First day NY

Jen drives us into Brooklyn. The traffic isn't bad since it is early on Sunday, 8:00 am. She finds parking right in front of her building. She tells me finding parking isn't really difficult. People are always coming and going and owning a car is a luxury item anyway. We unload and enter her building. There is a key lock on the front door. She says usually she goes in a side door, but wants to show us the public entrance rather than the less handsome way.





The building is a 5 story, 1960s brick apartment building across from a cemetery. It makes the street prettier to have the cemetery with its green trees. Everyone in her family is still asleep. She suggests going out to breakfast, but we opt to wait for everyone to wake up. The problem with that decision is then we all have that let down after travel and within the hour we are asleep also.

Tom crashes on the couch and I crawl into my older nephew's loft bed, hoping it will hold my weight as it creaks when I roll over. I have no idea where my boys slept. I wake hours later when I hear my little nephew 's voice and my boys. Everyone has settled in nicely.





The apartment is more spacious than we anticipated. It has a long kitchen, a wide entry, a large living room. The biggest bedroom has been split in two for the boys so they each have a room, making it a three bedroom apartment. It only has one bathroom though. There is a bathroom in the basement near the laundry room, to be used as back up, if someone can absolutely not wait their turn.





The floors are hard wood, beautiful rugs have been laid to muffle the sound of feet in courtesy for the apartment below. A lot of young families like Jens mingle with older retirees as residents. The building is really two buildings with duplicate facilities in each tower. That way if the laundry is busy, you can slip over to the laundry next door. Its a little hike, but available as needed. Water and electric are included in the monthly HOAs. There is parking in the building but only for 60 cars. The wait list is 7 years.





The building is dated with black speckled linoleum hall ways and a set of old style elevators with double doors. You look through a window and when the elevator arrives on your floor you open the outer door manually. Once in the elevator the outer door swings shut then the inner door closes. It is vintage 1960's with a lot of character. The location is easy with a subway line just 2 blocks away.





Jen's plan was to give us all a restful day. She has done the red eye herself. Albert, her husband, is in a children's play that afternoon in Prospect park. He is performing in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Jen wants to take us on the lake in paddle boats. Show us how an urban city family has play time. Tom opts to watch TV and relax. We have a delightful day at the park.



The play is held on a small stage in a new playground. The ground has been tiled with rubber so it is comfortable and safe. The play is geared toward the young audience with puppets for Puck and the fairy. Albert plays one of the human actors and a portion of Puck's lines. Riley follows along and laughs. I am not sure Trevor got it all. there were no mikes so you had to listen carefully.



My little nephew got board so Jen went to save a spot in line for the paddle boats. The boys love paddle boats and both want to be with my older nephew, Sebastian. He is a year younger and years more experienced with living in the big city. I climb into another boat with Jen. I figure maybe ten minutes before we will have to switch.



I don't think it was even that long before I hear Trevor's voice carrying across the water. "Riley I get to steer." I tell the boys not to yell and paddle with Jen in their direction. I try to distract by suggesting a race. They start out fine, but Riley stops peddling shortly and we leave them far behind arguing. I suggest a mid water switch. They agree. Riley climbs in with Jen. I climb in with Trevor and Sebastian. I start peddling, but it is a hot afternoon, I suggest switching with Trevor. He hesitantly agrees. He doesn't want to peddle either. Sebastian is the only one doing any work. We are not going anywhere fast. Jen and Riley are off exploring the lake with little nephew Cole.



I dangle my feet over the side of the boat into the murky green water, saying how good it feels. Sebastian tells me I should not put my feet in the water. There are snapping turtles which might bite. Geese float by. Sebastian warns me they might bite. A swan floats by and Sebastian tells me there used to be two swans but this one killed the other one a few weeks ago in a territorial war. The swan murder made the local newspaper.



Half way through the one hour rental, Jen pulls out PB and Js and juice boxes and cheese. We eat while we float. After forty five minutes of leisurely paddling and floating, we head back to the beach to return the boats. Jen is glowing over the success of our first day in New York. She had given us a feel and flavor of what her life is like living in the city in an apartment. She had wanted to show us that though her home was 1/3 the size of ours, she still had a lovely quality of life and so much entertainment available.



Standing in line waiting for our return is a Jewish family in traditional garb. The men have long curls and full beards, dressed all in black with the strings dangling below their black vests. Behind them a black family that isn't speaking English waits their turn. All around us in the park you can hear various languages.



In the car, Jen pointed out the baseball fields where Sebastian plays, and the schools he and his family attend. He has to take public transport to school and has from an early age. He has his own transit card.



Sebastian helps push the stroller or runs ahead, knowing where we are going at all times and aware of his surroundings. Trevor and Riley try to look alert, but there are people walking the sidewalks in every direction. they inevitably block someone or bump someone trying to get out of the way. When Tom is with us, he is always telling one of us to move out of the way or grabbing the boys to physically move them out of the way.



We go out to dinner to a bar/restaurant in Jen's old neighborhood. It is family friendly. Jen says that all the restaurants are family friendly since people socialize not in their small apartments , but in restaurants. We do have too many people for the car so Albert puts Cole on the bike and peddles to the restaurant. That man is buff. We pass him going up hill with Cole in the seat behind him. He makes it look easy. Jen says she wont do that hill with Cole on the bike. Trevor has to hide, ducked down in the back, as we are still short one seat, but the restaurant is not far, just two miles.



This particular restaurant is a classic. Burgers and beer kind of joint, with a long bar and mirrors behind the bar, with shelves of boozes. The air conditioner is on but the doors, a full wall of glass, have been pushed open allowing the hot air outside to enter. The sweat drips down my spine. I down a cold ice tea then order a cocktail. Tom orders his Bud light.



I tell Jen the next night I want us to experience something ethnic. I don't care if it is Chinese or Indian or Thia or what ever. I just know I want the boys to have an adventure dinner, we are in New York. We can get burgers anywhere. I know she picked this restaurant to make Tom and the boys comfortable and he was. It was right in his comfort level, burgers and beer in a bar. She says she has just the place for tomorrow. Her eyes twinkle. Tomorrow night you want ethnic, we are going Indian. Tom cringes and shrugs. He is along for the ride. Riley looks a little concerned also. Trevor is ready to try anything. Though they all order normal fair this night. Riley orders the chicken club on white bread. Trevor gets a burger and fries. Tom orders the meatloaf per Jen's recommendation. I order the salmon. It is way too hot for me to order a really heavy meal, even though there were some great pastas listed.



There was an area in a back room with an arcade and mini pool table for children so parents could even hang out and stay longer with their children entertained. It was a good first day. We got a flavor of New York living. When we got back to the apartment, Sebastian in the back this time, we made our sleeping arrangements.



Tom and I slept across from each other on the leather couches in the living room. I got the couch under the window air conditioner. It was quite comfortable. The boys slept in Sebastian's room until Riley complained Trevor was too close and cramping his space. Tom moved Trevor out with us on the floor. We could get him up for the bathroom easier that way also. I slept soundly.