Poconos & New York City
The pandemic year found us in renting a house in the Poconos, surrounded by Oak, Maple, Eastern White Pine — a sea of green in the spring and summer, and bounty of color in the fall. In 2021, we finally made it back to NYC, weekends out to the playgrounds with the kids.
Outdoor dinner at Seamore's on Eighth Avenue.
View from dinner at a Japanese restaurant in Chinatown.
Hanukkah dinner at Chelsea Ristorante with Syd, Lois, David, Eric, Zoe, and family.
Dinner with Amy and the girls in Hells Kitchen.
Dinner with Faith, outdoors with heaters.
Arthur Avenue excursion with Faith, Dan, and Franny.
Jasper Johns show at the Whitney with Dan.
Billionaire's Row towers loom over the old icons of Central Park South.
Built for the Revolutionary War, the Blockhouse is the oldest surviving structure built within Central Park.
Two trees emerging from the rocks in Central Park. Rare time alone in Central Park, I revived drawing with a pen.
New development along near Chelsea's Waterside Park.
Bridge in Central Park. A quick sketch while out with Abby.
Having a pizza with the family at the park next to the brightly covered SVA Theatre on 23rd Street.
View of Manhattan from between young trees on Governor's Island.
Family time on Governor's Island for a pumpkin festival. Great time to draw a tree, don't you think?
In the playground north of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, these trees were just gleaming bright yellow.
Jerome and Shirley, two young sliver maples, regret being planted in this office plaza on 49th Street. “It's such a limiting environment, all we do is listen to the office workers complain at lunch hour,” says Shirley (on the right). “My brother does not even get enough sunlight. I don't think he is going to make it.”
The Joyce Theatre on 8th Avenue and 19th Street. My first foray in using brush pen markers.
Under the High Line.
Back in New York City, Abby had a class party at Chelsea Piers. Amidst the mingling, I did this drawing.
We seem to be spending a lot of time at Waterside Park near Chelsea Piers. It's not far from home, and the girls like it.
View from in front of our building looking east on 24th Street, just west of 8th Avenue. Waiting in the car for Amy and kids to come down to go back to the Poconos.
View of the shiny new buildings along the High Line from, drawn from Don Giovannis, under scaffolding — the roof of their outdoor dining shed is visible.
After being in the Poconos for a long time, I finally came into NYC. A quick sketch while waiting for Faith.
Quick sketch while waiting for the C train.
One day, Layla and I went to Claws 'N' Paws zoo and stopped at this barbecue place for dinner on the way home.
The three story mansard roof of the W hotel on Union Square. I started this while the girls were playing in Union Square Playground — they love trying to get on top of the dome.
Pepe Giallo, good Italian food at reasonable prices, had moved south a few blocks (to 22nd Street), and survived through covid with outdoor seating.
Playgrounds
Weekends usually consist of taking the girls to a playground. I try to find different playgrounds around the city.
Poconos
Bingham Park in Hawley, a small hamlet nestled in the valley.
Downtown Milford, view from dinner at the Dimmick Inn
Failte Steak House in Dingman's Ferry.
The boat house at Lords Valley Country Club.
Pine tree drawn while having a welcome night out at Gresham's Chop House outdoor porch overlooking Lake Wallenpaupak (although you couldn't really see the lake obscured by the tree line).
Two trees at the Fawn Hill Playground in Hemlock Farms.
View from the back of our house in Hemlock Farms. A long porch provides a place us to play soccer, eat dinner outside, or bring my computer out and work.
A five minute walk from the house —McConnel Lake with a small man-made beach provides a nice respite and view of the setting sun.
Animal cages line dirt paths in the woods at Claws & Paws, the closest zoo, Layla particularly likes visiting.
We have visited Promised Land State Park numerous times. A variety of trees surround stone picnic structures likely built in the 1930s.
Experimenting with markers. Trees near McConnel Lake.
A section of the Eastern White Pine that towers over our house.