'You've Got Mail' moment part II

  Kathleen Kelly's brownstone 

*

This just happened, I promise! He just turned and started climbing all on his own. My life seems to accidentally imitate art when it comes to this movie. Just fine by me. God's little gift to me, knowing how close and meaningful the New York aspect of this movie is to my heart.

Scene from the movie:

*

{Miles might be off by one or two houses, but I am going to give it to him since it's so hard to pinpoint the exact brownstone in the small cluster of possibilities on that street. And he's not even 2. :)}

'You've Got Mail' moment...

Dan staged the whole thing without me even there, then texted the pictures to me. Made my day. Oh how he knows and loves me :)

{You've Got Mail scene here}

{more posts on You've Got Mail here}

Summertime in the City.

Summertime in New York City is such a fun time. There are free concerts in the park, outdoor movies, outdoor dance lessons...the list goes on. Then there's all the other "regular" non-summer-specific stuff that goes on in the city, like Broadway shows and such. With a little one at home, I didn't expect to get out and enjoy summer in the city as much as we have, but opportunities kept popping up and great friends kept offering to babysit (seriously, we have the greatest friends -- thank you, friends!), and so we've gotten to do so many fun things these last couple of months. So much so that I've been too busy *living it* rather than writing about it (a lovely problem to have)! It's now a quiet Sunday evening and our weekend guests have left, the Olympics are on in the background (yay!) and I think I am ready to tackle this beast of a project. That is: The Great Summertime Recap of 2012. With pictures! Here we gooo! 

*

Back in early June, Dan took me to see Once the Musical -- it was my Mother's Day gift :) Oh my...so good. Made me want SING! (I wrote about the movie back in 2007). 

a trip to Times Square to see 'Once'

We continued with the theme of music -- specifically Glen Hansard's music -- at the Beacon Theater at the end of June (I wrote about seeing him, along with Marketa Irglova, here and here). Another amazing performance by Glen...his music moves me.  

There was another unexpected trip to Times Square to see another Broadway show, Harvey with Jim Parsons, tickets courtesy of a dear friend. Such a fun and quirky show, with a star studded cast. 

Times Square (again)!

One of my absolute favorite things to do in New York is Shakespeare in the Park. Such a magical experience (2007 experience here). I've missed the last two years and was so excited to be able to go to As You Like It this year. The Public Theater always does a stellar job, and this year was no exception (and that setting can't be beat -- magic).

the setting - photo credit

That same weekend my dad offered Dan and I free(!) tickets to see the Beach Boys at an outdoor venue in Jones Beach, Long Island. Okay! Again, so thankful for dear friends who can babysit last minute -- we are so blessed. The concert was amazing. Seriously one of my favorite recent memories/experiences. I've always loved the Beach Boys (not quite as dear to my heart as the Beatles, but, still...love), and this was the first tour in 50 years that included all of the original members. Plus UNCLE JESSE (John Stamos) ON THE DRUMS! :) There was something about their happy, surf-vibe music combined with the setting (right on the water) and weather (PERFECT, warm, breezy) that made it a perfect ten, over-the-top, special summer night.

Mike Love and Uncle Jesse!

Then a few weeks ago we headed to Lincoln Center with friends for a night of swing dancing under the stars at Midsummer Night Swing. SO FUN! And something I've been wanting to do every summer since I moved to New York, but somehow always missed until this year. Dancing + Lincoln Center + friends = AMAZING. Another magical evening in New York City. 

What else...oh yes, a trip to Brooklyn Heights! One of our favorite neighborhoods in New York, and a place we (well, I) daydream about often. 

There was also a walk on the High Line:

My first post-baby gig at Caffe Vivaldi: 

A girl's night out in the Village for a dear friend's engagement (HOORAY!!!!!!): 

And lots & lots of picnics and outings in Central Park with my best bud:

Not a bad summer at all!   

*

(congratulations! you've completed reading the longest blog post in the world)

A post about Nora Ephron and loving where you live.

(photo credit)

Upon hearing the very sad news of Nora Ephron's passing last week, I've found myself pouring over articles and interviews lately. What a gift she had. And how she will be missed.

my favorite Nora Ephron film, You've Got Mail (photo credit)

I am currently obsessing over this article in The New Yorker written by Nora in 2006 about her love affair with her rent-controlled 5 bedroom home at the Apthorp, a classic Upper West Side apartment building that I am forever drooling over. I love this article. I love her descriptions and her wit and her sentiments on the neighborhood and the feelings of utter devotion and love conveyed for her apartment (plus it's always fun to get an inside peek into incredible NYC real estate). I like to imagine her sitting in one of her 8 (yes, eight!) rooms pecking out the first draft of You've Got Mail, her Upper West Side inspiration right under nose outside an open window. She recounts the unfortunate circumstances (the end of rent stabilization and therefore a HUGE increase) that eventually forced her out of her love-at-first-sight home. 

