Seventieth Playground
There are so many playgrounds to choose from here, and for me, it comes down to how far it is and how hard will it be to keep up with Charlotte. I stumbled upon this playground while looking at the map for something else, and since it is at 70th Street and we are at 73rd Street, I thought we would check it out. It was another crowded playground, one with a splash pad, or water sprinkler, which was inundated with kids. I chased Charlotte through the play structure trying to keep her out of trouble. It makes it really hard to do so when kids dump bucketfuls of water on the play structure.
Photo of girls at Seventieth Playground to come.
An interview on playground safety
This is ironic. The whole time I'm thinking how unsafe it is to combine a splash pad and play structure in the same playground, and there is a reporter asking my thoughts on playground safety. I was a little surprised when told there was a new study out saying playgrounds aren't challenging enough and hence hurts our children. While I'm sure most playgrounds could be more challenging for older children, I'm also sure that most playgrounds are not safe for 2 year olds. How do accommodate children of all ages without making something too dangerous for the younger kids?
Here is the NY Times article I believe the reporter was referring to.
Traviata Pizza
Another map find, Traviatta Pizza, and upon reading mostly great reviews, save the most recent which claim the place isn't as good as it once was, I decide to try it out. Knew there was not much seating, so my plan was to find a nice spot in Central Park for us to eat our lunch.
I got the girls cheese pizza and sausage and pepperoni for myself.
Photo of girls in front of Traviata Pizza to come.
Lunch at Central Park in Sheep Meadow
We headed down 70th toward Central Park, and I knew we were a bit further from our special spot, so I planned on finding another nice spot. We walked into the park at 66th Street, passing Tavern on the Green, and I immediately see our new spot, under a nice, big shade tree in what is aptly known as Sheep Meadow.
A beautiful green field lay before us, with a few of buildings in the background. We dug into our fresh, warm pizza.
Photos of pizza and girls to come.
As we sat enjoying our lunch, I realized this is a perfect spot to bring our ball and other outdoor toys. Mental note: will have to return soon, maybe even for dinner.
Tot Playground
After lunch, Beatrix really wanted to go to the nearby Tot Playground. While I was anxious to get to the American Folk Art Museum, I decided more outdoor playtime might be just what the girls needed. I'm glad we stopped at the playground too. The only other time we've been there, it was extremely crowded, and what I called "Nanny Central". Being it was just after lunch, the playground was practically vacant, and before long the girls almost had the playground to themselves.
Photo of girls at Tot Playground to come.
The American Folk Art Museum
Well, I had read that the American Folk Art Museum had been having sone financial difficulty, and had to sell their new building to ay off their debt. They had just moved back to their old location, and I was so disappointed at the hodgepodge set up. The only works they had displayed were a couple dozen of quilts, nothing else. I've seen other works that are part of their collection, and they were nowhere to be seen. I hope this museum is able to get up and running again.
Gray's Papaya Hot Dogs
This place always has a stream of people, and a line out the door. I had read that they have great hot dogs, so decided I would pick one p for each of the girls, and we would go to the spot we found earlier today at Sheep Meadow.
We found our spot, almost exact same spot we had for lunch. Charlotte had fallen asleep, and Bea started eating her hot dog. She left a bite, and I ate it, as I needed to see how good it was. They really just looked like stadium hot dogs, nothing special, but they did have a nice flavor to them. I'm embarrassed to say that I ended up eating Charlotte's hot dog. How did I justify it? I figured she probably wouldn't eat it anyway!
There is a subway stop and the yummy pizza place near the 66th Street entrance to Central Park where Sheep Meadow is. Steven made a quick stop at Traviata Pizza for himself and Charlotte and met us in the park.
The girls enjoyed the nice breeze and playing with their outdoor toys.
Photos of the girls playing to come.
Bea was obsessed with the low slung branch of the tree. It was just above her reach, but she did manage to get both hands on it and hang from it a few times.
Photos of Bea hanging from tree to come.
I can see why Bea loves it here so much. We have spent lots of quality time outside enjoying what nature has given us. What a gift Central Park is to those who live here. It's a slice of sanity in a big city for sure.
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