New Turfs

It has finally stopped raining in New York. I have made a resolution this summer to explore new neighborhoods and places that are new to me in familiar areas.

Last weekend Tiffany, Carrie, and I went to see "Away We Go", before the movie we had a tasty dinner at Max Brenner's in the village. I have spent a lot of time in the village lately. Some cool stores that I have recently discovered are Mxyplyzyk which is a really cool store for window shopping for home decor items and Partners & Crime which is a small book store specializing in crime and mystery novels. If I ever need to pick up a first edition of Cujo, I now know where to go.

I also went to Tutor City for the first time and love it. Tutor City is located at the far east end of Midtown, near the UN. It is made up of Elizabethan looking apartment buildings. If anyone else ever saw the short Disney cartoon "The Little House" which is about a little house that ends up getting sandwiched between big buildings, I believe that house really exists in Tutor City. The gardens there are beautiful. It is so quiet that it truly does feel like you are in some English village as apposed to Midtown.

Near Tutor City, Esther and Mikie took me to the most amazing sushi restaurant that is hidden under an office building. Sakagura has an incredible food and saki menu. Although I have to say I was really memorised by the bathroom (which I know is weird) but they had a remote controlled heated toilet.

This Independence Day I went to a party on Staten Island. I have been to the front part of the island before, where the ferry, ballpark, and Snug Harbor are located. This time I went to the back of the island where you can only get to by car or bus. The houses are amazing back there. Everything is on rolling hills and built like villas so it feels like Italy.

Today I was at my local rouge coffee house, Vox Pop. It was open mic reading and the first time I have shared my writing with an audience in public. It is funny I am so much more nervous sharing what I write then I ever was acting. I think I love theater so much because its a chance to be someone else. When I write, even if it is fiction, there is always a bit of me in there. It is like being exposed naked. But it did go very well. It was a good mix of writers some had books or poetry published, others had articles published, and some people have not published yet. I got a lot of nice compliments (which always make my day) and invitations to go to readings. All in all a very good Sunday.