bus. My favorite route is through the North Woods, which isn't the most direct but it is the most scenic. 

The North Woods is one of my favorite areas of Central Park. It's heavily wooded, as the name implies, and it almost feels like a well-kept secret. It has all the features I love in other parts of the park—stone arches, tiny waterfalls, rustic bridges—and none of the crowds that can ruin an otherwise peaceful park walk. It's one of my favorite places to visit after a snowfall and this walk was exactly what I needed to make peace with this winter.

Korean Chrysanthemums

I've seen (and photographed) the incredibly lovely Korean Chrysanthemums at the Conservatory Garden in Central Park for the last few years (2014 // 2016), and this year I just caught them in time. When I went to check on them over lunch, they were beginning to be removed and they were definitely past their peak. The first year I posted about them, I thought they were daisies because I know absolutely nothing about plants. Someone who obviously knows much more about these things than I do was kind enough to correct me, and now I feel superior in my (still woefully limited) plant knowledge every time I spot another Korean Chrysanthemum. 

I've never been really disappointed to find that the flowers I've gone to visit are already half-dead, and I even sometimes prefer the crispy versions to their lively counterparts. Maybe it's all the time I spend reading about death and decay (and pining after senior rescue dogs), but I try my best to appreciate living beings at every stage of their beautiful lives. 

We went to see Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri this weekend—it's great, go see it!—and I fell in love with Frances McDormand's wrinkly, malleable, age-appropriate, fascinating face. It's refreshing to see a woman in Hollywood unapologetically exhibiting beauty and bravery on an unaltered face, and her performance was riveting not in spite of, but because of it. 

I've been struggling with how to wrap my head around this onslaught of sexual assault news, and what it says about a woman's place in our world. I certainly have my share of #metoo stories—mostly small, but they add up—and I'm trying to harness all of this hurt, bewilderment and rage into something useful. I've certainly been complicit in the degradation of others in my past—in the service of powerful men, and of my own volition—but it always felt wrong and I'm sorry. I'm trying to focus on the positive, on the healing power of sharing stories, on the beauty in the decay, and on the fact that women are incredibly powerful when we work with, and not against, each other.

Snowy Trees

Today we are expected to get anywhere up to 20" of snow, but last week I was excited when I woke up on Friday morning to a few flurries. It was snowing heavily by mid-morning, but by lunchtime it had stopped. I hurried out to Central Park, hoping to capture some of the snowy trees before it all melted away (it had been in the 60s the day before).

I headed straight to the North Woods, because I was having flashbacks of my beautiful snowy commutes through that part of the park during my first (very snowy) winter in New York. The North Woods is, as the name suggests, filled with trees, and it's an extra magical place in the snow.

I recently posted photos of the early signs of spring that had begun to pop up in the park in February, but obviously winter has decided to hold on a bit longer. March snows are not common in the city, but they do happen—The Great Blizzard of 1888 (March 11 – March 14) was one of the most severe recorded blizzards in the history of the US, with snowfalls of 20-60 inches along the East Coast.

The snow was already melting by the time I got outside, and large chunks of it were falling everywhere, which was equal parts fun and treacherous. The little snow puffs left on the trees almost looked like blossoms—and as much as I love snow, I can't help but hope that spring eventually comes to stay for longer than a day or two.

Conservatory Garden: Signs of Spring

The weather in New York has been all over the place lately—in the 70s one day and snowing the next. Due to the unseasonably warm weather (hello, climate change!), plants began blooming while it was still February. While I know little to nothing about plants, I do know that it's fairly normal to see things like snow drops this time of year, but seeing cherry blossoms beginning to bloom months before their traditional appearance is just strange (or perhaps alarming).

I went to check in on one of my favorite places in Central Park—the Conservatory Garden—recently on my lunch break, and found several signs of an early spring. I first visited the Conservatory Garden in the spring, at a time when I was really solidifying my plans to finally move to New York, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. While it hasn't been a part of my daily commute for over a year, I'm lucky enough to work within walking distance and it's the perfect quiet space to spend my lunch break.

The Conservatory Garden always puts on a spectacular tulip display, some of which are already starting to make their way out of the ground. The colors usually vary from year to year, so the arrangements always feel new. There's a particular cherry blossom tree (I'm pretty sure that's what it is, although if I'm totally plant-clueless, please correct me) by the entrance to the garden that for the four years I've been here has always come to the spring party early, and it's already bursting with blooms. It's cold and windy again now and I want to go cover all of the fragile-looking buds with tiny snuggies, but I think spring will be here in full-force soon enough.

