New York State of Mind: 2015 in a Nutshell

So I've been very bad. I'm sorry. I let the city consume me, swallow me up alive. This magical place has stimulated, inspired, depressed, abused, and elated me all at the same time. Over and over and over again. You see, the problem with all of this overstimulation is that it has resulted in my inability to sit down and write. Because the city that never sleeps doesn't really allow time for such things. Pshh, hell no. It's impossible to stop moving long enough to formulate thoughts, let alone write them down. But I must. Because, alas, that is what I came here to do, afterall. So I promise to make a valiant effort to keep writing, keep cataloging my adventures (there have been so many!) and keep doing what I do in an effort to keep the inspiration alive and thriving. Because, well, I don't really know what else to do. So without further ado I present, the cliffs notes version, of what the hell I've been up to the past year. Go ahead, have a seat, get comfy, because this might take a while.

In the past year I have...

• Moved 3 times. First landing in my brother's teeeeeny Sunnyside apartment he shared with his girfriend (he has since moved back to Cali to attend UCLA), then to Lefferts Gardens (to which I experienced more violence than I was admittedly prepared for) and finally to South Williamsburg where I decided to stay put. Score! I found a home.

• Gotten lost in Prospect Park, admired some neat sculptures, and met a magical man (of a rare native New Yorker breed) who took us through the secret passageways of the park to perform a standing bass solo.
• Celebrated my first NYC NYE at the Down Town Association, a private club in Financial District, for a Celestial Ball. This was some Eyes Wide Shut kind of shit -- minus the orgies. 

• Faced my first blizzard. Got snowed in. Ate a bunch of cookies and drank whiskey with my roommates.
• Had not one, but 2 private karaoke parties. Wassup, American Idol?

• Ate a duck feast at Momofuku.
• Danced until 4am, got asked to apply lube to a man dressed as a "lizard lady" in a patent leather catsuit.

• Ate lobster rolls aboard a lobster boat.
• Biked the West Side Highway.

• Attended a Holi festival.
• Saw a few outdoor concerts at Prospect Park.

• Went to Coney Island.
• Visited the MOMA after operating hours for a special showing of the Picasso sculptures. 
• Went to gallery opening nights in Chelsea just for the free wine and street style stalking.

• Watched men in tight tights perform ballet.
• Attended an art show by someone I was actually friends with. And was blown away by her talent.

• Went to Woodstock.
• And one trip to Philly.
• And a bunch of trips back home.
• Cried a bunch about leaving the California sun behind.
• Admired the many, many sightings of street art across the city. (One of my favorite things about the city.)
• And the subway station musicians. (Second favorite thing.)
• Saw the cherry blossoms and tulips bloom across the city.

AND FINALLY! Spring has sprung and a fresh new season begins.

I promise to be better this time around.

A Lobster Boat Exists (and it is EVERYTHING)

Stop. Everything. I have discovered a lobster boat.

Along the West Side Highway at Pier 81 one can gain entrance to the North River Lobster Company, Part seafood shack, part party boat -- this is seriously the stuff dreams are made of, I kid not. Enter on 41st Street. The boat departs at various scheduled times, check the website for deets, and cruises up and down the Hudson for 45 minute increments.

Now for the best parts. The lobster boat is totally FREE to enter -- no resos required, no minimum order -- there's a DJ on-board spinning tunes (mostly Top 40), drinks are relatively cheap (we got a bottle of wine for around $30, heyooo!), they have LOBSTER ROLLS, and the views you'll take in are nothing short of breathtaking.

The only setback of the boat is perhaps the clientele it attracts aboard. Prepare to see dudes in pink polo shirts and lobster printed belts screaming about God knows what over pitchers of beer. The trick is to pick up a bottle, find a quiet corner, and get to drinking. This is one of my favorite finds in NYC, so get there ASAP before the word gets out.

