Skunks in the Heights

An article in yesterday's NY Times mentions a growing skunk problem in the Heights and Inwood, specifically in Fort Tryon and Inwood Hill Parks. I must say I definitely have noticed the skunk smell a few times recently during runs in the park. There's a bit in the article about some neighborhood dogs getting skunked and possible reasons for the recent migration of the skunks into Manhattan where we were previously skunk-free.

Check it out here.

*image courtesy of fanpop.com

Crane on 185th today

One heck of a crane filled up 185th St this afternoon, apparently moving multiple pieces of machinery onto the roof of 165 Pinehurst. Despite the 10 or so men and police officers at the corner, no one even attempted to stop me from wandering up 185th to take a few pictures!

My photos chosen for Schmap! New York Guide

So I got an email recently from a woman who works for Schmap! An interactive guide to the city and she asked if I would mind her submitting 2 of my photos from Flickr for possible entry into their guide so I said sure. Well I got the email on Thursday that they were both chosen and are now in the online and "App" versions of Schmap! New York. Fun. One was a shot of the GWB from below and the other is a shot of some cyclists during the NYC Triathlon. Here are the links to the online version as well as the originals, just for fun.

NYC Triathlon
http://www.schmap.com/?m=iphone#uid=newyork&sid=events_sporting&p=341520&i=341520_2

George Washington Bridge
http://www.schmap.com/?m=iphone#uid=newyork&sid=sights_outandabout&p=262066&i=262066_59

FYI

Apparently there's going to be some crane work on w185th on Sept 27th so they're shutting down the section of 185th between Ft Washington and Pinehurst... in case you missed the 4ft x 4ft orange signs hanging up everywhere.

Swindler Cove Park

After the LRL Festival, we decided it was much to beautiful out to go inside so we hopped on the 1 train up to Dyckman St and walked the few blocks to the new and beautiful Swindler Cove Park on the East end of Dyckman St at Harlem River Dr (10th Ave). As part of the NY Restoration project headed by Bette Midler, the once illegal dumping ground has transformed into something wonderful and serene on the Harlem River. I highly recommend you hop on a bike, a train or your own two feet and check it out. The children's garden featured herbs (the basil smell was intoxicatingly yummy) and tomatoes and huge sunflowers. There was a nice clean bathroom with a kitten sitting outside and picnic tables to sit and rest our feet. After some resting we strolled a little further south to catch a few shots of the Peter Jay Sharp Boathouse, a new and yet vintage looking community boathouse. There were even a few shells out on the river.

Sunflower in the children's garden

Yum!! My mouth was watering at the prospect of a fresh tomato, basil, mozzarella salad

Walkway over a little pond

Entrance to the Children's Garden

He looks just like my kitty Picasso did 4 yrs ago!

Awesome gate at the entrance to the boathouse

A quad out for a row. I wonder if they're training for the Head of the Charles?

The Little Red Lighthouse Festival

Saturday was the annual Little Red Lighthouse Festival in Fort Washington Park (also known as Riverside park under the GWB). We wandered down around 2pm and enjoyed a delicious Belgian waffle, visited the many tents and sat in the grass to enjoy the musical stylings of John Oliver and the Distinguished. There was a book reading of the children's book "The little red lighthouse and the great grey bridge" as well as tons of other stuff for the kiddies to do. I thought it was a lot of fun and saw plenty of familiar faces. If you have kids it was definitely THE place to be.

The festival was set up near the "165th St" ramp to Riverside park and was jamming up the greenway which definitely ticked off a number of cyclists out for a ride. We saw one collision on the big hill leading up to 181st by a less than courteous cyclist who thought it was better to try to fight her way up the hill and through the crowds ON the bike. I found that I had no sympathy for her when she fell over (she was fine)... its just common sense to get off and walk the bike up a steep hill like that when there are crowds of families. But I digress.... here are the pictures!

Toronto Film Festival

A recent release at the Toronto Film Festival "La Soga" by directors Josh Crook and Manny Perez was filmed in The Heights and DR. A long-time resident of WaHi, Manny Perez also co-wrote, produced and starred in "Washington Heights", a 2002 film that won him an award for Best Actor at the Milan Film Festival.

An article in Times People magazine brought this new film to my attention, you can check it out here: Toronto Film Festival