ilovenewhaven

Waking the Sleeping Giant!

2011-06-27T16:41:00.000-07:00

Sleeping Giant State Park is not in New Haven, but 10 minutes away in neighboring town of Hamden by Quinnipiac University's main campus. Entrance is $9 to the park, but you can avoid that by parking on the side street - Mt. Carmel Avenue - or, getting a State Park Pass which can be purchased by going to the DEP site, here.

The park has about 13 trails most of which are C or B-level hikes. I've hiked the populated, super easy, short and quick Tower Path trail a few times. This past weekend, however, I did a much-needed longer hike (5+ miles) with some friends. One of the ladies in our crew brought her gorgeous puppy, Eloise (pictured below).

The highlight of the hike had to be coming across Copperheads (CT has snakes!!) at one of the vistas, and....not getting bit! I think we I was so focused on looking out for bears and coyotes that I had not even considered looking for any other 'wildlife.'

(Click on images to enlarge)

See if you can spot a Copperhead snake!

Quinnipiac University campus

Eloise!

Summer!

2011-06-19T05:39:00.000-07:00

Summer is finally here in Elm City!

Here are some photos I took at the Lighthouse Point Park.

The Other Side of Dangerous

2011-06-02T18:29:00.000-07:00

New Haven is #4 on FBI's 2010 list of most violent or dangerous cities to live in America (after Flint, Michigan; Detroit and St. Louis). Most of us Elm City residents aren't surprised but probably fed up of hearing that year after year. So, what can we do about it? Beef up security all around the city? Add cameras in intersections as some have now suggested? Build even more schools? Ban guns? It's a million dollar question and only time will tell what solutions work best. But, until then I will do my little part by continuing to bring positive internet vibes to New Haven through my photos. I hope it inspires someone to see this city for its beauty. . .

Scenes from St. Patty's day

2011-03-14T17:23:00.000-07:00

Winter scenes of New Haven

2011-01-29T09:34:00.000-08:00

College Street by The Green

College Street. Yale's Old Campus on the right.

Broadway/Dixwell junction

The whimsy on Chapel Street by Union League Cafe.

Quinnipiac River

Pepe's line! Come snow, come shine.

Trees line a Morris Cove

New Haven by Long Island Sound with East Haven in the background

Sledding at Edgerton Park

Edgerton Park with East Rock in the background

Top of the East Rock Park

Happy 2011!

2011-01-01T15:27:00.000-08:00

Here's an intimate look at the Quinnipiac River after the last blizzard of 2010. Photos I took with my fancy schmancy new amateur DSLR camera. I plan on taking a whole lot more of New Haven living this year so I hope you will be here to enjoy upcoming scenes. Happy New Year!

The warmer it gets...Part 2: Some pics

2010-08-10T13:29:00.000-07:00

Earlier in the summer, I had published a post about some cool, summer hangouts in New Haven that you might want to think about. One of those places was Kasbah Gardens on Howe Street and so, last weekend, I went with my friend Dave and we remembered to take some pictures (on the Droid of course - my favorite phone ever - and no, I'm not getting paid to say that).

We got a chance to enjoy some good, Moroccan style hummus and lamb kebab (tangine) with wine that we brought and some hookah (tobacco and/or dried fruit). That's Dave pictured above with his studio pose :)......You can see some photos of the place on Kasbah's Facebook page. They have some great live music too, so most definitely check it out! I hope to post some more photos soon.

Social Web CT Comes to Our City

2010-07-15T07:59:00.000-07:00

Social Web CT is an organization of driven professional activists who reside in Connecticut and whose mission is to "help you connect with others interested in exploring how to use the social web to improve our quality of life." This week marks the first "Social Web Week CT 2010"(you can follow conversations on this by searching for #swct on Twitter) where several events ranging from neighborhood Farmer's Markets to World Cup bar hopping to social media round table with CT movers and shakers.

According to the group's website, http://www.socialwebct.com/, the events are generally centered around bringing people "interested in sharing, learning and interacting with people across social media groups and different sectors" which I think they have managed to do expertly.

The three events I have attended so far have been very well organized with good turnouts and great networking opportunities. I have met progammers, designers, media powerhouses and entrepreneurs and have since exchanged ideas, tweets, Facebook messages, Linked In connections with plenty of laughter in the process.

The first two events I attended were on Monday at the recently opened Irish bar, Kelly's between College and Temple streets. The first was a two-and-a-half-hour networking and brainstorming event, "Technologists and Entrepreneurs Meetup" where some of the organizers introduced themselves and then passed it on to the rest of us to do the same. Then, we each broke out into small chat groups to talk about issues that were of concern to us. Most folks were very relaxed (not the formal corporate types), fun to talk to and highly insightful (as in, I was taking notes!). That session was then followed by a New Media Haven sponsored event featuring a guest speaker from Tutor Trove, a tutoring industry software maker. I ended the day after sharing a couple of beers and yummy sliders with my goofy buddies from the New Haven Collective who happened to have their weekly 6pm happy hour meetup also at Kelly's that night.
Wednedsay, I managed to attend the Social Media Discussion session hosted by the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce with panelists (pictured bewlow), "mega-networker" Bill Sobel of SobelMedia.com, news anchor Ann Nyberg of News 8 and Andrea Syrtash, author of He's Just Not Your Type.

Marketers, business owners and others watched and listened as the three discussed topics ranging from personal branding via social media to managing the sometimes negative consequences that follow this dramatic cultural shift we are undergoing. We also got a chance to ask questions and meet the panelists. I, for one had been looking forward to meeting Ann who voluntarily and out of the blue, took time out of her very busy schedule to send me encouraging and inspiring messages via Twitter and Facebook about my attempts to create awareness of New Haven as the booming, positive city it can be. And so thanks to Jaymes Grace who brought the panelists together, I was able to meet Ann and thank her in person.

There are about five more events between today and tomorrow, so check them out if you can - get event details from the website. If you have already attended any of these events, please share your thoughts here!

What America do you celebrate?

2010-06-29T09:43:00.000-07:00

Even though I'm still not over the fact that our beloved USA football team (go Donovan!) didn't go any further after their last game with Ghana in the World Cup, I am ready to see some outdoor partying galore: fireworks, beer, people, bbqs, parades - all of it.

If you're anything like me, you spend time on American blogs like Huffpo or Politico scorning ignorant trolls and their posts, mocking the Sarah Palins and Michelle Malkins or others that in your opinion misrepresent the America you adore. But if you're like me, you are also sentimental and July 4th weekend is the time (and probably safer) for you to put any disapproving opinions on hold and celebrate the America that you adore.

Besides, it is probably the only holiday weekend that truly celebrates this country, or at least the idea of it: freedom, democracy and for me - civil rights, women's rights, hip-hop, r&b, jazz, Broadway, New York City, pop icons Warhol, Billie Holiday, Michael Jackson, the list is endless. I'm sure you have a list of your own, or perhaps you don't need one to celebrate. If you do, tell me: what America do you celebrate?

Courtesy of www.visitnewengland.com and WTNH/News 8 here are selected events in and around New Haven that can help you plan your weekend:

Independence Day Celebration -- New Haven, CT
July 4, 2010
The “Red, White, and the Blues” fundraiser for the Sailor's and Soldier's Monument will take place during the day; admission includes monument tours and a concert by Ernie Williams Blues Band. Food, drink and horse drawn carriages will be on site for a fee. In the evening, a free public fireworks display will be viewable from Blake Field (State Street), Wilbur Cross High School (Mitchell Drive), and Rice Field (View Street). Location: East Rock Park, State Street. Time: ticketed event from 3 - 10 p.m.; fireworks at 9:15 p.m. Cost: $15 for fundraiser. Information: 203-946-8004 or visit www.cityofnewhaven.com.

