Gramercy Park, New York City

One of the greatest things about my apartment is the ability to go into Gramercy Park on a nice summer day. Gramercy Park, situated between East 20th and 21st Streets at the foot of Lexington Avenue, is the oldest private park in Manhattan. Only people residing around the park have the ability to purchase a key. Inside, the park ( really a large garden, the size of a city block) is truly lovely. A guilty pleasure, I have to admit, is listening to people pass by sounding just a little bit bitter about not being able to go in. :-P

Weekend Rituals

I feel fortunate for many reasons, but today I feel lucky to live near the Green Market in Union Square (NYC), where we shop for fresh produce on Saturdays. I don't think you need to be a talented cook to eat like a queen if you can prepare basic foods using great ingredients.Today, we ate sliced tomatoes with mozarella and basil on slices of crusty artisanal bread heated in the oven, we snacked on sweet blueberries, and for dinner, we ate baked chicken with mixed green salad. Everything fresh and from the market. Saturdays are always a feast. I just wish that everyone were as fortunate.