Brooklyn Bridge

Coming off my first virtual Halloween party on a cold rainy Friday night, I began this frigid Saturday morning at the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge, getting ready to jog across to meet up with a cousin in Prospect Park for breakfast.

Before starting the mile run across the bridge, I slipped on some cold weather gloves, pulled my beanie hat down over my ears, hit the go button on my stopwatch, and then took off!

As I made my way across the bridge, looking all around, I suddenly found myself standing in the middle of the bridge in awe of the NYC skyline and instinctively decided to remain still and savor the moment.

Minutes later, the sound of runners huffing and puffing racing by snapped me out of this relaxed state, and I started rushing to the intersection of Atlantic and Flatbush Ave so I wouldn’t be late. LOL!

 

After rolling by Junior’s Cheesecake Restaurant and losing steam as I got closer to the Barclays Center, I spotted my cousin double-parked, slowing down traffic with his NY Knicks mask slightly pulled down, drinking orange juice without a care in the world. 🤦‍♂️

 

I jumped in the car, and we took a short ride to nearby Prospect Park to eat outside and catch up for the first time in a couple of months.

Enjoy your Halloween weekend! 😊

#nyc

 

Brick House

Picking up where we left off from yesterday’s post, before going into the Whole Foods Market, I took a few minutes to check out the Brick House on the High Line at the Spur, located at 30th St. and 10th Ave. I’ve passed by this sculpture many times but never stopped to get a close-up view.

There’s no time like the present, so I walked up close, read the brief history about the 16-foot-tall sculpture, and said to myself, that’s interesting. LOL!

As luck would have it, two High Line employees were standing nearby, so I politely asked them for additional information, and they provided some fascinating insight. I thanked each for their time and then went downstairs to the grocery store.

That completes our Saturday walk at the High Line. I hope this has been as much fun for you as it has for me. It’s always great to explore your surroundings! 😊

Have a relaxing Sunday and a productive work week ahead! Let's go!

#nyc #motivation

 

The High Line

I woke up this morning at the crack of dawn full of energy, and even though I was up an hour earlier than planned, I decided to get rolling for another spectacular day!

To kick things off, I asked Alexa to pump up the music, walked over to the bathroom sink for a quick shave, and then jumped in the shower. Now fresh, dressed, and feeling like a million bucks, I went over to the Keurig to brew a Dunkin' k-cup!

With coffee in hand, riding the elevator to the 1st floor, as soon as I got off, out of the corner of my eye, I saw myself in the lobby mirror, and oh no, I forgot my mask! Luckily, I had a spare in my bag, put it on, and proceeded to the High Line.

For those of you not familiar, the High Line is a public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on the West Side of Manhattan.

 

Upon arriving at the 25th St staircase, I bumped into a couple, exuding a youthful exuberance that was tremendous, and I came to find out; this was their first time in NYC! As we walked by the Falcone Flyover stretch of the park, they asked for nearby restaurant suggestions, and I happily provided recommendations.

After that exchange, I continued the lovely stroll, eventually landing in Whole Foods at Hudson Yards to grocery shop. 😊

Enjoy your weekend!

#inspire #nyc

 

Evening Workout

With the workday complete, I was all set to hit the gym for an early evening workout. So I grabbed my gym bag, gulped down a healthy shake, and in a blink of an eye, I was standing on the ground level, looking up at the 2nd-floor entrance to Equinox. Then, all of a sudden, I realized that I didn't book a reservation. Yikes!

I immediately clicked on the gym app, crossed my fingers, checked availability, and thank goodness, 14 spots left, so I tapped the enrollment button. Let's go!

When I went to walk up the steps like usual, surprisingly, they were blocked off, as the area appeared to be set up for a film shoot. No sweat, so I took the elevator to the second level, checked in with the trainer, did some light stretching, and hopped on the elliptical.

During the cool-down portion of the workout, I was scrolling through the camera roll on my iPhone, and this photo I just took downstairs captured my attention, and the outline for this post flashed through my mind. As a result, I spent the next seven minutes writing this post. Lol!

All kidding aside, let's all keep exercising as much as we can in a responsible way during this pandemic.

Have a lovely evening!

#exercise #nyc

 

North Cove Marina

Someone recently asked me to share a few of my favorite go-to places to think, read, and write. I gave it some thought and came up with seven locations, including the North Cove Marina, which sits on the Hudson River in Lower Manhattan.

As you might expect, this prompted me to take a trip over there this Sunday morning to ponder for a while and then finish reading this month's book club selection.

