Haunted New York City

New York is a city of history. So many famous people have lived (and died) here; so many important events have taken place. With all of this, it's not surprising that the city has its fair share of ghost stories. In honor of Halloween, I went on a "Ghosts of Greenwich Village" scavenger hunt with Watson Adventures. It was a great way to learn more about New York - the city and its stories. I didn't know all the people who lived there - Washington Irving (author of Sleepy Hollow), Mark Twain, and the fictional cast of Friends.

plaque honoring Twain and Irving: credit

For the hunt, we were told to meet in Washington Square Park to receive our clues for the hunt. My friend and I took the D train to the Village, and met around 25 other people also participating in the scavenger hunt. We named ourselves Harry's buddies because we were dressed in our Harry Potter Halloween costumes. We were also the only ones dressed in costume - where was all the Halloween spirit?! Each team was given a map, two hours, and a list of hints, each leading to a specific haunted location. (Example: one clue told us to go to a church with a famous painting. When the artist of the painting died, the painting fell from the wall and crashed to the floor. Who was the artist?) Each hint had an answer that could be found in the specified location. The plaque in the picture above actually contained the answer to one of our clues. However, it wasn't as easy as it might sound. Some of the questions were tricky! My team wound up with 13 correct of 20 and we placed in the middle of all the teams.

The same company has scavenger hunts all around New York. Some of my friends did a murder mystery themed one at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and had a great time. I would definitely do another one. It's one of the best ways I've found to learn about the city in a non-traditional, non-touristy way. And it was an awesome way to celebrate Halloween!

Revival of the 80s!

Revival of the 80's is right! A friend and I went to CAB's (Campus Activities Board) Cultural Affairs Committee first ticket sale of the year. There are multiple ticket sales throughout the year (Elf is at the next one! I know, it is exciting), where the Cultural Affairs Committee's raffles off tickets to broadway and off-broadway shows. This first ticket sale had tickets to the Lion King, Bloody Blood Andrew Jackson, Awesome 80s Prom and La Cage aux Folles (I think you can guess which tickets I won). Our intention was to get four tickets for the Lion King, but unfortunately I am not a very lucky person. After the Lion King tickets were gone, my friend and I quickly deliberated and decided to try for the Awesome 80s prom. This is an off-broadway show that was interactive, meaning that we could dress up in 80s gear! We were able to get four tickets for the show and quite excited! We went shopping on Fordham Road and were able to find great, INEXPENSIVE outfits! My friend dressed as Madonna, whereas I went for the 80s traditional workout look (I think it's pretty easy to figure out which one I am).

Finally the day of the show came! We had been anxiously awaiting to go to this interactive 80s prom. The tickets were only $5 for the whole show and free access to Webster Hall afterward. We all hopped on the metro north, a commuter rail located just off-campus, then transfered to the 4 train. A short walk off the subway we arrived at Webster Hall. As soon as we walked in, we felt like we were in the 80s. Everyone was dressed in their 80s prom dresses! I knew the show was interactive, but I didn't realize how much. There was a photo setup in front of the "high

school" banner. They had nominations for prom king and queen, which was quite hysterical and played up typical high school stereotypes. There were dance-offs, which two of my friends participated in (some unwillingly). It was a really fun experience. I personally loved my prom, so reliving one in the 80s was a blast. At the end of the show, they continued the 80s music until the club opened. It was so much fun with a ton of dancing and interaction with the cast! Moral of the story, go to CAB's raffles and even if you don't get the show you want, try out another one!

A Little Boat Ride in Central Park

Just a few weeks ago, when the weather was a bit warmer, my friends and I decided to go to Central Park and go row boating! We had been talking about boating in central park since last year. Finally, we had all gathered and took the Ram Van to Lincoln Center. It was a beautiful day for a walk in the park. We passed people playing ball and tossing frisbees. We enjoyed some musical acts along the way and the typical Central Park scene. When we got to the Boathouse on 72nd street we anxiously lined up for our long-awaited boat ride. Each row boat is only $12 for an entire hour. We split into groups of three and went in two boats. I have to say, as a first time rower, it was quite the experience. After a few minutes of rowing in the wrong directionand hitting other boats (oops!), I finally started to get the hang of it. We had little races withour friends around the lake. It was a really fun experience, that was inexpensive and easily accessible. I would recommend it to everybody!

