Tag: special events

Citi Field – Catch a ballgame in NYC

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Enjoying a New York Mets baseball game at Citi Field is a great way to spend a spring, summer or fall afternoon in New York City.  Here’s some useful information on how to visit this New York landmark, see a game, and maybe keep the party going afterward!

HOME OF THE UNDERDOGS: CITI FIELD

Citi Field exterior view

Citi Field was completed in 2009 as the new home of the New York Mets after the team’s former home, the famous Shea Stadium (home to one of the most historic Beatles’ performances ever) was closed after a good run from 1964 and then demolished.

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Situated right next to the grounds from the World’s Fair (think Men in Black’s spaceships at the end of the first movie), the swanky, newer home for the Mets boasts a high-end food scene (even Shake Shack, hello!) and lower prices than its neighbor to the north.  While the Mets don’t enjoy the same reputation as the Yankees as a consistently winning team, everyone loves a good underdog and although they haven’t clinched a World Series since the 1980’s, the Mets put on a great show for kids of all ages, and have made several MLB Playoffs showings in the past few years.

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Yankee Stadium: Catch A Baseball (or Soccer) Game in NYC

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New York City has its fair share of professional sports teams and there’s something for everyone here as a tourist to this great city who wants to catch an iconic team play at one of the NYC stadiums.  There are so many sports arenas in the NYC area: Madison Square Garden (just “the Garden”, to locals), Barclay’s Center, Giants Stadium (now MetLife Stadium), Yankee Stadium, Citi Field, Red Bull Arena, Prudential Center… and a few more all call the New York metropolitan area “home”.

Yankee Stadium at night

Enjoying a New York Yankees baseball game is a great way to spend a spring, summer or fall afternoon in New York City.  For the soccer (football) enthusiast, maybe you want to catch a NYCFC game instead.

Yankee Stadium exterior

This post covers the perhaps most iconic stadium we have here in the City That Never Sleeps: Yankee Stadium. This NYC stadium is home to the Yankees and the New York City Football Club.

However, going to a game can be a really expensive endeavor, and neither NYC stadium is centrally located in Manhattan, so it’s a bit of a trek to go to each. I’d guess that, unless you’re a die-hard sports fan, only one event like this will be part of your NYC trip. So, you’ll have to pick between this or Citi Field.

Going to a baseball or soccer game in New York City is a true hometown experience and I would recommend even folks who do not like sports to go check out a game. The atmosphere, camaraderie, merriment and energy are contagious – you can’t help but have a good time at an NYC stadium.

Here’s a brief rundown of Yankee stadium, how to get to there, what to expect once you’re there, and what it’s all about. Continue reading →

A Winter’s Day in Central Park – Central Park Ice Festival

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On January 18 last year, hubby and I went walking through Central Park to check out the Central Park Ice Festival near the Bethesda Fountain with its famous statue, Angel of the Waters.

Okamoto Studio’s artists were on hand, giving live demonstrations, carving beautiful creatures and objects out of ice blocks using various tools like chain saws, picks, chisels and blowtorches.

Central Park Ice Festival
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If you find yourself in NYC during the winter, check the Central Park Conservatory website to see when this event will be on. In 2015, it was held in mid-February, so it seems to be held at different times of the winter.  The best part? It’s free!  It’s also family-friendly.

Inside the Bethesda Terrace, you’ll normally find opera singers taking advantage of the ahhh-mazing acoustics of the structure. It’s a great opportunity to take in some world-class singing without buying a ticket to the Met(ropolitan Opera)! That day was no exception.

Isn’t the architecture just beautiful?

And, only in New York, we ran into this dog, dressed head to tail in Yankees swag.

After the festival, we wandered down the mall, taking in the sights of the men and women with giant bubble hoops, blowing bubbles to the delight of children. Just for a second, we fought the urge to run into the giant bubbles ourselves, popping them and getting covered in soapy, iridescent remnants of our childhood.

 
 

Bodegas Twitter Event

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A week ago today (Saturday March 26), I was lucky enough to have a ticket to attend a huge winetasting event here in Mendoza called Bodegas Twitter.  The event was a fundraiser for Fundación CONIN, which is a charity that works with underprivileged children.

So why was it called Bodegas Twitter? The entire event was supposedly organized using solely Twitter.  And, if you tweeted from the event using the hashtag #bodegastw , your tweet would be broadcast to the entire party via a giant screen behind the stage.

Bodegas Twitter

Held at the Auditorio Angel Bustelo in downtown Mendoza, the event brought together bodegas all around the Mendoza region (and Patagonia), including some Continue reading →

Argentine bachelorette parties & weddings

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So, I was lucky enough to already be able to attend an Argentine wedding and bachelorette party (the bachelorette was last weekend and the wedding was last night) since I got here a month ago.  The bride is a coworker/new friend of mine from the States, and the groom is an Argentine.

The bachelorette was pretty much the same as an American one, minus all the penis paraphernalia, veils, sashes, etc. However, in our night out on Arístedes (the main street for restaurants and bars in Mendoza), we were treated to a spectacle that they don’t have in the states: the humiliation of a bachelor at his bachelor party.

This is achieved by putting the lucky bachelor in the back of a pickup truck, stripping him down either naked or putting him in an equally offensive man-thong and driving him down the busiest street in Mendoza at night, honking the horn, playing music, and yelling. I’ve heard that sometimes they stick things in the guy’s um… well… you know. Either way, it’s simultaneously hilarious and appalling.

Weddings here are something else. There’s 2 guestlists: one for the dinner and church and then one for the party, or “casimiento”.  The party STARTS at 11:30pm and often goes till 8am the next day. Unfortunately, I’m lame and only lasted till a little after 3am, but it was fantastic.

Megadegustacion 2011

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Ok, so during the Vendimia time they have a wine-tasting festival. It lasts for 3 consecutive days and features bodegas from all around Mendoza and Argentina in general where you can taste it all in one place. It’s called Megadegustación and it. is. awesome.

This year, I hear, was more tame than the years before because we were limited to a certain number of glasses of wine by buying our entrance tickets. Tickets for premium tasting were 60 pesos (divide that by 4 and you have your price in dollars), while the regular tasting was 30 pesos (I think). With that, you got coupons for 5 glasses of wine. Or maybe 4. I don’t remember. It was a good time.  The city shuts down Sarmiento (a major street) for 4 blocks between the Plaza Independencia and Belgrano for this epic shindig.  There’s the wine and they also sell food if you’re hungry (empanadas, etc).

My personal favorite for the evening was the wines from bodega Azul. It was a cab-malbec reserva blend, I think. Soooo good. I also tried reservas from Altos las Hormigas (someone check me on that spelling/name), aand…yeah I’m gonna have to check and see which wines I tasted.

My favorite part of the evening was when my BEAUROCRAT BOYFRIEND approached me and said “Hey, remember me?!”… I said “Yes, of course I do” and he laughed and said “Hey, I’m sorry about today. Cheers!” and toasted me, and walked off.

The city of Mendoza is just a really big town.