Fun in New York City and (yes more) DaVinci Code
Posted by: Denelle
Per Brad's request I thought I would post a few fun, exciting (at least to me) and interesting things to do in NYC for anyone who is interested or maybe looking for something to do while visiting my great city.
1. Caracas Arepas Bar - a tiny (and I mean tiny) hole in the wall restaurant w/the best arepas in town. Very friendly waiters and in since it's located on the Lower East Side/East Village there is plenty of people watching to keep things interesting. I recommend visiting for a late lunch/early dinner (around 4pm) because they're not quite as busy and hence not quite as crowded.
2. Street Fairs - check around where you're staying and see if anything is posted about local street fairs. They go on all over the city almost every weekend throughout the summer and are a great way to get a feel for the people of New York (without their power suits, briefcases and cell phones attached to their ears). It's a great way to spend the afternoon.
3. Teddy Roosevelt Birthplace - the only President to be born and raised in New York City, you can now tour his home in the beautiful Grammercy Park section of NYC. The house is maintained by the National Parks Service but you can get more information on the house/tours here.
4. Fuggadaboutit - come on over to Brooklyn. While I don't recommend a tour of East New York/Brownsville/Bed. Stuy. there are other areas in Brooklyn that have plenty of shopping, eating and things to see without the crowds and hectic pace of the City (hey, it's why I live there). Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens and Park Slope are excellent places to visit. The Promenade in Brooklyn Heights (the oldest section of Brooklyn) offers spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline as well as the Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty. You'll find the best Italian food in New York in Carroll Gardens (Little Italy, while fun, is way too commercial) along with St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church where Al Capone was married in 1918 (if you're into churches BK is the place to be since it is affectionately known as the Borough of 1000 Churches). And Park Slope has tons of restaurants, shops and the beautiful Prospect Park (second in size only to Central Park). All of these communities have a very "neighborhood" feel which makes the residents very friendly and their the first subway stops into Brooklyn from the City so they are very conveniently located.
If you have any other questions about the city, let me know and I'd be happy to answer them or in the very least give you my opinion.
What's All The Fuss
All week you've heard Brad, David and me talk about the DaVinci code and all that's being said regarding the movie's release (btw, Leonard Maltin totally panned the movie too this am on GMA). However, I realize there may be a significant portion of you that have not read the book and have no intention of seeing the movie. Yet most of you will encounter someone who has questions and wants your opinion. If you fall into this category, check out the book Breaking the DaVinci Code by Dr. Darrell Bock.
Dr. Bock helps to explain the basis of Dan Brown's novel and it's claims (Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene, Jesus' deity was voted on by the Catholic Church, etc), what it's implications are for Christianity, and what (if any) truths can be found in the book.
Additionally, a downloadable version of a lecture by Dr. Bock concerning the lies in Dan Brown's book (took me less than 1 min to download on a cable modem) is available.
Per Brad's request I thought I would post a few fun, exciting (at least to me) and interesting things to do in NYC for anyone who is interested or maybe looking for something to do while visiting my great city.
1. Caracas Arepas Bar - a tiny (and I mean tiny) hole in the wall restaurant w/the best arepas in town. Very friendly waiters and in since it's located on the Lower East Side/East Village there is plenty of people watching to keep things interesting. I recommend visiting for a late lunch/early dinner (around 4pm) because they're not quite as busy and hence not quite as crowded.
2. Street Fairs - check around where you're staying and see if anything is posted about local street fairs. They go on all over the city almost every weekend throughout the summer and are a great way to get a feel for the people of New York (without their power suits, briefcases and cell phones attached to their ears). It's a great way to spend the afternoon.
3. Teddy Roosevelt Birthplace - the only President to be born and raised in New York City, you can now tour his home in the beautiful Grammercy Park section of NYC. The house is maintained by the National Parks Service but you can get more information on the house/tours here.
4. Fuggadaboutit - come on over to Brooklyn. While I don't recommend a tour of East New York/Brownsville/Bed. Stuy. there are other areas in Brooklyn that have plenty of shopping, eating and things to see without the crowds and hectic pace of the City (hey, it's why I live there). Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens and Park Slope are excellent places to visit. The Promenade in Brooklyn Heights (the oldest section of Brooklyn) offers spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline as well as the Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty. You'll find the best Italian food in New York in Carroll Gardens (Little Italy, while fun, is way too commercial) along with St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church where Al Capone was married in 1918 (if you're into churches BK is the place to be since it is affectionately known as the Borough of 1000 Churches). And Park Slope has tons of restaurants, shops and the beautiful Prospect Park (second in size only to Central Park). All of these communities have a very "neighborhood" feel which makes the residents very friendly and their the first subway stops into Brooklyn from the City so they are very conveniently located.
If you have any other questions about the city, let me know and I'd be happy to answer them or in the very least give you my opinion.
What's All The Fuss
All week you've heard Brad, David and me talk about the DaVinci code and all that's being said regarding the movie's release (btw, Leonard Maltin totally panned the movie too this am on GMA). However, I realize there may be a significant portion of you that have not read the book and have no intention of seeing the movie. Yet most of you will encounter someone who has questions and wants your opinion. If you fall into this category, check out the book Breaking the DaVinci Code by Dr. Darrell Bock.
Dr. Bock helps to explain the basis of Dan Brown's novel and it's claims (Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene, Jesus' deity was voted on by the Catholic Church, etc), what it's implications are for Christianity, and what (if any) truths can be found in the book.
Additionally, a downloadable version of a lecture by Dr. Bock concerning the lies in Dan Brown's book (took me less than 1 min to download on a cable modem) is available.
