Walking on the Wild Side

The weather has been beautiful in New York this week, warm and not very rainy.  Warm, I am learning, is a relative term.  Warm in California usually puts you in the 90 degree plus category.  "Winter Warm" in California would probably be 60 degrees or so.  The first full day we were here the weather was in the 25-30 degree range.  Not particularly warm but comfortable IF you have the right clothes which thankfully, due to many, many deliveries from Land's End, we are well equipped.  But by the time the first weekend ended, the temperature dropped to about 12-15 degrees and it snowed.  That is "hurts my face" weather.  You NEED a hat in this weather, along with gloves, scarves, 2 jackets and long underwear - especially if you have to walk everywhere. 

So I was pleased when this week, after spending many days unpacking, the weather seemed to warm up just in time for me to do a bit of exploring.   Our apartment is one block off the west side of Central Park.  We haven't been able to find a gym yet with all the unpacking I am doing and all the travelling Chizz is doing. So after spending quite a few hours cooped up in a very warm apartment (who knew when you don't pay for heat that they would heat it so darn much!), I needed to get out and get some fresh, albeit cool, air.  So I put on my walking shoes and head out to Central Park.  Over the years, Central Park has gotten some bad press.  In fact pretty much all we hear in the news and from the Law & Order TV shows is that bad things happen in Central Park.  Usually at night.  I am here to tell you that Central Park really functions as New York's back yard.  During the daylight hours you can find couples walking hand in hand, parents with strollers, people roller skating, running, eating lunch.  You see day care classes of toddlers playing in one of the many different playgrounds located throughout the park.  Just people enjoying a bit of green in a not so green city.

I am lucky to have the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis reservoir practically at my doorstep.  Well, at least there is an entrance to the park on my street and it is literally a hop, skip and jump from there to the pathway along the reservoir. It used to be called the Central Park Reservoir but when Jackie passed away in 1994, they quickly renamed it after her.   According to Caroline Kennedy, Jackie used to love walking or jogging there and her 5th Avenue apartment overlooked the reservoir.   So I have starting walking there every morning.  It is pretty awesome now so I can't wait to see what it looks like in the spring.  This pathway goes all the way around the reservoir.   When I get on the east side, I try to figure out which apartment was Jackie's.  No luck yet, but I will figure it out. 




Clearly running wrong way!

This is a pretty popular pathway, even in the cold and rain. So I am guessing the Central Park authorities decided some rules needed to be put in place.  You can only walk in one direction according to this sign.  Since I am a rule follower, I have been heeding the signs.  Mostly because it works out pretty well for me because of how the pathway intersects with my street opening.  But still there are scofflaws!  I am telling you it is a slippery slope from running the wrong way on the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir pathway to cheating on your taxes to stealing your grandmother's social security checks.  I am certain. 

As I write this, it is pouring in biblical proportions outside so I am lucky that I was able to get my walks in earlier this week.  It is only predicted to rain for the morning so I am hopeful I will get outside this afternoon and continue the tradition.  I leave you with a view of the Upper West Side taken from the East Side.  Our apartment building is visible in this shot.  Who knows I might have taken this in the shadow of Jackie O's apartment?