Central Park: Snow

I love snow. I grew up in Northeast Ohio so I'm no stranger to the frozen white stuff, but I never experienced a New York City snowstorm until a few years ago. It was during my two-month "trial period," which took place January-March of 2013 that I finally saw the city blanketed in snow, and immediately fell in love. To see my favorite city in my favorite weather was almost too much to bear, and even four years later I'm still enamored with the winters here.

My first winter as a full-time resident just happened to include the second snowiest February on record. I was in heaven, but also—I realize now—spoiled. We've yet to have a similar winter in the three years since, and last year although we got 30-some inches of snow, 90% of it came in one day and melted by the next. This year has been slightly better, and even though I was denied entry to Green-Wood Cemetery, I still had a magical day back in January frolicking through a snowy Prospect Park. 

Luckily that wasn't our last storm of the season, and yesterday I was delighted to wake up to near-blizzard conditions outside my window. Although my commute was a bit harrowing (I almost got blown across Lexington Avenue), it was all worth it when we were released early and I was able to spend the rest of the afternoon in Central Park. I sadly don't get to the park as much now that I live in Brooklyn, so I was thrilled to be able to spend a few hours checking in on all of my favorite spots.

I walked from 92nd Street down Fifth Avenue and entered the park by the Met Museum. I walked past Belvedere Castle and the Delacorte Theater, through the Ramble and Bethesda Terrace. I love, love, love the Bethesda Fountain, and the angel looks even better with snowy highlights. I made my way down the Literary Walk—one of my very favorite places on Earth—around the pond and over the Gapstow Bridge.

I'm concerned that climate change may make snowy days like this increasingly rare (it was in the 60s on Wednesday) so I'm trying to appreciate them while they are still fairly common. I don't have to drive on icy roads, scrape a windshield or shovel a driveway and although city snow gets gross pretty quickly, it will always be magical to me.

Conservatory Garden: Korean Chrysanthemums

Last year was my first time seeing the amazing fall Korean chrysanthemums at the Conservatory Garden in Central Park. I actually thought they were daisies at the time, because I know nothing about plants, but a helpful commenter gently set me straight. I was thrilled to discover that they're back this year—as beautiful as ever—and to be able to answer correctly when two women asked if I knew what type of flowers they were.

Fall isn't necessarily known for its spectacular blooms, but thanks to the incredible plant magic they work at the Conservatory Garden I've discovered that fall flowers can be just as impressive as the ones in spring or summer. I actually even think I prefer the chrysanthemums to the tulips, even if they're what made me fall in love with the Conservatory Garden in the first place. 

What makes the chrysanthemums so impressive is the shear number of them—I'm terrible at estimating things, but there must be thousands of blooms—buzzing with bees and other exotic-looking insects, spilling out onto the walkways and tangling with one another, positively bursting out of the beds. The effect is really something that must be seen in person to be truly appreciated, and I'm so glad I remembered to check in on them this year.

Last year's blooms

Conservatory Garden: August 2016

Now that I no longer have the pleasure of commuting every day through Central Park, I don't get to the Conservatory Garden nearly as much as I should. It's one of my very favorite spots in the park and I'm always happier after spending some time there, even if it's just my lunchbreak. I decided to check in on the gardens recently and it was as beautiful as ever. The last time I was in the Conservatory Garden, the tulips were in bloom, so I was way overdue for a return visit.

Plants will always be a mystery to me—as evidenced by the time I mistook a billion chrysanthemums for daisies, or the succulent that I recently murdered—but that's part of why I admire them so much. I started off looking at the dahlias and other blooms, but very quickly started to fall in love with all of the darker plants. It's a trend I noticed when I visited at a similar time last year, but the dark color palette is definitely more pronounced this year. Deep purples and charcoals might not seem like an obvious choice for a summer garden, but that's what makes them so wonderful.

The deep reds were also really beautiful and as always the contrasts of textures, colors and shapes is really spot on. The Great Fall anticipation always begins for me around this time of year (I blame back-to-school advertising) and for a brief moment I allowed myself to get excited for all things pumpkin, spooky and crisp.

Conservatory Garden: Spring 2016

The weather in New York lately has been absolute garbage—rainy and chilly and too much like the gray days I thought I had left behind forever when I left Ohio. We didn't have much in the way of winter either, but I'm hoping that this damp mid-50s cloud lifts sooner rather than later. Despite the gloom, spring is indeed happening and I'll be forever sad that my daily commute no longer takes me through Central Park. I did go on my lunchbreak recently to check out the Conservatory Garden, my favorite portion in the northern section of the park, and see how my old tulip friends were faring.

