Location:  Madison Square Park
Weather:  Warm sun, cool shade
Food:  Bacon cheeseburger, coffee shake

In the midst of doing errands today, I got overwhelmed by the warm sunshine and cool breeze and decided I needed an impulse picnic. I didn’t have a picnic packed, but as I walked past Madison Square Park after picking up a couple of things at the baking supply store on 22nd, the enticing aromas of the original Shake Shack inspired me to endure the great wait. After reading on my phone until the battery died and then finishing my New Yorker and then rereading a bunch of my New Yorker I finally got to the front of the line, and got my bacon cheeseburger and coffee shake. I took them to a sunny spot on the grass. An excellent impromptu picnic.

Madison Square Park is one of my favorite parks in the city. Ever since I discovered the statue of William Seward there (I grew up in Alaska), I’ve loved the park. It always seems busy, but I can usually find a bench or a spot on the grass. Plus, bonus, there’s a statue of Roscoe Conkling (and also a lush lawn, lovely tulips and blooming trees). Today the park was full of people enjoying the sun and celebrating Derby day with fancy hats. There was even a bugler in a red jacket across the way adding  a Derbyish soundtrack.

It’s been ages since I braved the endless line at Shake Shack, and it’s not something I’d do every weekend, but it sure was a satisfying treat today.

Location:  East River Park
Weather:  Warm sun, cool shade
Food:  Blueberries, PB&J, chips, yogurt smoothie

Have you ever noticed how sometimes a beautiful day can throw a gloomy mood into high relief instead of curing it? And then there’s the pressure of taking advantage of one of the most perfect days of the year — sunny, warm, but still cool in the shade and not a trace of humidity. I need to vacuum, file papers, sort out prescriptions, transfer money around, etc., etc., but the pressure to somehow take advantage of the day was too overwhelming, so I grabbed some food and set out in picnic mode.

Since the G train wasn’t running and I felt the need to be near water, I settled on East River Park, which I’d never been to. It’s a narrow strip between the FDR highway and the Manhattan coastline, but full of sun and lovely views across the river to Brooklyn.

I thought it would be windy down by the river, but it was calm, and I was soon too hot. I settled in the biggest piece of shade I could find, directly under the Williamsburg Bridge, and cooled off while eating. I walked down to the bottom of the park and back up to the top (probably a little too much walking for me), and while my gloom didn’t exactly dissipate, I felt more philosophical by the time I headed back to the L train. Maybe it’s enough sometimes to just be there to observe this beautiful world, even if you don’t feel particularly connected to it at the moment.

Location:  WNYC Transmitter Park
Weather:  Cool, windy, sunny
Food:  Game pie, French chocolates, Manhattan Special soda

It’s opening day, y’all. Of picnic season. I wish I were a winter-picnicker, but these days I mostly stick to (relatively) fair-weather picnics.

As you may have seen over on A Culinary Companion, I made game pie last night, so today I packed a slice of it up with the last of the French chocolates (a cat-sitting reward) and a Manhattan Special coffee soda, and walked up to see Transmitter Park in Greenpoint, which I haven’t been to since 2009.

I’ve been feeling the effects of pollen the last few days — last night I woke up completely unable to breathe until I managed to reach my inhaler — and felt the need to sit by the water. I know the wind brings just as much pollen into my lungs there, but somehow, psychologically, the air feels cleaner.

Do you have asthma or allergies? Ugh, I wish I didn’t. When it gets going it feels like being really thirsty, but for air instead of water. Then it feels like gut-gnawing hunger, but for oxygen instead of food. Then tiredness and a lot of coughing. Thankfully my asthma medication keeps me operational most of the year, and I really only need the inhaler regularly during the spring.

As predicted, sitting by the east river, watching the sun glow on the water, helped my lungs calm the fuck down. I wasn’t ravenous, but a few bites of cold game pie were a good counterpoint to the warm, hypnotic light and the cold, loud wind. 

I enjoyed the warm spring sun, and the feeling of being on a fast moving ship as the water rushed past. I faced the sun, and 23rd Street, and felt, just for a minute, like all might just be right in the world as I ate the last of the chocolates. That feeling, that’s what picnics are for.

