Roller Coasters at Coney Island

New York can have some pretty brutal winters. We trudge to and from work in the dark, bundled up, eyes down for the most part to avoid the wind and snow.

We have some pretty brutal summers too...filled with sticky, oppressive heat with humidities so high, some part of your body is usually always wet.

But there is a period of a few weeks time each fall and summer where the weather is gloriously perfect. The sun shines and your skin almost stretches towards the sky, lapping up all that lovely Vitamin D that so rudely leaves us every winter.

Sunday was one of those days.

Ceecee agreed to come play for the day and told TT and I to meet her and Sam in Coney Island. So we hopped on the train and set our sights downtown.

Luna Park rose to life before us as we hopped off the subway.

We walked in ready to rock!

I went on my first roller coaster in just about ten years. I shed a few tears from fear - I won't lie...but it wasn't as bad as I thought.

I ventured opening my eyes for a minute but did NOT like what I saw so squeezed them back closed.

I wish I had bought the picture they snapped of the four of us midway through the coaster. Ceec, Sam, and TT basically have their hands in the air and I'm clutching on for dear life with my eyes squinted shut.

So here's a nice pic of Cece and Sam having a BLAST instead.

We (I) jumped (hobbled) off the coaster and continued adventuring.

We found the Wonder Wheel...

and posed like any good Wonder Girls would do.

Having satisfied the ever snap-happy TT, we wandered up the Wheel of Wonder.

Thrilled, of course!

Having opted for one of the "swinging cars," we didn't quite realize just how SWINGY it was going to get!

Up and up we climbed, nervously peeking down and hooking fingers through the car grates as we went.

Just LOOK at how lopsided the cars on the inner rung are!

Did you really go to the carnival if you didn't go on the swings?

The answer is no.

How can anyone say no to flying?!?!

So we took our spots in line and waited to go up.

 

#swinginroundwithbae

We rounded the day out with a nice big platter of Nathan's. 

A Coney Island (and New York) staple, Nathan's has been slingin' delicious hot dogs since 1916. Nathan Handwerker was a Polish immigrant who started the hot dog business with one lone food cart. Now, the world renowned hot dog resto has around 20 people lined up to take orders from the masses. It's also expanded, taking up residence in almost all 50 states, but staying true to Coney Island and NYC.

Chili cheese fries, a corndog, 2 dogs with onions and peppers, chili cheese dog and a bunch of good ol' brewskis.

You can't go to Coney Island without trying Nathan's so check that off your to-do list the next time you're venturing to southern BK!

I think my previous paragraph was a little misleading. By "rounded out," I meant stopped for an appetizer. Because we're not gonna take the subway for an hour into BK and breeze past L&B Spumoni's without heading inside. We each grabbed one of their famous (and just as delicious) sicilian slices and chowed down.

It just makes me so proud to have people who think stopping for a slice of pizza after housing hot dogs is a good idea!!!

Topped it all off with a magnificent Butter Cake scoop from Ample Hills Creamery and watched the sun set from their awesome roof top seating deck.

There's nothing I like more than a good adventure.

Until next time, friendlieZ! :*

PULSE Art Fair Preview

New York City Art Week has long been spearheaded by Frieze Art Fair and The Armory Show.

Any time either event is in NYC, people flock.

The city, and more specifically Chelsea, buzzes with excitement. Art types from all over fly in and collectors, celebs, and students mill around the shows and galleries eager to start/expand/finish their collections. Creativity basically oozes from the sidewalks!

Shows, smaller fairs, and other general arty pop-ups spring up all over Manhattan and it truly is pretty impossible to experience all of them.

PULSE Contemporary Art Fair is one such side show.

PULSE originated in Miami in 2005 and has come to be an absolute staple come Art Week in NYC. Though it started small, Pulse has grown to an international platform, focusing on collecting and displaying contemporary art all over the world.

Having stumbled upon an invitation to the Young Collector's Cocktail Reception and Preview, I wrapped up and headed on down to Chelsea.

Being sure to skip over the slush filled puddles, I walked into the Metropolitan Pavilion right around 6:30pm.

The wide doors opened to bustling people and art EVERYWHERE.

The line for the bar was a little too long for my liking. Why would one waste all their time waiting around for a drink instead of taking in the art?? I do love a good cocktail but it wasn't worth it. We focused on gliding through the fair instead.

There were big pieces,

and plenty of small pieces!

Pieces that lit up...

A very friendly sculpture

And a whole mess more!

Since it's a bit of a picture heavy post, I thought I'd just leave the rest for you to peruse.

Go on! Have a peek around PULSE Art Fair yourself...

 

If you missed out on the art this time around, be sure to be awake when Frieze Art Fair rolls through in May!

You can find info about Frieze on their website. And be sure to check back here! I'll probably be adventuring through the fair on at least one occasion.