Okay, so it’s starting to get a bit chilly in the big apple - I wore a sweater today! And I'm actually looking forward to the autumn weather; it is the best season for New York. It isn't too hot or too cold, the trees begin to change and the colors are GORGEOUS, especially in Central Park. There, you can actually get lost in the color and the crisp, smoky smell, and forget that you live in a "concrete paradise." Not to mention there are autumn festivals all over the city. The pumpkin festival is one of my favorites - okay its second to Halloween, which, between the crazy parade downtown and the sheer fun of dressing up and acting a fool, must take first place.

 

But I am getting ahead of myself.

 

I haven't given up on the warm weather yet. There are plenty of gorgeous sunny days left before the crispy fall sets in (I think that's my word of the day: crispy). In fact, last Sunday I spent a fantastic day at Coney Island with a few of my girlfriends. I've been there before, but when I went it was off-season so I didn't really get the full effect.

 

This time, however, was awesome. I got the full effect of the place. We sat on the beach - now free of hypodermic needles (for those of you who know the beach by reputation, it has been all cleaned up for at least a decade) - and looked out on the water. We watched sailboats from the pier and ate very overpriced fried food... Lots of overpriced fried food: fried clams, fried mozzarella, french fries, fried dough (aka funnel cake), etc. In fact, I think the only kind of food you can even get on the Coney Island boardwalk is fried food. Ooh, and we also drank lots of overpriced beer. And couldn't help ourselves to overpay for tickets for the Wonder Wheel and the Cyclone.

 

So I came home at the end of the day very tired, very full, slightly buzzed, and much closer to bankruptcy than I was when I left the house just hours before. I was also overwhelmingly satisfied. I hope I get a chance to go back before the chilly weather really kicks in.

 

Where is your favorite overpriced summer spot? Come on people, I wanna hear from you, wherever you are!