The Shocking Beauty That Hides in Placerita Canyon

Nestled deep inside the Santa Clarita Valley lies a magical place I'm embarrassed to admit I've just discovered. A pioneer trail, where cowboys once rode. A place called Placerita Canyon. After a recent family tragedy, I found myself stranded in (what Angelenos may call the boones) Valencia with nowhere to go and nothing to do so I dragged my parents off their comfy couch to wander the mountains with me.

What I found there was breathtaking. Lush greenery, rolling streams and trees that nearly kissed the sky. Who knew such a snooze of a town could hold such untouched beauty. We hiked the 3.5 miles to the waterfall, which was unfortunately a bit of a bust, but the hours spent admiring our surroundings in their purest form with the parentals was nothing short of a majestic day.

For those of you looking to dust off those cowboy boots and explore a new (or rather old) frontier, try this hike:

Placerita Canyon Waterfall Hike

To get to the trailhead: Drive up the 5 Freeway to Newhall Pass and take exit 162 for Route 14. Drive 2.6 miles north on Route 14 and take exit 3 for Placerita Canyon Road. Turn right at the bottom of the ramp and drive 1.5 miles to the entrance of Placerita Canyon Natural Area, which will be on your right. Pull into the park and make your way to the trailhead next to the nature center.

Trailhead address: 19152 Placerita Canyon Road, Newhall, CA 91321 Trailhead coordinates: 34.377866, -118.467618 (34° 22′ 40.31″N 118° 28′ 03.42″W)

3 Waterfall Hikes to Escape the LA Grind

Los Angeles is a magical place. And it wasn't until a close friend of mine moved from Denver that I realized how lucky I've been to call this place home. The cityscapes, the beaches, the mountains -- all within a short drive from each other. And the weather...always perfection. 

Few Angelenos actually take the time to discover the more uncharted parts of the city -- something I've most recently dedicated my spare hours seeking out. 30 miles away from the urban sprawl lie some of the most beautiful natural landscapes I've seen. Chasing waterfalls has become my new part-time gig. Here are the best LA hikes I've discovered so far:

Switzer Falls

A 3.5 mile hike located near Mount Wilson in the San Gabriel Mountains is one of LA's best waterfall hikes. It's moderate hike, the hardest part being the walk back to the parking lot, but easily one of my favorites in the region. Much of the waterfall has been dried up thanks to the California drought, but there's enough creek crossings, lush greenery and wooden canyon walking to make one instantly forget that they're so close to Tinseltown.

To get to the trailhead: From the 210 Freeway in La Cañada Flintridge, take the Angeles Crest Highway (CA 2) northwest for 10 miles to the Switzer Picnic Area. Descent to the parking lot, display your adventure pass and begin hiking. If the lot at the picnic area is full, there is additional parking at the top of the road. 

Trailhead address: Switzer Truck Trail, Angeles National Forest, Tujunga, CA 91042 Trailhead coordinates: 34.266239, -118.1457 (34° 15′ 58.46″N 118° 08′ 44.52″W)

Eaton Canyon

Heed my warning: don't go on a weekend! I made the mistake of coming here on a Saturday afternoon and the crowd was comparable to a weekend trip to Cosco. So ridiculous! However, if you're looking for a hiking option with great canyon views, come here on a weekday for a chill afternoon. Located in Pasadena, California, this 3.5 mile (out and back) hike is one of the easiest I've ever done. Perfect for novices, children and dogs.

To get to the trailhead: Take the Altadena exit off the 210 Freeway in Pasadena. Head north on Altadena Drive. The Eaton Canyon Nature Area is a couple miles up the road on the right past New York Drive. Pull into the park, leave your vehicle in the lot by the nature center and start hiking north.

