Author: bratislav

So long, LIC

On By bratislavIn Home, NYCLeave a comment

December 21, 2007. I was all set to walk out the door and head to JFK for my winter trip home. But the excitement was short lived – my landlord showed up and handed us an eviction notice. Our building was being sold and we had to vacate by the end of January ’08.

On my return to NYC in January, I had little or no time to recover from jet lag. Instead the hunt for a suitable apartment took up all of my waking hours outside of work. After looking at no less than 7 apartments across Upper Manhattan and Queens, we finally found one in Woodside. It was time to pack our bags and say goodbye to LIC. It had been a short 6 month stay for me but a memorable one nevertheless.

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Celebration on wheels

On By bratislavIn NYC, TrainsLeave a comment

We’re back in winter now – towards the end of 2007 and more specifically the last 2 weekends leading up to Christmas and my departure for India. The Big Apple is a joy to wander through at this time of the year and 5th Ave typifies the festive spirit best. From the giant snowflake suspended high over 57th street, to the window displays of Saks to the massive Christmas tree at Rockefeller Centre, celebration is in the air.

But what better way to celebrate the holidays than with trains? And the city did just that. No doubt, with a much broader audience in mind, it dished out 2 huge treats on successive weekends and gave me a fitting send off on my trip home!

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Windows 2007

On By bratislavIn Trains, TravelLeave a comment

No, this is not a review of Microsoft’s latest product release. Instead, it is about 2 particularly pleasant journeys I made in the latter half of last year. There were two things common to both of them – 1) they were easily accessible from New York and 2) both offered window seats with great views!

To the end of a very ‘long island’

The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is one of 3 commuter railroads that serves the NY Metro area. It is also the busiest commuter railroad in the US. Montauk is the furthest point East the LIRR will take you and like it or not, it is also the very end of Long Island. But given that it is 3 hours and over 100 miles away from Penn Station (including a transfer at Jamaica), it seems unjust to apply the ‘commuter’ tag to Montauk. Fact is, almost no one commutes daily between there and Manhattan – the furthest commuting point East being Babylon.

But the stretch between Babylon and Montauk serves the trendiest part of Long Island – the Hamptons. Best known for its palatial summer homes, private beaches and golf courses, the Hamptons is a summer favourite not only for the rich and famous but also for vacationers seeking a quick get away from the city. And the LIRR gets you there in style.. For a 29 USD return, it also gives you the best bang for your buck!

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Notes from Chicago

On By bratislavIn TravelLeave a comment

I travel back in time a bit, to a different year, and just to warm things up, a different season. And just as well, cause Chicago is a perfectly avoidable city during the winter months! In summer, however, it’s a very different story.

Having already attended the ‘Indian’ version of Utsav’s wedding early in ’07, it was only befitting that I attended the ‘American’ one. Besides, Chicago had long been on my list and this was the perfect opportunity.

A cheap air fare ($139 return all incl) meant a very early start for me as my flight was out of Islip Macarthur Airport in Long Island – essentially the boondocks! That also meant that I would miss out on the much storied Chicago O’Hare! Instead, I had to make do with Chicago Midway and to this day I am unable to discern why it is named so.

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The NRI thing to do – Part 2

On By bratislavIn IndiaLeave a comment

For those who have been patient enough to follow my blog since its inception, you would probably know what I am referring to. For the rest, wondering where part 1 is – although it was never ascribed that status, ‘Morning at the Masjid’ probably fits the description best! For those hapless souls who’ve never come across the much abused term NRI, it expands to Non Resident Indian. Someone whose fondness for all things ‘Indian’ increases proportionately with the distance away from home! And yes, I have worn that tag on occasion – like I did on the morning of the 6th day of this year.

It never hurts to plan big – a half day outing to Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary, a walk amongst the ruins of Tughlakabad, a visit to the monuments at Mehrauli, a walk along Lodhi Road and such. But with 2 weeks in India packed with travel and family commitments, that little bit of time out seemed an extravagance. So with each passing day, itineraries were quickly eliminated from the list and with 2 days left on my trip, the last one curtailed. The plan had been to start at Humayun‘s Tomb, walk down Lodhi Rd, through Lodhi Gardens finally ending at Safdarjung‘s Tomb with the possibility of breakfast thrown in at some point. Breakfast was acceded to but the walk and Lodhi Gardens got the axe!

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Kick-off in Kesroli

On By bratislavIn India, Travel1 Comment

I’m often asked, on my return from India, what the highlight of my trip was. More often than not the answer is far from easy. But picture this if you will and you’ll realise how effortless the answer was this time around. 19 people spanning 3 generations from 7 cities in 5 countries congregating for 3 fantastic days in 1 amazing location in India – priceless!

The venue: Kesroli. A relatively unknown hamlet in Rajasthan set amongst lush mustard fields and surrounded by the lower reaches of the Aravali range. Its only claim to fame – a charming little fort perched on a hill with commanding views of the tiny village below and fields stretching out for miles on end.

The Neemrana Group runs this heritage hotel and with a 14th century build date to its credit, Kesroli is the oldest of their 12 (on last count!) heritage properties across India. Our first family reunion was held 2 winters ago in their flagship property, the Neemrana Palace Hotel. Our experience at both venues has been more than pleasing and as a result I am determined to visit each and every one of their properties some day.

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Measuring up to Manhattan – 3

On By bratislavIn Biking, NYCLeave a comment

Quite unlike the previous weekend, the night prior to Stage 3 (as I like to call it!) had been peaceful and sober. Whether I had company or not, I had no excuse but to continue where I had left of.

Having covered the better part of the island’s West Side previously, it would only have been fair to cover as much ground on the East Side as was available. So I set out by myself that Sunday morning to ride north along the East River till the end of the bike path at 125th street and back to Long Island City. Covering a length of about 7 miles to and fro, the ride would be a lot shorter than those done over the previous weekend.

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Measuring up to Manhattan – 2

On By bratislavIn Biking, NYCLeave a comment

4 hours later I was up, had a quick shower (if that were ever possible!) and jumped on to my bike for the second stage of our bike trip around Manhattan. Sure I felt a little ‘drained’ from the night before and I was completely sleep deprived but other than that there wasn’t even a hint of alcohol in my system! On any other day, the ill effects would surely have told on me.

I met John at 10 after cycling over the Queensboro Bridge and all the way across to the West Side bike path on 57th street – effortlessly beating cross town traffic on the way and doing all of this in less than 20 minutes.

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Measuring up to Manhattan – 1

On By bratislavIn Biking, NYCLeave a comment

Saturday morning and I was out on my bike a little past 9 – some feat considering I don’t surface before 11 on most weekends. What I was about to get myself into over the next few hours was to be part 1 of an even greater feat – at least by my fitness standards!

33rd street on the East River is where the bike path resumes south to the tip of Manhattan after being truncated for almost 30 blocks thanks to the UN building. I had covered a little over 6 kms or 4 miles from my house in 22 minutes and looking back, it sure seemed more impressive than it probably was.

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