Independence Day Fireworks Display -- Hamden, CT
July 2, 2010
The 45 member orchestra of United States Air Force Band of Liberty lights up the stage before Hamden's Independence Day fireworks display lights up the sky in celebration of the 4th. Location: Town Center Park, 2761 Dixwell Avenue. Time: band plays at 7:30 p.m.; fireworks begin at 9:20 p.m. Cost: free. Information: or visit www.hamdenartscommission.org.

Community Fireworks -- Wallingford, CT
July 3, 2010
The Town of Wallingford will be hosting its annual fireworks display near the grounds of the Mark T. Sheehan High School. Location: 142 Hope Hill Road. Time: 9 p.m. Cost: free. Information: visit www.town.wallingford.ct.us.

Great American Boom -- New Britain, CT
July 4, 2010
This event features a live concert, attractions and inflatables for the kids, carnival games, a petting zoo, roaming clowns, different rides on the pond and a magnificent fireworks display to end the night. Location: Stanley Quarter Park, 2159 Stanley Street. Time: 5 - 11 p.m Cost: $5. Information: 860-826-3360 or visit www.new-britain.net/recnpark.

Fireworks Spectacular -- Trumbull, CT
July 2, 2010
Celebrate Independence Day, bring your friends and family and enjoy live entertainment, giveaways, food and a fantastic fireworks show. Location: Westfield Trumbull, 5065 Main Street. Time: 7:30 p.m. Cost: free. Information: 203-372-4500.

J. Geils/Gerry Beaudoin Quartet -- Westport, CT
July 4, 2010
Spend a memorable holiday with legendary artist J. Geils and his new band, featuring Gerry Beaudoin. Westport’s show choir opens the show. Location: Levitt Pavilion, 40 Jesup Road. Time: 7 p.m. Cost: free. Information: 203-226-7600 or visit www. levittpavilion.com.

West Haven -- Bradley Point 9:15 p.m. (rain date July 5th)

Milford -- Westfield Connecticut Post Mall 9:30 p.m. (rain date July 5th)

Fairfield -- Jennings Beach (Rain Date July 5)

Ridgefield -- Dusk, at Ridgefield High School (Rain Date July 5)

Wilton -- Wilton High School Athletic Complex

Groton/New London -- 9:20 p.m. Thames River Waterfront

Hartford -- Riverfest On Connecticut River. Entertainment begins at 4:00 p.m., Fireworks at 9:00 p.m.

Happy Independence day!

Festive Haven

2010-06-17T19:09:00.001-07:00

Have you been yet? You have until June 26th to check out live music, art, dance, theater, bike tours, walking tours, foodie tours, poetry and tons of other events all over the city.

I wonder if anyone has checked out "Susurrus" which is, according to the description on festival's website, "part radio play, part avant-garde sonic art, and part stroll in the park - a poignant story of misplaced passion and betrayal that sensuously refracts the themes of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night’s Dream". Created by playwright David Leddy, the audience listens to the play through using an iPod while following a charted path through Edgerton Park. Hmmm...I'd check it out. Any takers? Facebook/Twitter me :)

Many events are free like the one I attended on Tues June, 15th - A Conversation with Bill T. Jones & Elizabeth Alexander at the Yale Center for British Art. Elizabeth Alexander is a Poet and Yale Professor of African American Studies who also composed and read the poem at Obama's Inaugural ceremony.

In Tuesday's event, she interviewed the renowned choreographer Bill T. Jones who just received a Tony Award on Sunday for FELA! the hit broadway musical about the talented musician and political activist Fela Kuti. One full house and 90 minutes later, the thought provoking discussion on everything from dance and poetry to "Americanist" attitudes and influence of celebrity and marketing left me inspired to say the least. Afterwards, both Professor Alexander and Mr. Jones remained to chit chat with fans, friends and family.

Of course, my personal favorite has to involve food (which would also mean cocktails) so my mission is to attend at least one of the foodie tours which start today at 1:30pm with the "Blending Spices" themed tour involving Thali Restaurant for its Indian cuisine; Bentara for its Malaysian and Geronimo for its authentic Southwestern cuisine (not Tex Mex!). There are also coffee tours, sustainable sushi tours with Bun Lai of Miya Sushi and a very seductive "The Art of the Cocktail Tour" hosted by 116 Crown's mixologist John Ginnetti.

Geronimo's Bar has over 100 tequilas including some infused with jalapenos!

Chef Prasad Chirnomula's innovative dishes at Thali Regional Indian Cuisine (above).

That's all I have for now. Check out more stuff at www.artidea.org and come back and comment if you so wish. Today (sunny and 80+ degrees) I'm playing tourist guide and taking some members of New Haven Collective to the Thimble Islands for a boat cruise!

The warmer it gets...

2010-04-12T17:46:00.000-07:00

....The more you'll venture out, right? So, familiarize yourselves with these mostly inexpensive, hidden gems in and around New Haven.

FOOD, ETC...

Jenelle's (serving breakfast, lunch, delivery & catering) is on 307 Front Street, New Haven; located right on the Fair Haven Marina. Tasty, affordable, healthy, food. Clean & tiny interior with about 8-10 parking spots. Patio fit for boat gazers, but it is very tiny so on a sunny, warm day, come early!

Kasbah Garden Cafe on 105 Howe Street. This adorable place is an extension of the store Casablanca and is one of my favorite new discoveries thanks to pals Karl and Jules. Hidden at the back of the store, past a wide alley on Howe street between Elm Street and Edgewood Avenue, the shy restaurant has an outside garden and patio where you can BYOB, smoke some hookah ($10 a pipe - lasts for more than hour for four people), feast on hummus or lamb and chill out all day. The owners are very sweet and friendly. Atmosphere is very casual.

OUTDOORS, ETC...

East Rock Park - bike, hike, jog, walk or drive to summit. Scenic, popular and surprisingly plenty of lone venturers. Main entrance is 41 Cold Spring Street, New Haven although my favorite entrance to the park is from the Eli Whitney Museum in Hamden.

Edgerton Park
Known for hosting the annual 'Shakespeare at the Park' summer series, Edgerton has a wide open space for running around with your dogs or kids. It's busy and quiet at the same time. Perfect for picnics, reading and people-watching. Community garden and conservatory are available for event rentals.

Elm City Springtime

2010-04-08T10:40:00.001-07:00

New Haven's 37th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival takes place on Sunday April 18th this year at the historic Wooster Square Park from 1-5pm. It's free to attend with lots of family-friendly things to do. I'm looking forward to it since I have never experienced it before, plus I think it will set the tone for my anticipated week-long Spring vacation trip to Europe (yay!) starting the very next day with my buddy Jules.

That said, you don't have to wait for the festival to check out the gorgeous trees in blossom of course. You can check them out anytime you like, although I will warn you that there will be Cherry Tree paparazzi you might have to fend off if you visit after 5pm or on weekends. There are also some very lovely trees in blossom all over town, like these I spotted this morning in the lovely Fair Haven neighborhood by the Quinnipiac Park & River - only 2 minutes drive from Wooster Square.

Enjoy!

Events at Jennifer Jane's

2010-02-28T11:25:00.000-08:00

Jennifer Jane Gallery hosted a fantastic evening of live music on February 27th. I made it to see two: 'Goodnight Blue Moon' and 'Mixtape'. The first is a New Haven-based pop indie band consisting of seven talented members including one very handsome upright bass player. Not knowing much about this genre, I have to say, it was a pleasure listening to them play. I liked them enough to get one of their CDs. Ok, fine the CD was free but still, it takes a lot of effort to pick one up you know. If you're looking for good music, new talent or even if you're not looking for anything at all just listen to 'Dark Clouds' my favorite song from their New England album here.

Mixtape is a 5-member, Brooklyn-based pop/rock band. The very talented Aussie vocalist Karlie Bruce leads the band with her crisp, sentimental voice reminiscent of classic jazz vocalists. Mixtape is a must-try! Sample Karlie's soothing melodies on her website here.

