Having always wanted to swim in the warm Atlantic, my second morning was spent down by the beach. It only took like 25 minutes on the nearly empty subway train until I could see the water. It was a gorgeous hot morning and the water felt perfect. Frolicly kicking and diving backwards, I tucked and rode in wave after wave. I walked from one side of the boardwalk to the other finding fishermen on this jetty struggling. Later I found out that tests in 2007 found high levels of bacteria in 24% of the samples taken from nearby waters. It feels a little like home now. Don and I have been planning to hit the beach first thing in the morning, but it's easier said than done with long summer nights in the city.
When I got back to Brooklyn, I wanted to visit this coffee shop called Beaner Bar. A friend of a friend owns the spot and I'm trying to meet some cool people. So I jumped on the F -train to the L -train to Williamsburg. The shop was so rustic and quaint, which when combined with a good house brew makes for the perfect neighborhood hole to meet buddies.
Ryall served me up a refreshing iced coffee and added by a few locals, began to give me a long list of must see bars and eats in the city. Rudy, the owner responded quickly to my voice mail and came down the block to meet up with me. He was busy but invited me to a bar in Manhattan which sounded like a great idea for my Friday night.
I had plans to see Burning Spear at seven, so I left after a short while only to stop at this Italian joint for a slice. When I got all the way to Battery Park City, they were just about to start and crowds were pouring into the area fast. There was a beautiful view of Jersey city with the sun setting behind it.
They led us all into rhythmic dance for almost two hours and by the end my muscles need a break.