The Apthorp (photo credit)

I could definitely relate to her sentiments. It is true that a place (specifically -- in her case and mine -- a really great New York apartment) has the ability to crawl into your heart, right alongside the relationships you hold near and dear. The nook-y fifth floor walk-up near Lincoln Center that Dan and I shared our first year of marriage is that place for me. I fell head over heels in love with that apartment immediately, with it's high ceilings, loft space and working fireplace. It felt like home the moment we walked in. 

our beloved old apartment building on Columbus

Perhaps it was my fondness for the space that made that year so lovely...or maybe it was the happy/gooey first-year-of-marriage bliss that sweetened the space. Either way, I feel a whole lotta love when I think of those times and that apartment, and find myself still sometimes tearing up a bit as I walk past our old building. And while we are now in a place that is much better suited for our family of three, a bit farther north in the same neighborhood, it's not quite the same...I'm just not as charmed by it and it didn't knock me off my feet the first time I saw it (though it was so far superior to every other place we'd seen during our arduous search that the words 'we'll take it!' tumbled out of our mouths a mere 5 minutes into the tour, if for no other reason than to "beat" the other couple who had just walked in...it was slim pickings in NYC last summer!). The happy memories we are creating with Miles in our current apartment more than make up for it's lack of high ceilings and fireplace, and I really have no complaints. But as Nora puts it at the end of the article (regarding the perfectly lovely Upper East Side apartment she eventually moved into): "It's not love. It's just where I live." 

And now I am off to go watch "You've Got Mail" for the millionth time and to fall in love with the Upper West Side and Nora all over again. 

*Tom Hanks remembers Nora 

*Seeing Nora everywhere

*Movies and Dreams: my link to the Shop Around the Corner
--and--
*another interesting NY Times article about the Apthorp

The 4th.

I am so behind on the blog! Yikes. Life has been unusually busy lately, passing by in a blur of summertime fun. Here are some pics from our steamy 4th of July in the city. 

We headed to the boat basin in the afternoon with friends for cold drinks and some river gazing. Miles *did not* enjoy the heat initially (look at that face!), but once we broke him free from the stroller he was much happier :)

(I love a baby in a bucket hat) 

Dan encouraged me to head out that night with friends to catch the fireworks show while he stayed home with Miles (such a sweet husband)(the fireworks were much too late for Miles' bedtime, unfortunately) and so off I went to the Meatpacking District to join friends for fireworks over the Hudson and a late dinner. Firework pictures never turn out that great, but here was my attempt to capture the magic.

A lovely, albeit HOT, fourth. 

*

some past fourths:

2011

2010

2009

2007 

Shimmer.

As I turned the corner of E. 17th to grab dinner with friends yesterday evening, I was hit with this lovely, golden view. Even the fire escapes looked magical, all bathed in the setting sun's shimmering light. As per usual, I couldn't stop taking pictures :)

*

On Set.

(White Collar on W. 85th)

I am on a (blog)roll! 2 posts in a row? Unprecedented! (except for that 1+year I posted a photo a day. oh yeah).

This will be a post about movie-making in New York City (sort of), typed while I watch the finale of The Voice (go Juliet!). Okay. On any given day in New York City you can find a film crew set up with their big trailers and big lights and orange traffic cones and fancy trays of fruit and muffins. Much to my delight, the neighborhood of choice lately seems to be the Upper West Side (my neighborhood!). Miles and I like to take walks in the late afternoon/early evening around the 'hood and have stumbled upon some pretty impressive looking productions lately. White Collar (twice in the last few weeks), The Newsroom and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (filming on my street today), to name a few. Two goals: 1) we try to be subtle lurkers (Miles is pretty good at that) and stalk the stars. today we were looking for Ben Stiller and Kristen Wiig. No luck. And 2) we try to look cute and nice and interesting so they will ask us to be in their show/movie. or least walk by in the background.

We're still waiting for our big break.

(Ben Stiller's new movie)

Weekend Recap.

a new favorite photo -- boat basin on sunday afternoon 

(look at him flirting with the camera!)

A really great weekend. There was:

~a late dinner of take-out and a movie on Friday. (ok, compelling movie, but anyone else somewhat traumatized by some of the scenes? eek. still trying to shake it off).

~central park swings on a gray, overcast saturday. 

~a cinco de mayo dinner gathering at our place with friends saturday night. fajitas! 

~finally the sun(!) on sunday, a street fair on broadway, a walk along the river and beers at the boat basin late sunday afternoon with friends. 

~and then...the real big winner of the weekend...Miles slept through the night last night! what a pleasant ending :) 

~the end.

a walk by the river. and a horse!

boat basin fun

(Overdue) Photos from Easter Sunday.

Thought I'd share some of my favorite photos from Easter Sunday. (better late than never? :)

We decided Miles was a little too young for a basket full of candy, so we wrote out a meaningful card instead -- his very first Easter card -- and "hid" that for him to find Easter morning. I think he liked it :) And it's a little keepsake for the future.

We had a great time at the Easter service at our church. Miles was a champion baby, sitting quietly for the entire 1.5hr+ service, cooing and smiling at everyone around us. He was definitely a hit :)

After church (and a couple of naps) we headed to Central Park for a little picnic. The weather was gorgeous -- one of the nicest, warmest Easters I can remember in a long time -- and Central Park seemed like the perfect place to end such a lovely day. 

(rawr! he's excited about our picnic)

Last stop: swings! A very happy ending indeed. 

*