Irish Hunger Memorial

credit: www.gothamist.com

Anyone guess what it is?

Well, I'll tell you.

The structure is the Irish Hunger Memorial, located in Battery Park City.

Credit: www.vipnyc.org

From around 1845-1852, a tremendous famine hit Ireland, killing over 1.5 million people. I learned about the Great Irish Hunger in my British History class last semester.

I learned that the Irish were seen as the lowest of the low by the British because they had different religious beliefs. Great Britain ruled over Ireland at the time, so their hatred resulted in terrible living conditions for the Irish.

The hunger is said to have been started by a fungus that arrived on a ship from America, and then contaminated the entire potato crop, the food they lived on. So the Irish starved.

To make matters worse, the British didn't do anything to help them.

Then came a huge blizzard, followed by a Typhus epidemic. It was really bad news.

As with most historical events, the Irish Hunger has tremendous significance in the larger picture of modern European and American history, which you can read about here.

The Irish Hunger Memorial, besides for being an incredibly cool piece of public art, is a very moving tribute to the Great Irish Famine.

There are many different sections of the memorial...

This walkway is lined with statistics, quotes and poems about the famine:

credit: www.nycgo.com

This garden contains stones from all the different counties in Ireland, as well as natural vegetation brought over from Western Ireland:

credit: http://erinoc1227.wordpress.com

And this is an authentic 19th century Irish cottage:

credit: www.wikipedia.org

All aspects of the Irish Hunger Memorial provide an in-depth history lesson of what happened during the Irish Hunger. Not to mention that it is an architectural masterpiece, which I enjoyed very much.

For more information about the Memorial, check out this informative website.


But wait! While you're in the area...

A few feet away from the Irish Hunger Memorial is Rockefeller Park, in which this lovely little enclave resides:

Credit: www.nycgo.com

This little pond is brimming with shimmery fish, storybook lillypads, sluggish turtles, and boasts a gentle waterfall. I was so enchanted by the scene that I sincerely wished I had the time of day to sit down and relax by its soothing waters.

What a find!

While the days are still long, and before the leaves completely fall off the trees, I hope to visit Battery Park City again. And if anyone cares to join me, I would love some company :-).

An Ode to BPC

Every once in a while, I find myself somewhere in the city and I am struck by the fact that I actually live in New York City in the 21st century.

I've had that experience while visiting the High Line, zipping through dark tunnels on the subway, sitting at my fountain, walking through Central Park on a warm summer evening, and most recently, when I visited Battery Park City for the first time.

Battery Park City is really an extension to Manhattan Island, developed out of the excavated material from the construction of the World Trade Center in the 1980s.

credit: wikipedia.org

I visited BPC on a breezy, sunny day towards the end of the summer.
As I meandered along the paths, I continuously discovered more features of the park that I absolutely loved.
As I now write about my experience, I am having difficulty pinpointing one specific aspect of the park to write about.

So instead, I will share the following guide:

Visiting Battery Park City means visiting the quintessential urban retreat. In my opinion, it maintains all the elements that make up a perfect urban retreat - it is adjacent to water, has loads of greenery, cool public art, a unique indoor atrium, beautiful views, fountains, history, and plenty of areas where you could just have fun and be a kid :-). 

In order to gain the full effect, when you visit BPC, be sure to:
...walk along the river on the beautiful Esplanade:

credit: wikipedia.org

...stroll through a shady, tree-lined walkway:

Credit: www.tfcornerstone.com

...discover some really cool public art in the South Cove (the black circular structure is actually a set of stairs!):

...find the awesome Otterness on display in Rockefeller Park:

credit - www.tomstudio.com

... hang out at one the funnest playgrounds in the entire NYC (which actually has Otterness on display inside!)

(when I was a little girl, my family used to trek down to this very playground for a full day activity... it was really exciting to re-discover this place where I have so many good memories. Read more about it at MommyPoppins).

...read quotes by Walt Whitman along the railing of the World Financial Center Plaza and ponder their meaning:

Credit: Flikr User Lauren Sperber

...enter a vast atrium known as the Winter Gardens right off the World Financial Center Plaza:

credit: wikipedia.org

and marvel at how naturally palm trees fit into the New York City environment.

... listen to yourself echo loud and clear while standing within the secret circle somewhere in the Winter Gardens (credit to LM for discovering this!!):

... and finally relax on a bench and enjoy magnificent views of the busy New York Harbor:

Credit: Flikr user matt707

I haven't even scratched the surface of what there is to see and do in the area. I still want to discover Teardrop Park, which I have yet to visit. I heard it has an awesome slide :-).

Check out the Battery Park City Parks Conservancy website for more information.

There is another feature of Battery Park City that I did not share in this post. It is my absolute favorite part of the park.

credit: Gothamist.com

Any ideas?
Stay tuned....

An Outdoorsy Feel, Inside

Over the past few weeks, I've been completely engrossed in studying for final exams. I had zero time to do what I love... travel around the city and explore.

But my life wasn't totally void of excitement (I can't stay away from adventure for too long :-))...

When I study for tests, I try to find quiet places in the city to set up shop and study uninterrupted. I wrote about some of my favorite study spots a few months ago, but I recently discovered a truly incredible urban oasis.

Credit: www.aeccafe.com

Located in the heart of Lincoln Center, the David Rubenstein Atrium is a gathering center for neighborhood residents, with dozens of tables to relax and eat, and a cafe to buy a small snack or coffee.