Improv Everywhere: Mp3 Experiment

On Saturday night, I waited inside the Bryant Park H&M with headphones in my ears. At 6 p.m. exactly, I and thousands of other people stationed in retail stores around Bryant Park turned on the exact same mp3 and followed its instructions. Unbeknownst to shoppers and store employees, these thousands of people were participating in an undercover mission for Improv Everywhere, called the mp3 experiment 7. Improv Everywhere is an organization that "causes scenes of chaos and joy in public places." Famous for their events such as Spontaneous Musicals and Frozen Grand Central, Improv Everywhere has quickly become a New York City classic.

The Mp3 experiment on Saturday was the seventh they've done, and each one attracts more and more people. Anybody who was interested in participating was told to download a 53 minute mp3 (and not listen to it beforehand) and bring with them a roll of toilet paper, a marker, two sheets of paper - one with a vowel and one with a consonant written on them, and a wrapped gift. Armed with these tools, my friends and I stationed ourselves inside H&M. At 6 o'clock we started our iPods. The first instruction was to scratch our heads so we could identify who else was participating. Probably a hundred people around the store suddenly had a head itch. Then we were informed that the whole event was planned in honor of "Steve"'s birthday. We were in the stores to find him a gift. We all held up an item in the store and acted amazed by it, petted an item like a cat, and then tidied up the store. The mp3 then told us to exit the store to the sidewalk, saying good-bye to the store employees as we left. Once on the sidewalk, we marched as if we were in a marching band, practiced our best silly walks, froze in place for a minute, high-fived strangers, and followed someone who was not participating.

After fooling around on the sidewalk for a bit, all the people participating walked to Bryant Park to start Steve's party. People who were unsuspectingly picnicking near the park had no idea what was going on, as a mob of people appeared around them, all listening into headphones. To surprise Steve we sneakily headed to a location around the park. We had a speedwalking race around it, then gathered in a mob on the green space. We graciously sang "Happy Birthday" and then the party really started as we played some games. We took out the two pieces of paper with letters them. With those we formed words, sentences, and poems. My letters, a Z and and E, where somewhat unpopular. We were then instructed to find a partner and draw a portrait of each other. The one of me is actually a pretty good likeness. One the other sheet of paper, we drew a continent and exchanged it with people to form a map of the world. Mine is missing Australia and North America looks like somebody forgot the continent included more than the United States. After this we exchanged gifts. In return for my stationary set I received three pencils. My friends received gum, a candy cane cookie cutter, and a CD labeled "Koob Christmas 2009: vol. 4." Looks like people were in the Christmas spirit. After this we got out our rolls of toilet paper and wrapped each other like mummies (back to the correct season - Halloween). We ended Steve's birthday with a big mummy dance party - shown in the picture. I'm somewhere in the top right, wearing toilet paper - can you find me?

The Mp3 experiment was everything I love about New York. Huge groups of people of all ages and backgrounds, coming together to have some fun and go a little crazy. Some people don't like crowds, but I love them. I love being around all the people, having a certain bond with them, even through our headphones. It's the open excitement, energy, and creativity of the city.

photo (c) of Chad Nicholson

Biking NYC

Photo courtesy of Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Everything was looking up when the day started. After my music class at Lincoln Center (in Manhattan), I walked down to Central Park Bike Shop and rented a four-hour bike for $30 (only $5 cheaper than renting it for the entire day!). I then proceeded to walk my bike to the Hudson River Greenway, a charming path next to the Hudson River on the West Side. A word to the wise: if you are ever biking in NYC, this is a beautiful place to do it! You can even check out the gorgeous boats on the Hudson as you whiz by!
You can check out the scenery, that is, unless you're me and you're terrified (as your life is contingent on the mere two wheels on which you're not balancing well). And if you're decent at steering. And if you're not bothered by constant visions of yourself drowning pitifully in the Hudson. Maybe I'm offering a little too much detail here, but I can't be the only one with these biking concerns, right!?!?

Needless to say, my four-hour rental quickly dwindled to two hours. I rode past 104th St, then back down to 45th, then I walked the bike back to the shop because, alas, I could bike to no more. Surprisingly, even my halved biking time bore benefits. There were occasions when I dismounted and actually enjoyed the waterfront view. I also slept remarkably well that night (though I'm still in mild pain). In the end, I would even recommend biking in NYC, as long as the biker is slightly more agile than I am. Chances are, this applies to you. Because, let's face it, just about everyone (everywhere) is more agile than I am.