I Love New York

My third trip to New York in less than a year and the city never ceases to thrill me! Since we had purchased New York City Passes last July ( and you-know-who forgot to bring them when we went to NY last August), we needed to make a trip before they expired. The New York Pass is a tremendous deal! You get admission and the ability to skip-ahead-in-the-line at over 55 New York touristy stops. I think we paid $100 a piece for a 3-day pass and we easily enjoyed ten different attractions that would have cost us $300 each!
We arrived Thursday, June 16th and the weather was spectacular - low humidity and temperatures in the 70s. Our home base for the weekend was the lovely vacation rental called Brooklyn Bound. I stayed in the Parlor Suite in March with mom and my sisters so this time Sam and I had cool digs in the spacious basement apartment. Krista Kujat is the charming and most welcoming owner. She makes you feel like you are staying with family.

Front bedroom

Wonderful window seat

Cozy reading alcove

 After checking in, we set out to explore Prospect Park. Prospect Park is a 585-acre urban oasis designed by the same landscape architects who designed Central Park. There are meadows for picnicking, a 60-acre lake, Brooklyn's only forest, and a children's area with a zoo and carousel.

Built in 1905, the Beaux-Arts boat house's design was inspired by the Sansovino's Library of St. Mark in Venice. Currently the boat house serves as the nation's first Audobon Center to provide environmental education in urban areas.

A serene, rolling meadow called The Neathermead.

A cascading waterfall on one of the many nature trails.

At the north end of the park is the Brooklyn Public Library. Naturally I had to drag Sam in there! This is the Central Library, where every year over one million people walk through its majestic 50-foot high entryway. The BPL as 60 locations, 18 of which are Carnegie Libraries.

Here's a cool video of A Day In the Life of Brooklyn Public Library.

A Day in the Life of Brooklyn Public Library: 2/3/10 from protectnylibraries on Vimeo.

Andrew and his awesome and trendy friends (all industrial design graduates of SCAD) met us after work for an Italian dinner at Cataldo's.

Sam and Andrew

Me - enjoying REAL Italian ravioli

Adam and Clara

John and Shane