Freedom of the Human Spirit

Marshall Fredericks created the sculpture "Freedom of the Human Spirit" for the 1964 World's Fair [wiki]

His intentions were to represent something that is free from worldly things. Independent of the Earth. What I find pretty funny is that it is placed directly in front of the World. I have a simple sense of humor.

Below are some shots I took that I truly enjoyed.

Hope you enjoy, more to come soon!

I must admit, my previous interactions with this statue would often cause confusion at exactly what type of birds those were surrounding the male and female. I always assumed they were the same geese that are constantly strolling through the park- I was so very wrong. They are actually giant swans, gracefully enough. Regardless it is a beautiful statue and the idea behind it romanticizes it further.

I particularly appreciated this angle as they are literally soaring past the World. This statue is a healthy reminder to look beyond worldly things and view life with a broader, unlimited perspective.

Anyone else come across this without knowing its story and make up your own? Share your experiences with Fredericks' masterpiece featured here at our own Flushing Meadows Park!

Happy Friday!

P.S. U.S. Open countdown! Flushing Meadows is bustling this time of year; the air is ripe with enthusiasm and excitement for the tournaments. Now if we could only score some sweet tickets to an awesome game! Somebody, get on it (I'll pay back with awesome shots! Haha)

Bareburger Adventure

Today's food craving drove me and some co-workers to venture out onto Austin Street and find the most delicious burgers in town. Well, I have many more places to try, but Bareburger definitely raised the bar. The meat was juicy and organic. So we felt less guilty about the overindulgence.

The decor is super natural, relaxed, consists mostly of wood and pinecones. I love the seating right by the entrance with colorful high chairs and an airy, chill vibe overlooking Austin Street. 

There is a certain cabin-in-the-woods feel that continues through-out with recycled, earth-friendly accessories (their chandeliers are made from forks & spoons and other household items - funky and creative.)

It has high booths toward the back that are very comfy and private. They have a big T.V. screen that plays old cartoons! Boomerang @ lunch to distract the kids while one eats at peace. 

The tables have an assorted selection of bears! Ketchup bear, Hot sauce bear, Honey Mustard bear and Agave bear.

As for the food! You have a choice of assorted meats/non-meats(Beef, Turkey, Veggie, Portobella Mushroom, Chicken (assorted), Lamb, Wild Boar, Elk, Bison, and Ostrich) and from there you choose your sandwich.
Their menu features several mouth-watering combinations.

I had a dab at the California burger, which I recommend 100%; it was absolutely scrumptious. It has sharp cheddar, fresh (honestly fresh)  hass avocado (which I love), romaine lettuce, tomatoes, raw red onion, and cilantro lime dressing (so good).

The fries/onion rings combo was perfect. The order comes with 4 dips:

Peppercorn steak sauce

Curry ketchup (yum!)

Spicy chipotle mayo (yum*2)

& Bareburger special sauce.

Definitely get the fries & rings (to share)!!

And for the family with artistic youngn's, they supply your little one with some crayons and coloring sheet!

No excuses not to go! Grab the kids, friends, family and take the trip.

Bareburger @ 71-49 Austin St. || (718) 275 - BARE (2273)

Enjoy! 

Carousel [Forest Park]

Forest Park Carousel. My oldest memory of the Carousel at Forest Park is 5th grade senior trip. My elementary school held a barbecue for us graduating seniors (we were so eager to move up in the ranks of life at that age). The cheese bus we rode was stale and moldy (Have they gotten better?). The seats old, dark green things that felt harder than planks of wood - the deep color masking the dirt and sweat that accumulated from the commotions of the young. Finding the seat belts took longer than the trip itself. That day the entire fifth grade made its way to Forest Park. Of all of them, in my heart, I felt I was the most thrilled to encounter a real, live carousel. I was prepared. My enthusiasm flying out the window, above the buildings, and away past the dreary, foretelling clouds.

We got to Forest Park. The teachers announced, "The carousel is closed." ..Bummer.

This time around, it was open. And quite a few passed around to enjoy it. I say take the kids, take yourselves, ride the carousel. It's a classic experience. And joyful, simple entertainment.

Cick : Carousel

Charm

Flushing Meadows Park will have more than plenty of photos on here. It has so much character that it will take more than enough posts to capture it in all of its essence. Below: a shot of the boathouse that is the Boat & Bike Rental ..If you follow the link there is some basic information about it. Within this little shed, actually, there's a makeshift shop where we stopped and picked up some liquids to hydrate us on our walk.