The Jennifer Jane gallery (current exhibition: JOY BUSH, "Abesse") hosts a variety of events like these as well as those related to photography such as the upcoming Sean Kernan one-day workshop which is "an exploration, through direct experience, of the creativity that happens long before our photographs." taking place on Sat. March 27th 10am-5pm. Click on the link above to see more details.

Maybe I'll see you there!

SNOWED IN :=)

2010-02-10T09:59:00.000-08:00

New Haven 2010

2010-01-21T11:36:00.001-08:00

So, what is New Haven offering its city and neighboring suburban dwellers in 2010? Why, a lot, of course. That's at least according to the city's calendar which is filled with numerous activities to do in and around town. The wall calendar themed, "A Night out in New Haven. What to see, what to do" is published by the city as a 'gift' for its residents. The calendar also has a annual report highlighting the accomplishments of the past year.

Here are a few of the things I look forward to seeing and/or experiencing in New Haven this year. Hope you will do the same!

360 State

360 State is a construction project which began in September 2008 and intended to "revitalize a long-underutilized 1.5-acre site in a prime downtown location, a block away from the New Haven Green and across the street from the State Street train station. It is believed to be the largest private new construction project ever built in New Haven and the greenest large-scale residential building in Connecticut. This project has been selected to be a pilot project for the LEED Program for Neighborhood Development" and is expected to be finalized by Fall 2010.

According to this article in the Advocate, 360 has secured a retail grocery store, but we don't know what store that is. The rumor is that it's not Whole Foods. I guess, we'll have to take a field trip to Chesire or Milford for that then. Regardless, I'm just excited to see our small city grow in what seems like the "right" direction at least environmentally and esthetically.

Salsa!

I've been saying for YEARS that I want to take a salsa class (who hasn't?), but I'm too busy blogging or bar-hopping to do it. And, by "salsa" I don't mean the fake hip shaking and arm swinging that resembles the Carlton dance, I'm referring to the real deal. Lucky for me, New Haven's got Alisa's House of Salsa. It's got a great reputation and owner/instructor Ms. Alisa Bowens is fabulous, so why not? I really hope 2010 is the year for learning salsa or at least that move Alisa is doing in the photo above. Wouldn't you want your next Facebook profile picture to look like that? I would!

More volunteering...

Although I had a hard time finding a place to volunteer last year (see my previous post about that here) before the Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen (D.E.S.K) accepted me, I still think there are other organizations that could use the help. I thought of the Literacy Volunteers of Greater New Haven after I ran into an old pal, Erika whose mother is involved with the organization, so there's one. Wanna volunteer with me? I'll be posting these things on my twitter too, so for you CT tweeples, you know the drill. And if you're one of those who refuses to join Twitter, then just go out there, reach out and touch...

Concerts

I've never been much of a concert goer. I find that I don't frequent places that are too noisy or crowded for one to chat, or too quiet for that matter because I have a natural need to talk endlessly. It's kind of a survival thing [insert "LOL" here]. So, I'll attend one or two big concerts a year and maybe about 5-6 of the smaller, more intimate ones around here. Or else, as far as live entertainment is concerned, it's a comedy show or Manhattan, baby. The best sources for info on local or cult bands I'd recommend the Advocate or you could just go straight to the venues' websites like legendary Toad's Place, Cafe Nine, Humphrey's, BAR, Firehouse12, etc.

Here are some big-name concerts you might like -

Black Eyed Peas
Mohegan Sun
Feb 27th - $85, $105

Bon Jovi
Mohegun Sun
March 26th - $125, $195

George Clinton Parliament Funkadelic
Toad's Place
Feb 18th - $33

Juelz Santana
Toad's Place
March 5th - $30

This is all for now, but more to come....soon!

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-10T09:57:00.000-08:00

Here are some events going on in and around New Haven that you might like to enjoy!
(Thank you Jacky!!)

TOWN GREEN LUMINARIA

December 10th, 6 pm to 9 pm

Town Green’s luminaria lightings feature more than 1,200 individual wax candles in decorative bags illuminating the walkways of the Upper Green for a three-hour period each week leading up to Christmas. Dozens of volunteers light the luminaria at sundown and the display continues until approximately 9pm, weather permitting. Light snow does not prevent the installation of luminaria, but due to the nature of the installation, luminaria will not be lit in high wind or rain.

HOLIDAY WINDOW WONDERLAND

December 10th, December 11th, December 12th, 5 pm to 8 pm

See New Haven ’s first Holiday Window Wonderland Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings 5 pm – 8 pm from November 27th through December 19th as area merchants, restaurants, theaters, and museums celebrate the season.

Stroll along Historic Chapel Street and over to Broadway. See the displays come alive in New Haven ’s one-of-a-kind boutiques. Clamber into a horse drawn carriage to ride in style along the York Promenade enjoying the sounds of live musical performances and the scent of roasted chestnuts. Enjoy this magical time in New Haven as you choose special gifts that show your appreciation for the unique qualities of your friends and family. On Broadway, visit the only J. Crew in New Haven County , Trailblazer, Wish List, Denali, the only Urban Outfitters in Connecticut , and don’t miss Santa on Saturdays from 5 pm – 8 pm at the Yale Bookstore, the largest bookstore between New York and Boston . Stores on Broadway always offer convenient shopping hours until 9 pm. Dine at one of the 130 restaurants located within walking distance of the New Haven Green.

Details: www.infonewhaven.com/holidays

UNSILENT NIGHT

December 10 at 5:30 pm

On December 10, join the International Festival of Arts & Ideas for the 3rd annual “Unsilent Night”!

Meet at the Yale Bookstore (77 Broadway) at 5:30 pm. Enjoy refreshments as you pick up your music. Processional steps off promptly at 6:15 pm, winding its way through the streets of New Haven and across the Green (which will be decorated with the Holiday Tree and Luminaria), returning to the Yale Bookstore for a meet and greet with composer Phil Kline at 7 pm.

Bring a boombox, or anything that will blast a cassette, CD, or MP3….or borrow one from them! RSVP and you will be entered to win 2 free tickets to the 2010 Festival.

Details: Call 203.498.3727 or e-mail unsilentnight@artidea.org

SHOPPING EVENTS

Gift with Purchase!

Now through January 15th

Buy anything at any downtown New Haven restaurant or shop and, when you've spent $50 or more, you're eligible for a free drink voucher at participating restaurants. Spending $100 or more gets you a free movie ticket, and $200 gets you both! Most shops will have convenient Cheers! envelopes to keep your receipts in. Then just bring the envelope to INFO New Haven booth on the corner of College and Chapel ( 1000 Chapel Street ), and we'll take care of the rest. It's a great little reward whether you've been naughty or nice.

Peter Indorf Jewelers ( 1022 Chapel Street )

12/10: You’re invited to a TrollbeadParty! Stop by this Thursday evening, from 5 pm to 8 pm. Come and see all that Trollbeads has to offer. Perfect for Holiday gift giving! Meet Liz Walters, the area’s Trollbead representative.

Special – FREE bracelet with the purchase of any fancy clasp! A $36 dollar value!

Seychelles ( 1020 Chapel Street )

12/10 Seychelles will be hosting a wine tasting presented by College Wine from 6 pm to 8 pm. Hors d’oeuvres and informal modeling will complete the event.

Wave Gallery ( 1046 Chapel Street )

12/10 The Ultimate Cookbook series featuring a cookbook signing by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarborough, whose works include “Real Food Has Curves.” Shop the Beatrice of Tashka Trunk Show and sample KSA Kosher Truffle Fudge from John Kelly Chocolates.

idiom ( 1014 Chapel Street )

12/11 Artisan jewelry trunk show featuring handcrafted glass designs by Miss Wally of Wallingford from 5 pm to 8 pm.

B&N Yale Bookstore (77 Broadway)

12/12 – 12/18 Staff and faculty members can receive 20% off their entire purchase from 12/12 to 12/18.

