Madagascar in the City: The Central Park Zoo, NY, NY

 

Central Park Zoo

5th Ave and 64th Street

New York, NY

Summers in the city in the 80's were always a little edgie. The squeedgee men greeted you from the bridge and tunnel the minute you slipped into town.  Nowhere was more indicative of the decline of the Apple than the zoo.  It was chock full of mangy animals, tiny cadges and rats seemed the least endangered of species.  Why would you ever leave Boston?

Guiliani likes to pretend that he brought back New York, we insiders credit Crime Fighter Bill Bratton, Police Commish extraordinaire.  His efforts allowed for spots like Central Park to become kid-friendly refuges from the urban jungle.  And now, the zoo is back!  In partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society, the city has reclaimed its treasures in Brooklyn, the Bronx and here in Manhattan.  The Bronx zoo is one of our favorites in the world, but these same folks have done wonders with Central Park.  The carousel is no longer the only game in town.

The new snow leopard exhibit is just one example of how far the zoo has come.  Not to be confused with our recent dadventure to the Capron Park Zoo, this is a world-class event.  Just the fauna of the place is enough to whisk you away to the Himalayas.  The interactive activities for kids are just as amazing.  This exhibit is built on the back of some other fine treats.  Bears are living it large in Central Park, which seems oddly ironic since they used to roam these haunts before the Dutch ever showed up.  We also just discovered the Children's Zoo, where kids can get their pets in with llamas, goats and a cool little cow.  There is plenty to do at the zoo, and clearly New York has cleaned up its act if Dream Works is willing to stage one of our fav kiddie flicks, Madagascar, right in the belly of the beast.

The Big Apple Hits Beantown: Big Apple Circus, Boston, MA

Big Apple Circus

Government Center

Boston, MA

I was totally a Ringling Brothers kid.  I loved the lion tamers, the elephants, and everything in between.  So, I was shocked to find out one rainy Saturday in New York that there was more to the circus than just clowns and wild beasts.  This was my third outing to see the Big Apple (second for Sydney, first for Lij) and I think it was the best.  "Bello is Back!" and this time with a vengeance.  

The MC announced that Bello had returned this year, and I was delighted.  Evidently Time magazine agrees, naming him the best clown in town.  It wasn't simply this guy's three foot hair, or his long line of circus ancestors (200 years!).  Bello has it all.  The man can fly with the Aniskin trapeze troupe, run down the competition on the Wheel of Wonder, and makes Grandma the clown look like an amateur at Friday Night Standup. 

Sure, we bought the mandated hotdog, icee, waters, juice, blinking glasses and Big Apple Circus Truck.  Throw in another $10 for discounted parking and if mom hadn't paid we wouldn't have gotten out of there for less than a hundred spot.  But, as impressed as I was, Lij and Sydney were in heaven.   The horse trainers had my kids on the edge of their seats.  The dog trainers were simply adorable.  As if the performance wasn't enough, mom told us about their Clown Care at Children's Hospital, where she brings them around to make really sick kids laugh.  How can a circus get any better than this?

The generous folks have also offered a little discount for my readers, so check them out at:

To purchase your discounted tickets to the Big Apple Circus:

Online: http://bigapplecircus.org/bostonpop.aspx  and submit the code POP10 in the Promotional Codes box

By Phone: CALL 888-541-3750 and mention code POP10

In Person:  Big Top Box Office  10AM–6PM daily. No service fee. Bring a copy of this blog post

*Offer good on select seat locations and performances. Must present this blog post to receive discount at the box office. Performance schedule subject to change. Offer is subject to availability; not valid on prior purchases; cannot be combined with other discounts or promotions. This offer can be revoked at any time. Discount amount varies. Limit 8 tickets per order. No refunds or exchanges. Telephone and Internet orders are subject to standard service fees.

Beach Season Opening Day: Duxbury Beach, Duxbury, MA

Duxbury Beach

Duxbury, MA

I was raised a north shore beach boy.  Gloucester, Ipswich, and Mansfield by the Sea were all part of our weekend ritual from May to September.  Mom loaded us up  the car with breakfast, lunch and a 1980's laissez-faire lack of sunscreen.  This blog will see the likes of Crane (all-timer), Wingaersheek, and Singing.  You might be deluded by our attention to Eastham (a week every summer) or Miami (our April spot to visit family) into thinking that there are beaches that rival the great white north, but you are mistaken.  You can even try them all at this great resource from the Globe: New England Beach Finder.  So why kick-off the second most important season of the year? (No people, there is no coincide the pinstripes are on Yawkey Way tonight).  Perhaps, like my wife, you are a southerner and the term "north shore" makes you think icy waters, or great whites.  Maybe Woodman's hasn't opened for the season.  Perhaps, like the sox bats, it can only get better as the weather heats up.  

Let me start by saying to all you Duxbury folks, you have a perfectly lovely spot.  The rocks are not nearly as bad as Cohasset, some of them were even pretty to look at (and throw into the water).  We did find the parking situation with permits after Memorial Day a bit, say, elitist.  But, who hasn't paid a pretty penny to get into Crane on a sunny Sunday at 8AM just to get a rare spot.  Your town is quite quaint as well, although besides that cute little french bakery Cafe Vanille (that's right people, a french bakery near the beach... do with this information what you must), we couldn't really tell on Easter Sunday.  There  certainly was a noticeable lack of clam shacks though.

What really caught us off-guard was our friend Rio.  There we were, minding our own business, building a rock castle and Sydney yells "horse!"  Now we love a good equine, but we had read Eric Hill's "Spot Goes to the Beach" and I am pretty sure there were no horses.  While it is dreadful enough to have the threat of beach police trucks running over your children, I can not begin to describe the horrible afterglow that a horse had left at 11AM, thus instantly evaporating all wonderful beach scents and sounds.   So while I appreciate the opportunity for some middle aged men to have their Bo Derek "Ten" moment in Duxbury, (and the views were fantastic),  I think next day trip we'll stick to the north, where we belong.