Trailhead address: 1750 North Altadena Drive, Pasadena, CA 91107 Trailhead coordinates: 34.177202, -118.096485 (34° 10′ 37.92″N 118° 05′ 47.34″W)

Sturtevant Falls
Located in Sierra Madre's Chantry Flats area, this hike is home to an old resort town named for canyon pioneer Wilbur M. Sturtevant in the 1890s. Hiking around the area will find remnants of cabins and other staples, which make for a fun little stroll, and the shaded woods make for an instant escape from the bustle of the city. Try this 3.7 mile hike if you're wanting to take a little trip through time and space and find yourself in an old mountaineer's piece of heaven.

To get to the trailhead: Take the 210 east through Pasadena to Arcadia. Exit on Santa Anita Avenue and head north. Go up the mountain for 5 miles until the road ends at Chantry Flats.

Trailhead address: Chantry Flats Road, Angeles National Forest, Arcadia, CA 91006 Trailhead coordinates: 34.195515, -118.022503 (34° 11′ 43.85″N 118° 01′ 21.01″W)

3 Days on the Central Coast

After a two week stint of cloudy thoughts, uncertainties, and just, ya know, your overall average questioning of existential existence, a quick getaway to the central coast was pretty much the best remedy one could've asked for. Wine tasting, tree hugging, and clam chowder escapades... Fuck you Mercury retrograde. This one is for the dreamers.

The Pirate's Life in Cartegena

Cartagena is unreal. Like taking a trip to Disney World and getting sucked into the Pirates of the Caribbean kind of unreal. A fantasy imagined. A daydream come true.

The city itself sits behind 20-inch thick stone walls built by the Spaniards to keep those plundering ole pirates at bay. Pulling up to the entrance I instantaneously knew I was about to experience something of other-worldly proportions.

Esmee and I arrived in the early evening. The air was muggy and hot. A nice little treat from Bogota's cold rainy days. As our cabby made its way into the walled city, we were greeted by candy-colored colonial architecture, horse-drawn carriages, people singing and dancing in the streets. Again, unreal. Like, how could one even?

After getting settled in our hostel, El Viajero, we decided to set out on a strolling adventure. The cobblestone streets were buzzing with affluent tourists dressed in head-to-toe white, and local street vendors were sprawled out selling anything and everything imaginable. The neighborhood inside the city walls was quite small so it wasn't long before we stumbled onto two of the best things I experienced in my entire time in Colombia: a dance troupe performing to a live steel drum band and homemade Caribbean street ceviche. Honestly, there are no words.

We decided to pick up a bottle of rum, being that we were living the pirates' life and all, and headed back to our hostel. Card games with a group of Argentinians were played, drinks were, well, drunk, and laughs were had before our hostel bartender whisked the entire group out to explore the nightlife. 

Just outside the city walls lies the "Golden Triangle" of Cartagena's best bars, discotheques and restaurants. A little 'hood called Getsemani. Our hostel group hopped around, dancing our faces off in the humid stale air, soaking up the intoxicating energy of Colombia nightlife. It was epic.

The next day we had decided we NEEDED to see the sea, so we set off for the Caribbean coast. Best 3 things of this day: finding (and eating) the largest avocados I had ever seen, bartering on the beach for a cooler full of ice cold beer (and keep 'em coming!) and swimming in the bath-water-warm ocean with bunch of 10 year olds that were trying to spit mad game at us (apparently they start them young here).

The beach sat alongside the city high-rises, while local Caribbeans squeezed fresh juice and grilled fish on the sand. About every 5 minutes a vendor would stop by our cabana (yeah, we took it there) to try to sell us some goods. Now this...was my kind of heaven.

Post beach we decided to go big before we went home so we dined at the Café del Mar on the wall. Where the ocean met the cotton candy-colored sky, we devoured grilled calamari in a mushroom, white wine, cream sauce and shrimp with mango salsa. It was everything I could possibly hope for. And so much more.

My time in Cartagena was brief but beyond beautiful. Truly a magical escape. And while I pencil in the next time I can visit a place so majestic, I take away one key finding. The pirate's life is fo sho for me.