Campus Customs (57 Broadway)

12/12 -12/18 Staff and faculty can receive 20% off their entire purchase. (normal exclusions apply).

Enjoy, happy holidays!

Fall on the Q

2009-11-02T19:53:00.001-08:00

Some photos I took from the gorgeous fall foliage on the Quinnipiac Park & River in New Haven. This was a summer shot of the river outside Martin's with Grand Avenue drawbridge in the background. Enjoy!

New Haven: goooaaaaal!

2009-10-26T10:02:00.001-07:00

I got so excited when Paul, from the New Haven Collective sent out a Facebook invite to watch football (i.e., soccer, not the other football) at Anna Liffey's. I was feeling nostalgic all of a sudden and immediately BBM-ed my sisters, one who is in Brighton, UK for school and the other who is in Nairobi, Kenya about how I was going to watch Sunday's football games and that I needed a quickie, refresher course. And so came in their sage advice. If I wanted to remain part of the family, I would NOT cheer for Manchester United. And Arsenal? Well, that's just clearly the best team. Chelsea was also a favorite, but only one family member thought so.

So, off I went to meet Paul, my adventure buddy Dave and others at Anna Liffey's with what I've discovered is a serious local football fan base in New Haven. Who would've thunk it?? I thought football was dead in America, let alone New Haven. I have to say Anna Liffey's was the perfect choice of place to watch football. The legendary dark underground Irish pub was packed with awesome beer-chugging rowdy fans mostly of the male species; many clad with Liverpool home colors (ahh..safe zone) and with an equally serious, grumpy bartender who might just kick you out if you do so much as crack a smile. I ordered my Newcastle in the most manly of voices, avoiding to annoy him even more with my nasaly one and focused in on the second half of the Liverpool vs. Manu game while waiting for my beer. It's so nice to be back watching football.

Anyway, so I got the beer and joined Dave, who was watching the game in the upstairs patio, under the sunshine. It was too warm and sunny to stay cramped up underground, (plus avoiding The Beer Nazi downstairs was a priority), but three beers later, we were starving and had to go back down. We watched the next game (Arsenal vs. West Ham), avoiding eye contact with the said bartender over the yummiest Irish breakfast and of course, more beer and naturally, more laughter. Anna Liffey's offers drink specials at every match and even has a soccer club, which I might join if they let me. By 2pm, we were full, buzzed, happy and ready to move on to our next lil adventure.

Furniture window shopping, et al...

2009-10-26T08:09:00.000-07:00

Spent much of last week searching for industrial vintage decor (a.k.a junk that can pass for art) like the gorgeous metal cabinet pictured above (although I don't think that counts as junk) from Get Back Inc., in Watertown, CT. I saw the company featured on a local TV show - I want to say 'Better Connecticut' - but I'm not so sure. Anyway, I googled them and fell in love! They have such beautiful pieces, I have to go check them out ASAP.
Here's a photo of their cool showroom from their website. I could live there!

In the meantime, I had the pleasure of visiting Urbanminers in Hamden, CT. A store with a lot of cool, inexpensive, used goods and junk: doors, cabinets, windows, 'empty' frames (or frames with an invisible mirror depending on your view) perfect for exposed brick walls; old, beaten up bath sinks that get my creative juices flowing with fun, silly and bizarre ideas (alternative seating, anyone?).

My next stop? Stamford Wrecking. I've never been, but I've been told it has great junk ;)

I also got a chance to spend a couple of adventurous hours at CT's own Gouveia Vineyards in Wallingford. I didn't even know this place existed! The vineyard is quaint with abundant views of the area's fall foliage and you KNOW New England fall foliage is breathtaking! They don't allow you to bring any type of beverage from outside (yes, including water) but you can bring in food - and that's exactly what most people do. They bring in cheeses and breads and whatever else to accompany the wine. It's free to enter and you have a choice of either ordering tastings or by the glass, or by the bottle. We got a bottle of the Stone House Red (less than $20) which was not bad at all.
Here's a view from inside the vineyard - a photo I got from their website. They also have benches outside for warmer days.

Perfect date spot!

A Weekend of Art

2009-10-06T08:50:00.001-07:00

Thanks to a gentle reminder by my twitter buddy, @jcnork I spent a chunk of my weekend checking out New Haven's popular art exhibit, City Wide Open Studios (CWOS) with friends. CWOS, a program of ArtSpace ("A Connecticut non-profit organization presenting local and national visual art, providing access, excellence, and education for the benefit of the public and the arts community"), dedicates a weekend to showcase 150 artists who open up their studios to the public. It's a family-friendly, free event with an assortment of art work (think: holiday gifts) and beverages to go along. All the work we checked out was in Erector Square on Peck Street. So worth the experience!! I didn't get a chance to see all artists and not all favorites are posted here, but here are some just to give you a taste.

The delightful artist pictured above is Deborah McDuff who exhibited some of her mixed media pieces featuring two and three dimentional works touching on various themes. One of my favorite pieces is the "Preacher and Prostitutes" piece (below) mixed with a poem reading by the artist. Click on the image to go to the artist's profile.

Artist Andrea Miller (below) works with textiles and fiber in a way I've never seen before. The sculpture in this photo, "Pregnant Space" is a "knitted & pieced monofilament" - made by knitting a fishing line, which she said took about four months to complete. Her other pieces were as facinating: square and rectangular rugs stitched together, then stretched and mounted on canvas and then stretched once more to make a composition. (I hope I have the general process right!)

Then, there's Robert Gregson whose work was more play than work, persented everything from three dimentional displays to interactive installations including the "Bicker Booth" where participants stand on either side of a booth and read out mostly dramatic negative phrases ("You're so full of yourself") from a Rolodex file to one another resulting in probably the funnniest argument you'll have with anyone.

Below is "Drift 2" - 6 mirrors placed in 6 individual frames made to engage the viewer in play!

UPDATE: check out this video on Bob Gregson's art (love the music!)here.

Quite impressive was also award-winning Vito Bonanno's work. Vito, who is a 26-year old high functioning autistic artist does everything from photography to printmaking. Check out his work here.

That's friend Dave in Vito's studio contemplating which painting to get me for my housewarming gift :)

Artspace continues to exhibit artwork throughout the year, so stop by on 50 Orange St between Crown and Chapel Streets when you can!

Social Media Club, New Haven.

2009-09-24T11:57:00.000-07:00

Did you know that you could have software that allows your website visitors to edit your website the same way Wikipedia.com does? I didn't! I thought it was an exclusive feature, but yesterday, I learned otherwise. Now, I want to create a website just so I could do that. The software, also called "wiki", can be applied on your website so that visitors can edit information such as add the latest and coolest New Haven events to your calendar, for example. Or if you're in real estate - your next open house listing, etc.

Anyway, I learned that along with other "secrets" of digital marketing in a 2-hour, $10 seminar I attended last night. The seminar, featuring Rahna Barthelmess was hosted by the New Haven chapter of Social Media Club. I have to say, it was quite informative and definitely opened my eyes to the several social media marketing tools out there that I plan to use at work and/or pass on to my small business owner friends.

The seminar was held at "Catch a Healthy Habit" cafe that serves super healthy, alternative foods including raw foods, super foods and healthy smoothies. Check it out if you're wondering what that means! The cafe's host was exceptionally sweet too - definitely worth going again.

If you're into social media or curious about how various tools like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, blogs, affiliate marketing, widgets and wikis can enhance your business in general and your business communication and marketing objectives, then by all means visit the Social Media Club website and maybe you'll get the urge to attend their highly educational events! Hope to meet you there :)

Rest in Peace

2009-09-14T04:16:00.001-07:00

Last night, my cousins and I were walking to our car when a man approached us. "Excuse me, are you Yale students?" he asked. No we were not. He introduced himself as Rob Davey, a New York Times assistant reporter who was trying to get the reaction of Yale students regarding the body stuffed in a wall believed to be that of missing student, Annie Le. Although the reporter was specifically looking to get students' reactions, he was curious about what the rest of us "non-Yalies" thought. After all, she was part of our community too. After a quickie Q&A session discussing New Haven crime and public safety, we parted.