This is my fourth time in five years gawking at the tulips, and they're always such a treat. I think 2012 is still my favorite year, but it could just be that it was my first year seeing them and you never forget your first. This year the timing was a bit off, with certain sections and colors blooming way before the others, so the effect was somewhat uneven. It's still a wonderful sight to see so many tulips so beautifully organized in a spectacular, circular space and I can't blame them for being confused with this crazypants weather.

The cherry blossoms were also in bloom along Park Avenue, Fifth Avenue and in the garden. I never made it

back to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

to check on the cherry esplanade before this weekend's rain washed away most of the blossoms, but thankfully the Upper East Side is no slouch when it comes to cherries.

The tulips elsewhere in the garden were also starting to bloom, and the daffodils were still hanging on. I know I say this every year, but the large variety of flowers always thrills me, especially when they're all hanging out next to each other creating a wonderful mix of textures and colors. I suppose I should be grateful that at least it looks like spring in the city, even if the weather hasn't yet received the memo.

Conservatory Garden: July 2015

I mentioned briefly in one of my 365 project posts that I'll be moving to Brooklyn on August 1st. I'm super excited for the move in every way, except one: my new commute. Instead of being able to walk to and from work every day, through Central Park, I'll have to take the subway like most people who work in New York. I had to do this with my first job in Midtown, but as soon as I started working on the Upper East Side I was able to walk when I wanted and when the weather cooperated. Even though last year I moved 20 blocks north, I still walk home almost every night.

The move to BK is right for me in every way—and it's not like I can't go into the park at other times—but I've been trying to savor my enviable commute while I still have it. A few days ago I walked through the Conservatory Garden in the morning, and then a few days later on my way home. I've lost count of how many walks I've taken through the garden—in every season—and it's my favorite spot in the northern portion of the park.

I didn't even intend on taking photos in the morning since I didn't have much time, but as soon as I passed by the fountain and noticed the incredible rainbow, I had to pull out my camera. The light was so beautiful, and I like to check in on the flower beds every now and then to see the new things that have bloomed. There's always something wonderful growing in the garden in every season and I'll have to remember to keep checking in from time to time.

I love the huge variety of plants, colors, textures and insect life in the Conservatory Garden and it's pretty remarkable that so much can be found in such a small space. The juxtaposition of bright flowers, dark leaves, spiky plants and soft petals is fascinating—whoever is responsible for the landscape design has consistently done an amazing job. I'll definitely miss the ease and convenience of walking home through such a wonderful place, but I'll still be working only a few blocks away—I'm sure I can squeeze in a lunchtime visit every now and then.

Central Park: Reflections

It finally stopped raining yesterday after three very wet days and warmed up a bit so I was happy to be able to walk through Central Park on my way to work. I walk home much more frequently than I walk to work, but there's something so magical about mornings in the park that I love so much.

Yesterday morning there was still a chill in the air so it felt like fall, but it very much looks like summer. Everything was still damp and green—so, so green. I don't think I've ever seen so many different shades of green in one place, it was so beautiful.

I entered the park at 103rd street and Central Park West and the reflections in the Pool were particularly wonderful. I've always loved the reflective views off the Pool, but it was incredibly still yesterday and mirrored the trees and surrounding buildings in a near-perfect way.

One of my favorite things about living in New York (instead of visiting) is seeing the city slowly come alive in the spring/summer and change with each new season. I've walked this same route through the park for over a year now and it always feels different.

Conservatory Garden

The Conservatory Garden in Central Park is one of my very favorite places. Three years ago, the tulips there changed my life and it's been awing me in every season since. The flowers and trees around the city have been struggling a bit this year, however, with the cold weather lingering on ... and on and on.

I thought it was about time to check out what was blooming in the Conservatory Garden a few days ago during my lunch break, and I wasn't disappointed. The main circle of tulips—usually packed with multi-color flowers—was mostly filled with white daffodils. Daffodils aren't my favorite flowers, but en masse they really were beautiful.

The southern half of the garden is much more colorful and filled with tulips of all different colors currently in full bloom. I think I must have a sort of flower amnesia because every spring I'm amazed by the varieties and feel like it's my first time ever seeing most of them. I'm usually drawn to the darker, more somber colors but this time I couldn't get enough of the pale peach and yellow tulips.

The lilac trees (my favorite) are just barely beginning to bloom but they still smell incredible. The cherry blossoms are also a few weeks from peak bloom, but the pink magnolia trees are spectacular. I've already forgotten what it's like to feel desperately cold while dodging piles of frozen trash that covered the city this winter, which is certainly no small feat.

