Let's Go Explore: Upper Montclair

As you may or may not know, I teach in New Jersey. Before I took this job, I hadn't spent much time in Jersey, and I definitely had expectations about the state before I started going there on a regular basis.

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I am happy to report that New Jersey, or at least the parts of it I see on a regular basis, is absolutely nothing like what I thought it would be. There are cute houses and pretty trees and adorable shopping centers - and absolutely none of my students are in the running to be the next Jersey Shore cast member. I've actually found all the people to be quite lovely.

There's one area that I pass by on the train that I've been wanting to spend more time in. It always looks like a picturesque little storybook town. Also, my grandmother grew up near this area, so I wanted to see the house where my father spent his childhood vacations. One sunny day, it was time to explore.

On the bus to New Jersey, I texted my dad to get his grandfather's address. I Google Mapped it to find out it's only a mile and a half from my school - sweet! Thanks iPhone! After class and my office hours, I walked down a pretty little neighborhood street, listening to my cousin's music and taking in the wind.

It was really cool to be wandering around in a neighborhood. Except for the few days I was in South Florida, I honestly can't remember the last time I was in a real, big houses, backyards neighborhood. And these were SOME HOUSES. As I approached the end of the street, I had this overwhelming feeling. I just knew I was getting close to my great grandfather's house. Apparently I had driven by this house when I was 6, and I saw a picture of it a year or so ago. But I don't think that was it. There was an air about this place. I knew it had history. My family's history. My history.

Once I saw/enjoyed/stalked the house, I made my way into the Upper Montclair town center. What a cute little area! Full of adorable shops and cafes. There were at least five stationary stores. One of my favorite things was this little alleyway that led to more stores.

But my absolute favorite part of town was this 4 screen movie theatre. I've seen it from the train a million times and I usually consider getting off and catching a film. It's just so cute! I mentioned it to my dad and he said "Was the movie theater the Bellevue? If so, your uncle stole a replica of the Bounty when Bounty on the Mutiny showed there in 196-whatever it was." Awesome.

Such a fun area to explore. I'm glad I got to play around a little bit on a workday!

(All photos personal unless otherwise credited)

Let's Go Explore. Explore. Explore.

It's spring break, and I've pretty much only done two things:

1. Read in coffee shops and bakeries
2. Wander, often aimlessly, around New York City

I'd say that in the last week or so, I've probably walked at least a half marathon if not a full marathon. It's starting to get sunny out, and that pretty much only means one thing: Exploring. Everywhere. Mostly the Upper West Side.

On Saturday, I walked down through the Upper West Side to Central Park. I apparently forgot that my camera was capable of taking pictures for a while. I then met up with Jungle K and some of her friends down in Union Square for some delicious upscale dining hall food at Vapiano. Yum! Then we wandered around Greenwich Village and SoHo for some people-watching and sightseeing. The highlight of this trip was, of course, Washington Square Park:

Sand art in Washington Square Park

Random piano player in the (empty) fountain of Washington Square Park

On Sunday, I walked down the Upper West Side again to check out one of the biggest flea markets in NYC, Greenflea. Miss M recommended this market to me a few weeks ago, and I've been dying to check it out. Every Sunday from 10 am - 5:30 pm (6 in the summer) on Columbus between 76th and 77th Streets, The Parents Association of PS 87 hosts the market to raise funds for the school. Education AND thrifting? I'm IN. There were a ton of delectable treats and fun finds. I didn't buy anything (except a samosa because they're irresistible), but I definitely want to go back. What a fabulous find! Then I sat in Magnolia Bakery with a latte, a White Chocolate Fudge Brownie, and a good book.

Before heading back uptown, and taking in the view of course.

The Cathedral never ceases to amaze me.

Random Peacock on the Cathedral grounds. What the heck? Not complaining.

Today and Monday I made my gym trips into mini walking trips as well, finding some more fun things to photograph in the Upper West Side.

An ad that made me cry. No big deal.

I will seriously give money to whoever can tell me what these creatures are.

This whole thing made me really realize just how marvelous this city is. Where else can you just wander like this? While on these adventures, I also saw Lin-Manuel Miranda, writer and star of In The Heights. It's been a pretty fabulous week. It's a shame that the second half of it must be spent in the library.

Anyone else go on safari this week?

Is Butter A Carb? (Today's Fun Fact)

Today's fun fact is another law, as they tend to be. Anyone who lives in or has visited New York may have noticed that most large chain restaurants have calorie counts visible.

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This is due to a New York City (not state!) law that requires food service establishments with 15 or more locations that operate under a single ownership to post calorie counts for menu items that are standardized in portion size and content. This includes franchises, food stands, and local or national chains. Menus, food tags, and any advertisement for an item must contain the calorie information for foods and beverages. Seasonal or specialty items (on the menu for less than 30 days a year) are exempt.

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So. Why here? Why now? The government has been trying to crack down on the rising obesity and diabetes incidence rates in NYC for a while now; their latest campaign features gross depictions of bubbling fat coming out of sugary beverages in an attempt to deter New Yorkers from drinking their calories (I'll spare you from those images). City-dwellers, perhaps more than residents of other states of the union, eat a large percentage of their calories outside their home - the average New Yorker eats a full third of their calories in restaurants, from street vendors, and probably at Starbucks.

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It's truly mind-boggling. The things that we take for granted as grab-and-go - a bran muffin at Dunkin Donuts, a burrito at Chipotle, a flavored latte at Starbucks - turn out to be pretty horrible for us. You'd be hard-pressed to find any snack at your favorite place for under 200 calories. Unless, of course, you choose soy crisps or a miniature granola bar. Was ignorance bliss? Were we better off not knowing just how many calories were on our tray? Some New Yorkers say yes - claiming that having a 1,650 calorie meal at Wendy's is okay because they have an "active lifestyle". Some New Yorkers are making better choices, swearing off their morning muffins and street pretzels. Some are just ignoring it altogether; I've had friends say they didn't even notice the numbers.

Recently, there's been a push for national calorie count laws. While not as strict as the New York law, this portion of Obama's health care reform would require national chains to post calorie counts in a similar fashion. Honestly, I'm for it. For me personally, even before I started keeping track of my food intake, published calorie counts make me more conscious of my decisions. At least I know that I'm making a bad choice when I buy that brownie and exactly HOW bad of a choice it is. Most of this information was readily available anyway, and to make it this public just gives us fewer excuses to be a nation of ignorant fat people (sorry, but you know it's true!).

What do you think?