Naturally, that was the topic of our discussion in the car, on Facebook and on Twitter. How tragic! A young student goes missing days before her wedding only to be found stuffed in a bag, dead. Tragic events such as this one concerns all of us New Haven residents, not just Yale University. I never knew the poor girl, but I'm sure I speak for all New Haven residents when I say that this is a very, very sad case of yet another victim of violence.

Like I've said in previous blog posts including my very first one New Haven's reputation is at times synonymous with crime and it's quite unfortunate especially when New Haven has a lot of good to offer. Regardless, this is not really about New Haven, it's really about losing yet another one of our residents..rest in peace, Annie :(

September Already!!

2009-09-09T17:50:00.000-07:00

It looks like I will be missing Amos Lee this weekend as I will be at a trade show on Friday, and, then on Saturday, I'm off to see my NJ friends & family celebrate a little one's fourth birthday. Awww. I know, adorable. I will probably be back in time for the shows both days, but I'll be too exhausted to participate. That's why I have YOU.

If you're in town, please go see Amos Lee and other bands at Edgerton Park. Lee makes good music. Plus, you'll be supporting the organizers, i.e. CT Folk, who are very passionate about music and the environment. The concert is also part of the the CT Green Expo in Edgerton Park they are hosting this weekend. The expo will include various activities, workshops and exhibits. Visit their website schedule for details!

If I was staying home, chances are I'd be attending one of the following events and dragging YOU along with me. Hope you get a chance to check them out & enjoy this wonderful city!

Creative Arts Workshop on Audubon St., has the "Cultural Passages" event featuring 57 Connecticut artists - beginning this Sunday with an opening ceremony 1-4pm. Celebrate art and culture with music, dance, food and hands-on visual art activities.

Jennifer Jane Art Gallery in Westville neighborhood of New Haven is also hosting a Haiku exhibition this Sunday 3-6pm.

Here's one piece that will be exhibited:

___________________________

Sexy little thing
Waiting by her strong machine
Left alone to rust

-Anonymous
___________________________

Cool, huh?

Ok, for you jazz lovers, Firehouse 12 has started its Fall concert series. They're kicking it off with Brooklyn-based musician Brandon Ross pictured below. Check out his website to get a sample of his music.

Firehouse 12 series details are ~

Fridays 8:30 and 10p through Dec. 18 (excluding Nov. 27)
$15 8:30p set; $10 10p set

Multi-Set tickets $150 (first and second set shows)

45 Crown Street
New Haven
(203)785.0468

Mark your calendars fellow FOODIES-- Next walking culinary tour by New Haven Register's Stephen Fries is SEPT 26th!! Check out his blog or New Haven periodically to see where he plans to take you out to eat.

I can't believe it's September already!! Have a wonderful fun-filled weekend, everyone!

Patios in New Haven

2009-08-20T09:53:00.001-07:00

Geronimo's is a great spot for lunch if you work downtown. A must try: delicious avocado BLT on panini (pictured). My cell photo does it no justice!
Tonight: Happy Hour with complimentary food at 5pm!

Caseus' on the corner of Whitney & Trumbull - patio's quiet, quaint & cute...that's lovely lil sis posing for you :)

Tonight at Caseus - summer menu & great music with ADAM EZRA & TURTLE - acoustic guitar, percussions & vocals!

Caseus is very pretty inside not to mention cool staff members. Ask for Erin or Becky (pictured)!

This weekend.....

2009-08-14T20:21:00.000-07:00

Dixwell Children's Arts Festival -
Saturday & Sunday. The two day event will be held at the “Q” House Plaza, located at 197 Dixwell Ave in New Haven. 10-6pm! Bring your kids to learn more about successful careers in the arts including video game design!

Shoreline Wine Festival
Bishop's Orchards
Sat 12-7 Sunday. 12-6
1355 Boston Post Road
Guilford, CT

Milford Oyster Festival
Saturday. 10am-6pm. Free admission. Everything from wine & oyster tastings to boat cruise to canoe & kayak racing! Check it out! Its going to be gorgeous out.

Farmers Markets:
Upper State Street Market: 1006 State St; Saturday, 10-2
City Seed Saturday - Wooster Square 9-1; Sunday - Edgewood Park (Whalley & West Rock Ave) 10-2

Street Tacos Delight

2009-08-10T04:10:00.000-07:00

Went to New Haven Register's Tag Sale on Saturday with some friends - Dave, Jacky & Maria. As expected, it was more like a flea market: 50, 60 or more vendors - most of whom were families trying to get rid of stuff but some businesses were present too; tons of buyers; lots of knick knacks. I got a cute little armchair that doesn't quite go with anything at home, but it was too cute to resist. I will put up pictures in my other blog that needs updating so badly!Dave got a couple of 45s and a print and Jacky got an iron wall decoration for her patio. Maria got Italian ice and the brilliant idea of going over to get the $1 street tacos by Long Wharf. Yummmm!

If you haven't tried them already, please do! The beef tacos are the best although this time, I was in the mood for chicken.

New Haven Taco Trucks line up on Long Wharf...we didn't know them well enough to know which truck serves the best, so we picked the most popular truck :)

The menu items. Have not had the stomach to try "Taco de lengua" meaning tongue tacos and "Taco de Cabeza," literally meaning "head tacos".

There's my pollo! I get mine with extra cilantro - divine!!!

Reel New Haven

2009-08-06T06:21:00.001-07:00

Last night was New Haven's ~~first~~ (correction - Reel New Haven is not the first film festival hosted in New Haven, thanks for the info, Chris D.) annual film fest - Reel New Haven - which is a grassroots film festival created by the New Haven Theater Company. Designed for budding filmmakers in the New Haven area to showcase their creativity, the film fest took place at BAR on Crown street from 7 to 10pm. I'm guessing there were about 100 audience members, give or take. Really good turnout. There were 5 films in total each about 10 minutes long and each with its own unique story and style.

My friend Joel Vetsch entered his really cool "Elm City Pulp" film about a murder mystery. Others included "Carl", a film created by a high school student about a robot named Carl; "SandStorm" was a parody about sports enthusiasts and those that cover them (a.k.a ESPN "The Ocho") and was the festivals only featured woman director; "I'm Evil, You're Dead", an audience favorite, was a goth-horror film and the winner of the festival! The first film was fantastic too, but I forgot the name :(

UPDATE: The first film is "Travertine" by Ryan O'Donnell! (thanks, Ryan)

All in all - I can't wait to see this again next year, bigger & better!

The Thimbles

2009-07-20T08:37:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in this previous blog entry it's boating season! Although New Haven is known for its harbor more than its boats and things, the city is located near a number of boating cities and towns on Connecticut's shoreline. From Greenwich to Mystic, there are several spots and stops where everything from jet skiing to fishing to swimming can be enjoyed on the Long Island Sound!

Sunday, I wanted to show my visiting friend around, so, together with a couple of my friends we played tourist and took a $10, 45-minute boat cruise around Thimble Islands which are part of the town of Branford, CT about 15-20 minutes north east of New Haven. The weather was perfect, the captain was entertaining and the islands were stunning! Mini vacation, anyone?

Who Knew Haven

2009-07-19T16:53:00.001-07:00

So on Saturday, July 18th, a bunch of us plus hundreds of other Elmmigrants (as my friend Brian would call us) tried out, Cluefest, New Haven's city-wide scavenger hunt. The event is organized by a group called The Group With No Name, TGWNN - I've heard people pronounce the group name as "Tigwin". It was a lot of fun, and I definitely got to know parts of New Haven that I never thought had existed like the young kids boxing gym on Grand Avenue and the New Haven Horseshoe Club in Westville. A horseshoe club! Who knew?

