Photos from Governor's Island

Megan wrote a little about our journey to Governor's Island on Saturday 9/29 and posted a few of her photos, but I had to add my two cents as well.  It was an amazing day.  We had talked about going to Governor's Island over Labor Day weekend.  The weekend of 9/29-30 was the last weekend it was open, so we arranged to meet Rachel at the ferry before it departed at 2:30.  We had to squeeze through subway doors that were closing, we hustled through the streets of Brooklyn Heights, and although we had to run the last couple hundred feet, Matt, Megan, Harris and I made it by the skin of our teeth onto the ferry.  Whew!

We were rewarded with amazing views of lower Manhattan.  Stunning, really.  And once on the island we were treated to really cool old buildings, beautiful trees, and that awesome French carnival.  We indulged in some adult beverages, and stood in line for almost an hour in order to get some food in our bellies - totally worth it.  After Governor's Island, we walked up Atlantic Ave toward home, and we stopped in at Pete's Waterfront Ale House to kill some time and wet our whistle.  We ended the evening at a concert venue that was right across the street from the hotel that Megan and I stayed at when we were looking for a place to live and considering Brooklyn.  Rachel had a couple tickets to see Typhoon at Littlefield, and we were able to get a few more tickets even though the event was sold out, so all five of us got into the show!  Our phones were all dead by then, so there aren't any photos of anything after about 8:30pm.  But maybe that's for the best... haha.

View of lower Manhattan from the ferry.  You can see One World Trade Center rising above the rest of the financial district.  To the right you can see the Brooklyn Bridge and if you know where to look you can also see the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building.

Awesome old buildings all over the island.  We decided that we're going to start a college on Governor's Island, because it would be an awesome campus.  

We saw a bunch of cool art displayed, I took a photo of this particular vignette because it has a spelling error (that you can't pick up on in the photo very well, unfortunately).  The board in the second row, second from the left (next to "Stressed") should say, "I'm scared of losing," but instead it says, "I'm scared of loosing."  I couldn't resist...

The old timey swings that we wanted to go on

Sure, the pulley belt that was driving the swings was wobbly and scary, but we figured it wasn't that far of a fall in case anything happened.  A potential broken leg was worth the risk of fun on the swings.

Weeeeeeeeeeeee!  Matt, Rachel and I on the swings.

I'm flying!

Megan was a couple people ahead of me, just enjoying the breeze.

Or maybe she passed out like the first time she ever rode a real rollercoaster, the Viper at Magic Mountain?

Me and Megan and fall foilage

The trees have started to turn and they are gorgeous

Adult lemonade for all!

View of Manhattan from a lovely large field that had red Adirondack chairs strewn about.

Walking back to the ferry, we were in awe of the sunset reflected off of the buildings in the financial district.

Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge, crisscrossing between islands.

View south toward Staten Island and Jersey, you can see the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, which we drove across to get from Staten Island to Brooklyn.

Rachel, Matt, me, Harris, and Megan.

Downtown Manhattan at dusk.

Sisters on the ferry with Manhattan in the background.

This drink is an amazing "beer," but it's really more like a brandy.  Delicious, potent, and very aromatic.

Matt and Rachel celebrating an amazing day in NYC - and this wasn't even the end!

NYC: Taxes, Men, & French Carnival Rides

Happy October!!  I. Love. October.  From my head to my toes to my inner being and outer shell, I love this time of year.  Best month of the year!  Bold earth tones, candy, costumes, celebration, the beginning of the holidays, pumpkin everything!! 

So this is one of the many blogs that I drafted with good intentions, but something happened in-between my keyboard and pillow that I can't quite explain.  Fortunately there were not many edits needed to update the setting of the post: I want[ed] to blog about three things tonight Sunday night: NYC men, taxes, and Fete Paradiso. We'll start with the taxes because it's it was fresh on me mind.

First, let me reiterate that living in NYC is fantizzletastic.  NYC is electric, it's thriving, it's inviting, it's unbelievable and surreally dream-like.  Fact: dreams do really come true. =D  Everything is different here from the weather and seasons to fashion and men, to the cultures and local fare, to priorities and conversations and taxes.  Yes, to taxes.  But was it any surprise really?  Different state, different tax rates.  Duhhhh!  But to me, as I tend to be a skimmer-reader, I had obviously somehow missed some crucial information prior to our move about how NY is.....wait for it......a lesser taxed state than CA as it relates to sales and income taxes.  Not that it would have stopped me from moving here had I realized that there is both a NY state and NYC city income tax.  Truly nothing could have stopped me.  NYC was in motion for the Hartman sisters, Rufus, and Mr. Deitrich, that goes without saying.
But when you get down to brass tacks and you compare our two fav states' income and state taxes, you'll see that NY actually does fall below CA and that I was right.......except that I missed the part about NY being one of the only states to impose a city tax for NYC residents. Bah humbug! At the end of the day it's truly only >.2% greater than CA. Then again, why am I wasting anymore time talking about taxes?!  Check out the numbers below and let's move on to MEN please! ;-) 

California

Income tax: 9.3%
State sales tax: 7.25%* (6.25%, plus 1% statewide local rate)
New York

Income tax: 6.85% (8.82% on income over $1 million) + 3.5% NY city income tax = 9.5%
State sales tax: 4%

PLUS

New York City Income Tax

New York City has a separate city income tax in addition to the state income tax for individuals.  New York City income tax rates range from 2.907% to 3.648%.

