Madison Square Park & West Village & Brooklyn

 The great thing about NYC is the endless array of events that occur every weekend. There's always a concert or party going on, or an art exhibition, or a parade or a flea market featuring fresh vegetables and homemade jams from the countryside. Whatever the day is, something's always happening in the city that never sleeps.

A few weekends ago, Erika and I intended to explore the West Village before heading to Brooklyn for a free music event, but we happened upon a huge BBQ party in Madison Square Park and dropped by to check it out. More photos on my photoblog.

It turned out to be the 11th Annual Big Apple BBQ Block Party that extended all the way through Madison Square Park and into the surrounding streets. The streets were lined with vendors from all over the nation. Smoke curled from the grills and the strong smell of BBQ and beer hung in the air.

After that, we hit up the West Village (one of my favorite parts of NYC). The West Village exudes a vintage culture that is sophisticated and timeless.

New Yorkers take style to a whole new level. This guy's hair was too cool to ignore.

Tried my first donut from The Doughnut Plant. Peanut Butter & Jelly.

We checked out Chelsea Market, one of the famous spots in the West Village. The market was a big food and fashion gallery, containing some of the most exquisite bakeries and boutiques in New York.

Next, we visited The High Line. The High Line is a great place to spend your evenings. It's an elevated park that runs through the west side of Manhattan. I even saw a guy making popsicles from scratch!

Explored a little bit of the Meatpacking District, one of the really cool, urban areas in the West Village. Infused with a selection of restaurants and bars, the people flock to the Meatpacking District for gourmet food in the day and rooftop parties at night.

They were filming a car commercial. If I'd gone a few weeks earlier, I could've seen Spiderman in progress.

Our next and last stop of the day was Brooklyn. We wanted to attend a live music event that was going on at a bar called Pete's Candy Store. Well, on our way to the place, we stopped by a random open party that also had a live band and lots of food, but didn't exactly stay around long enough to figure what the whole thing was about, or whose party it was. 

Then we left and continued our quest for Pete's Candy Store. I love Brooklyn. Sometimes when I'm there, I feel like I'm in a different world, one that celebrates an earlier period. The buildings are older, Brooklyn-ites appear more laidback and less hurried, and the shops have a different vibe about them, something more mystical and retro than the modern-day Manhattan shops.

Infused with a nostalgic charm, Brooklyn's individuality is reflected through its  vintage architecture, contrasting textures and the unique personalities of its residents.

Well, we did find Pete's Candy Store. Unfortunately, it wasn't what we'd expected. No live band. No music. Just a group of people who appeared to be downing drinks at the bar and exchanging conversations among themselves as though they'd known each other for years. The bar's backyard held at least 20 people or so, and I saw a lady walk up to another woman to wrap her in a hug while she gushed, "Susan! Congratulations on your new job! This is great!"

I glanced at Erika and we both wondered the same thing: Are we crashing a private party...?

Anyway, it was all so weird, so we got up and left. Lol. But I didn't leave without getting some pictures of the place. The backyard was actually quite pretty.

And that concludes our eventful weekend! :)