The first 200 of us to register got free tees :)

.....some more cool photos from our team member - Jose Almeida (thank you, Zito!!)

Above: getting started; waiting for clues.

In the end, our team got three major clues and four bonus clues, giving us a total of 60 points.

After 5pm - the clues led us to the Cluefest party, this year hosted at Ivy Lounge where we got free beer, pizza, wings, etc.

Can't wait for next year...definitely worth it!

Guilford Art Center Crafts Show

2009-07-17T06:54:00.000-07:00

Went with a friend yesterday after work, while it was still warm and sunny, so here's my little report. Go today or tomorrow if you can - it's gorgeous out as it is!

The expo is - $7 adults, $5 seniors to enter. There's everything from jewelry to sculptures most work is by local artists although a significant number of them hail from all over, like Smadar A. Livne who is from Maryland. LOVED her work!

Get more expo info here

The above art piece, by Rochelle Weber is actually a painting; no tiles involved whatsoever. Weber uses 'acrylic and resin trompe l'oeil' to give the work a ceramic tile look. Inventive!

The artist, above in red discussing her work with some guests.

Scultpure at the show with tents in the background.

Sharon Hosley of "The Potere" on 44 Hamre Lane, Branford, CT shows off two pieces she made. I just had to buy them especially after she gave away some of her pottery tricks. Good Stuff!

......the pots make it to my home sweet home, yay! I hope you get a chance to see what's out there & support your local artists!!

Feliz Cumpleanos, Madre de Luis

2009-07-12T19:05:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday afternoon, I'm minding my business, sitting in the sun at the Qunnipiac Park trying to read the "The Wisdom of Crowds" book I got for two dollars at a tag sale and what happens? This very friendly, nice man who had been sitting a few hundred feet away from me with a bunch of people approaches me with a plate full of what looks like the most delicious cake ever, because it's his "moder birday" as he put it in his accent. Of course, out of politeness, I declined his offer, but when he insisted I accepted, thanked him and attempted to wish his mommy a happy birthday in my lousy Spanish. We then managed to engage in some small talk where he introduced himself as Luis from San Juan, PR and that he was here on "bacation" to see his family. Of course, like with almost everyone I meet, he was baffled at what my origins were. "Er..you speak Spanish?" he asked. I wasn't surprised, people from all parts of the world think I'm from where they're from. So I said slowly, in broken English, as if that's supposed to make him understand better, "You think me Dominicana or Puerto Ricana?" He hesitates, "Puerto Rican and Dominican is same" and then I correct him with my attempted spanglish "No. Me, Africana." His eyes widen, "Oh, ok, ok...you no look Africa" he said. I smiled and thanked him again for my mui bien cake, and soonafter, engaged in what Sacha Cohen's Bruno would call carbicide!

For those who don't know me very well, I'd like to say that my description of Luis' accent is my attempt at mimcry and is completely harmeless :)

Tennis the menace

2009-07-12T16:55:00.000-07:00

Got a chance to play tennis with a good friend for about an hour on Saturday. My love for tennis began when I was 9 or 10 playing on clay courts in Nairobi, Kenya. It was a pretty popular sport as was cricket although definitely not more than football (soccer), rugby and long distance running. Thanks to the constant interruptions that life presents, I have not played consistently since high school but New Haven has a significant tennis presence that might just change that.

In New Haven, I've played in two courts: Wilbur Cross High School tennis courts on Mitchell Drive near East Rock Park and the courts by Yale Bowl (pictured above). Both courts are concrete/hard courts and are pretty well maintained. The Wilbur Cross ones are available to the public, free of charge after school hours and are based on a first-come, first-serve basis so they fill up very quickly. The Yale one has a somewhat hidden sign that says 'Admittance By Permit Only' at the entrance, but there was no one to enforce that, so either call in advance or just play until they kick you out. Tennis is so fun and healthy, but it can be such a pain too: good equipment is expensive; watching live games are expensive. Plus, a good game of tennis unfortunately really depends on the right weather conditions: you can't have rain; you want sunshine, but it can't be at noontime or any kind of overwhelming sunshine unless you want to stall those killer serves or you wish to go blind. The cooler the better, but it's summer in New England so the ideal 'cooler' temperatures are either at 6am or 6pm for the most part. Fall and spring are probably the best time to play, but with students in school, courts are scarce. And winters are definitely out of the question for me. Of course, you can always join a country club and play indoors - but that's a whole other blog post.

I can't talk about tennis in New Haven without mentioning the annual Pilot Pen Tennis tournament, part of the Olympus US Open series that takes place at the CT Tennis Center at Yale University - apparently the 4th largest tennis center in the world! According to the Pilot Pen website, the "Olympus US Open Series, launched in 2004, is the cohesive, six-week summer tennis season of 9 North American tournaments linked to the US Open." Pilot Pen brings in thousands of spectators from all over New York and New England. It's televised on CBS and ESPN2 and you might get a chance to watch top-notch world champions. I was lucky to watch and get an autograph of one of my childhood heroes Martina Navratilova years ago! I'll have to dig it up and post soon! Hopefully, I will get to watch Venus and Serena someday. Tickets for Pilot Pen I believe start at $90 a game. Lucky for me - our company entertains clients at the semifinals! But, if you're not as lucky and you really want to enjoy this tournament, you can still do so as a volunteer!

Yummy Events on My Wish List

2009-07-08T09:23:00.000-07:00

Just sharing some of these upcoming events in and around New Haven which are definitely on my foodie wish list! Some are very pricey, but sound too delicious to skip...

Free Beer Tastings, etc.
Just heard about this one: Beer Dinner with Brewery Ommegang: Five-course dinner paired with five Belgian-style ales, 7 p.m. July 21, Prime 16, 172 Temple St., New Haven, $40 inclusive. Reservations: (203) 782-1616. Prime also features free Beer Tastings every Wednesday night, starting at 7:00pm.
Different brewery featured each week.

Dinners at The Farm
For $150 you get fresh locally grown produce prepared by an on-site chef. Candle lit dinners include a farm tour, 6-7 course meal, 1 cocktail, wine, beverage and service. Website says expect to stay about 3 hours and so no children can be accommodated. Picky eaters welcome - I think you have to mention if you're vegetarian, etc in advance and they'll try to work with you. I did say pricey, but probably so worth it. I wanna go! I wanna go!

New Haven Food & Wine Festival
Wednesday, August 26, Session 6, 12:00pm-2:00pm & Wednesday, August 26, Session 7, 5:00pm-7:30pm. Pilot Pen Tennis serves up a showcase of New Haven's international and eclectic restaurants and a wine tasting. Guests will also have a chance to meet one of America's best-known chefs, cookbook authors and cooking teachers, Jacques Pepin! Box seat tickets included. Each session sold separately. They got sold out last year, so get'em fast!

2009-07-07T07:46:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone got a chance to enjoy the gorgeous weather we CT residents have been waiting for! I took this photo of my view from Martin's Riverside restaurant on Sunday. Sunshine and a cold beer. Ahhh!I know most of us have all been so cranky this year what with all that gray, rain and gloom we've been experiencing so far. I still can't believe June came and went with a total of two minutes of sunshine AND a Tornado warning (see picture below I took from my phone)!! I hope the weather knows it has to make this up come October!

I think I can safely say that I had my first official July 4th get together in my new place. All the ingredients were there: good friends, a grill, beautiful weather, bugs, drinks & fireworks! Hopefully it becomes tradition!!!

One pleasant surprise I found on July 4th was that the small stretch on the river between Grand avenue and Long Wharf becomes this somewhat secluded fireworks hub of sorts. We had the Quinnipiac park practically to ourselves but we were able to see fireworks from surrounding neighborhoods.So much fun! It's too bad I broke my camera a couple of months ago. All I had was my phone and a disposable camera both of which don't quite 'do' nights. Oh well. Definitely next time!

Happy July 4th America :)

2009-07-02T08:07:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July folks!

