Musing on Wave Hill

The Bronx is often pegged as an epicenter of urban decay, but it's also home to thousands of acres of lush greenery. From Pelham Bay Park (2,766 acres) to the New York Botanical Garden (250 acres), there's no shortage of open spaces to enjoy nature ... but if a Garden of Eden really exists, its name is Wave Hill.





Visiting the 28-acre cultural center was a surreal experience -- especially on Tuesdays and Saturday mornings, when admission is free -- but getting there was half the battle. My commute lasted more than three hours thanks to interrupted service on the #1 train and missing the free shuttle van near the West 242nd Street station. (Pick-up is at every 10 minutes on the hour in front of Burger King.) Just like Adam and Eve was tempted by the forbidden fruit, I was tempted to go back home ... but I didn't want my day to go to waste. Upon arriving at Wave Hill in the early afternoon, I discovered that my time there would be anything but wasted.





Tranquility greeted me as I walked through the front gate en route to the Flower Garden. The manicured lawns and vibrant plant colors caught my eye, and I was particularly struck by the larger-than-life presence of shrubbery. In the Dry and Herb Gardens, I observed bees pollinating moon carrots and flies hovering over tomatoes in various stages of ripeness. (Wave Hill is hosting its annual Tomato Celebration through August 23, which includes a cooking demonstration on August 22.) For those who wanted to stimulate their sense of smell, pearly everlasting and sea lavender were in bloom at the Wild Garden.





The searing heat drew me to the Aquatic Garden, where I watched a school of fish maneuver its way around sacred lotuses and water lilies. (An "Outrageous Aquatics" tour is being held on August 27 and 29.) I was tempted to join them, but the black water wasn't so inviting, so I made my way to Shade Border. Christmas ferns and Black-eyed Susans were among the species of wildflowers that called this part of the estate home.





Speaking of home, the art housed indoors is as picturesque as the outdoors itself. Glyndor Gallery showcases contemporary art inspired by the environment, with The Muhheakantuck in Focus on exhibit through November 29. The word is Lenape for "the river that flows both ways," and it was also the original name for the Hudson River. The convergence of nature and history is reflected in works like Nicholas Galanin's "Imaginary Indian" and Lorenzo Clayton and Jacob Burckhardt's "Currents."





After strolling the grounds for another hour, I relaxed under a hybrid maple tree and took in a view of the Palisades while waiting for the shuttle van to take me back to the train station. (Drop-off is every hour on the hour.) What I saved in money -- transportation and lunch came to $8.52¢ -- I lost in time, for coming to Wave Hill ended up being an all-day excursion. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my visit ... and would encourage others to brave the commute to see this exquisite patch of land.

Musing on Big Daddy Kane

Reliving one's teenage years is either seen as a case of nostalgia or a sign of a midlife crisis. For me, seeing Big Daddy Kane at Prospect Park on August 8 was (possibly) a case of both.





I thought there would be a large turnout for the free concert, so I arrived after 2:30 p.m. expecting to see a line stretch along Prospect Park West. As luck would have it, I was the first in line, so I passed the time by listening to sound check and sipping on a half-liter bottle of Poland Spring water. It would be more than an hour before another person joined me, and we ended up reminiscing about other rap pioneers like Doug E. Fresh and A Tribe Called Quest.



As much as I enjoyed bonding with my fellow hip-hop fans, it paled in comparison to meeting Big Daddy Kane and Ralph McDaniels before the show. They were as easygoing as I imagined they would be, which only made me more psyched about the performance. When the gates opened just after 6:30 p.m., I made a beeline for the first row and took a seat with a great view of the stage. I was content with my position until a Celebrate Brooklyn! staffer came along and upgraded me to the VIP section as a reward for showing up so early.



Brooklyn was represented in the real first row, where I sat between another fan and a photographer. Supporting acts like DJ JS-1 and the Retro Kidz took the audience back to the 1980s with their performances, but we were on our feet by the time Big Daddy Kane took the stage. This was good and bad, for while I got a free Lyricist Lounge t-shirt that was way too big for me (it was double extra large), I also got a sharp elbow in the mouth from an inebriated idiot who wanted a free mixtape CD. It didn't dampen my enthusiasm for the rapper's performance, but I was afraid of going home looking like Ed Helms' character in The Hangover. (There was no bleeding or chipping, but my upper front teeth were numb for the rest of the night.)





He kicked things off with a medley of "Set It Off," "Warm It Up, Kane," and "I Get the Job Done." Other jams included "Raw," "Smooth Operator," and "Ain't No Half-Stepping" ... but the highlights were Masta Ace and Craig G joining him for "The Symphony" and Scoob and Scrap dancing with him for the show's finale. Being a teen again felt great, but the best part was it cost me less than $20. In this economy, that's not a deal -- that's a steal!