I finally remembered my camera today. Behold, The Bryant Park Lawn! They rolled up the ice skating rink in March and promptly rolled out the lawn like a trade show carpet. Isn't New York-style simulated nature great? Look, there's even a leaf for a touch of naturalism.

Thursday at the Southwest Porch. It was so dark at lunch,
due to the threatening rain, that the lights were on. Lovely!


It started to rain a bit. But we were undaunted.


Around eight people put up their umbrellas and kept right on eating.


Including me.

Yes it's true. I have eaten my lunch every day this week at the Southwest Porch. The fact that they do not serve lunch M-Th has worked out rather well. You can bring your own lunch and it is a very relaxed non-commercial atmosphere. It is really quite wonderful. People who frequent the Porch are very dedicated to it. We are getting to be a tight-knit group. Yesterday, it was threatening rain, but people still lunched. And then it did start to rain. It was a wonderful sight. About eight people, including myself, all put up umbrellas, and continued eating.

Perhaps that was one of my favorite moments in New York.




More posts on the topic:
The Southwest Social
Southwest Porch at Bryant Park Opens Today

Plus a bunch of Tweets.
Wow I talk about this topic a lot.
Follow me on Twitter




This post is featured on Southwest Air Twitter for June 25, 2009

The usual Bryant Park sandwich place, 'wichcraft is
renamed "Southwest Porch" today.


My seat of choice: a hanging rattan egg-shaped swing.
Complete with branded Southwest pillow. Which I am sure they
will sell along with a blanket and headphones. Haha.


Decor-wise, it's lovely! I love the hanging plants
and the lights.

The Southwest Porch at Bryant Park is slated to open today. At least that is what The Times blog article revealed three days ago. I stopped by the Southwest Porch at 10:30 today to check the progress. There was still a lot of work being done, probably due losing a whole day to yesterday's rain. But one person I asked confirmed that the Southwest Porch will still open today. Good, I am fixing to get a sandwich and swing on the rattan swing. Or perhaps try the beautiful Adirondack chair with carved out cup holder. Or the yellow-cushioned couch.

The setting is lovely. I am sad that it is likely temporary. As of now, it will only stay open through mid-September. In case you haven't heard, this gazebo area is to advertise Southwest Airlines' new service to LaGuardia. They will serve themed sandwiches like the New York Meatball and the Chicago Bratwurst, and the like. Perhaps there will be an Austin Veggie Taco? I can only hope. I will let you know more details after I go. For now, enjoy these pre-opening photos. According to The Times, the hours of the Southwest Porch are M-Th, 5 to 9 pm and F, noon-4pm. No lunch except on Fridays? Well perhaps things will change.

On a brighter note, I just read the following in New York Magazine's Grub Street:

A note from the Bryant Park Corp. clarifies that the 175-seat alfresco area, which includes porch swings and rocking chairs, is not actually a restaurant: “The Porch is a cozy lounge area open to all park visitors for relaxation, contemplation, people-watching, reading, etc. Those who enter the area are not required to place an order with 'wichcraft. Indeed, they can bring their own food and beverage if they wish.”

***
Update, 2:15pm
I went! It's open! I sat in the rocker with yellow cushion. Very comfortable. And then I sat in the Adirondack chair with cup holder. I didn't bring a cup. And then I got some time on the couch. Very very relaxing. I read Catcher in the Rye. It was heaven. And I just saw that Southwest Air Twittered my pics!!! That is very nice of you Southwest, thanks so much!

The Southwest Porch in the southwest corner of Bryant Park.


As of 10:30 this morning.

Before I found out this special area was sponsored by Southwest,
and part of a restaurant, I had visions of bringing my lunch and
camping out here. So comfortable looking. An urban retreat.
Well, I hope they have veggie options. I'll certainly buy a sandwich.


Have you ever seen an Adirondack chair with a cup holder carved into it?
Me either. Looks comfortable.


As you can see, the seating options are varied and pleasing.


The rolls are prepped. Could that mean lunch today?
Will it taste like airplane food? Sorry, I couldn't resist asking that.


The signage is up.

This post is featured on Southwest Air Blog for June 19, 2009





This post is featured on Southwest Air Twitter for June 19, 2009





This post is featured on Midtown Lunch for June 19, 2009




This post is featured on 39th & Broadway for June 22, 2009

"Winter" in Bryant Park.

I have noticed that the leaves on the trees in NYC do not really change much. We do not have a peak season to view the Fall Foliage. So how does a city dweller mark the passage of time from Summer to Fall to Winter, you may ask? By walking through Bryant Park everyday, and noting the changing landscapes, albeit installed by construction crews. Simulated nature.

In summer, Bryant Park is filled with cafe tables and chairs, lunch eaters, grass-lyer-oners (I think they call this sun bathing), a beautiful green lawn, ivy under the trees, potted plants, the outdoor cafe at the Bryant Park Grill, and the slatted movie screen which abuts the fountain for the Summer Film Festival. The fountain is off at this time.

In late summer, the lawn is entirely covered with rubber tarps, and New York Fashion Week, Spring/Summer 2009 Collections, is built on top!

In late late summer (perhaps you could call this early early Fall), after the tents are taken down and the rubber tarps which protect the lawn are pulled up, a brand new Lawn is immediately rolled out. New Lawn! In sod form. What was the purpose of the tarps if they were just going to put down New Lawn? It is a mystery, but I am not complaining. The New Lawn is breathtaking. And the fountain is at last turned on! It is glorious. It is Fall. It is my favorite season, next to Spring.

In Fall, as soon as Bryant Park is perfectly green with the New Lawn and the old ivy, the lawn is removed. Rolled up. Taken away. Now it is ice skating season.