Once I arrived at the marina and made it over to my usual resting spot, I sat down in a yoga-like position and quickly became captivated by the sound of the tiny waves crashing against the yachts. Shortly after that, I directed my eyes to look up at the skyscrapers and then marveled at the clouds nicely blended in with the pretty blue sky. In a word, breathtaking!

Okay, back to reality and only a few more pages to read before summarizing my thoughts on the book in preparation for a virtual book club meeting. Lol!

I hope you enjoyed our time together at the marina on this lovely third Sunday in October. Have a successful week! 😊

#inspire #nyc

 

Murals at the World Trade Center

This Saturday morning began with running a few errands before jumping on the subway to Brooklyn. On the way to my old stomping ground, I had to change trains at the Oculus WTC Transportation Hub, which connects to Westfield, a beautiful underground shopping mall.

If you haven’t been to this spot, it is worth a visit. This gem of a place has an array of high-end shops, restaurants, art exhibits, musical performances, a farmers market, and more.

Now hustling to catch the next train, suddenly, a desire to check out the murals sprinkled around the nearby World Trade Center area became overwhelming! Without a second thought, I changed course and hopped on the escalator leading directly to where all of the art resides.

While clutching the escalator handrails as it crept up to the street level, my heart started to race in anticipation of what I was about to witness. Haha!

The minute I stepped outside, the paintings that I’ve been yearning to see was right before my very eyes! I took my time examining each picture and admiring the inspiring messages.

Friends, there’s no time like the present, so I wish you a spontaneous, fun, and memorable experience this weekend! 😊

#inspire #nyc

 

Takeout

On a typical Thursday evening, we order takeout in the Sledge household, so after finally agreeing on a restaurant and which guilty pleasures to munch on tonight, I headed towards Brookfield Place to pick up the food. Since there was no need to hurry back home, I decided to wind down on the hike over to get the gourmet burgers and sea salt fries.

Thus, I deliberately took the scenic route and strolled through the shopping mall before going back outside to take a brisk walk around the Battery Park City neighborhood. I then made a beeline to the food joint, and what do you know, bumped into a friend that’s recently been on my mind!

Don’t you love it when this happens?

We embraced and had a blast reminiscing about our college days, and ended up making plans to meet up for a bike ride around Central Park on a Saturday in November.

I am so grateful to have run into her and being reminded of a valuable lesson. More specifically, when an old friend comes to mind out of the blue, reach out with a quick text or call on the spot to say hello. That small gesture might brighten up their day.

Okay...it’s now time to wolf down this P.J. Clarke’s burger with all the trimmings. 😊

If this post made you think of a friend you’ve lost touch with, make the call!

Enjoy your evening.

#nyc

 

The 1 Train

While standing on the World Trade Center train station platform patiently waiting for the 1-Train to arrive this afternoon, a recent discussion with a mentor about staying on the right track came rushing into my mind! It was the kind of conversation that you need a few days to let the advice marinate, so I have been chewing on the main points throughout the week.

For whatever reason, when I saw the train appear from the tunnel, it triggered an aha moment, and the significance of the lesson revealed itself. More and more, I realize that moments of clarity can happen anywhere at any time, including on a subway platform! And when they occur, I am a big proponent of capturing your thoughts in some form so that you won’t forget anything.

Well, I just heard the conductor shout out my stop, which means that I need to put on my backpack to jump off the train and get home to settle in for the evening.

I wish you a relaxing rest of your Sunday and a productive week!

#mindfulness #nyc

 

Bryant Park

On the heels of an exhilarating week, I woke up this Saturday and felt like going to Bryant Park to decompress. Spending time at one of my favorite city parks has proven to be a surefire way to recharge my batteries while contemplating the valuable lessons learned from the past week.

When I arrived at Bryant Park, the first thing I saw was a social distancing workout class in high gear, which is the new normal in parks these days. Embracing the moment, I grabbed a seat to enjoy the music and watched the fitness trainer yell out exercise instructions to the participants as they engaged in an intense session!

Now motivated to get my cardio in, I jogged around the park for 45 minutes, eventually resting at a chess table. As you might expect, the desire to play a chess game with a random opponent became top of mind, but unfortunately, not in the cards for obvious reasons. Nonetheless, a game of online chess with a friend this evening will suffice.

Before leaving Bryant Park, I felt obligated to buy something from the well-known Wafels & Dinges. The Double Trouble Wafflewiches, loaded with strawberries, bananas, whipped cream, Nutella, and cookie crumble, was tempting; however, I resisted and ordered a cup of coffee. 😊

Share your thoughts and enjoy your weekend!

#fitness #nyc