Enjoy!

I just find it so photogenic; it's got a raw charm to it.

This bird and the sky both composed something so lyrical that I had to post it.. The second photo reminds me of the sculpture Bird in Space (L'Oiseau dans l'espace) by Brancusi (@ the Guggenheim), one of my favorite sculptures since forever and so I fell in love with it. I am somewhat of a bird enthusiast, by the way.

Happy Friday!

Of golf & guitars [Forest Park]

An impromptu trip to Forest Park after a LONG workday by chance brought us upon a free concert: Rock music from the 60's, 70's, and 80's: Wonderous Stories ..Pretty awesome to find out that our own parks have free concerts! Check out the website for upcoming events: Free Events in Forest Park.

A peaceful walk led to to the Golf Course that looked awfully massive and inviting!

Water the Hills

Rainy day ..with some major flooding spots. I was avoiding getting soaked ..water is refreshing, though. And as some consider it, cleansing.

Enjoy.

Press 195 Adventure

A beautiful weekend was motivation to wander out of the Hills and explore neighboring sites. Craving a good sandwich, we headed over to Bayside's own Press 195 Restaurant. They have two locations, as shown on their website, Bayside & Rockville Centre (the latter featured on Man vs Food - inspiring show for the appetite ) : Watch the video!!

The indoor seating overlooks the kitchen so if you'd really love to challenge your diet, sit inside and watch all of the wonderful foods that come out! The outdoors has a laid back feel with some funky wall art. A good sandwich, delicious fries, and a unique selection of beers.

We started with some refreshing beers on tap; the variety of beers on tap changes on a regular basis (view their current beer selection here) so they are always rotating selections. We tried the Radeberger Pils and the Blue Point Summer Ale. To accompany the beers we ordered  the guacamole & salsa with homemade warm tortilla chips (yummy!)

Onto the hot presses! I had the (# 30 on the menu) "Pastrami, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and spicy brown mustard" (very, very delicious!) and he had the (# 26 on the menu) "Turkey, smoked Canadian bacon, smoked Gouda, fresh tomato and roasted garlic spread" (honest - I ended up bargaining for half, definitely a MUST HAVE) and an order of Belgian Fries with chipotle mayo to top off a scrumptious brunch.

Although Forest Hills has an incredible selection of restaurants (*cough*cough* Restaurant row on Austin Street*cough*cough*) I found this spot supremely awesome - will go back even if just for the fries & beer!

Silent Saturday Strolls

A lazy Saturday gave way to waking up at ease and celebrating the simplicities of the weekend. Plenty was done today, errands had their way today. The original plan of action was to make way to a beach but the gloomy forecast promising clouds, showers and thunder storms unwittingly convinced us to avoid this P.O.A. - A single drop landed in my vicinity. What a joke of a forecast. Regardless once we saw the rain was a fluke, a walk in the park was deemed fit. Out of many photographs I will share in the future, I've posted some of my personal favorites.

Forest Hills is ripe with beauty, both natural and imposed. Our parks are genuine and, I feel, make the community feel like a community. Our trees and other lush greens help pepper the streets with life. It is a gigantic heart in a city with so much character. The blood that flows through Forest Hills is so culturally mixed, adding to the authenticity.

Although the colors of summer are gorgeous, I've decided (because deep down I am a hopeless romantic, and because any hopeless romantic hopelessly romanticizes black and white photography) that the following photos will be black and white.

Enjoy.

An elegant weeping willow overlooks Grand Central Parkway near the crossover to Flushing Meadow Park.

A couple of loungers having (I hope) a pleasant chat, overlooking the lake and taking in the precious view. (Beneath the chair on the right there is a small dog that caught a glance at me just as the camera clicked!)

As a hopeless romantic, I find "poetry" in many things. I found this particular photo incredibly poetic. In the simplest of ways, nothing too deep. Remember, a lazy Saturday is not for racking the brain. It was simply the kind of day to ride your bike to a grassy place, take off your shoes, and lie in the grass.

I wonder where his thoughts may have been wandering? Any ideas?

Of wetted pots and soaken plants..

Rain has graced our doorsteps on yet another Friday. At least the plants express explicit joy. Personally, I love the rainy days (just need coffee to keep laziness at bay)

Pit pat is the song playing in the hills.

Happy Friday!