Tourism at Home

Each year my birthday gives us an excuse to explore new neighborhoods.  Two years ago we toured Red Hook (and good thing because just two months later the whole 'hood was ravaged by Sandy.)  Last year we spent the day in lower Manhattan.  This year we spent the day exploring our new borough - Queens.  Amazingly, it didn't just feel like a day of exploring NYC, or a "staycation" - there were times when we actually felt like we were in a foreign country.  I think that's one of the things I'm going to really like about living here.  (That, and the amazing views!)

Our day began with brunch, which is my favorite meal.  We jumped on the train and headed into Astoria to Sanford's.  Like so many restaurants in Queens, it was sleek and there was club music playing.  But we're willing to forgive that for a restaurant that serves brunch EVERY Day.  (And you should absolutely click on the link.  They have a CBS spot embedded in their website that is hilarious.  It's such a stereotype it could easily be mistaken for an SNL sketch.)  J had the Nutella S'mores waffles and scrambled eggs and I had the banana chocolate chip pancakes.  They weren't as fluffy as Clinton Street or as buttery as Luluc, but the flavor was good and they served real maple syrup.  I gave it my best, but ultimately, I was defeated by the huge portion.

From there we rode the 7 to the end of the line, Main Street Flushing.  Wow.  There was actually almost no English to be seen or heard.  Thousands of people flooded the sidewalks, jostling amidst storefronts with dumplings, fried food, and sweets.  Most of it was wrapped or batter-fried such that I couldn't identify what was inside.  One of the few English signs was labeled 'honey-glazed chicken fingers' with a picture of a chicken's actual finger, luckily, still full from my pancakes, I passed on the food samples.  I haven't been to China yet, and this experience made me both excited and a little intimidated to visit.  

After a short walk we arrived at our destination, the Queens Botanical Garden.  So often I forget to enjoy the beautiful parks and gardens here at home, though they are often a point of interest in foreign cities.  Thanks to J's great idea, we had an afternoon filled with my favorite things, a walk, plants and flowers, sunshine, and an opportunity to take some pictures.  

These are some of the roses from the rose garden.  I love how they all look and smell so different!

As we continued to wander, we saw a beautiful array of bright colors and amazing shapes.

But the highlight came just as we were leaving.  We stumbled upon baby olive trees.  One of my birthday presents was a piece of olive wood.  We fell in love with the silver-green beauty of olive leaves in Morocco, and they are what I'll be carrying in my bouquet for our wedding.  Olive trees have lots of symbolism regarding light, peace, and endurance.  Did you know that olive trees can live to be more than 1000 years old and still produce fruit?  

When we left the garden, we headed to Corona Park.  Unlike the gardens, this is truly an urban park.  There were kids playing sports, couples dancing, people reading, and locals enjoying the nice weather.  We wandered over to the US Open to see the hoopla, which was surprisingly quiet, and then stopped to admire the symbol of Queens, the whole world.

We left the park and headed to Coco Spa.  This is an authentic Chinese massage parlor where J indulged me in both a back and a foot massage.  Unlike western spas, this is not about being pampered, but is more medicinal.  It was a unique experience, sharing some elements with the German and Turkish bathhouses, some elements with western spas, and having some unique elements all its own.

Finally, we ended our night by melding a little bit of our old home with our new one.  We went to Milkflower in Astoria for some wood-fired pizza.  The aesthetic was definitely more Brooklyn than Queens, but the people were warm and friendly, as they've all been here so far.  And we ate the most delicious avocado toast appetizers.  The beautiful day ended with a beautiful night.  First, a spectacular sunset, and then a perfect walk home.

Thanks, J, for a great birthday and a terrific introduction to our new home!