On nice days, you see a strange, wonderful migtation in New York City: everyone emerges from their apartments, offices, and cracks in the sidewalk to hang out in the parks. Park culture is amazing here in NYC. Considering the majority of the limits are composed of a crazy concrete jungle, it's nice to get a little green in your life, instead of the concrete, asphault, brick and brownstone. In some parks, including parts of Prospect Park, Van Cortland Park and Central Park, you actually cannot see any buildings. This gives you the illusion that maybe you are actually in a forest, but really, you're smack dab in the middle of one of the world's largest cities.
I love the parks, and on nice days, I especially love people watching in them. There is this fantastic phenomenon that my boyfriend and some of the guys he works with have dubbed "sundress day". It's basically a holiday, and like Easter, it floats. Sundress Day is the first gorgeous, warm, and not windy day of spring, when all of the women of New York whip out their favourite sundress, be it new or the one they have been dreaming about repeating since last September. Then, they all sit in the park and flaunt how awesome they feel in said sundress. Guys all over the city then also flock to the park, and try to look as excellent as possible to impress all of the fabulously dressed ladies. It is quite a show, and in smaller parks like Union Square and Washington Square, it can actually be difficult to get a bench seat.
These photos were not taken on sundress day- I was unfortunately working when it happened. But, they were all taken during sundress season- the week or so after sundress day when all the girls are still excited, and wearing summery stuff. And, all of them are from Central Park!
First, we have the delightfully chill hipster chick, relaxing on a bench with her banana snack, looking like she just doesn't care. Hip- like a hipster.
Then, we have this criminally adorable little puppy. Going to the park does NOT help my dog-lust. Ever. Parks are fully of dogs, and I want a dog so badly... and that's bad. I can't care for a dog right now- I have no backyard and barely any budget. Plus, I'm thinking about going to grad school in a different country. It's not time for a dog... but this one is so cute!
I titled this photograph "The Horse and His Boy". It seems to make sense to me. The horse and his carriage driver look like they are having a conversation to me. The horse is asking for something, and his bowler-becked buddy is saying "Whadya want?" in a stereotypical Brooklyn awesome accent. The horse sounds like Mr. Ed, because he is the only talking horse from pop culture that comes to mind at the moment.
This photograph is titled "Think True Love Acted Simple Modesty," which is a quote from one of Juliet's monologues in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. This statue is in front of the Delacorte Theatre, where Shakespeare in the Park is performed. My boyfriend is working on the shows this year, so hopefully, I'll be around there quite a bit. I love the area surrounding the theatre- the statues of the Shakespeare characters, the Shakespeare Garden, full of beautiful flowers and plaques with quotes from the Bard's plays and sonnets, the Belvedere Castle atop the cliff. It's gorgeous. I'm not sure if this statue is meant to be Romeo and Juliet... I'll have to read the plaque another time. But, the quote seemed to fit. This dip is so elegantly romantic, I feel a bit swoony. In a great kind of way.
This next photograph makes me giggle. This man was making and selling balloon animals and swords for children outside of the Central Park zoo. However, at this moment, his placement of some of the swords is, well, kind of hilariously awesome.
Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
