I Didn't Realize This Post Was Going to Be About Parks, But Then Again What Else Do I Have to Think About These Days?*

Yesterday I was feeling antsy and missing California, so after I finished my transcribing for the day, I went for a walk! I walked all the way down Greenpoint through Long Island City and into Brooklyn, to where it ends in a little park at the river across from Stuyvesant Town.

It was lovely! It heads over the freeway and through industrial north Brooklyn, over the Newtown Creek (I think the road goes up for boats sometimes, or used to; there are railroad barriers at either end and a big serrated metal divide across the center), past the Newtown Creek Water Pollution Control Plant (the smell of which I happen to enjoy), and through the neighborhood of Greenpoint (which I happen to know does not have as many green parks as Williamsburg, probably because it is not as gentrified, although it seems to be on its way). Things are blooming where there is room for things to bloom, and people were out and about in Greenpoint even though it was a little chilly (I wore a sweater and long sleeves and was comfortable).

The little park at the end of the road is clean and has some picnic tables, but the grass is not in great shape and the half of it closest to the water is fenced off. This is because it is about to begin renovations, according to the sign on the fence. I knew that there was a big waterfront park project along the river; it is interesting to see bits of it for myself.

Oh, parks. What don't I know at this point about the New York City parks and their enormous, complicated mess of funding, development, and regulations? My brain is filled with parks.

Alex and I hung out and read a little in Madison Square Park the other day, by the Shake Shack, which can't be worthy of its two hour line but which I expect I'll try at some point anyway. What I know about Madison Square Park is that the conservancy that runs about half of it recently replaced all the grass, and is keeping it fenced off for a while to protect the investment, and there was a big to-do about it in the surrounding community.

Anyway. When Alex stops being sick, we're going to use one of his days off to go explore Flushing Meadow Park, which is the big flagship park at the end of the 7 line (about as far as you can go into Queens on the subway [is it still called a subway when it comes out above ground? do I have to call the 7 in Queens the elevated train?]). Actually, maybe we'll walk there. It doesn't look like it's more than about 2 miles, on the map. It was a little over a mile and a half along Greenpoint to the East River. And I do love walking :)

*Before you answer, that is rhetorical. I am fully aware of the many things I have to think about. Parks just happen to dominate my working life.