Melanie, born abroad and raised in the South, has found a home in New York City. Living in Brooklyn and working in Manhattan gives her the great pleasure of seeing the city from many different vantage points. Music, film and books occupy much of her time. Dancing, food and nature are three of her loves. There is a restlessness present in her life at the moment... it has led her here. She can be reached at madlux@gmail.com.


 


  

                                                                        Daytrippin’

                                                                By: Melanie Dorsey

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When you move to New York City from anywhere in the United States or the world, one of the first things you should expect is house guests.  In my first year here almost all of my friends paid me a visit.  Like it or not, NYC is a destination city.  And an even greater attraction is your small, but lovely and free-of-charge apartment.  So, once you’ve given in to the fact that people are going to want you to open your space up to them, it’s time to think about what you’ll show them while they’re here.  Not only is your apartment their hotel, you are their official tour guide!  Yes, yes… there’s the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State building, 5th Avenue shopping, Times Square, Chinatown, Central Park, and all of the other well-known city sights.  For a city resident, all of that gets pretty boring and sometimes annoying after the second visitor.   After 4 years of living the city life, I feel like I’ve developed a pretty good arsenal of interesting sites and attractions with which to tour people around.  Selfishly, it makes being a tour guide much easier because I can go to the places that I know and love.  However, it still gives your friends and family a really good idea of what city living is all about.  Without further ado, I present Daytrippin’ with Melanie. 

I live in Brooklyn, so the day begins there.  A few blocks from my apartment is a very cozy neighborhood diner called Dizzy’s, that offers a great weekend brunch.   Their menu covers all the basics from eggs to waffles, and endless cups of coffee.  Dizzy’s is small, and on a Saturday or Sunday morning we’ll probably wait 15 minutes for a table, but it’s well worth it.  The environment lends itself to lingering over food and drink with friends, without really feeling rushed; a perfect way to begin a Sunday morning.  Dizzy’s is located on 8th Ave. and 9th St.,  just one block from Prospect Park.   

                                


Brunch is followed by a walk in the park.  As clichéd as that line may sound, I can think of no better way to introduce Brooklyn to someone new.  Before moving to Brooklyn, during a weekend of apartment hunting, my friend and I took the F train in from Manhattan and ended up getting out at 7th Ave. and 9th St.  We walked two avenues to the entrance of Prospect Park and pretty much knew that we had to live in this neighborhood.  Prospect Park, although not as well-known as Central Park, was designed by the same men – Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux.  The park is 585 acres big and features a lake, a huge meadow, a forest, ballfields, playgrounds, a zoo, and tons of meandering trails.  Year-round the park is home to dog walkers, runners, bikers, children, and even horseback riders.   After spending some time wandering through the park digesting brunch, we’ll head over to a neighborhood flea market.  

The P.S. 321 Antique Flea Market is located on 7th Ave. and 1st St.  Open every Saturday and Sunday, year- round, the market offers everything from furniture and records to jewelry and clothes.  Once I found a handful of kitschy pins all insect-related!  Whether or not you’re looking for something, you’re sure to have a good time wandering around the monkey bars and perusing the tables.  


                                   

From the flea market, we will head to the Tea Lounge on Union St. between 6th and 7th Ave.  While the Tea Lounge has three locations in Brooklyn, this one is the largest.   There’s tea, coffee, food, wine, and Mrs. Pac Man!  On any given day you will find many neighborhood people sitting around on the couches with friends, a book or the ever-present laptop.  Come here to study, come here to challenge your best friend to a game of Mrs. Pac Man, come here to hear some live music, or even catch a film.  I am a tea nut, so I recommend the chamomile lavender tea. 

                          



  

Next up, we hop on a train to the city, the lower east side specifically, for some crepes and music.   Crepes and music?!  That’s right, two of my favorite things… all found on one street.  The Living Room is located at Ludlow and Stanton streets and is a venue that showcases acoustic singer songwriters.  There is rarely a cover and only a one drink minimum.  While the Living Room stage has seen the likes of Norah Jones, Duncan Sheik, Bonnie Rait and Madeleine Peyroux, there is never a shortage of local talent to be heard as well.  The space is very intimate; the stage being on the virtually the same level as the audience seating.  The only things missing, to really make it feel like you’re in someone’s living room, are couches.  

I know what you’re thinking now! What about those crepes?  Well, across the street and a few doors down is a lovely little hut called The Creperie.  I discovered this place one night, after seeing a show at the Living Room with some friends.  The Creperie caters to that exact type of crowd… they are open until the wee hours of the morning on weekend nights.  The offerings here cover all the bases in crepe-ville.  You’ll find the sweet crepes available with all the staples – strawberries, bananas, nutella, nuts, and even ice cream.  The savory crepes come loaded with meats, cheeses and assorted veggies.  And there are even vegetarian varieties.  Personally, I recommend the brie with fresh basil and tomato.  The Creperie is small, so don’t expect to sit for long and linger over your food with friends.  There is seating for probably 6 to 7 people, tops.  Like I said, they seem to cater to the type of crowd that’s in and out, and only after a quick bite of something delicious or indulgent.  

So concludes this daytrip with Melanie.  Having covered a bit of Park Slope, Brooklyn and the Lower East Side, I’d bet that any guest would feel totally fulfilled for a day and up for even more awesome tour-guiding in the day or days to come.

                                    
                                   
Melanie's page at La Luciole Magazine




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