Planes, Trains, & Automobiles

I haven't watched the Steve Martin/John Candy classic in a while, but I always giggle when I think about the "Those aren't pillows!" scene.  It really has nothing to do with this post, other than the fact that it lead to my contemplation that taking different modes of transportation allows you to experience life from different perspectives, both literally and figuratively.

Central Park pit stop

A number of weeks ago, Lena, her friends Shayna and Jill, Eduardo, and I, signed up for a free "Brompton Bike Tour" through NYCeWheels, a specialty bicycle shop on the upper Eastside.  Brompton bicycles are amazing folding bicycles, ingeniously designed, aesthetically attractive, and completely useful.  I bought one for my commute (bicycle, train, and shuttle) from San Francisco to/from San Jose every day, and I brought it with me to New York.  NYCeWheels receives support from Brompton, a company in England, so that during the summer people can use the bicycles for free for the tours.  Since I have an attachable basket for my bike, Nori came with us too.

From NYCeWheels, we headed to Central Park, cycled on to the upper Westside, joined up with a bike path along the Hudson River, and up to the Little Red Lighthouse in Fort Washington Park under the George Washington Bridge.  After a rest to enjoy the view and take a few snaps, our group continued back down the path, through Harlem and Spanish Harlem, and then down along an East River path.  All in all, it was a 3-hour long bicycle tour.  I also enjoyed chatting with the other people on the tour, including a woman who had recently immigrated from Tsingtao (yes, it is an actual place in China and not just the name of a beer) and a young fella originally from the deep south, who gave me his honest opinion on the best BBQ joints in New York.  In a city like New York, it can be difficult to meet and talk with strangers on a more personal level, but somehow cycling alongside each other made it easier to open up and talk.

an unusual view of Grand Central

Last month, Lena, Eduardo, and I (plus Nori, of course) relished a "summer streets" event described as an "annual celebration of New York City’s most valuable public space—our streets."  Park Avenue was closed down to cars for an entire morning.  There were various booths and organizations set up along the way, but just walking down from 72nd street all the way down to SoHo was quite special.  

Taking advantage of the unique angles to look up at the buildings was a reminder of how much history and unique architecture there is all around.  

The Park Avenue Tunnel was also closed to traffic so walkers could experience a sound installation by Norwegian artist Jana Winderen.  She used sounds recorded in underwater environments around the world.