Ice Skating Season construction begins at the end of September. It happened to be 80 degrees that week. I do love ice skating. And I can't wait to ice skate in Bryant Park. But what happened to perfect Fall in Bryant Park? I know. They have to put up the rink (and take it down) in time for New York Fashion Week, Fall/Winter 2009 Collections, which begins in February. But Monday, the 27th, was the Grand Opening Celebration for The Pond at Bryant Park. I will see you on the ice!

Look at the two-story structure they are building with the rounded roof.
I found out that it's going to be a (temporary!) seasonal restaurant.
Wow, that is a lot of work for temporary.

The Pond at Bryant Park
The Bryant Park Hotel & Empire State Building in the background.

Bryant Park. Now this is my kind of nature. Nature in Microcosm. Endless cafe tables and chairs to use. Free wireless, although I always bring my paper notebook. Breadsticks to nibble on and drinks to sip at the BP Cafe.

And slightly off to the left, The Tents! Yes, it is almost Fashion Week, and I am excited.

I've been tagged to play '8 facts' by Deb at Your Destiny is Stone Golden, and here are the rules:

Players list 8 facts/habits about themselves. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed. At the end of the post, players then tag 8 people by posting their names and make sure they know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment at the tagee’s blog.

So here goes . . . (everyone writes the 'so here goes...' so I did too.)

1. I have a thing for repetition. I eat peanut butter toast for breakfast and would wear the same thing everyday, if I could. There is discovery in repetition. There is newness in sameness.

2. On the other hand, I don't much like sameness. In the end, I love seeking out new things constantly. I always thrust myself into new situations just to see how I will do. I have found that I have many skills.

3. I have only been camping once in my life, and once was more than enough. No thanks on the camping. You can't wear nice outfits and nice shoes. What is the fun in that.

4. On nature: I love nature if it is in close proximity to, or preferably contained in, a dense active urban area with lots of shopping and opportunities to people-watch and drink iced coffee and eat biscotti at outdoor cafes. In the end, I prefer 'Nature in Microcosm' to actual wooly, wild nature. (Please see Nature in Microcosm or My Mini Lawn for further evidence.)

5. I use paper towels with gay abandon.

6. I am not much for dogs, but I don't mind cats. If I had a cat, I would name him Chairman Meow.

7. When we moved to Greenpoint, I thought it was the land of milk and honey, only the milk was pierogies and the honey was pickles. Pure Heaven.

8. When I let my mind wander while riding the subway or walking along, a lot of perfect cat names come to my mind. I don't know why. I don't have a cat. So I give these names to you. If you have a pair of cats, you could rename them 'Cat Stevens' and 'Kitty Carlisle.' How about 'Cat the Great'? That would be a good one. An 'enlightened despot' cat. Or 'Cat of Aragon.' Or 'Cat Deneuve.' Anyway I don't know why 2 out of my 8 Facts are about cat names. I did not plan that.

*9. Bonus fact about me: I cut my own hair in between haircuts, and always try to hide it from my haircutter, but she always finds out, because I always confess at the end of the cut. As if I could ever fool her. Psst. I just trimmed my bangs with my thread scissors. Just now.


Tag! You're It:
Jodi @ The Jodiverse
Kyria @ Kyria Abrahams
Jon @ Happy Mundane
Holly @ Decor8
'Poppy' @ Poppytalk
Susan @ Sulu-Design
Jessica @ Shiny Squirrel
Danielle @ Final Fashion

On Sunday, my parents treated my husband and me to The International Asian Art Fair at the Armory on Park Avenue. It was a treat for my eyes, brain and soul. As Japanese art was my previous life, I felt like I reconnected with an old friend. Me! One piece that I really wanted to bring home, though, was Chinese. A Scholar's Rock (gongshi, in Chinese). Kemin Hu Asian Art from Boston had a booth display completely devoted to the wonderful sculptural rocks mounted on swirling hand-carved wood bases. To me, these rocks represent nature in the microcosm (much like my mini-lawn), and thus can be used as a meditative tool to help conceive of the macrocosm. I only know a bit about these rocks from my studies, so I thought I'd write a blog entry about them, and see what more I could learn.

Here are some useful links while I go off and do more research:

Connoisseurship: shou, zhou, lou, tou

Connoisseurship: xing, zhi, se, shen

Brief History

More treasures of Chinese Scholars

a good example of tou

As you know, I planted the seeds midday Friday, and by Monday morning, I had the beginnings of my Brooklyn lawn. Isn't that fast? I tell you, it is very gratifying to plant something. Now it is about 2 inches tall. I am so pleased! Follow the steps below if you have Spring fever. And don't forget to mist often once the lawn has sprouted. I much prefer nature in microcosm, don't you?

Attention all apartment dwellers! Here are the simple steps to growing your very own mini-lawn.

In Spring!

You will need:

• a lovely pot
• potting soil
• quick-grow grass seed
• plastic wrap
• water
• mister (optional)

Get planting!

1. Soak the grass seed in 2-3 times as much water for 2-3 hours.
2. Fill your pot with potting soil an inch or so below the lip of the pot.
3. Water your dirt so it is quite damp but not muddy. Let stand.
4. Spread out the grass seed thickly covering all surface area.
5. Cover with a thin layer of dirt. Mist (optional).
6. Cover pot with plastic wrap and rubber-band it.
7. Place in a cool dark place until it germinates in 2-3 days.
8. Uncover and watch it grow!
9. Trim with scissors after grass reaches 6" or more.

If you are not such a do-it-yourself-er, try this Mini-Bonsai Kit instead.
If you are, try these steps!