Location:  Fort Greene Park
Weather:  Cool, breezy
Food:  Grapes from the farmers’ market, Perrier

This picnic last weekend was minimalist, and squeezed in just before nightfall. I had only a bottle of Perrier and a handful of grapes, but it was all perfect. The grapes were a revelation — I’m not sure I’ve ever bought grapes at the farmers’ market. My advice to you is: do it. They are transportingly delicious.

Fort Greene Park is fantastic. It’s on a hill dotted with huge trees, there’s a famers’ market on Saturday mornings (though I wasn’t there then), and the top is crowned by the Prison Ship Martyrs’ Monument, visible from surrounding neighborhoods. You can read a bit about the monument and the history of the park over on Wiki and on the New York Parks Department site.

Perching on the steps near the monument, eating grapes, surrounded by kids celebrating birthdays, skateboarders carousing, and all kinds of people relaxing, having fun, and hanging out is one of the best ways I can think of to spend a summer afternoon.

Location:  Bryant Park
Weather:  Warmish, sunny, with a cool breeze
Food:  So much food. Delicious grapes from the farmers’ market, mini roast-beef sandwiches, Kay & Ray’s dark chips, fuji apple juice, candied Alaskan salmon

Since I just finished posting a sad eulogy for Colony Music, I’m going to cheer myself up with two picnic posts in a row. First up: today I met Paul for a picnic in Bryant Park, and afterwards we checked out the lunch exhibit at the New York Public Library. A perfect pairing on a perfect day. 

Bryant Park actually sits atop the underground stacks of the adjacent research library. It’s a gem, and a perfect counterweight to the hustle and bustle of Times Square. The lawn was closed for maintenance (and looked like it needed it), but there are plenty of small green tables and chairs to be had (all moveable!) Plus my allergies have been acting up, so I didn’t mind distancing myself from the pollens a bit.

I’ve always loved the headquarters of the NYPL (the reading room is one of the best places in New York to work or study), and they often have good exhibits on the main floor. The lunch exhibit was a little uneven, but worth a visit for the automat section alone. The exhibit includes some great objects (including part of an automat, as well as a stainless steel hotdog cart, an older wooden pushcart, a lunchbox collection, and more) as well as a lot of books and photos from the libraries vast holdings. I feel like the narrative could have been a little more compelling and coherent, but there are a lot of interesting facts from the history of lunch in New York and, as I said, some fascinating objects. I’d recommend a visit, especially if you can pair it with a lazy afternoon in the park.

Location:  Ijpromenade, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Weather:  hot and sunny
Food:  Treats from Albert Heijn (cheese sandwiches, juice, etc.)

The astute among you may have noticed via Instagram that I have just returned from a trip to visit friends in lovely Amsterdam. It’s a great, relaxed city with plenty of opportunities for outdoor eating, including parks, squares, and benches next to canals. It was uncharacteristically sunny & hot nearly the entire time I was there, and in the midst of a lot of racing around the city, my friend and I stopped near the new Eye Film Museum (where she works) for a picnic in the spacious park near by. (By the way, that’s MVRDV’s Silodam in the distance to the right in the photo above.)

We picked up picnic fare at the Albert Heijn in Central Station, and it was full of delicious nibbles attractively packaged. For some reason the cheese sandwich we both picked was called “Rude Granny,” but everything was delicious, and it was nice to calmly contemplate the contrails from nearby Schiphol airport.

After touring around the very spectacular Eye building, we adjourned to a nearby café for a pick-me-up and more shade before heading out to the furthest reaches of Amsterdam to see more modern architecture.

Amsterdam hits the mix of old and new in such a perfect way, and is such a congenial and gracious city, I hope I get back soon to picnic in more of its parks. For now, though, it’s time to hit up more of the parks in New Amsterdam.

Location:  Cooper (aka Olive) Park
Weather:  humid and breezy
Food:  prosciutto & swiss sandwich, gherkins, plum, chocolate biscuits, Perrier

I haven’t been picnicking much lately, and if you’re wondering why, this picture might give you a hint. Hopefully my back will be improved soon and I’ll be picnicking with my usual vim & vigor. One side effect of the back pain (and maybe some of the medication, I’m not sure) is that I haven’t had much of an appetite. So I decided to pack up a scaled down picnic with which to tempt myself and, after a bit of a lie down, headed off to a nearby park to enjoy the cool evening breezes.