I am re-posting schedules for fireworks in New Haven and surrounding towns courtesy of WTNH below.

Meantime, Leon's and Sage restaurants, both on the water, will have live entertainment on their decks. Although seats are now sold out, the Quinnipiac Schnoor Fireworks sails tonight to watch fireworks in West Haven, so maybe next time!

Enjoy & be safe!

Fairfield -- 5-7 p.m. Jennings Beach (Rain Date July 5)

Lakeville/Salisbury -- 9:00 p.m. Lime Rock Park. [ Link ]

Meriden -- Westfield Meriden. Top level of the Sears Parking Deck. 6-10pm (rain date July 5th. [ Link ]

Middlebury -- Quassy Amusement Park

New Britain -- 9:15 p.m. Stanley Quarter Park

New Canaan -- 9:00 p.m. Waveny Park (Rain Date July 5)

New Haven -- 7 p.m. New Haven Harbor/Long Wharf Park (Rain Date July 5)

Norwich -- 9:00 p.m. Brown Park

Ridgefield -- Sunset Ridgefield High School (Rain Date July 5)

Rowayton -- 9:15 p.m. Bayley Beach (Rain Date July 5)

Weston -- 8:45 p.m. School Complex (Rain Date July 5)

Wilton -- 9:30 p.m. Athletic Complex On Route 7 (Rain Date July 5

Philly is not a town

2009-06-29T17:44:00.000-07:00

New Haven Tees got here last week and I made my cousin model it for me (above). Pretty cool tee. It's one of the first things that made me notice New Haven pride. I had no idea there were folks so proud of a city that's often times looked down upon. Everything people said about this town always came off as a warning. Don't get shot! Don't get mugged! Don't invite a friend who has no GPS in case they get lost because in New Haven chances are they'll get lost in a bad neighborhood and so on and so forth. So, to see a t-shirt claiming that New Haven is better than your town to me was at the very least, very suspect. My modeling cousin had brought a friend from Philly who disagreed with the T-shirt's claim and rightfully so, but in the T-shirt's defense, I explain that the creators purposefully used 'town' not 'city' so Philly didn't count in the comparison and so, there.

Well, as it turns out, the suspect idea was created by young, active, creative New Havenites who, I believe may have also created yet another awesome tee: "Marriage is So Gay". Take that, other towns!

RIP MJ

2009-06-26T10:20:00.000-07:00

It's unbelievably shocking that Michael Jackson is gone! You will be missed, Michael!!!

V.O.L.U.N.T.E.E.R!

2009-06-24T08:20:00.000-07:00

To make up for my bad deeds, I volunteer. I know the organizers at Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen (D.E.S.K) probably appreciate it and probably think I'm nice for doing so - but really - I'm doing it for me because I need a constant reality check: a reminder of how lucky I am to not have to worry about where I'm going to get my next meal.

I had been looking for a volunteer position since I got to New Haven almost four years ago and surprisingly found it very difficult to find one. What I found instead was an eagerness for volunteers that was nonexistent. Many organizations give you the runaround: you call them; they refer you to their website to fill out their volunteer applications; they do not respond to the application; THE END. So I tried volunteermatch.org or sending requests to specific contacts, but even that didn't work. Some mailed me pages upon pages of application papers which I simply avoided - it was getting too complicated. I just wanted to show up somewhere that had hungry cats meowing in search of food so I could feed them or kids acting a fool so I could mentor them.I just wanted to give my time and energy to whoever needed it, plain and simple. Enter DESK. I heard about the soup kitchen through a member of The New Haven Collective - the Meetup.com socializing group that was created for those new in town - and as you can imagine, I immediately signed up.

I can't say I'm a regular the way that I am for my Happy Hour get-togethers, but I have volunteered at DESK a few times in the past year or so and hope to keep doing so for as long as I can. I usually go after work for a couple of hours to serve guests or on some Sundays. Volunteers are needed most in the summer months because many volunteers are students who leave New Haven then. Go on their website to see where the soup kitchen will be hosted. Tonight it's at 311 Temple Street but I believe they have enough volunteers (yeah, there is such a thing).

You can also donate canned foods and clothing items. And of course, DESK is not the only place you can volunteer in New Haven. I'm sure there are plenty of other places that need your help. If you have the time, volunteer your time, food, energy, money, whatever you can! You'll feel a lot better about yourself minus the anticipated hangover sometimes associated with happy hours.

Come Rain, Come Shine

2009-06-23T05:15:00.000-07:00

So, the past few weeks have been a whirlwind what with the gloomy Connecticut weather (hence my Facebook status plea to our Governor Rell to do something about it); living out of boxes and coming to terms with the bittersweet idea that one of my sisters will be heading to the bloody U.K. for school - talk about gloomy weather. But, life goes on ob-la-di, ob-la-da, so summer parties, here we come! I plan a series of teasers to warm up the house before my one big house warming in August. Will you come?

Understandably, I have not had a chance to experience the International Festival of Arts & Ideas yet which is such a bummer especially considering the company I work for participated this year. And especially considering I'm promoting it as much as I can. Thank goodness I have one more weekend to wallow in live music, art and good vibes! I know the festival directors had a hard time this year as they has to cut costs for obvious economic reasons, so we must support, support come rain come shine.

Boxed in!

2009-06-19T04:21:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been a week since I blogged last! This has been me the past eight or so days - boxed in! Finally moved into my new place so once I settle in, settle down and finish unpacking - I'll be back to logging in all things New Haven. Until then, happy Friday!

It's almost Monday!

2009-06-12T10:20:00.000-07:00

It's Friday and of course, I'm looking forward to a lovely weekend ahead, but for the first time in my life I can't wait till Monday because that's when I close on my [first] new place! Yay!Yay!Yay! I started packing up of course, like three million days ago, but you know what I started doing even before that? Shopping around for DECORATION!!! Anyone obsessed with design knows that feeling.

In New Haven, Fair Haven Furniture comes to mind first. Although it is very expensive, the store has these amazing, inspiring, artistic one-of-a-kind finds and handcrafted pieces that are a perfect balance of art and function. There is also a vintage and antique store on Chapel between Orange and Church. I think it's called English Building Markets or something like that. I only went in once before but I see their postings on Craigslist stuff all the time and it has some really cool stuff in there. I have to go there again!

Online, thanks to a host of resourceful websites like www.apartmenttherapy.com, Etsy and several passionate bloggers, I have found even more options! Here are some of my faves. Drool away!

Gorgeous ideas above courtesy of www.gaitainteriors.com/blog and the rest below are from a blog I just discovered (and now following) "A Mad Tea Party With Alis"

Weekend is near...

2009-06-10T12:44:00.000-07:00

No plans for the weekend? Well, it's one of the better weekends to have no plans because the International Festival of Arts and Ideas starts this Saturday! But that's not all. There are plenty of other things to do like these handful that I thought would sound interesting and very New Haven.

FOOD:
New haven Register's very own Stephen Fries will lead a guided culinary walking tour through historic downtown New Haven. Samplings from stops along the way will begin at John Davenport’s at The Top Of the Omni Hotel, 155 Temple St. Rain or shine. $59, Saturday, 1:15-4:30 p.m. Reservations required; call (203) 777-8550 or (800) 332-7829.

Geronimo Tequila Bar and Southwest Grill also hosts fabulous Happy Hour Fridays starting at 3:30pm...get there early so you have a spot on the patio. It gets really packed.

ART:
ArtSpace: On 50 Orange St featuring installations by various artists. They also have a raffle drawing on June 25th with awesome prizes including a weekend in the Hamptons. Nice.

MUSIC:
Even though I haven't been to Cafe Nine in forever, they always seem to have live music! This Saturday they are featuring an afternoon Jazz Jam hosted by Gary Grippo & Friends and later on they have blues-based The Manchurians with Peacock Flounders.

Ideat Village returns for the 8th Annual Ideat Arts & Music festival this Sat June 13th. The festival features performances by area artists and musicians as well as competitions such as the American Ideat Competition!