The David Rubestein Atrium has a wonderfully pleasant ambiance, and I found myself going back again and again to study.

Notice the wall colors. I love the modern design; it makes the room feel all fresh and airy.

Credit: Flickr user Kenzo*

If you look closely at the photo above, you'll notice a bunch of pipes hanging down from the ceiling. Those pipes are actually my favorite feature of the entire atrium.

It's a fountain!

Credit: www.archtober.com

Water drips out of the pipes directly into the cup-like holders on the bottom. It is a soft and gentle fountain, and it contributes to the peacefulness of the space.

Once again, take a closer look at the above photo, and notice the greenery hanging from the wall.
There is also one on the other side of the Atrium:

Credit: Flickr user Kenzo*

It's a very cool "vertical garden." At first I didn't believe that the plants were real, but then I went over and touched it and discovered that it is 100% authentic, live greenery.

A worker told me it is automatically watered every morning at 3am. Wow.

The entire atrium is illuminated with really cool light fixtures that create a natural light effect.

Credit: Flickr user Kenzo*

With the vertical garden intact, the natural light effect, and the fountain nearby, I almost feel as though I am sitting outdoors.

The Atrium also has free events from time to time. Check out their website for more information.

P.S. The David Rubenstein Atrium is one of 500 Privately Owned Public Spaces (POPS) in New York City. I just discovered that term while researching the Atrium. I think that POPS's are awesome, and I would love to discover more of them around town! Anyone care to join?

Tens of Thousands of Tulips

I went to the Conservatory Garden in Central Park today...


It looks like a fairyland.

Credit: www.centralparknyc.org

I actually believe it is one.

Credit: www.centralparknyc.org

It is probably the best known secret spot in New York City.

Credit: newyorksightseeingtours.wordpress.com

I sat on a quiet bench, book in hand...

...smelling the sweet scent, listening to the birds chirp.
The Ultimate Relaxation.


Just take a walk through its romantic gardens,



so precisely trimmed,

and cared for to the tiniest detail.

Six acres of flowers...

each one more beautiful than the next.

Stroll through the exquisite allées...

of spring-blooming pink and white crabapple trees.

Turn a corner and there you see,



tens of thousands of tulips,

and even more tulips.

When you walk past the Vanderbilt Gate...

credit: www.centralparknyc.org

...you enter into a whole new world.


Check out The Conservatory Garden for location and hours.

My Personal "Neverland"

I was in the neighborhood today and decided to drop in.
I subsequently found my new favorite urban retreat in New York City.

Credit: www.mommypoppins.com

I'm a kid at heart. That's about all I can say.

When first I entered the Children's Center at the New York Public Library on 42nd street, my whole demeanor changed. I was in wonderland.

First of all, the room is super colorful, and you know how much I love colors. Second, it is filled, from floor to ceiling, with PICTURE BOOKS!!

Credit: www.timeoutnewyorkkids.com

The Children's Center opened in November 2008, but I never made my way down there until today. Apparently, it is home to over 50,000 children's books, hundreds of CDs and DVDs, and even has an original Winnie the Poo bear.

I absolutely love the artwork on the walls - the murals depict landmarks of New York City.

Credit: www.timeoutnewyorkkids.com

I sat in the Children's Room for an hour (I could have stayed much longer, but real life was beckoning) reading picture books. Did you know that "the picture book" is a real form of literature? Well, it is. It takes quite a talent to write an amazing picture book.

credit: www.timeoutnewyorkkids.com

I focused on the picture books by Shel Silverstein (author of The Giving Tree) and Patricia Pollaco (wrote too many books to count, each one better than the next). I could have spent hours there perusing the shelves, reading and reading.

The Children's Center is located in the same building as the Rose Reading Room which I wrote about a few months ago. But I so much rather this world of children over the stuffy, rigid world of grown-ups ;-).

Maybe I shouldn't have called it wonderland. I think the Children's Room is my personal Neverland. Peter Pan, here I come!

The Creative Little Garden

There's not much to say other than this is one of my absolute favorite hidden spots in New York City.

I found The Creative Little Garden by accident while I was exploring the East Village last Spring. Nestled between two large buildings, the garden is a true oasis in the middle of noisy city streets. I instantly fell in love. The garden is beautiful and enchanting... with a book in my hands, swinging on the wooden swing, listening to the birds chirp, I discover the real meaning of the word serenity.

Allow me to take you on a tour.

Just past the gates, you see a quiet garden shaded by beautiful trees, vines crawling up the walls and gates, and quaint seating areas on benches and wooden swings:

Stone lined walkway:

A lone wooden rocking chair:

A main attraction of this garden is its collection of colorful bird-feeders.

On any given day, you will see a variety of birds feeding out of these welcoming feeders. And if you don't see them, you certainly hear them chirping from the trees above.

The view towards the street.
As you can see, this garden is a quiet reading place for many neighborhood residents.

Treehouses, a clock and other cool figurines decorate the garden:

A panoramic view of the fire escapes in the buildings around. Notice the red one!

Thank you Nechama for these images! As magnificent as they are, they do not do the garden justice... if you're ever in the East Village, check it out!

The Creative Little Garden is located at 530 East 6th Street, between Avenues A & B and is open April-October from 11am-6pm weather permitting (but I recently went in December, and it was open, so you might be lucky at this time of year if you go).

Check out www.creativelittlegarden.org for more information.