Cooper Park (which I long ago decided was Olive Park, because it’s on Olive Street and I think the first time I went I couldn’t find a proper sign) is a bustling, well-loved park. It’s a bit scruffy, but not trashy, and the recently renovated playground is clearly a hit with the kids. A slightly sway-backed volleyball net gets a lot of use, too, as do basketball and volleyball courts. Ubiquitous London Plane trees (a sycamore hybrid favored by Robert Moses) shade the lawns, and small row houses look in from all sides (though some garish newcomers hover to the south). 

This is the park I head to when celestial phenomenon are afoot, to squint into the darkness until my eyes adjust as much as they are able, still, usually, unable to see any shooting stars or aligned planets or whatever. But that doesn’t stop me from trying.

Since I’ve been reading David Lebovitz’s book about his life in Paris, I decided to pack a French-ish mini picnic, ham & cheese on baguette with plenty of butter, Perrier, gherkins, and a plum from the farmers’ market, plus a few chocolate biscuits. A lovely way to spend a cool, breezy evening after a hot & humid day.

Location:  Owl’s Head Park
Weather:  sunny & warm
Food:  tacos, fruit salad, Brooklyn-grown raspberries, beer, cookies

Today was the perfect summer day. It was warm and breezy, not at all humid. There were just enough clouds to add interest to the sky, and the parks beckoned. So I took the day off. (And tomorrow, too, though I’m not sure if I’ll be picnicking.) All three of my bosses are abroad for most of the week and I’ve reached the limit of my vacation days — if I don’t use them, I’ll lose them. So use them I am.

My friend Paul suggested the mysteriously named Owl’s Head Park (“theories abound” as to the name’s origin, according to the sign) tucked into the upper corner of Bay Ridge. The park is on a relatively (for New York anyway) steep hill, so you don’t see the highway beyond, only bits of the bay with Staten Island and New Jersey in the distance if you climb to the shady top. The best part is that this park is full of huge old trees — beeches and pines and lindens, all swaying in the breeze blowing in off of the bay, and giving the perfect ratio of sun to shade. 

Actually, that’s only the second-best thing about the park. The best thing is the flock of swallows, more than enough to make a summer, swooping and fluttering and diving all around. Whether they were after the many dragonflies, some smaller prey, or just swooping for the joy of a lovely summer day I couldn’t tell. (There are a few small specks in the photo above that are swallows, but they’re hard to see.)

Paul brought most of the picnic: delicious tacos from nearby Sunset Park and beer and home-grown raspberries from his backyard. I added fruit salad and cookies. I would 100% recommend this picnic, both the content and the location, whether you’re playing hooky like me, or just looking for an evening or weekend spot to lay under the trees and watch the swallows swoop.

Location:  Brooklyn Bridge Park Greenway
Weather:  partly sunny, breezy
Food:  roast beast sandwiches, strawberries, tomato, cherry hand pies, lemonade

What a beautiful day for a picnic! Warm, breezy, not too humid:  just lovely. I went to Photoville to see my friend Paul’s Show & Tell (and participate), and beforehand he joined me for a picnic up the river a bit in the Brooklyn Bridge Park Greenway. You can see from the link at the top that not long ago it was just a construction site, but now it’s a lovely waterfront park space. There is still construction as the larger park expands south, but the little nooks and crannies along the path are lovely oases of greenery. If you can shift the sound of the BQE behind you into a rushing river, its all quite idyllic. 

You can see a bit of the view across the river to lower Manhattan in this pic, and you can see more of our picnic here. You may also notice that I haven’t quite gotten the hang of Instagram yet… eventually I’ll figure it out!

I managed to score some tart pie cherries at the farmers’ market yesterday (along with the beautiful tomato we sliced and ate, and the tiny delicious strawberries). I put them into these little hand pies, which are far more picnic friendly than whole pies. They’re also quite easy to make, though I do recommend NOT skipping the step of using egg white to seal them closed — mine erupted in the oven and the pan was full of burnt cherry juice. Luckily most of the pielettes emerged more or less unscathed and completely delicious.

I’m going to go ahead and call the Brooklyn Bridge Park Greenway a separate park from the Brooklyn Bridge Park, because it’s too beautiful not to go back to, though I do need to start venturing out further to parks I’m less familiar with soon. Do you have any suggestions for less well known parks I should check out?