Stormy Days

2009-06-09T07:17:00.000-07:00

This was the view from my car commuting to work this morning. Pretty, huh? I don't mind the rain it's just that it has bad timing sometimes. You know, like, when it comes in June and stuff. Well at least it ain't snowing. It also means I still have a few more days at the gym to get that almost-bikini body that I've been dying to get, so everything works out. Pun somewhat intended.

Talking of which, I go to this sweet little gym in downtown called New Haven Fitness. This is the first gym I've ever joined outside school and so far so good. I hate machines and generally prefer running outside, in the fresh air, but come winter time, it's a different story. Unless you're a snowplow, there's no such thing as running in the frigid New England winter air. Well, at least not for me.

I'd take photos of the gym as I usually try to do with my other posts, but I think I'd look especially suspect to gym goers. So, I'll just leave it up to you to check it out or just go to their website. Not like there's much to see anyway (because it's small), but it has all the basics and most machines look decent to me. As you can probably tell, I'm not a gym rat, so if you're looking for equipment SKUs, models and makes you're not going to get that information here. What I can say though is that it's comfortable. Members are a good mix of young and old; gym's hours are pretty flexible and it's got a nice view of the New Haven Green (which, by the way, is a National Historic Site). All but one of the staff members are super friendly and courteous as are most gym members. No major intimidating meat heads or muscle maniacs as I like to call them have been reported (yet). Not to mention there are always a few interesting characters that make it more the worthwhile: the ones who sing along to their iPods not realizing how loud they are; the super chatty ones; the ones who stare and my favorite - the ones who wear 'normal', non-gym clothes to work out!

Summer Weekends

2009-06-08T06:52:00.000-07:00

My sister came to visit last weekend, which meant it was yet another chance to show New Haven off. Yay! Goodness, sometimes I feel like I should be one of those Downtown Ambassadors, but I would never want to be caught in those uniforms!

Anyway, so having spent endless childhood moments in cities including Nairobi, Kenya where reggae tunes are abundant, I have to say New Haven's love for reggae is up there. There are several reggae concerts throughout the year especially at the legendary Toad's Place. In fact, I'm trying to get people to go watch Bermuda's own Collie Buddz with me on Thursday the 17th of this month, but so far my search has been in vain.

Well, one good way to get live reggae is at Sage, a New Haven restaurant on the water. Every Sunday in the summer, they have a live reggae band come in and perform some popular sounds out on the deck facing the Long Island Sound. (I don't know the band's name yet, but come back soon and I might). They start at 3 or 4pm and go on until 7 or 8. Most folks flock the lower deck where the band plays, so you have to go early if you want to be in the action - mingling, drinking and dancing. Yesterday, we sat upstairs in the shade - best for 80-degree weather and people-watching. I think I might have convinced my sister that New Haven can be a tinnie winnie-vacation spot. I've definitely convinced myself, that's for sure!

Cucumber Martini, anyone?

2009-06-05T05:05:00.000-07:00

Last night my friend and I went to State Street's Dolci ("Dolci" means desserts or sweet stuff in Italian) to celebrate the coming of Friday - any excuse to celebrate, right? The restaurant has a dessert theme including a bar tastefully decorated with mini displays of chocolate. It's a small, cute, dark and intimate place pretty new to the area. They have this great shrimp appetizer I love so much and order almost every time I go, but last night was a martini night. Well, that's until my friend ordered a cucumber martini with a hint of rosemary, took a few sips, rendered it a 'cucumber puree and/or soup-with-vodka' and therefore a mistake and immediately switched to a nice glass of Malbec. I tasted the cucumber martini and, well, it was definitely not as nice as my watermelon martini. It felt a little weird tasting a "hint" of rosemary without the lamb.

Not to start sounding like one of those professional reviewers with their clever puns, but Dolci IS sweet. Give it a try :)

2009-06-03T16:28:00.000-07:00

If you're looking to buy fresh, organic produce; soup or an un-chicken sandwich for lunch; natural health supplements or incense, then Thyme & Season is for you! That's where I get my groceries when I don't feel like going to overpopulated Stop & Shop, Shaws or pricey Whole Foods. Thyme & Season is conveniently located at 3040 Whitney Avenue in Hamden which is only 10-15 minutes away from downtown New Haven and that's only if you take Whitney with the million and one red lights otherwise it's faster.

Outsource New Haven local news?

2009-06-02T12:11:00.000-07:00

Just read this article about New Haven Advocate's experiment to outsource New Haven local news to India.

In short, the newspaper basically hired freelance journalists from India (with jobs posted on Craigslist if you could believe it) to write articles so as to prove that local news could not be aptly covered by, and should not be covered by, you guessed it: outsiders, non-locals, etc etc.

To read what one of the journalists had to say about that in her blog, go here.

Really, Advocate? Really? Did you really have to do that? We all fear outsourcing to some degree, but for a high profile publication to go this far is a little weird to say the least. But, what do I know.

New Haven drama! Love it.

Your Town Sucks! Ours? Not so much

2009-06-02T09:27:00.000-07:00

I just ordered my first "New Haven, It's better than Your Town" T-shirt. Long time coming. Am I obssessed or what?

Get yours!

June is Gun Violence Awareness Month!

2009-06-01T08:44:00.000-07:00

Love this article that New Haven Independent published showing what some brave New Havenites are doing to raise awareness about gun violence and crime in New Haven.

June - July is Gun Violence Awareness Month and according to "Why our Children Carry Guns.com" project organizers the month "will begin Saturday June 13, 2009 marking the anniversary date of the tragic shooting death of 13-year-old Jajuana Cole. It will run to Saturday July 25, 2009, which marks the anniversary date of the tragic shooting death of 13-year-old Justice Suggs."

Support, support!!

Boating Season!

2009-05-31T10:14:00.000-07:00

If you don't have a boat, I suggest making friends with those that do, like, really quickly! New Haven (and New England as a whole) is just incredible on the water! There's so much to see and do!

East Rock Rocks!

2009-05-30T11:06:00.000-07:00

Today was a perfect day to take a hike! We went up East Rock park and then had a yummy sandwich at Nica's. Just lovely!!

Full Circle

2009-05-29T08:42:00.000-07:00

If you live in New Haven, you either love it dearly and give it your best, or, you hate it so much that you plan your exit strategy the minute you find yourself sitting on a bench at the green staring at homeless passersby, or reading the New Haven Register's reports of last night's shootings and stabbings galore.

I know. I hated it the first time around and gladly left. But, to be fair it wasn't just New Haven and its crime log that made me leave. There were of course, a number of other factors - some of which are too personal to unleash here. But, for those factors that are not...well, what can I say? I was new in town, new in CT, new in the US. I was incredibly young and wanted to venture out. You know, see the rest of this great America that my family made their second home. And so, venture out I did. Hopping around east and west coasts, I lived in small towns and big cities, finishing school and keeping busy with stuff that could fill up my resume. The very same resume that landed me a job in CT and back, full circle, into New Haven.

If there is one thing I've learned from my travels, it's that hopping around makes you dizzy. It was great spending time here, there and everywhere, but after a while, you'll want to settle down especially if you're a sponge like me and you tend to soak up all that's around you to the point where you lose yourself. And if there's another thing I've learned it's that life is really what you make it. Cliche as it may sound, it is that particular realization that made me mentally and emotionally re-acquaint myself to New Haven and make living here meaningful.

Blogging again!

2009-05-29T07:37:00.001-07:00

Yay! I'm finally blogging again. I started this blogging business about three years ago and then unfortunately, got too busy, too lazy and too unmotivated to write. But now, even though I'm still busy and lazy, my interest in chronicling events, moments, spaces, things etc, etc in this town appropriately called New Haven, is back.

And more importantly, I hope that sharing my New Haven experiences with you will make you want to stay or visit New Haven if you've never been.