Winter Roundup

I had thought that we had seen that last major snowfall a few weeks ago, but while I was cruising my way back to the States, New York got its first snowfall of the spring. I'm kind of sad I missed it, but I was able to take a walk on Saturday and enjoy some of it, although most of the snow had melted off the trees by the afternoon.

I hesitate to declare again that I think we've seen our last snow of the season, but in the meantime, I was sorting through some of my photos and found some of past snowfalls that I hadn't shared.

At the beginning of February I walked to work through the North Woods in Central Park on a very icy morning. It had snowed, then rained, then everything froze which made for a treacherous, but very beautiful commute. I really love the wildness of the North Woods, although by "wild" I mean as wild as you can get in the middle of Manhattan.

When I'm not walking through the North Woods, I walk along the reservoir. I've walked it a few times this winter and it's been frozen and snow-covered, which makes it look like a long, uninterrupted stretch of land. My friend Jim said it reminded him of the salt flats in Utah and it's really quite beautiful. The running track has been snow-covered and frozen as well, which means that I was the only person crazy enough to be walking along it on most mornings.

I'll never get over how wonderful this city can be in the winter when you feel as if you have the entire city to yourself. According to the calendar it's already spring and I'm sure before we know it, it will feel as hot as a dog's mouth in the city and we'll all forget what snow even felt like.

Snowy Commute

Last Friday I woke up to an unexpected snowfall and decided to walk to work through Central Park. I used to walk to and from work more frequently before I moved farther north and I'd almost forgotten how much I enjoyed it. I actually cheated a bit and took the subway to West 96th Street and Central Park West and then walked my old route along the reservoir to East 91st Street and Fifth Avenue.

We didn't get a ton of snow, and it had almost stopped falling by the time I was on my way but the park was beautiful. I love the city and especially Central Park in any weather, but if I absolutely had to pick a favorite, snow would win. There were even less people than out than usual, mostly people walking their adorable coat-wearing dogs. If you ever needed evidence that snow is magic to me, I felt compelled to wish everyone I passed a "good morning," which is the total opposite of my usual strategy of complete and total avoidance of all unnecessary human interaction.

I finally got a comfortable pair of snow boots and a proper winter jacket with an absurd Arctic-explorer faux-fur hood, so I could have stayed out all day. Unfortunately I had to get to work eventually (is anyone else consistently annoyed by the need to have a job and be a responsible adult?) but hopefully this was just a preview of the winter delights still to come.

Fall Foliage

Although it currently feels like the arctic here in the city, and western New York is buried under six feet of snow (I'm so jealous) I wanted to share a few of the photos I've taken recently of the beautiful fall foliage. I always say that I love all the seasons equally, but if I was forced to pick a favorite it would be fall, not least because of the amazing colors that pop up everywhere.

Every morning I ride a bus past the northern edge of Central Park, and the colors there have been wonderful. I've been trying to get to all of my favorite spots before the leaves fall completely. The leaves turn a lot later in the heart of the city than they do even a few miles out, so a lot of the trees are still not at their peak or just now starting to change colors.

A few weekends ago I went to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens,—one of my favorite places in the city—and last weekend I went deeper into the North Woods of Central Park for some last minute leaf gawking. The North Woods is the most rustic place in the park, and the part that makes me feel most like I'm back hiking in the Metroparks of Northeast Ohio.

I very rarely miss Ohio, but fall is pretty spectacular there. Although, I will say that the parks here have definitely exceeded my expectations in regards to all of the nature I thought I might miss when I moved to the city—and I don't have to drive miles (or at all) to see them.

At one point I came across a small pond and the reflection of the trees in the rippling water looked exactly like an Impressionist painting. Of course I'm very much looking forward to snow (hopefully piles, and piles) but every year fall feels a bit too fleeting.

A Thousand Korean Chrysanthemums (That I Thought Were Daisies)

I was riding the bus down Fifth Avenue to work last week when I happened to glance up from my book as we were passing the Conservatory Garden in Central Park. I couldn't see much, but I saw glimpses of color and made a note to come back during my lunch break. I had been to the garden a few weeks back and marveled at the beautiful fall flowers in bloom, but this looked like something new.

I was completely blown away when I later entered the garden to find the most incredible array of Korean chrysanthemums I had ever seen. I'm not exaggerating when I say there were thousands and thousands of them (Lorelai Gilmore would have approved) in more colors than I even knew existed.

