A Serendipitous Meeting With an Old Elementary School Friend Turned Rockstar

As I was tolerantly enduring a rather dull conversation over drinks on the Upper West Side at Sip (free tapas, by the way!), I peered upwards and could not believe my eyes: an old elementary school friend, a fellow Fargoan, who I have not bumped into for a good 8 years or so had just walked in.

As it turns out, he was visiting his girlfriend, with whom I share several common NYC buddies (thanks, Universe), and he was coming off the heels of a couple years touring with his band, Secret Cities.

If I had only known the wonders of this lovely, folksie, western-inspired alternative rock group during their touring vibrancy. Their jangly melodies, whistling overtones and old fashioned voice-echo-vibrations are reminiscent of a stroll, or even a skip along a seaside boardwalk, perhaps eating an ice-cream cone and soaking up sunshine.

Universe: thank you for winking at me this week. Take a listen:

It's about time! Beirut's new album: The Rip Tide

I forgot how much I love Bill Frisell

NYC: A Bicycl-Empire

Picture courtesy of NYTimes.

While it's true that Minneapolis still holds the title for most bike-friendly city in the country, New York City holds its own caliber of cycle-friendly streetways, abundant bike lanes and a visionary transportation commissioner that transformed the metropolis into a Bicycl-Empire! Frank Bruni commends her work in the Times today.

I recommend using Google's bicycle option to find routes from A to B, but if you are looking for a ride that tests your endurance and rewards you at the end, cycle your way across the Manhattan or Brooklyn Bridge over to Prospect Park West, ride through the park to the Southern end and take Ocean Parkway down to Coney Island. You can either stop there to enjoy the kitschy and gleefully trashy Boardwalk, of turn due East and continue along the parkway across the bridge to the Rockaways, destination: Fort Tilden. Here you can enjoy the grassy beaches and overgrown bunkers, catch some sun and refresh  yourself in the Atlantic waves - a true escape only 20 miles from Manhattan.

For indulgence, grab an ice cream cone near the Beach 116th St station. Ever wonder where the good ol' reliable A train ends up at the end of its journey from the top of Manhattan? Enjoy a scenic ride home over the sounds between Brooklyn and the Rockaways.

Picture courtesy of Google.