So yes, and unsurprisingly so, even and especially the men here are different.  I mean I know, I get it.  It's on the other side of the continent, it's an entirely different sub-culture of America; everything is illuminated!  So that goes without saying that living here in NYC is like being a kid all over again and discovering life, something new with each day.  I'm not even kidding you.  That's what this all feels like.  Being a kid again, but with the logic and wisdom to make good decisions.  After all, it's one of the wisest decisions I made to move here.  =D  Every day here is an adventure, every subway ride an exploration of new people, new behaviors, new sights, new sounds, and all these new-New York men.  In my humble and very novice opinion - and some of my male CA friends might disagree, and this is sans my own Father as I am convinced they just don't make men like him anymore - that NYC/Long Island men are more confident, grounded, maybe even go as far to say more serious, but in a good way?  They whisper when they talk, they breathe conviction, and they make insanely good and unbreakable eye contact.  They speak with fact and they walk with a purpose.  It's invigorating and enticing and interesting.  And did you know that The New York City metropolitan area is home to the largest Jewish community outside Israel?  Grandma Porbanic would smile hearing this.  After all, I do remember her sage advice to "meet a nice Jewish boy because he would treat me like a princess".  My dreams of becoming a princess have never died.... ;-)

On to Fete Paradiso! First and foremost before I bring the last section to my [long-overdue contribution] posting, let me just point out that what nobody ever talks about when they're remarking on how amazing NYC is, are the tiny islands in and around!  It's quite a substantial list!  Those I can name off the type of my head are Governor's Island (check!), Liberty Island (check! and, of course), Roosevelt Island, Randall's Island, Fire Island, Ryker's Island (okay, well to be fair, this one's a prison for the most part).  This past Saturday we were encouraged we headed out to Governor's Island at the recommendation of a new (and totally awesome might I add?!) local Brooklynite-girlfriend, for the last weekend of Fete Paradiso: French carnival with vintage carnival rides circa late 19th and early 20th centuries.  There was a tin-bicycle-powering circular ride that made me feel as though I were a figurine walking around Dad's toy cases.  But Fete Paradiso, which literally translates to "girl's paradise" or "paradise feast", I like the latter.  But it certainly wasn't just any old carnival though.  Fete Paradiso is "the world’s first traveling festival of vintage carnival rides and carousels" and it made its debut on our very own Governor's Island!  What a beautiful thing to experience.  Insanely magical.  All you need to do to imagine just how magical this place was is to pretend you are on a movie set (Fox Lot, anyone...?) and transcend yourself back to the turn of the 20th century, back when times were simpler, laughter was louder, and people were just more, well, dapper.  First, get yourself to Governor's Island by way of the free (yes, another free fun thing to do in NYC!) ferry out of Red Hook - if you're a Brooklynite - and if you try, you might just be able to hold your breath for the incredibly short ferry ride to the gorgeous Governor's Island.  My. Gosh.  I will certainly be returning to this small island latent with such history, such gorgeous architecture, the art, the view!!!  The view of Manhattan (and Brooklyn, come on, I have to show some love for my favorite borough) from Governor's Island is out of this world.  And at dusk?  With a handsome man* and two of my fav NYCers by my side?  Priceless.  A few pictures below paint a very faint picture of our surreal Saturday.  Every Saturday in NYC has been surreal.  For real.  :-)  There are not enough words to describe all the sights and sounds we have been blessed enough to experience already here in NYC.  Yet I cannot say enough about it.  This is one of those days, one of those memories I will use as a happy place to escape to when work is taking over my psyche.  Fete Paradiso, Governor's Island, on the last weekend of September 2013 with a few of my favorite humans.  Life.  Is.  Great.  And I think Kel might even have some photos from the carnival swings ride to add.....sis? 8)

Fete Paradiso propaganda

View of south east Manhattan = Battery Park-ish.

A beautiful day indeed.  View through the trees from the 'food court/garden' where we patiently awaited our oysters, crabcake, lemon tarte, pumpkin spice cupcake, bratwurst, and baguettitos, oh, and the sangria!

'Floating Harvest Dome'; part of the continuous outdoor/indoor art exhibit.

Rachel and I were in agreement on this. Indoor art exhibit, not even to the wild installations yet.

The man who ate fire, as we stood in amazement.

My camera does not capture the charm of these toys.

Trying to focus on the motorcycle and peddle car for Pops!

View of her gorgeousness by dusk. Pinch me!

And us.  Your favorite Hartman sisters LA > NYC transplants.  Keeping it real and reppin' our So Cal light BRIGHT here on the other side of the continent.  <-- I just like saying that!

*See "nice Jewish boy." =D

Resources:
http://taxes.about.com/od/statetaxes/a/New-York-City-taxes.htm