They were spilling over onto the walkways, pushing up through the cracks in the benches and tumbling over one another in every which way. It was impossible to be grumpy sitting on a bench surrounded by so many colorful flowers and I'm still having a hard time believing that something so beautiful can still exist this late into the season. The Conservatory Garden has stunned me breathless before with its tulips (first in 2012 and then again this year but I have to say that the Korean chrysanthemums might have surpassed them as the best New York garden display I've seen yet.

EDIT: Apparently these are actually Korean chrysanthemums, and not daisies (as I originally wrote), which was pointed out to me by someone on Instagram who is clearly much smarter than me. This makes much more sense, seasonally, and also negates my Gilmore Girls reference but I'm never mad when I get to reference GG, even if it's a mistake. It should also be noted that I know absolutely nothing about plants, which is probably obvious by now.

Fall Flowers

I've said more than once that I was never a big flower person until I moved to New York. You might not think that flowers and the city necessarily go hand-in-hand, but everywhere you look there are beautiful blooms to match every season. I've really been noticing and loving the transition from summer to fall in the gardens around the city, particularly the Conservatory Garden in Central Park and the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx.

While summer flowers are bright and cheery, I definitely prefer the deeper shades and more interesting mixes that start popping up when the weather turns chilly. I just can't get enough of the dark reds, bright purples and of course oranges, mixed with neon greens, grays and deep, dark purples. I also love the weirder looking plants—the things with spikes and veins and spots and fuzz.

It seems like suddenly every sidewalk and stoop is overflowing with the most beautiful mums, and the NYBG has an entire show devoted to the weird and wonderful things people can make them do. I went to the Kiku: The Art of the Japanese Garden Show this year and last year, and I am continually amazed at the variety and complexity of nature. Hundreds of blooms growing from a single stem, intricately layered petals that go on for days, honeycomb-like centers and the most breathtaking color gradations—just a few more reasons why fall is the fucking best.

Springtime in New York, part 1

This past weekend I went to New York City, which just happens to be my favorite of all of the cities. I've lost count of how many times I've visited, but I'm pretty sure I've covered every month — December was the coldest (-22 with windchill), June the hottest (90+, a record that year) and August the rainiest (I nearly lost a flip flop down a storm drain).

I've been there when it was 60 degrees in January and 40 degrees in May, but this past weekend it was absolutely perfect. Sunday was chilly and rainy, but Friday and Saturday were some of the most gorgeous days I've spent in the city.

Determined as always to see as much as humanly possible, I packed an extraordinary amount of sightseeing into two-and-a-half days. I can't possibly pick a favorite spot, activity or even borough when the contenders include most everything on my to-do list with notable additions being the "Cat You Care For" book I bought for forty-eight cents, delicious burgers at Shake Shack and an entire grove of lilacs.

I have to say though, for being such a city, New York certainly knows how to do nature. I spent a considerable amount of time walking around Central Park, Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and every time I turned a corner something was blooming and taking my breath away. The highlights:

I spent Friday morning walking most of Central Park, eventually ending up at the Conservatory Garden. I was just about to exit the gate, when I walked into this courtyard ringed with the most gorgeous tulips I've ever seen. Believe me when I say these tulips were a game changer.

I hesitate to say they took my breath away, but I'm still having a hard time believing I even saw something this beautiful. Did I mention the Conservatory Garden is free?

After the Conservatory, I headed to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. I went for the flowering cherries, and they didn't disappoint. I wish I was still there, sitting under the canopy of peak-bloom cherry trees — every time the wind would blow, a few petals would fall and I had to keep reminding myself that it was real life. Sometimes I can't believe I'm so lucky.

Also, I got in for $5 thanks to my student I.D., even though it's been 4 years since I could call myself a student.

Don't tell New York.

As if the cherries weren't enough, the Botanic Garden also has the most delicious smelling lilac grove I've ever seen. Well, it was also the first lilac grove I'd ever seen, but seriously I wish you could smell my photos. That's not usually something I wish when presenting New York City photos, but trust me.

Not to be outdone, the azaleas were also in peak bloom and in such vibrant colors I could barely trust my own eyeballs. Luckily I took approximately six thousand pictures as proof. Apparently the bumble bees enjoyed them as much as I did — I tried to take a picture of two bees getting fresh with one another, but they were all "stop creeping on us" and flew away.

I can't recommend the Brooklyn Botanic Garden enough — every where I looked was incredible. The bluebell field is apparently in bloom as of right this second, so grab your fraudulent student I.D. and head over to Prospect Park if you can — tell the cherries that I'll see them next year.